Review: Disorienting Dick

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2022
Images from the Internet

Disorienting Dick
Directed by Richard Griffin
Reasonable Moving Picture Company; Scorpio Film Releasing
88 minutes, 2022
https://www.facebook.com/ScorpioFilmReleasing

Historically, director Richard Griffin likes to reuse cast members in phases. For a while it was actors like Sarah Nicklin, Michael Thurber, and Michael Reed, for example. Then, overlappingly, it was those such as Elyssa Baldassarri , Jamie Dufault, Johnny Sederquist (aka Ninny Nothin), and Anna Rizzo, and lately it’s been Samantha Acampora, Sarah Reed, and especially Graham Stokes. The last two also appear in his latest opus, the strongly LGBQT(etc.) themed Disorienting Dick. Stokes full frontal nudity in the first shot gives the viewer a – er – taste of things to come.

Graham Stokes

This is also a very sharp political commentary as we meet Dick’s mom, the appropriately named Maureen Whiteman (Leslie Racine Vazquez), a Qanon, conspiracy-focused, money and power-hungry politician running for Mayor in a city in Rhode Island (where this is filmed), who is reminiscent of Sarah Palin, Lauren Boebert or Marjorie Greene (though Maureen is intelligent, unlike those others). The mock political ad at her introduction is both ridiculously over the top, and yet quite scary as it is also reflective of a certain level of Republican “values” as they stand today; it is also a theme that permeates the whole film. The subtle Ayn Rand reference by Dick is also telling.

Leslie Racine Vazquez

Dick, in the meanwhile, has a fiancée, Pat (Sarah Reed), who wears a Jesus sweatshirt, but it’s pretty obvious that it isn’t going to last as Dick becomes, in the words of the film, “oriented” (rather than converted). You just know it’s going to conflict with his mom. I am enjoying the political aspects of the story so far, rather than it being more of a gay romp like Griffin’s previous (short), Gay as the Sun (2020; reviewed HERE), which also starred Stokes.

Sarah Reed

While Dick is in the closet and having wild, softcore fantasies about men, his mother finds out his desires, and has him taken to the “Clinic for the Terminally Dandy,” an evil right wing conversion therapy organization (conversion therapy, by the way, is now banned by our neighbors to the north, in Canada; in the United States, only Washington DC has barred the practice on adults). It is run by the evil doctor Hyde Hippocampus (Terry Shea), dressed in black with a black eye patch on his right eye and his Nurse Rached-type nurse assistant, DeFarge (Amy Thompson). Advanced treatment includes the “Lindsey Graham Initiative.” Sorry to give some of the jokes away, but it’s just a smidge of them, and I am trying to clarify that this is a smart film as well as smutty (meant in a good way). 

But that’s not the whole story, as Dick keeps getting kidnapped back and forth between the conversion therapy and a competing “Clinic for the Fabulously Dandy” run by the twin of the other doctor, Jekyll Hippocampus (also Terry Shea) but with bright red clothes and a red eye patch on the other eye, and a non-binary nasty also Nurse Rached type, Atari 2600 (Albert Lin). Therapy includes such things as “Jungian Interpretive Dance.” At the latter institute, they try to get Dick out of the closet. Between the two, no wonder he is so disoriented.

Amy Thompson, Vazquez, Terry Shea, Stokes

The set designs and clothing in the second, positive clinic, by Margaret Wolf and Angela Shulman, are bright pastel colors, which reminded me of the original “Star Trek” series. In the conversion one, the color theme is muted and white, with no pizazz. The director once told me that the comparison of the gay sex in his film The Sins of Dracula (2014; reviewed HERE) was hanging of the chandelier type, whereas the straight couple sex was missionary and boring. This is a similar idea here.

Perhaps I am reading too much into the story, but it almost seems like the percentages are flipped, where 90 percent of the characters are some shade or degree of gay or bi, and 10 percent are straight. It is an interesting concept. In all, this is a morality play on what is right and wrong, with the philosophically metaphorical devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other, with one leaning toward straight and one towards being gay, but in this case, which is on which side? In fact, Jesus and the Devil appear in the film momentarily as that inner battle is in play (having those two in a Griffin release(ing) is nothing new (in fact Michael Reed has played both in different films of his, but I digress…).

Albert Lin, Shea

While some of the acting is appropriately over-emoted, there are a lot of really brave performances, by the likes of Victoria Paradis, Vazquez, and especially Stokes. The writing is especially sharp with both political and social commentary that does not drag the story down in any way, and at times quite biting (no pun intended); and the sex and nudity is all male on male and sometimes quite explicit, though not as much as, say, Shortbus (2006). The single lesbian scene is, not surprisingly, unseen. DD has a definitive direction in which it is going, and it follows true to its path, and I respect that, a lot.

There are a lot of elements going into this basic story, including sock puppets (you read that correctly), but deep down, it has a single theme. The last line of the film sums up the philosophy of Disorienting Dick in one sentence quite well (I will not give it away). You should definitely find out for yourself. Maybe the viewer might even learn something about themselves.

IMBD Listing HERE

Review: Blood Pi (Blood π)

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2020
Images from the Internet

 

Blood Pi (aka Blood π)
Directed by Jordan Pacheco
Lock It Down Productions
91 minutes, 2020
https://www.facebook.com/BLOOD-Pi-1475601389429732

College is a time for growth, for learning, and apparently for dying by a horrible method, if you follow the trend of a multitude of slasher films. For this dramedy, we are welcomed to River Falls University (RFU), which I am assuming is in New England, where this was shot… er… filmed.

RFU is also a school that likes its winning football team and especially its wild parties, where the overaged female students are all beautiful and the males are the beef. But I’m getting ahead of myself here. There is no surprise about who is the killer as we see the striking -yet-warped coed Amber (Anna Rizzo) take umbrage with her family in the prologue, which also gives a hint of sharp (pun intended) and gory humor in the first couple of minutes.

 

Anna Rizzo

As the film starts proper, we are introduced to shy lovely-but-made-to-look-frumpy-before-being-made-to-look-lovely Agnis (Sarah Nicklin) being bullied by the cool girl Omega Pi sorority squad. After a stressful turn of events with a teacher (not what you think), she is taken under the wing of the very same Amber, who gives her a make-over and some of her mom’s now-unneeded clothes, and especially her heart-shaped necklace.

Of course, Amber is a completely murderous sociopath who is obsessed with Agnis, so you know the friendship between the two at some point is going to turn on its head.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. Of course, Agnis and Amber have a blow-out, leading to two altering actions: Amber goes further off the rail (man, Rizzo is good at playing “psycho” with both simmer, eyebrows and rage), and Agnis joins in with the same sorority mean girls who rename her Angie. It’s interesting that the psycho tells her to “change your hair, change your make-up, but be yourself,” and the hot shots want her to change to suit them. As nuts as Amber truly is, she’s actually the better friend than the sorority sisters. There’s an academic paper in there somewhere.

As for the Halloween party which starts Act 2, well, what better way to put some bodies on display (and there is a lot of that in this film), and in harms way of a psycho killer, qu’est-ce que c’est? Agnis, now dubbed Angie by the cool contingent, arrives at the party, as does Amber (Rizzo sure can rock a corset, as she showed previously in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, in 2017). Angie hooks up with a Kavanaugh-ishly rapacious frat boy, Keith (Jamie Dufault, who ironically starred in a film called Murder University in 2012) which does not go well for both parties.

Sarah Nicklin

However, it’s a second bash (again, costumes and Halloween themed) that’s more like a black-light-lit rave. Despite Angie’s trying to leverage between the Pi gals and Amber, she’s having trouble seeing the truth from both sides, making her the weakest link for a while. One of the best and most graphic kills occurs at this point that you’re not going to want to miss. Let’s just say it’s reminiscent of Terrifier (2016).

Then there’s the – I kid you not – third shindig, starting the final act, where things really begin rockin’ and people start droppin’. And let the games – and the flowing of blood – begin! Damn, I’m giddy as a sbool boy (Monty Python reference, sorry). Amber learns of the Pi gals’ nefarious plans at Angie’s “pledging” to the sorority where the shit hits the fan and the body count significantly rises. There is one particular kill that is bound to make people squirm (did me), again in a Terrifier motif, but the previous party’s kill kind of balances it out, I guess.

The film touches a bit on some previous work, such as the obsession of Single White Female (1992) among many, and Mean Girls (2004). What’s nice is that this is a pretty meat and potatoes kind of picture, without trying to be too arty, and just give us what we genuinely want to see. There is also a strong influence of a plethora of 1980s releases where a ball becomes an abattoir.

A question I have, as there is no back stories on any of the characters, as is the nature of these kinds of genre blood-lettings, is that I wonder whether Amber was always a bad seed and had killed before, or was there a trigger that set her off on the path of rack and ruin. The other thing about these kinds of genre blood-lettings is that sometimes the backstories are irrelevant to the fun that’s on the screen at the moment, and we have a heap of that here.

 

Jamie Dufault

While there is no nudity, there is amble cleavage, some gore done with beautiful practical SFX by John Lauterbach, and lots of dead bodies scattered about. My only real objection to the film involves a “date rape” and the casual way the aftermath is handled. This left me feeling a bit uncomfortable.

 Shot beautifully in widescreen, this is straightforward and to the point – with some very sharp points – which is just what is both expected and desired. There is truly little fat on the story, which makes a good viewing. Plus, there is a cast to die for, full of actors for whom I am a huge fan, like Nicklin, Rizzo, Dufault, and as the wonderful comic relief, the effervescent Johnny Sederquist as a drug dealer. Also noteworthy is Lilith Asteroth (I’m guessing that’s not her birth name) of the death metal band Sorrowseed,  as one of the Pi sorority who is more than what she seems.

The film definitely pushes some envelopes, which can be seen as good or bad, but either way it’s bound to shock some and have others hiding their eyes behind their hands. Of course, true deep genre fans are bound to be drinkin’ and a hootin’.

Review: Code Name: Dynastud

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2018
Images from the Internet

Code Name: Dynastud
Directed and edited by Richard Griffin
Scorpio Film Releasing / Reasonable Moving Picture Company Productions
95 minutes, 2018
www.facebook.com/dynastud/

First, as a disclaimer, I feel compelled to state that I watch this film as a straight man but who is an ally. Working across the street from the Stonewall in my youth opened my eyes to a lot of unintentional internal prejudices I didn’t realize I had, and have worked on since. Anyway, here we go.

If I may be so presumptuous, there seems to be three great arches in director Richard Griffin’s filmmaking career. The first was the early learning curve where he got his feet wet, with releases such as Raving Maniacs and Seepage! (aka Creature From the Hillbilly Lagoon; both 2005). The second arch began around the time of Beyond the Dunwich Horror and Nun of That (both 2008), where Griffin developed into a solid and prolific director that specialized mostly in making films that reflected / honored a bunch of different styles (giallo, ‘80s Eurotrash, Christian films, etc.), most of which were comedies, but mixed in were some amazing serious ones as well (such as Exhumed in 2011 and Normal in 2013). During this period he came to the attention and gained the respect of numerous film critics and bloggers such as myself. It was here that he developed a loose group of regular actors that helped support his output.

Recently, Richard began his third (so far) arch starting with Strapped for Danger (2017), which is catering to gay, raunchy comedies. Again, this is supported by some new regulars, such as Anthony Gaudette and Michael Varrati (also an amazing screenwriter). Honestly, even before watching this sci-fi tinged “gay romp” (as Mel Brooks may have put it), I have been looking forward to giving it a viewing. Pressing start now…

Since Ronald Reagan first let in the Religious Right to the political arena, there has been an increasing amount of “Bible over Constitution” on the GOP side. And in a post-Trump presidency world of 2024 when this film takes place, that religious power madness has reached its pinnacle, outlawing homosexuality. At the present time, this hardly seems like a far-fetched idea when considering our closeted Vice President and at least one Senator Graham Cracker (both allegedly).



Derek Lauendeau, Anthony Gaudette, Mark Garner

While our titular alien-induced super-powered character of Dynastud (Gaudette) is introduced through a near perfect James Bond-ish opening and credits that had me in stitches, the story proper seems to revolve more around the pure of heart and noble Bart (Derek Laurendeau), who finds himself in a pickle when forced to marry Patty (Candace Sampson, the only female main character who ironically steals some scenes away from the dudes) by her father, the murderous and gay-hating Senator Hightower (played with glee by Bruce Church, who looks like he’s having a blast in the role).

That being said, there are, again, three arcs to this story: in no particular order there is the Bart and Patty conundrum, a buddy travel theme (think Trains, Planes and Automobiles), and an overlapping grand quest (such as the Lord of the Rings trilogy). At this point, I am not including the underlying political messaging throughout, which I will get to later.



Candace Sampson

Also worth mentioning are two secondary characters who are sort of the Rosencrantz and Guildenstern of the story, Vargas (Aaron Andrade) and Sam (Dan Mauro), two police officers resurrected from Griffin’s earlier Seven Dorms of Death, who are ordered to find our intrepid heroes Bart and Dynastud. What they find instead are cameos by Griffin regulars and some revelations that of course I will not divulge. I may have said too much already…

There are a lot of subtle nuances throughout the film, such as quotes from the notoriously camp Bride of Frankenstein (1935) and The Blues Brothers (1978) – and I’m supposing there are also some I missed.

Of course, there is full frontal male shots (though less than I expected; I seem to remember more in Griffin’s last film, Strapped For Danger) and a lot of sex, focused natch on M-M. One scene recognizes the female side of the equation, though more in a stereotypical but hopefully non-offensive way (plaid shirts, ultra-Liberal, etc.). The same stereotyping could be said about Canada and especially Canadians in later scenes, that is non-offensive and, honestly, really funny, eh?



Bruce Church

Griffin being Griffin, he also hysterically has the whole film overdubbed like those kung fu flicks in ways that are both obvious – such as Vargas’ British lilt and two that I particularly liked, “drag queen” Lee Van Queef (Jordan Pacheco) and a Canadian hostess (Samantha Acampora); others less noticeable.

At a time like the present where NAFTA is scrapped in favor of a tariff war by the government, it seems appropriate to have a whole Canadian/maple syrup sub-plot – okay, perhaps it doesn’t make sense, but it works in the story – as the last act of the film is bat-shit WTF sci-fi as we are introduced to the kung fu master Bruce Li (Mark Andrew Garner) to kinda tie everything together and perhaps lead to a film sequel.

While not as over-the-top as Seven Dorms of Death (a fave of mine), this is a film that is silly, but far from stoopid [sic]. The cannon fire over the bow is both subtle and not as much so (such as Li’s fight with the Mecha-Trump robot that looks like it came out of a 1940s serial like The Monster and the Ape).

More than a hypocritical “War on Christmas” (which doesn’t exist except as a distraction, of course), there truly is a War on LGBTQ(etc.) Rights, and this film pushes that button. I’m a firm believer that one can get more notice using humor than fear, and Griffin raises a rally cry that there truly is danger afoot with an ultra-“religious” (most would say Christian, but I find it to be true across all the ultra-orthodox of beliefs) base. Griffin switches from “a nod’s as good as a wink to a blind bat” subtle to a sledgehammer to bring his points around, and they all work into the story, mostly without being preachy (pun intended).

Meanwhile, be sure to watch beyond the credits, and pay attention to the Justin Trudeau life-sized cut-out in the background. Gay or straight, as an audience member, there is a lot to see, a lot to think about, and most importantly, plenty of good laughs.

 

Review: Creature from the Hillbilly Lagoon

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2016

Images from the Internet

Creature from the Hillbilly Lagoon (aka Seepage!)

Directed and edited by Richard Griffin

Scorpio Films Releasing

90 minutes / 2005

The film can be seen HERE. 

There are so many genres and subgenres that it is interesting to look at them over time. For example, there was and is plenty of Hillbilly stuff, especially in the 1970s. Hell, even Opie (aka Ron Howard) started by directing in that field (for Roger Corman) with Grand Theft Auto (1977); and Burt Reynold’s whole beginning oeuvre was steeped in it.

Redneck horror is also a sub-subgenre, with the likes of Redneck Zombies (1989), Bloodsucking Redneck Vampires (2004), I Spit Chew on Your Grave (2008), The Legend of the Hillbilly Butcher, and the short-film compilation The Hillbilly Horror Show, Vol. 1 (2014), to name just a small amount.

But there is also a horny human-like fish-monster subgenre as well, with the likes of Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954, for which this film is named), The Horror of Party Beach (1964), and Humanoids from the Deep (1980; remade in 1996). Yes, I’ve seen nearly every one of those I’ve mentioned in the last two paragraphs, I’m proud to say.

                                                                                          

Most of the films I’ve cited, with rare exceptions, are either comedies or unintentionally funny in a campy way (e.g., Humanoids…). But beyond humorous, they tend to be outrageously so, because if you mock someone’s culture, such as the white Deep South, you better make it obvious that it is poking an elbow rather than pointing a finger, if you want to keep your audience (commented on, somewhat, in the 2014 Bigfoot film, Stomping Ground). This is in the same way that films like Car Wash (1976) or Beauty Shop (2005) are presented, with over-the-top stereotypical characters that are broad enough that many can identify with and mock, rather than are being mocked directly (again, socially commented on in Spike Lee’s 2000 social commentary, Bamboozled).

But I suppose that I should start talking about the film at hand, shouldn’t I? Despite it being filmed in Connecticut (except for a coda scene in Rhode Island), director Richard Griffin tackles the Redneck/Horny Man-Fish genres by wisely combining them into an outrageous and profane comedy Seth Rogan would probably kill to be able to do adequately (he would fail, though still attract an audience for some reason). The acting is wooden, as usually is in backwoods low-comedy style, but nowhere near as forceful and purposefully as it is in his last film, Seven Dorms of Death (2016). Considering the decade-plus time difference of release, it’s interesting to compare them, but I’m jumping ahead of myself.

Hillbillies gone huntin'

In a bayou area of the Deep South, the trope of spilling toxic chemicals (e.g., 2007’s Wasting Away [aka Ahh!! Zombies!] and 2011’s Exit 101) into the water is used to produce a hybrid human-fish (that is, man-into-fish, not fish-into-man, or in today’s terminology, perhaps M2F[ish]). This brings four factions contentiously colliding together: (a) a group of young science students who are doing tests on the water (yet still skinny-dip in it); (b) a gaggle of rednecks (two are named Bubba and Cooter) out huntin’, (c) the hitmen from a pharma company responsible for the dumping who are trying to keep it all contained by trying to kill everyone involved (as a reference point, there is The Crazies, both in 1973 and 2010); and (d) the mutant/mutating fish people who have a hunger for human flesh, of course.

There is certainly a – er – certain level a cheesiness present, such as there always seems to be some fog around as people are skulking about, even in a basement. Also, a hillneck (redbilly?) gal in classic daisy dukes and a red checkered Italian restaurant tablecloth design top tied in front falls for a mutant-to-be, a student ends up being an escapee from the evil corporation, and there are hair curlers, beers, and white hazmat suits, along with nudity and lots of decent gore, giving an overall nice scaly shine.

The creatures are definitely a guy(s) in rubber suits – and considering you never see more than one of the monsters at a time, I guessing the same suit – but actually it looks pretty decent for its budget, and I was impressed by them. Truthfully, it looks better than many I’ve seen on shoots with a much larger financial backing.

If you’re not used to these kinds of films, the dialogue may sound a bit, well, stupid, but if you listen carefully with heavy dose of humor, it’s hysterical. For example, when one character sees the dead body of someone he knows, he yells, “Fuck me sideways! Noooooo!” There are also a lot of racial and ethnic comments, and including pointed towards the LGBTQQ+ demographic. This is, however, meant more to shine on the fallibilities of those who are homophobic rather than promoting it.

It’s interesting to see one of Richard Griffin’s earliest releases (which I haven’t seen many) and compare them with his latest (of which I have viewed a few). In this one, it was before he had his revolving company of actors and crew that show up in many/most of the later works. No Michael Thurber, no Sarah Nicklin or Michael Reed, and especially no cinematography by Jill Poisson. His later works have a “look” that this one does not. That’s not to say this film doesn’t look great, because it does, it’s just… different. Good different.

Over the years, there is more confidence built into a final product, and this one is definitely a growth work. What I mean by that is as one learns a craft, one gets better at it (one would hope), and not just in directorial skill, but in fashioning one’s own style and look. On one hand, I think I would say that this looks like a beginning film (it was his fourth) that one learns what’s possible and how to do things more efficiently and effectively. That being said, even with that, it’s actually above most early works of some bigger names (so far). I mean, compare Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs (1993) with The H8ful Eight (2016), or Cronenberg’s Rabid (1977) with Eastern Promises (2007). The viewer can see the skill set growth comparing them. The spark is definitely there, as it is here, but the early films have a certain clunkiness to them compared to their more advanced counterparts. There is certainly a clunky, amateurishness to this one, but it definitely has that umph that would make Griffin so good at what he does.

Review: The Disco Exorcist

Text © Richard Gary/Indie Horror Films, 2012

Images from the Internet

           

The Disco Exorcist

Directed by Richard Griffin                

Wild Eye Films, 2011

80 minutes, USD $16.95        

wildeyereleasing.com

MVDvisual.com

It seems the whole retro exploitation movement came into full fruition with the Tarantino / Rodriguez double-billed Grindhouse (2007), with fake period pieces added, digital scratches to look old, and “missing scenes” taken out. Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the genre, out comes The Disco Exorcist.
 

Despite the obvious comparison to the previous film(s) mentioned, The Disco Exorcist is, well, amazingly enjoyable. Director Richard Griffin has a history of making horror films of various genres, occasionally with a retro feel. He has certainly hit the pin on the voodoo doll head with this one.

Taking place in 1979, at the height of the disco era and just as it was starting to thankfully wane (to be replaced by the equally noxious hip hop), there are three main characters around whom the plot revolves, each with less than subtle character names.
 

First, there is the title fellow, otherwise known as Rex Romanski (i.e., king of romance). He’s sort of like John Revolta / Tony Monero from Saturday Night Fever (1977), who dances and then subsequently beds all the women, and then moves on to the next one with no thought of hurt feelings. He leaves a string of women who sit at the dance club watching him move while bitterly (and humorously) make snide comments like a rejected Greek chorus. Donning a ‘70s style long-haired wig and full of baby blue eyes and dimples, Michael Reed plays him almost as an innocent, rather than the pig Rex actually acts. Without malice of thought, Romanski just lives his life, which just happens to involve disco, dipping and dumping. His sidekick, Manuel (Brandon Luis Aponte, taking a fun turn), is rarely from his side, even when he’s in a porn theater – er – touching himself, watching his favorite actress perform.

At the club, he meets the edgy, sometimes beautiful / sometimes scary Rita Marie (a derivative of the name Miriam – Moses’ sister – Marie means “Bitter”… yes, I just knew that off the top of my head; Rita, a derivative of Margarita; is a pearl… that one I looked up). We see from the first scene that there is something wrong with Rita, who has more power than she can use wisely, and rather takes her anger issues out by… well, you’ll have to see the cool period aesthetics. Ruth Sullivan, a consummate actor actually, does just the right amount of scenery chewing for this role, which calls for a lot of hysterics, yearning, burning, and literal finger-pointing.

Lastly, there is Rex’s idol and eventual lover, porn star Amoreena Jones (as in Amore). Beautiful with pouty lips, Sarah Nicklin is fearless in her role as the focus of Rita’s jealous vengeance. This is another part that could have been dismissed by an actor of less caliber, and cheapened by the action, but Nicklin actually comes out the best of the three as far as skills go – and that’s saying a lot considering the amount of talent is actually present despite the budget – not by doing her “Linda Blair” bit of being possessed, but by her comic timing and treating this as a she might, say, The Godfather (yeah, okay, that was a weird comparison, but hopefully I made my point). Oh, as a sidebar, in the real world, the leads Nicklin and Reed are married, so some of the positions they assume were “familiar,” as they state in the commentary.

All three of these actors are part of the New England theater scene (as are most of the secondary and ancillary cast), and Griffin, from the area himself, filmed much of this in Pawtucket, RI, as he does with most of his releases. As such, the three are part of his stable of on-screen (and quite some behind-the-scenes, as well) talent, having all appeared in a number of his flicks.

I must say, that as a retro film that was supposed to look like it was released at the end of the ‘70s, Griffin does take it a bit too far. For example, in that period, you never saw male genitalia, unless it was a rubber dildo. Even then, unless it was someone like Russ Meyer, it was highly unusual, and no theater (other than pornos) would have shown it, unless, of course, it was Meyers, an even rarer exception, and yet only in some major cities. Even with female nudity, it was T&A, but no genital hair for a long time. The one exception I can think of, though, is the actually boring The Harrad Experiment (1973), where we got to see Don Johnson’s – er – johnson.

Going in that direction for a moment, it is interesting to note that part of the this excursion into dat ol’ tyme exploitation horror, there is a set piece involving the filming of a porno film (stolen, in part, by the faaabulous scenester and collector – IMDB refers to his “paranormal artifacts, murderabilia, sideshow exhibits and downright weird stuff” –  Babette Bombshell, who also designed the hexilious voodoo doll). I bring this up because recently, I reviewed the re-release of the mostly expunged Gum (1976) [HERE], at the correlation between the two is remarkable, including cheezy sets and lack of acting (although this would become especially true when porn switched from film to video in the ‘80s).

Also, check out the commentary, consisting of director Griffin, actors Nicklin and Reed, and producer Ted Marr. Usually, when you have that many people doing the annotation, it gets muddled and people talk over each other, but here, not only do they respectfully let each other have their say, but what they say is relevant to the film. Plus they still keep it humorous, again indicating that it was an enjoyable shoot for them, which passes on to the viewer.

I gotta say that this was a hell of a hoot (pun intended) to watch, and I recommend it to those who are not offended by body parts, both attached and un-. And, in the meanwhile, I look forward to seeing the sequel, The Brother of the Disco Exorcist,  listed as turning its head in 2013.

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