Sunday, February 8, 2009

RUSS MEYER'S "FASTER PUSSYCAT! KILL! KILL!"


Russ Meyer's "Faster Pussycat! Kill ! Kill!"(1965) is one of my favorite cult films of all time. It is slickly produced with beautiful black & white photography and has an addictive bad attitude and evil vibe. It is about three go-go dancers, Billie (played by Lori Wlliams), Rosie (played by Haji), and Varla (played by Tura Satana). These three voluptuous larger than life vixens are hanging out in the desert, drag racing and having a blast when a a preppy looking guy and his girlfriend Linda (played by Susan Bernard) pull up and want to race. Varla accepts the challenge and of course she beats him. He contests the results. A fight ensues and Varla breaks the man's back, leaving him to die in the desert. They kidnap the girlfriend and take off. They eventually stop at a gas station and learn about an old man (excellently played by Stuart Lancaster) who has a ton of money. Of course our girls want their hands on this loot. They have a lust for life, sex, and crime and they don't care who gets in their way. Of course they invite their way into the old man's house and all chaos and violence ensues as they do anything they can to get their hands on the load of money.

What amazes me about this movie is the sleek photography, the great script and dialog (courtesy of Jack Moran), the impressive acting and the unrelenting pace of the story. The black and white photography is gorgeous. There are many great shots of the desert, and the camera angles and smooth transitions are extraordinary. The script writing is incredible, full of double entendres and phrases that are so ingenious they will stay in your head forever. In fact, the dialogue in this movie is so good, many bands have heavily sampled from it, especially White Zombie. The pacing of the story and dialogue is excellent. It keeps you on edge but makes you comfortable at the same time, as if you were right there with the characters. The acting is incredible. Tura Satana plays Varla with a seductive vengeance, and Stuart Lancaster plays the old man with a brilliant down-home sort of creepiness. The pace of the story never lets up as the tension builds between the three vixens, leading up to the violent and thrill-packed ending.

This is one of those movies that you don't want to divulge too much of the plot as to not to spoil it for those who haven't seen it yet, even though I want to tell you everything that happens in this movie right now. It is one of those movies that has to be seen to be appreciated, and a simple plot synopsis will not do it justice. If you have seen this movie you know what I'm talking about.
If you haven't seen "Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill!" yet.....well what are you waiting for? And if you have seen it, watch it again . I've seen this one so many times I've lost count.

Here's the amazing introduction. I love the bizarre sleazy narration and the incredible 1960's garage rock theme song performed by The Bostweeds.



And here is the excellent trailer. Enjoy!