I was hungry for something different, so I searched eBay for “weird queer movies.” A few titles caught my half-blind eyes, but DINAH EAST intrigued me the most. No, I didn’t immediately order a copy. There was research to be done and when I learned DINAH EAST is considered an early trans film, the choice was a no-brainer. Out of the two versions on DVD, the one with the most spectacular cover ended up in my eBay cart.
The only weird thing about DINAH EAST, in my opinion, is the structure of the film. It all begins with famous film star Dinah East, after an odd exchange between her and her naked adult son, dying from a medical crisis in the back of her limousine. Then a pervy mortician, who is a little too eager as he undresses Dinah’s corpse, discovers the woman of his fantasies was biologically male. The press is called and soon Dinah’s death is overshadowed by her gender nonconforming secret.
It’s here where the life of Dinah East is told through flashbacks as the important people in her life hear of her passing. All the flashbacks are fascinating, but a few stand out for me. In one, we learn how Dinah, dressed in traditionally male attire, shows up at a film studio and is told there are no parts for men. The next day Dinah appears at the studio gate in traditionally female attire, explaining how she is herself now and the day before she was just foolin’. This feels like an extremely progressive view of identity for a decades old film.
Another of my favorite flashbacks is when Dinah meets Daniela, a lesbian fashion designer. It could have been a case of blackmail when Dinah accidentally walks in on Daniela being intimate with a model, but instead, these two women find allies in each other. Throughout the rest of Dinah’s career, Daniela is in charge of her wardrobe, even winning an Academy award. Finding friends and allies outside and within the LGBTQ+ community seems like a newer concept, but this film shows how it’s always been important to cultivate such relationships.
My favorite flashback involves Dinah’s chauffeur Tank Swenson. Tank is a hunky boxing instructor for the film studio and he catches Dinah’s eye. She also catches Tank’s eye and soon they are involved in a wonderfully sweet courtship. Even when his boxing career ends and he becomes her chauffeur, their love for each other remains true. Honestly, this flashback brought a few happy tears to my eyes, especially when Tank tells Dinah it doesn’t matter if she’s a man or a woman as long as she loves him. This romance feels beyond progressive. Maybe groundbreaking would be the word if DINAH EAST had not become so seemingly obscure.
I was expecting DINAH EAST to be a wham-bam production like MYRA BRECKINRIDGE, but writer/director Gene Nash keeps the pacing and acting low-key. The most remarkable aspect is how the script is sympathetic to Dinah East. She is who she is, with no apologies, even when facing personal attacks. As for the acting, the range varies from person to person. In my opinion, there are three to watch. Jeremy Stockwell brings strength and sincerity to Dinah. Matt Bennett makes Tank a lovable goofball with surprising depth. With a name like Ultra Violet, you’d think Daniela would be bold and flashy, but UV gives the fashion designer a down-to-earth vulnerability.
When researching DINAH EAST, I stumbled upon some juicy Hollywood gossip and a star-studded urban legend! Legendary sex-positive icon Mae West allegedly filed a lawsuit against the filmmakers and tried to have all prints of DINAH EAST destroyed, supposedly explaining how the film fell into obscurity. If Mae West actually took such action, the question would be, “Why?” Well, according to one of several urban legends surrounding her, the fabulous Mae West was, allegedly, a man in female drag and she saw DINAH EAST as a personal attack. Honestly, if I hadn’t read this before watching the film, I wouldn’t have connected West with East. The only time Dinah reminded me of Mae was maybe in how she was dressed in one scene.
In conclusion… DINAH EAST may not have been what I expected, but it was just what I needed. A dramatically touching story of someone who, in today’s language, would be considered a trans woman. While her death in the film is tragic, the character of Dinah East is not. She lived her life on her terms, with strength and kindness. We could all learn a lesson from Dinah. So if you are in the mood for an obscure 1970’s LGBTQ+ film about the complexities of being human, then keep an eye out for DINAH EAST.
NOTE: According to IMDB, DINAH EAST is available to stream through IndiePix Unlimited and Fawesome, the latter being similar to Tubi.
Freak Out, JLH
P.S. click a pic for related posts… ⤵️
~~~~~~~~~~~~ Stay Tuned for more about this upcoming event! ⤵️
A fresh, young couple take a trip and end up having car problems in a quaint, small town. The inhabitants of this quaint, small town seem odd, yet nice enough, but maybe they simply want to have outsiders over as dinner. Will the fresh, young couple escape or wind up as leftovers?
Tragically, it’s not 1970s horror porn!
I couldn’t resist ordering CANNIBAL GIRLS from Vinegar Syndrome, partly because of the fun title, but mostly for the two leads. I mean, the fresh, young couple are portrayed by Eugene Levy (Schitt‘s Creek) and Andrea Martin (Black Christmas), both of SCTV fame. Then throw in Ivan Reitman (Ghostbusters) as the director and CANNIBAL GIRLS should have been a tasty treat.
Miss Manners does not approve!
Should being the operative word.
I found CANNIBAL GIRLS to be unbearably slow, with little suspense or humor. Should I blame director Ivan Reitman? Should I blame screenplay writer Robert Sandler? (I can’t in good conscience blame Mr. Sandler since IMDb credits him as writing a handful of episodes of the original Fraggle Rock.) Maybe I should just blame the cast because, according to IMDB, most of the dialogue was…shudder…improvised.
Me watching improv.
In conclusion… The most interesting thing about CANNIBAL GIRLS is Eugene Levy’s hair.
The new Jan Brady!
Freak Out, JLH
P.S. click the Cannibal Daddy pic for more cannibals… 👇
I am in the third month of a cheap three month trial of Audible. Of course, I searched for some of my favorite authors, such as Ira Levin and Jacqueline Susann. Yes, this search also included Ed Wood, the infamous cross-dressing filmmaker. I truly did not expect to find any audiobooks of his work, but lo and behold, there was one.
BLOOD SPLATTERS QUICKLY collects a variety of stories from Ed Wood originally published in pulp and nudie magazines in the early 1970’s. Much like his filmography, the stories cover Ed’s favorite genres. Horror, crime and sex fill each page, or track, as the case may be. There is little doubt these stories are from the late, great Wood. Dialogue is occasionally lifted directly from his films (“Beware. Take care.”) and Angora sweaters are featured more than once.
Like other short story collections, there are hits and misses. A few of them really stand out for me. “Dracula Revisited” felt like a love letter to Bela Lugosi as a man investigates the myth of the legendary vampire. “The Night the Banshee Cried” is about an undead woman roaming fresh from the grave and it was easy to picture Vampira from PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE. As for Ed’s penchant for wearing traditionally feminine clothes, he used it to best effect in the title story “Blood Splatters Quickly” as a man seeks revenge for his sister’s death.
As I’ve said in past reviews, Edward D. Wood, Jr. might have been heterosexual, but he wasn’t straight. Two stories involving queer men dares to break stereotypes and includes progressive ideas, highlighting Ed as an ally, at least. “The Autograph” is about a reporter interviewing a Hollywood cowboy who has just come out of the closet. It’s easy to picture John Wayne as the cowboy, which adds an amusing touch. “Superfruit” is sadly not about a gay superhero, but is about a queer man seeking business advice from a friend after losing his partner. It really is more interesting than it sounds
. There is one story that made me feel physically nauseous. “Breasts of the Chicken” is about a man who pays a fortune for a very specific delicacy. It’s so disturbing and wrong that I almost skipped this story, but the twist ending is so perfectly demented and hilarious that I forgive the unbridled grossness leading up to it.
A confusing highlight is “Come Inn.” Within the first paragraph, I realized I knew this story. Turned out “Come Inn” is sort of a Reader’s Digest Condensed version of Ed’s 1971 adult film NECROMANIA: A TALE OF WEIRD LOVE. It covers the entire plot of a young couple going to a necromancer for their sexual problems in 20 minutes. Strangely, Wood also wrote an expanded novelization of NECROMANIA in 1972 called “The Only House.” Having experienced all three, I’d say the film is best, but the short story is more accessible to less adventurous Ed Wood fans.
In conclusion… Just like the films of Edward D. Wood, Jr, this collection of short stories intrigued me, made me laugh, caused me to raise an eyebrow and occasionally inspired an eye roll. So, if you’re an Ed Wood fan who hasn’t read his books, BLOOD SPLATTERS QUICKLY is a good introduction to his literary world. If you already enjoy his longer efforts, then you know exactly what to expect from these short stories.
Freak Out, JLH
P.S. click a pic ⤵️ for more Wood…
~~~~~~~~~~~~ Escape reality with my books, some of which are available as Audible audiobooks… 📚 🎧
Have all of my favorite film directors directed porn? Ed Wood, Jr. certainly did! One could argue that Andy Milligan did with the uncut version of FLESHPOT ON 42nd STREET because of at least two very real sex scenes. Even John Waters admits that one uncomfortably memorable scene in PINK FLAMINGOS is a satirical take on DEEP THROAT. Oh, and while Roger Ebert made it abundantly clear that Russ Meyer did NOT direct porn, I argue that his manically unhinged UP! (1976) is at least porn-adjacent. (I really need to review that piece of celluloid craziness.)
So, I guess it’s not a surprise that before Wes Craven gave us A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET, he inverted and exploded the concept of adult cinema with THE FIREWORKS WOMAN (aka The Fireworks Man, which makes more sense as the title.)
Angela is a complicated woman haunted by the past, by her incestuous feelings for her brother and by The Fireworks Man, a seemingly supernatural entity. These three influences in her life seem to be entangled as she shows up at the church where her brother Peter is now a priest. Angela wants to continue their taboo relationship that was consummated before Peter became a man of the cloth. Peter swears he doesn’t want what Angela wants, but he gets her a job as a maid to one of his parishioners. The twisted old refined lady and her kinky male cohort start Angela down a path of self-discovery, even though Peter is never far from her thoughts.
Does THE FIREWORKS WOMAN end with a bang or a fizzle? It ends just like a Wes Craven film should end, leaving the viewers questioning everything they just experienced.
SPOILER ALERT
Peter gets advice from the Monseigneur and throws a church banquet. Angela gets advice from Nicolas Burns (The Fireworks Man) and invites the congregation to an orgy at the same time as the banquet. Guess which party the so-called faithful attend! Nicolas then tricks Peter into coming to the orgy, forcing the priest into a decision. Peter leaves a note for the Monseigneur and then brazenly enters the orgy, scoops up Angela and carries her to a boat. Then brother and sister sail away, living happily ever after…or do they? The Monseigneur rushes to the beach to stop the ungodly lovers, but it’s too late. As he turns away, the disciple of God disappears as Nicolas Burns (the disciple of Satan?) appears, turning towards the faraway boat. What does this mean for Angela and Peter? Does it mean the Monseigneur and The Fireworks Man are just flip sides of the same coin? Unfortunately, Wes Craven never publicly spoke of this film in detail, so, like the end of A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET, it’s left to interpretation. However, according to a blu-ray bonus feature, the original script ends with the boat washing ashore somewhere without Peter and Angela on it. Even that ending would’ve been enigmatic.
THE FIREWORKS WOMAN is definitely written and directed by Wes Craven.His mark is on the haunting visuals, the unsettling/shocking story and he even portrays Nicolas Burns.The director, who does not appear in the sex scenes, seems very comfortable in front of the camera and appears to be having fun sowing the seeds of chaos as The Fireworks Man.As for the other actors, they share that natural 1970’s acting vibe.Jennifer Jordan as Angela and Eric Edwards as Peter are believable as the tormented siblings. SIDE NOTE: Eric Edwards is no stranger to this blog. He appeared as the rich guy with the priceless broach and manipulative aunt in the uproarious BLONDE AMBITION (1981).
In conclusion… When I noticed Melusine was offering this most obscure Wes Craven film, I didn’t think twice about it. THE FIREWORKS WOMAN is a disturbing study of emotional trauma and forbidden love. No, it’s not quite on par with Wes Craven’s other films, but it’s an intriguing celluloid stepping stone on his way to creating Freddy Krueger. So, if you’re a Craven completist or a truly adventurous film freak, THE FIREWORKS WOMAN is the film for you! Be warned though, there is a very brief scene at the orgy between a fisherman and his catch of the day that you will never unsee!
Freak Out, JLH ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dare to enter the fantasies of my deranged mind in 2026… 🧠 📚
🎵 You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Malla Comet and Cupid and Donner and Itchy But do you recall The most famous Wookiee of all?🎵
Wait, what?
Lumpy is neither a reindeer nor the most famous Wookiee! That honor goes to Lumpy’s father Chewbacca. Oh, you didn’t know Chewie has a son? He also has a frazzled wife named Malla and a cantankerous father named Itchy. They are anxiously waiting for Chewbacca to stop smuggling and generally galavanting around that far, far away galaxy with Han Solo and come home to celebrate Life Day.
What is Life Day? It’s a day to celebrate family and friends, and to hope for galactic peace or something. All you have to do is throw on a robe, grab a glowing sphere and go into the light like Carol Anne in POLTERGEIST. Then you’ll find yourself in some rocky, desolate area where Princess Leia Organa warbles a classic Life Day ditty, while Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Chewbacca, C-3PO and R2-D2 look on with varying degrees of interest.
Before you get to hang with STAR WARS Legacy Characters in Life Day Limbo, you have to pay your dues by spending way too much time with Malla, Itchy and Lumpy. You will have to sit through a cooking lesson with Malla and a multiple-armed alien Julia Child, played by Harvey Korman. You’ll have to wonder what the hell is going on when Itchy gets overly excited by a trippy virtual reality song performed by Diahann Carroll. Then there is Lumpy. You will be forced to watch Lumpy refuse to do the dishes, take out the trash, try to steal a cookie and generally behave like a bratty prototype of an Ewok.
Malla wishes she had used Wookiee birth control
I honestly don’t remember if I watched THE STAR WARS HOLIDAY SPECIAL back in the day, but surely I did. I mean, I may have been a very little kid, but I was a huge fan. Maybe I blocked out the experience for the sake of my sanity. So, my first memorable viewing was in the early 2000’s when I picked up a bootleg VHS copy at a comic book store. This sketchy copy had all the authentic 1970’s commercials and the “Fighting the Frizzies” news promo. For worse, or maybe better, the bootleg DVD I ordered from eBay appears to be a somewhat spiffed up print, at least compared to the VHS, that is commercial and frizzy free. It’s almost what it would be like if George Lucas or Disney+ finally released an official version.
THE STAR WARS HOLIDAY SPECIAL needs to be seen to be believed. It’s a strange mixture of a made-for-TV movie and a variety show. Who was the target audience in 1978? I’m sure my 5-year-old self would’ve been glued to the television set in a frenzied desire to see more of the characters I saw on the big screen. I doubt I would’ve cared about Chewbacca’s family, Art Carney as a shopkeeper and Bea Arthur as a bartender at the Cantina. Though, decades later, Bea Arthur singing a farewell song to drunken aliens is a highlight for me.
Another highlight is the animated STAR WARS adventure Lumpy covertly watches while Imperial Stormtroopers search their tree house home. The animation has a funky 70’s look and introduces badass bounty hunter Boba Fett a couple of years before THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK. This alone makes THE STAR WARS HOLIDAY SPECIAL worth watching.
In conclusion… Ridiculous, weird and sometimes just plain painful, THE STAR WARS HOLIDAY SPECIAL is a time capsule of 1970’s television and a testament to the impact A NEW HOPE had on pop culture. The fact they got the original cast, sans Alec Guinness, is truly remarkable and is another reason to watch. So, if you’re in the mood for a certain kind of Yuletide sci-fi cheese, or you’re a STAR WARS completist, THE STAR WARS HOLIDAY SPECIAL is the festive tradition you didn’t know you needed…and you can find it on YouTube. It’s honestly better than some of the more recent theatrical films.
Chewie agrees with my assessment
Freak Out, JLH
P.S. Disney+ released THE LEGO STAR WARS HOLIDAY SPECIAL in 2020 and it’s a fun, satirical love letter to the original special and the entire STAR WARS universe.
I was weak and backsliding, like Carrie’s fanatical mom, and subscribed to Disney+ so my sister and I could finally catch up on Doctor Who!
Have we been watching Doctor Who though?
Nope.
We immediately started watching The Muppet Show (1976-1981). It may even be funnier and more outrageous than we remembered, and it also proves Disney doesn’t have a clue what to do with these wonderfully sardonic, violent, sexual and irreverent characters in the 21st Century! My only concern is being triggered with nightmarish childhood flashbacks when we get to the episode horrifyingly featured in An American Werewolf in London (1981)!
Next we were going to watch Bride Hard (2025) because it stars Rebel Wilson. Ugh, it was so painfully unfunny that we gave up after 10 or 15 minutes. Instead, we watched Freaky Friday (1976), the one with Jodie Foster, who is always worth watching, and we still enjoyed this classic. Sure, allegedly savvy, modern audiences might find the original dated now, but you just can’t beat the absolute charm of the opening credits! I learned from Gill at Realweegiemidget Reviews that “I’d Like to Be You for a Day” is sung by stars Barbara Harris and Jodie Foster!
Then, I guess to prove my sister and I are not stuck in the past, we started watching and actually finished A Very Jonas Brothers Christmas Movie (2025). For the sake of this post, and to take away any boy band blackmail power from Dave of My Gay Opinion, I confess that, for a very brief moment in time, I listened to the Jonas Brothers and may even still have one of their CDs. So, of course we had to watch their Christmas movie. The plot is completely ridiculous, but some terrifically funny guest stars, such as Will Ferrell, Laverne Cox, Andrea Martin, Billie Lourd and Randall Park kept us entertained. However, I kept thinking the movie needed less singing and more of whatever this is…
What happens on the Jonas plane, stays on the Jonas plane!
In conclusion… Maybe for such a fun, trippy Disney+ experience, my soul was worth the price of admission…so far!
Now on to Doctor Who and more of The Muppet Show!
Freak Out, JLH
P.S. A Pennsylvania reader’s feline companion is eager to check out my Dawson’s Creek parody!
Before Jessica Fletcher started suspiciously turning up whenever a murder occurs, there was mystery novelist Ernesta Snoop and her sister Gwendolyn (call her “G”) Snoop Nicholson, who happily types out Ernesta’s manuscripts. Through five 90 minute episodes, this duo solved murders, found suspected dead persons alive and even proved their own innocence in an attempted murder! They did all of this surrounded by familiar faces, such as Vincent Price, Roddy McDowall, Geraldine Page, Jill Clayburgh, Bert Convy, Bo Svenson, Bernie Casey, Katherine Helmand, and Alice Cooper. Yes, you read that correctly! Alice Cooper even performs a song and does a bit of decent acting!
I found THE SNOOP SISTERS at a thrift store during a day trip in a different town. Neither my sister nor I had ever heard of this series. I initially thought it was British, but when my sister read the back, I realized I was wrong. According to the box, THE SNOOP SISTERS was part of a rotating NBC Mystery Movie series, which explains the limited number of lengthy episodes.
Helen Hayes as Ernesta and Mildred Natwick as “G” have fantastic sisterly chemistry. They finish each other sentences and sometimes communicate without even completing a sentence. If they overhear their police detective nephew discussing the case as they are leaving a room, they turn around in unison to overhear more. Together, they make for a delightfully quirky duo who will not stop until the mystery is solved.
The pilot episode, “The Female Instinct” (S1 E0, according to IMDb) is the best in the short-lived series. The story revolves around a former movie star who is murdered after she announces the impending publication of a scandalous tell-all book. Ernesta and “G” knew the woman, so they take it upon themselves to investigate, with the occasional assistance of their ex-con chauffeur. Eccentric characters come and go, culminating with all the suspects gathered in a drawing room for the big reveal. It seems like a typical whodunit, but the charming idiosyncrasies of Ernesta and “G” elevate the plot. Plus, the sisters get to pursue the murderer in their 1930’s Lincoln as their nephew pursues them in a commandeered ice cream truck!
The best thing about the pilot episode is it allows THE SNOOP SISTERS to naturally be their quirky, curious, incisive selves, with verbal word play that is clever and funny. With maybe the exception of “Fear is a Free-Throw” (S1 E2), where “G” is a prime suspect in an attempted murder, the other episodes tone down their quirky charm and instead focus more on the guest stars or placing the sisters in silly situations. I mean, yes, it is amusing to see Ernesta and “G” dressed up as the Frankenstein monster and his Bride in “A Black Day for Bluebeard” (S1 E4), but it lacks that special something from the pilot.
In conclusion… THE SNOOP SISTERS may not become my favorite mystery series, but it is an enjoyable early ‘70’s romp. All of the guest stars are fun, but the title characters are the reason to watch. When Ernesta and “G” are allowed to take the spotlight, they shine bright with eccentric glitter. So, pull up a cozy chair and enjoy THE SNOOP SISTERS as they snoop and snoop and snoop!
Freak Out, JLH
P.S. In case you’re an Alice Cooper completist, the rock legend appears in “The Devil Made Me Do It” (S1 E3)
I knew I was going to order a copy the second I saw the colorful AGFA blue-ray cover while scrolling through Vinegar Syndrome.
Checking out the synopsis and watching the exuberantly eccentric trailer fully sealed the deal.With expectations skyrocketing, I popped in SCARECROW IN A GARDEN OF CUCUMBERS the day it arrived. What did I think? Did it live up to my cucumber dreams or was I left tending a garden of disappointments?
The film wasn’t quite the zippy-zany romp the trailer’s infectiously quirky music implied. In fact, that piece of music tragically does not appear in the film. However, putting aside that disappointment, SCARECROW IN A GARDEN OF CUCUMBERS defied my expectations by taking me on an unexpected journey.
Eve Harrington (yes, everyone is named after famous Hollywood characters) leaves home and seemingly conservative parents in Topeka, Kansas for the chance of being a star in New York City. Upon arriving in the Big Apple, Eve is taken to the Chelsea Hotel by an aggressive taxi driver nun and then reconnects with longtime friend Margo Channing. This connection opens doors to Eve’s dreams of finding a man, a roommate and stardom. One door leads to Mary Poppins, a force of fabulous nature who doesn’t offer a spoonful of sugar with her roommate recommendations. Another door is a passageway to Eve’s first New York party and a film producer who is more than he appears. Will Eve find a man or a roommate? Will Eve succeed in the quest to become a twinkling star?
Due in large part to the trailer, I was expecting a fast-paced, crazy blast of lost 1970’s queer cinema. SCARECROW IN A GARDEN OF CUCUMBERS was rediscovered a few years ago and it ultimately is a joyfully fun experience, just with a more mellow, low-key zany vibe. Screenwriter Sandra Scoppettone and director Robert J. Kaplan crafted a loosey-goosey film celebrating the outsider, but it may take a couple of viewings to fully appreciate what they accomplished.
I must shine the twinkling spotlight on the two main reasons to seek out SCARECROW IN A GARDEN OF CUCUMBERS. Tally Brown as Mary Poppins steals every scene with style. Ms. Brown could be the cabaret love child of Divine and Edith Massey, especially when Miss Poppins belts out a tune about being born and raised in a brothel. Then there is Holly Woodlawn (known for being one of Andy Warhol’s Superstars) as the loveably quirky Eve Harrington! Holly also portrays one of Eve’s suitors, Rhett Butler, but it’s Eve who fits Holly like a glove. It’s refreshingly delightful to see a trans actress in the lead role as far back as the 1970’s. During Eve’s black & white musical fantasy number, Holly Woodlawn gets to sum up the overall theme of the film in song…
🎵 You are what you are, if you think that you are! I think, if I’m twinkling, I must be a star!🎵
Twinkle on Holly Woodlawn, you will always be a timeless star in SCARECROW IN A GARDEN OF CUCUMBERS!
In conclusion… SCARECROW IN A GARDEN OF CUCUMBERS may not have been the film I expected, but it ended up being the film I needed. It’s almost as if an early John Waters film took some happy pills and celebrated outsiders with a sweet, nearly innocent lens. Throw in a song by Bette Midler and a voice cameo by Lily Tomlin and you have the perfect low budget LGBTQ+ film for 🏳️🌈Pride Month🏳️⚧️! So, grab some vanilla ice cream and enjoy SCARECROW IN A GARDEN OF CUCUMBERS! 🥒 🥒🥒🥒🥒 I can’t stop saying that awesome title, even though it was inspired by a passage from the Bible. 😱
SIDE NOTE… You Tube, at the moment, appears to be streaming SCARECROW IN A GARDEN OF CUCUMBERS.
Freak Out, JLH
P.S. Pride
Month ain’t over yet, and Pride will never be over, so read or listen to a queer book today!