Sunday, November 17, 2024

freakboy muses music: A DATE WITH JOHN WATERS

Do I believe in fate?

During my recent New England Adventure with Dave of My Gay Opinion, one stop was The Archive in Bridgeport, Connecticut.  For even the most casual reader of these words, you know I’m a Vinegar Syndrome junkie, so I had to visit their brick and mortar store!  It was awesome with new and used movies and music on various formats!  I would be a frequent customer if I lived in Bridgeport!  
Selfie of a freak wearing mad scientist glasses outside of The Archive in Bridgeport Connecticut.  A dark red awning shows a film reel and a dvd, with text that reads, The Archive.  Movies, tapes, records and more.
Freak finds a home away from home
Dave went upstairs to the music area while I was surrounded by Vinegar Syndrome and its partner label titles.  There was so much to take in that I felt overwhelmed in a giddy good way.  A film or two that I had been eyeing on the VS website drew my attention, but I thought I’d check out the music before making a cinematic decision. 
I survived the rickety horror movie staircase to the second floor and found a room mainly comprised of vinyl.  After confirming this was the only music area, I heard my name called from across the room.  Dave was standing on an elevated space in front of boxes of compact discs.  I wandered over and he presented me with a CD that he had pulled out from the box just as I entered the music area.  The CD in question… 
The front CD cover   of a date with John Waters shows the filmmaker looking lovingly at the camera.  A pink sticker reads, “may all your Valentines be kind, raunchy, beautifully alarming, and know how to reciprocate." John Waters.  Featuring 14 songs hand picked by John Wators to set the mood for your romantic escapades.
2007, New Line Records
Was this fate? 

Dave admitted that if he had been alone in the store and saw this CD, I would’ve been the first person he thought of. Anyone who has known me for any length of time knows I’m a John Waters fan, so I would immediately be intrigued by this compilation album.  Yes, compilation.  In other words, John Waters tragically doesn’t sing.
The back CD cover of a date with John Waters lists the 14 tracks.   A Date With John Waters I. "Tonight You Belong To Me" - Patience & Prudence 2, Jet Boy Jet Girl" - Elton Motello 3.  Ain’t Got No Home" - Glarence "frogmon" Henry 4.    "I'd love To Take Order from You" - mildred Bailey & Her Swing Band 5.  In Spite Of Ourselves" - John Prine with lis Dement 6.     All I can Do is cry" - Ike & Tina Turner 7.    "Big Girls Don't Cry" - Edith Massey 8.    "Imitation Of life" - Earl Grant 9.    "Sometimes I Wish I Had A Gun" - Mink Stole 10.     "Johnny Are You Queer?" - Josie Cotton I I. "The Right Time" - Roy Charler 12. Hit The Road To Dreamland- Dean Martin 13.     "If I Knew You Were Comin' I'd've Baked A Cake - Eileen Barton with the New Yorkers 14. "Bewildered" - Shirley & lee
A DATE WITH JOHN WATERS contains 14 tracks hand picked by the filmmaker for a romantic night.  I believe he really did choose the songs because the CD plays like a soundtrack to an unfilmed Waters script.  It’s an eclectic, eccentric collection of older and newer-ish music with a few familiar artists.  
Your romantic evening begins with  the cutesy stalker vibes of “Tonight You Belong To Me” by Patience & Prudence but quickly turns into a fun gender-bending, bisexual time with “Jet Boy Jet Girl” by Elton Motello.  In case you’re confused and need to establish who’s in charge, pay attention to “I’d Love To Take Orders From You” by Mildred Bailey & Her Swing Band and if you’re worried this coupling isn’t going to work, embrace the backhanded positivity of “In Spite Of Ourselves” by John Prine with Iris DeMent. 
Emotions might be running high at this point in your romantic night, which makes “All I Can Do Is Cry” by Ike & Tina Turner a perfect addition.  Maybe you’ll cry even more if you discover your date doesn’t have a compatible orientation with yours, so you’ll have to sing along with “Johnny Are You Queer?” by Josie Cotten.  Once you’ve figured everything out, bring your evening to a frosted climax with “If I Knew You Were Comin' I'd've Baked A Cake” by Eileen Barton with the New Yorkers and then bask in the demented afterglow with the aptly titled “Bewildered" by Shirley & Lee. 
There’s a lot of other great songs on this album, but two deserve special attention because they are performed by two memorable actors from John Waters’ original Dreamland players!  Edith Massey, the Egg Lady in PINK FLAMINGOS and Queen Carlotta in DESPERATE LIVING, helms the definitive cover of “Big Girls Don't Cry” which will make you almost forget about The Four Seasons. 
Then there is the romantically demented “Sometimes I Wish I Had A Gun" by the incomparable Mink Stole.  It’s easy to imagine Connie Marble, her vividly red-haired character in PINK FLAMINGOS, holding a lover hostage and pointing a gun at his arms for an embrace and his lips for a declaration of love.  This mellow, crazy song could easily be a plot for a John Waters film! 
In conclusion…
Was this terrific CD just waiting in The Archive for me to visit New England and for Dave to pull it out of a box and show it to me?  I like to think so, so I guess I must believe in fate.  As for this compilation, it is full of surprises and obscure gems.  I enjoyed every single song and have listened to it multiple times.  So, if you’re a  Waters fan or if you crave a different kind of love, buy yourself some stale chocolates, pour a glass of toilet bowl wine and enjoy A DATE WITH JOHN WATERS! 

SIDE NOTE: I purchased one movie from The Archive, and it costars an Andy Milligan actor but is not an Andy Milligan film.  However, that’s a post for another time. 

Freak Out, 
JLH

P.S.  there are plenty more tales from my New England Adventure, so stay tuned…
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My queer words are available from an Amazon near you! 📚
Photo of author John L. Harmon relaxing in bed wearing mad scientist glasses with text that reads,   My queer words...before and after a loss of vision.

Sunday, October 27, 2024

channel freakboy: SCREAM QUEENS (2015-2016)

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This post is part of The We Are Family Blogathon, hosted by Rebecca of Taking Up Room! 
Poster for The We are family blogathon, hosted by taking up room.  October 25-27, 2024 shows a the family portrait
Click the pic to read more reviews!
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Nepotism. 

I find it easy to believe that most people who find success nowadays in acting, singing, or even writing have a relative connection to initially open doors closed to ordinary people.  Oh, maybe celebs really are discovered at Schwab’s Pharmacy or on the Internet, but I’m sure they are very rare exceptions.  I don’t know how Emma Roberts was discovered, but you can’t tell me being the daughter of Eric Roberts, and especially being the niece of Julia Roberts didn’t play a huge part! 
Emma Roberts as  Nancy Drew looks out the window of a taxi cab
A young Emma hitching a ride on aunt Julia‘s fame!
I first saw Emma Roberts in the fun 2007 big screen version of NANCY DREW.  Then I enjoyed her various roles in the television series AMERICAN HORROR STORY.  It’s actually in AHS where her range as an actor is on full display.  Her character in the Coven season is radically different from the one in Freak Show, for example.  However, there is one role I love more than any other character Miss Roberts has breathed life into and that is Chanel Oberlin in SCREAM QUEENS
Chanel Oberlin poses in shades, a fuzzy pink jacket and checkered  skirt in Scream Queens.
Chanel Oberlin is too cool for this blog!
Chanel Oberlin is president of Kappa Kappa Tau, a very exclusive sorority at the prestigious Wallace University.  This 5’ 2” terror rules over her minions, Chanels #2, #3 and #5, with a self-absorbed entitled iron fist.  She is dating the stupid rich and just plain stupid Chad Radwell and she can boss around housemaid Miss Bean.  Chanel’s privileged life is perfect until it is turned upside down by an assortment of freak pledges led by Grace Gardner and Zayday Williams, who want to make Kappa Kappa Tau a real sisterhood of women empowerment and inclusivity.  Oh, and there’s a serial killer dressed as a Red Devil, the university mascot, and the psycho has set vengeful eyes on the sorority because of something terrible that happened there 20 years prior.  
The Red devil is ready to kill in scream queens.
This Devil is horny for blood!
That sums up the plot of the first season and it’s a roller coaster of comedy, horror and non-pc dialogue and behavior!  The second season is pretty much the same, with mostly the same cast, but it’s set in a hospital and there’s a serial killer dressed as a Green Meanie.  It’s even more ridiculous than the first season, but entertaining, especially on a second viewing. 
Chanel Oberlin in a pink nurse’s uniform accepts a blood drive winner  award in the second season of scream queens
Sorry, Chanel, but season two doesn’t deserve an award!
For the record, Emma Roberts isn’t the only potential case of nepotism in SCREAM QUEENS.  Jamie Lee Curtis, having a blast as Chanel’s adversary, Dean Cathy Munsch, is the daughter of Janet Leigh and Tony Curtis.  Oliver Hudson, as goofy and suspicious Wes Gardner, is the son of Goldie Hawn.  Billie Lourd, perfectly cast as earmuff wearing Chanel #3, is the daughter of Carrie Fisher and the granddaughter of Debbie Reynolds.  Keke Palmer, as fun and feisty Zayday Williams, is the daughter of former actors Sharon and Larry Palmer.  Honestly, I’ve never heard of Keke’s parents, but it proves having even the slightest connection to the entertainment industry boosts your chances of being discovered.
Cast of scream queens, season one.
Potential victims and killers in season one!
Other notable talent in SCREAM QUEENS includes Niecy Nash as the cluelessly determined security guard Denise Hemphill, who steals every scene.  Glen Powell is stupid fun as the incredibly dense fraternity leader and Chanel’s boyfriend Chad Radwell.  Lea Michelle is super awkward and funny as neck-brace wearing sorority pledge Hester Ulrich.  Abigail Breslin captures the mixture of superiority and low self esteem as Chanel #5, the most put upon of the Chanels.  In season two, John Stamos turns up as a surgeon with a killer transplant hand and Kirstie Alley gives a brilliant performance as the head nurse with a massive grudge against the Chanels.  They are all great reasons to watch SCREAM QUEENS, but I’m here to focus on one.  Obvi!
Chanel Oberlin is sitting at a dining room table looking amused in scream queens.
Yes, please tell me how fabulous I am!
Emma Roberts as Chanel Oberlin is amazing!  The character is at best a bully, at worst a psycho-sociopath.  Yet, Miss Roberts makes Chanel obsessively watchable and quotable.  (For years I had Chanel shrieking at the housemaid, “Miss Bean, I said let’s hit it!” as a text message alert sound on my phone)  Chanel is one of those television characters who’s fun to watch but you really wouldn’t want to be around them in real life.  Only someone with talent can walk this acting tightrope between loving and loathing a character.  So forget PRETTY WOMAN and whatever Eric Roberts has been in, (I mainly know him as The Master in the 1996 made-for-tv DOCTOR WHO movie) and celebrate an example of the entertainment industry striking gold through nepotism!  Emma Roberts shines brighter in a million different ways than her famous family members and you will never forget her, especially as the maniacal, manipulative, monstrous Chanel Oberlin! 
Chanel Oberlin dressed in a pink Jackie Kennedy outfit  ascends a staircase with a handless mannequin in a wedding dress in the background.
Chanel Oberlin says the awful, ugly things we only think with style and flair!
In conclusion…
SCREAM QUEENS is a scream and the true Ryan Murphy teen follow-up to POPULAR.  (gives GLEE a sideways stink eye)  Hilarious, creepy and absolutely bonkers, SCREAM QUEENS is bound to joyously entertain and offend. So, if you’re an Emma Roberts or Ryan Murphy completist or you enjoy killer comedies, slip on some earmuffs and serve up some cottenball appetizers because SCREAM QUEENS may be the television series for you! 
DVD of the complete first season of scream queens shows Emma Robert’s as Chanel Oberlin in the center of various cast members
See, even the DVD knows who’s at the center of the series!
Freak Out, 
JLH 

P.S.  Click the pic for a bit more about POPULAR…
Photo of Leslie Grossman as Mary Cherry looking scared in a scene from the TV series popular
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STURGEONS (the complete serials) is a modern take on 1950’s sci-fi/horror films and what happens after the end credits roll…
Multiple copies of sturgeons the complete serials by John L. Harmon are displayed on a table next to his mad scientist glasses.

Sunday, October 20, 2024

booking freakboy: TO MAKE A HOMO by Edward D. Wood, Jr. (1971)

This is one of the titles I was drawn to when I first discovered Ed Wood wrote novels.  Instead of endlessly waiting for a brave publisher to reprint it, I found a copy on AbeBooks.  All I expected was for Wood to entertain me with his usual craziness and also redeem Vintage Gay Pulp Fiction in my half-blind eyes after a crushingly disappointing  experience with the sub-genre.  (see Abnormals Anonymous)  
The book to make a homo by edward d. Wood jr. shows an illustration  of two shirtless men sitting on their knees on a bed.  The light haired man is reaching for the dark haired man’s crotch and kissing his chest.  The dark haired man guides the other man’s hand.
1971, Little Library Press
Tommy Grimes is an 18-year-old who always has a plan, including coercing younger fellow classmate Paul Coll into performing a sexual act on Tommy at the church picnic.  When Tommy is done, he doesn’t return the favor, leaving Paul rather frustrated.  Not for long though because fellow schoolmate Mary Kalaski and her reputation suddenly appears.  She seduces Paul into full on intercourse.  At the climax of this twist, they are caught by the minister‘s wife, leaving them both in trouble in more ways than one. 

Parental money is exchanged to terminate the unwanted addition, but that’s not the plot.  It’s revealed that Tommy and Mary are in cahoots and had planned Paul’s religious experience at the church picnic.  Not only that, Paul is beginning to desire his sister’s panties and Angora sweater.  When Paul is dressed up, she is Pauline.  Yes, this is when it fully felt like a Wood novel, but not just because there’s also a Paul/Pauline in DEATH OF A TRANSVESTITE I’m not sure if they’re supposed to be the same character or if Wood was just repeating himself. 

Anyhoo, there’s more!  Tommy is not only a sexual bully, but he’s also a drug pusher and a pimp!  After a ménage à trois between Tommy, Mary and Paul, Tommy sends Paul, as Pauline, to a cabin in the woods filled with homosexual clients, some in drag and some not.  Pauline’s job is to pass along some drugs and then to submit to the carnal whims of everyone in the cabin.  The inhabitants of this cabin will also be doing a job for Tommy by getting Paul/Pauline hooked on heroin.  This will allow Tommy to have more control over his newfound prostitute/drug mule!  

Now both Mary, who is still pregnant, and Paul are heroin addicted prostitutes working for Tommy.  After a double duty assignment with a rich old lady client, where Mary nearly suffocated and Pauline had to pull up her skirt and drop panties, they are done with Tommy.  SPOILER ALERT!  Tommy imbibes his one vice, alcohol, and passes out.  Mary and Paul jump at the chance to get their abuser addicted to heroin so they can all be on the same playing field.  That’s how the book ends.  It’s easy to assume nothing good happens to these characters, but who knows?  Maybe they all get clean, forgive each other and live happily ever after as a very modern throuple, assuming Paul/Pauline doesn’t grow up to be a drag assassin. 

Anyhoo, all I kept asking was, “Who the hell was this book’s target audience?”  Before you conjure up an answer, there are a couple more things left to reveal!  I was very surprised to find several photos scattered throughout the pages of very real adults doing very naked activities.  Most of these photos are of a hetero-centric nature, which is odd considering the queer plot.  This makes me assume they were added by the publisher because surely Wood would’ve picked more diverse pics.  Oh, of course, there are the prerequisite straight-porn lesbian shots, but there is only one photo of two men together and it’s the most demure of the lot.  
Two shirtless men sit on the edge of a bed.  One man reaches around the other to undo his leather pants.
There’s a lot of little things you could do for me that might make us real good friends.” Tommy to Paul
Then, as a popped cherry on top of this Wood sundae, there are pages of advertisements at the back of the book.  Loads of plugs for mostly straight adult novels with such classy titles as Oversexed Broads and Hard Doctor Though there are a few queer novels, such as I, Homosexual by Adrian James.  As a perfect compliment to the book plugs, there are also some truly inspiring ads for marital aids to make your next key party the social event of the season! 
Advertisement for French ticklers  reads, french ticklers "'It’s the real thing!" Pure latex - not feathers. Our French tickler is not only a novelty and unusual conversation piece - it is also washable and reusable! Your co-swingers will flip when they see it! Makes a marvelous gift! Prices, 6 for $5, 1 dozen for $8
Reusable means they are environmentally friendly, right?
So, was the target audience for TO MAKE A HOMO the male hetero crowd?  I mean, the photos mostly appear to support this theory.  On the other hand, the story is definitely bent at the sexuality.  Then its title and provocative cover art would’ve surely turned off homophobic jerks in 1971 and today, so I don’t know!  All I can say for certain is this book is now for the extremely open-minded readers who enjoy going with the flow and/or for maladjusted Ed Wood fans like me. 

In conclusion… 
Putting aside the skeevy young ages of the three main characters, TO MAKE A HOMO met my expectations and exceeded them.  I was wildly entertained!  Even the sexual descriptions ranged from clinical to vulgar to hysterical.  (so it just lay there against his leg looking like a limp, kosher hot dog. Paul struggling with and then accepting Pauline as part of his/her self was somehow backwards, yet also way ahead of its time.  So, if you want to take a literary walk on a very wild side, then TO MAKE A HOMO may be the piece of Vintage Gay Pulp Fiction for you!  I am once again eager to explore other titles, including more from the incomparable Edward D. Wood, Jr. 

Freak Out, 
JLH 

P.S. Click a pic to get more Wood… 
Danny and Shirley look confused in a scene from Necromania, a tale of weird love.

Alicia looks irritated in a scene from take it out in trade

Edward D. Wood, jr. wearing an angora sweater.

Glenda relaxes in a scene from Glen or Glenda
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My queer little books are available from an Amazon near you! 
3 books by John L Harmon include, dark excursions the complete set, vision bent half blind poems, and sturgeons the complete serials

Sunday, September 29, 2024

freakboy on film: The Films of Doris Wishman: THE DAYLIGHT YEARS (1960-1964)

Here we end this Doris Wishman retrospective at the beginning.  We leave behind her Grindhouse Twilight Years and her Roughie Moonlight Years to bask in the lush sunlight of her Daylight Years.  These six sun-kissed celluloid creations are nudist camp films.  

Yeah, you read that right!  So, slap on the sunscreen, grab a well-placed towel or beach ball, because full-frontal is forbidden, and prepare to go back to nature by going nudist! 
Green box set shows an astronaut meeting a topless moon doll, with text that reads, the films of Doris Wishman, the daylight years

NUDE ON THE MOON (1961) 
written by Jack Caplan & Doris Wishman/directed by Doris Wishman 
A scene from nude on the moon shows two astronauts, one in a green suit and one in a red suit.
Dr. Jeff Huntley doesn’t want to get married because he’s already married to science.  After a rich relative dies, Jeff and his mentor Professor Nichols can finally build a rocketship to fly to the moon.  Once on the surprisingly lush lunar surface, the two men scientifically explore minerals, plants and the topless inhabitants.  Will these Moon Dolls cause Jeff to change his mind about marriage or will he run out of oxygen during his thorough extraterrestrial exploration?  With the debatable scientific jargon, offkilter dialogue, and weirdly effective low budget special effects, this feels like a nudist camp film directed by Ed Wood.  Throw in a swingin’ theme song and the Moon Queen’s haunting voice and it’s not surprising that even I couldn’t resist its early 60’s innocent kitschy charms.  Added bonus is that a chunk of the film was shot at the famous Coral Castle in Florida. 

BLAZE STARR GOES NUDIST(1962) 
written & directed by Doris Wishman 
A scene from blaze star goes nudist shows blaze staring off into the distance while wearing a lime green outfit and a huge lime green hat
Where in the world is superstar actress Blaze Starr?  Tony, her fiancé/agent, wants Blaze to attend press events and cocktail parties.  A film studio bigwig named D.W. wants Blaze to renew her contract.  All Blaze Starr wants is some peace and quiet.  After seeing a nudist camp film while escaping into a theater, Blaze decides to go nudist!  Will this brazen display of breasts while playing chess, picking strawberries and doing laundry end her career and engagement?  A swingin’ theme song, some fun dialogue and relentlessly innocent silliness made me enjoy this film.  Unlike Blaze, I do not feel inspired to spend a weekend at a nudist camp, especially if I am forced to attend a nude accordion concert. 

HIDEOUT IN THE SUN (1960) 
written by Eugene Fernett & Doris Wishman/directed by Larry Wolk & Doris Wishman 
A scene  from hideout in the sun shows two bank robbers holding a woman hostage
Duke Martin has successfully robbed a bank with his brother Steve, getaway car driver extraordinaire.  Well, almost successfully.  They ditch their vehicle and carjack Dorothy’s sweet convertible ride, but the cops have closed all roads out of town.  Dorothy may hold the key to their escape because she is a member of the Hibiscus Country Club.  They can lay low there while waiting for their getaway boat guy to dock.  Of course the club is actually a nudist camp!  Will the brothers go nudist?  Will Dorothy fall in love with one of them?  Will the boat guy dock in time for nude archery?  This is the most low key crime drama ever.  The suspense is barely palpable but the kitsch has a pulse, especially with yet another swingin’ theme song!  However, HIDEOUT IN THE SUN lacks the overall charm of the first two films in this set. 

GENTLEMEN PREFER NATURE GIRLS (1963) 
written & directed by Doris Wishman 
A scene from gentlemen, prefer nature girls shows a husband and wife having a discussion in the kitchen
Anne and Tom are secretly married at the office because their boss doesn’t want married couples working for him.  Mr. Bennett is also against nudists and fires Tom when he finds his nudist membership card on the floor.  What are Anne and Tom going to do?  Will Tom find a job at the nudist camp?  Will Anne attempt to convince Mr. Bennett to hire Tom back?  Will Mr. Bennett learn the joy of healthy living through a nude life?  The kitsch cred is knocked down a notch by a lack of a swingin’ theme song, but the amusing swimming pool music almost makes up for it.  Overall, it’s a harmlessly goofy story with yet another nude accordion concert and the new addition of nude teeter-tottering.  All I kept thinking was how those splinters are gonna hurt! 

DIARY OF A NUDIST (1961) 
written & directed by Doris Wishman 
A scene from diary of a nudist shows a blonde haired woman with white glasses taking notes
Arthur, the head of a newspaper, gets lost in the woods and stumbles across a nudist camp.  He decides to have Stacy, his blondest reporter, go undercover and expose the shocking facts about nudism.  When Stacy loses objectivity by becoming a sun lover, Arthur must go undercover and write the articles himself.  Will he write the truth about nudism or go for a more sensationalistic angle?  A swingin’ theme song almost makes up for the thinnest of thin plots.  However, there’s still kitsch to go around, especially with the grandmotherly head of the nudist camp, who was playing herself.  I just don’t understand why she didn’t inform Arthur that walking around in swim trunks is not being a nudist. 

THE PRINCE AND THE NATURE GIRL (1964) 
written by Andrew J. Kuehn/directed by Doris Wishman 
A scene from the prince and the nature girl shows a man with two blonde identical, twin women
According to the Blu-ray liner notes, the plot of this “comedy of mistaken identity” is as follows, “a wealthy handsome ‘Prince’ catches the eye of identical twins who compete for his heart at the office and a nature camp.”  The reason I have to quote the synopsis is because I wasn’t sure what was going on since the film was not in English and my half-blind eyes couldn’t read the subtitles.  According to IMDb, THE PRINCE AND THE NATURE GIRL was a lost film until a German language print was discovered.  There is supposedly a recreated English dub out there, but not in this box set.  Personally, this is the least effective of these films because more than half of it is comprised of scenes from Wishman’s previous nudist camp flicks.  Though I do appreciate the soap opera plot.

All I kept hearing during this box set was Neely O’Hara in VALLEY OF THE DOLLS saying, “Boobies, boobies, boobies.”  Even though nudist camp films come across as innocent propaganda for the healthy, sun-loving nudist lifestyle, they’re really about boobies.  Oh, there are some shirtless men and bare bums, but cinematic nudist camps are mostly populated by perky young women. 

According to the audio commentaries, Doris Wishman has the distinction of being the most prolific nudist camp filmmaker.  Having not seen other nudist films, I can’t contrast and compare.  I can only imagine Wishman’s take on the genre is something special.  I mean, a sci-fi nudist film and a nudist crime drama seem to be proof that Doris truly did her own thing even at the beginning of her career. 

In conclusion… 
The only reason I purchased this box set was because my filmic OCD forced me to complete my Doris Wishman Something Weird/AGFA collection.  I was expecting to just roll my eyes, but I found THE DAYLIGHT YEARS was more entertaining than THE MOONLIGHT YEARS, which I’m sure just caused longtime Wishman fans to collectively gasp.  Who knows though?  Maybe when I rewatch the three box sets, my opinion will change.  However, no matter what I think, the films of Doris Wishman need to be experienced! 

In case you missed it, go back to the future for Doris Wishman’s Twilight Years! 
Pink background with text that reads, The films of Doris Wishman, the twilight years
Freak Out, 
JLH 

P.S. Is Doris Wishman done with me?  I can only answer the question with a question.  Do you really think I can resist experiencing films with such titles as SATAN WAS A LADY (1975) and DILDO HEAVEN (2002)? 
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Click the pic ⤵️ to read a glowing new review of STURGEONS! 📗
Blog Text reads,  Realweegiemidget Reviews.  Movies, TV, books and more.   MORE FICTION BOOKS... Sturgeons (the Complete Serials) (2023) by John L Harmon • SEP 25, 2024.  With a pic of a darkening street

Wednesday, August 28, 2024

freakboy on film: The Films of Doris Wishman: THE MOONLIGHT YEARS (1965-1969)

Here we are again in the wondrously weird world of Doris Wishman!  This time we are taking a step back from the colorful hyper-reality of her Twilight Years to take a walk through the black & white Roughies of her Moonlight Years.  Never heard of a Roughie?  Between the early innocence of the ”Nudie Cuties” and the later hardcore adult films, there was the Roughie.  A Roughie contains some skin, simulated sex and violence, typically aimed at women.  

Doris Wishman obviously had her creative finger on the pulse of the eager theater goers, but what do I think of these 9 forays into her take on the Roughie?  
Blue tinted cover of the AGFA/Something Weird blu-ray of the films of Doris Wishman, the Moonlight years shows a blond haired woman in a low cut jump suit

BAD GIRLS GO TO HELL (1965) 
written & directed by Doris Wishman 
Scene from Bad Girls Go to Hell shows a close-up of a woman screaming
Meg Kelton is disappointed when nagging and shower sex fails to prevent her husband Ted from going to work on a Saturday.  Instead of brooding in bed, she tidies up her apartment and takes out the trash.  This is when Meg’s day goes to hell.  The building’s janitor attacks her on the stairs and then rapes her in his apartment.  Meg bashes his head in with a large bowl, but fears no one will believe her.  So, she flees Boston for New York City, calls herself “Ellen Green” and finds herself in a slew of “hellish” situations.  Just when Meg/Ellen can stop and think by taking a job as an invalid’s companion, her employer’s detective son is coming for a visit from Boston, where he is working on a murder case!  This film may be in black & white and doesn’t contain direct nudity, but it is all Doris Wishman.  Dubbed dialogue, constant music and a story that pulls you in because you don’t know what’ the hell is gonna happen next! 

INDECENT DESIRES (1968) 
written & directed by Doris Wishman 
Scene from Indecent Desires shows a woman in a zebra coat standing at a corner next to a life-size doll
Zeb is a loner who appears to spend his days walking around and finding treasures in the trash.  When he finds a discarded ring and a doll, and spots someone who resembles the doll, Zeb’s life is about to change.  Ann is a nice office worker whose life is also about to change when she begins experiencing a strange phenomenon.  An invisible force is touching her and controlling her movements.  Unbeknownst to Ann, Zeb is somehow using the ring and doll like a puppeteer.  How far will Zeb go and what will happen if Ann makes him angry?  Well, I’ll just say this stalker Twilight Zone fantasy ends with a real twist, but it takes its time getting there. 

A TASTE OF FLESH (1967) 
written by C. Davis Smith  and Doris Wishman/directed by Doris Wishman 
Scene from A Taste of Flesh shows a trans man romantically taking the hand of a smiling cis woman
Bobi and Carol are roommates in for a different kind of evening.  It starts with Bobi bringing home Hannah, a woman she met in Europe, who shows much interest in a visiting foreign dignitary.  Then two phone company representatives stop by and hold the women hostage because the two men are there to assassinate the dignitary staying at the hotel next door.  The plot takes a bit to reach its conclusion, but it all makes sense, I think.  In my opinion, the highlight is a dream sequence where Bobi, dressed in traditionally male attire, dines and dances with Hannah.  It’s a beautifully shot 1960’s lesbian/trans romantic scene that is unfortunately ruined by a hetero-centric cis man, of course.
  
ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER MAN (1966) 
written & directed by Doris Wishman 
Scene from Another Day, Another Man shows a man in a masquerade mask, staring at a woman
Ann is a woman with secrets.  Her boss doesn’t know she’s married to Steve.  Steve doesn’t know Ann’s roommate Tess is a prostitute for a pimp named Bert.  After Steve gets a promotion, Ann leaves her job and fulfills her dream of being a housewife because it’s 1966.  Tragedy strikes when Steve is laid up in bed with a mysterious illness, but Ann has a plan to bring home the bacon by becoming one of Bert’s working girls.  Weird enough to hold my attention, with an ending that surprised me! 

MY BROTHER’S WIFE (1966)
 written & directed by Doris Wishman 
Scene from My Brother's Wife shows a woman standing with her legs apart, revealing a man lying in bed in front of her
Bob and Mary have a marriage that is easily torn asunder when Bob’s drifter brother Frankie turns up at their door.  Frankie immediately seduces Mary but he is also reigniting his past flame with Zena.  Which woman is Frankie serious about and which one is he playing, or is he playing both?  This feels like a sexier version of a daytime soap opera, so I obviously appreciate the sudsy scheming and dreaming. 

PASSION FEVER (1969) 
written & directed by Stelios Jackson and Doris Wishman 
Scene from Passion Fever shows a man and a woman chatting under an umbrella
Yarkos is a gigolo, picking up women here, there and everywhere, until he falls in love.  Will love triumph or will one of his past conquests throw a wrench in his happily ever after?  I knew nothing about PASSION FEVER when I sat down to watch, so I was confused how sometimes it seemed like a Doris Wishman film and sometimes it really didn’t.  According to IMDb, Wishman purchased a Greek film called PYRETOS but lost the English dub.  Being who she was, Doris edited the original film down, wrote her own English dub and filmed a few nude insert shots.  The result is a disjointed, entertaining mess. 

THE SEX PERILS OF PAULETTE (1965) 
written & directed by Doris Wishman 
Scene from The Sex Perils of Paulette shows a woman approaching a man standing by a park bench
Paulette feels she must confess everything to her boyfriend Allen.  She came to New York to become a famous actress but has just been taken advantage of by big city users.  Her first mistake was renting a room from Tracy, a loose and easy woman who drinks too much.  Then Paulette shouldn’t have listened to Tracey about Sam.  Sam won’t hell Paulette’s acting career, unless the role is that of a prostitute.  For having such an incendiary title, THE SEX PERILS OF PAULETTE is the tamest of this Wishman batch, but the plot as a flashback kept things interesting. 

THE HOT MONTH OF AUGUST (1966) 
written by Sokrates Kapsaskis/directed by Sokrates Kapsaskis and Doris Wishman 
Scene from The Hot Month ot August show a shirtless man and a bikini clad woman sitting on the beach
Jason meets a gigolo on a ship but is repulsed when the man suggests they team up to coerce older women into having sex with them for a price.  However, Jason has an affair with Alexis, a married woman, while simultaneously falling in love with a younger woman named Hope.  To complicate matters even further, Alexis and the gigolo are in cahoots to murder her husband.  This is yet another film from Greece (O zestos minas Avgoustos) dubbed and edited by Doris Wishman.  It’s interesting, with a couple of surprises, but it can’t compare to her own films.  

TOO MUCH TOO OFTEN! (1968) 
written & directed by Doris Wishman 
Scene from Too Much Too Often shows a hairy chested man preparing to undo his jeans
Whether he is getting paid to whip a middle-aged man and then blackmailing him for a job at an advertising company or he is seducing any willing woman, Mike Torson is all about playing fast and loose, causing destruction before moving on.  His past might catch up with him when he seduces his blackmailed boss’ secretary Midge and daughter Sara!  TOO MUCH TOO OFTEN is the perfect way to end this box set.  It’s all Doris Wishman with a crazy plot, unbridled characters and will ultimately leave you wondering what the hell you just watched! 

So, I blew through Doris Wishman’s Twilight Years, but I struggled with her Moonlight Years despite, according to the liner notes and audio commentaries, this era being hailed as Wishman’s best.  Even when I thoroughly enjoyed the films, they often dragged a bit for me.  I think one of the reasons is the plots are slim and very similar to each other in theme.  Another reason might be lengthy scenes of naked women without equally naked men.  At least Doris was an equal opportunity exploitation director in her Twilight Years, but that might have more to do with the still somewhat repressed time of these Roughies. 
 
In conclusion… 
While this AGFA/Something Weird box set didn’t WOW me like my initial experience, these films still provided an entertaining second helping in my anachronistically reverse Doris Wishman feast.  So, pull a chair up to the table for 9 crisply shot, black & white time capsules which must be seen to be believed!  

Now I must step out of the shadowy moonlight and into the colorful, sun-drenched atmosphere of Doris Wishman’s THE DAYLIGHT YEARS
Green background  with white text that reads, the films of Doris Wishman, the daylight years
Freak Out, 
JLH 

The hot month of August is the best time to grab DARK EXCURSIONS!  
Photo shows the book dark excursions, by John L Harmon on fire