Friday, May 31, 2024

freakboy on film: DEEP JAWS / THE DICKTATOR (a Walt Davis double feature)

As you remember, or maybe you’ve blocked the disturbing incident out of your mind, I stumbled upon a Walt Davis triple feature earlier this year.  The three early 1970’s films left my mind reeling and saddled me with a morbid interest to see more.  Walt’s IMDb page is filled with eyebrow-raising titles, but two caught my half-blind eyes.  So the search was afoot! 
Something Weird DVD of DEEP JAWS and THE DICKTATOR shows a woman staring happily into the distance while a blue cartoon fish with big lips says, the film you’ll love to see.  There is also a fist giving the middle finger which is shaped like a screw.  Text reads, Manuel Conde double feature. The  screwiest sex comedies you’ll ever see.
Something Weird Video had released DEEP JAWS and THE DICKTATOR as a double feature DVD in 2005, but it was out of print and out of my willing price range.  The film gods must have been watching over me because an eBay auction suddenly popped up.  It was a reasonable starting price, so I placed a bid for one dollar more.  For the third time in my eBay history, I won an auction by being the only bidder.  This may or may not have something to do with the sort of films I enjoy.  Anyhoo…as for this Walt Davis double feature…

DEEP JAWS (1976) 
screenplay by Walt Davis / directed by Perry Dell
Title sequence  from Deep jaws shows the title in bold  yellow text highlighted in red, with a 1976 copyright year.
Uranus Studios is on the brink of bankruptcy, even with the government financing a film about the U.S.-Soviet space race.  Realizing two of the biggest blockbusters in the last ten years was JAWS and DEEP THROAT, the studio decides to use some of the government money to simultaneously make a quick flick combining a disaster film with a porno.  Will Uranus Studios turn a profit or will both projects collapse under the craziness of demanding actors, an inebriated crew and oversexed studio heads?  Unlike the mermaids in the film, my lips are sealed.  
Scene from deep jaws shows Two women and three men sit in a screening room looking bored.  One man  is holding a teddy bear and another man is sucking a lollipop.
watched DEEP JAWS in a state of bewilderment.  Even knowing the general plot, it took me a bit to figure out what the hell was going on.  The acting is over-the-top, which makes sense since the script is ridiculously absurd.  Overall, I think I enjoyed DEEP JAWS.  Well, at least there were inappropriate moments that made me laugh. 

THE DICKTATOR (1974, according to IMDb)  
screenplay by Walt Davis / directed by Perry Dell
Title sequence from  The Dicktator shows the title  in bold white letters on a black  background and a fist giving the middle finger which is shaped like a screw.  1977 is listed as the copyright year.
To solve the problem of overpopulation, the United States government develops a temporary male birth control pill, but it ends up being a permanent solution.  Now the world leaders are demanding the U.S. President do something, but first he needs to play with his wind-up toys and take a dump in the Executive Bathroom.  Eventually five men, including a drag queen, who did not take the pill are located around the globe and are each christened The Dicktator.  Their mission is to impregnate fertile women…at any cost. 
Scene from The Dicktator  shows The president of the United States sits at the head of a table full of rulers from around the world as the reporters  look on.
This sociopolitical satire begins as a jarringly loud mess, far removed from political correctness, and doesn’t let up.  Unlike DEEP JAWS, THE DICKTATOR feels like it’s trying to say something about a lot of things Much like the script, the acting is all over the place, ranging from over-the-top to lackluster.  There are moments of absurd amusement, especially the spot-on jabs at the U.S. President, but some of the humor falls flat or is extremely uncomfortable.  I feel this is because the plot is more focused on sex and shocking the audience, but perhaps that was the whole point.   

I believe there are two reasons why DEEP JAWS and THE DICKTATOR are not as entertaining as the Walt Davis triple feature I reviewed in March.  First, this double feature lacks female lead characters, which made his other films far more interesting.  Second, Walt Davis did not direct DEEP JAWS and THE DICKTATOR, which is maybe why they still have their moments but aren’t quite as good.  Sort of like an Ed Wood script directed by someone else.  It’s still very much Ed Wood, but it lacks that magical spark.

In conclusion…
Neither DEEP JAWS nor THE DICKTATOR are an ideal introduction to Walt Davis.  Yet, if you’re in the mood for a couple of low-budget 1970’s softcore sexploitation flicks, they are strangely watchable in a different sort of way.  Just be sure to remove the stick before sitting down! 😉 

Thank you for reading or listening to my half-blind words. 

Freak Out, 
JLH 

P.S. click the pics ⤵️ to learn more about my other 1-bid eBay auction wins… 

A scene from let my puppets come shows a human Pinocchio dancing on a glam-rock stage.

A scene from Weirdo the beginning shows a young man and a young woman standing in nature.
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Visit the town of STURGEONS today! 📗 
The book Sturgeons, the complete serials by john L. Harmon is displayed on a library shelf.
Available from an Amazon near you!

Wednesday, May 15, 2024

freakboy on film: ANNIE (1982)

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This post is part of the IT'S IN THE NAME OF THE TITLE BLOGATHON, hosted by Gill from Realweegiemidget Reviews & Rebecca from Taking Up Room.
Poster for  the IT'S IN THE NAME OF THE TITLE BLOGATHON, hosted by Gill from Realweegiemidget Reviews & Rebecca from Taking Up Room shows the poster for Rebecca
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🎵Annie…Annie’s her name, if you please.  If you don’t believe me, ask any one of the fleas…🎵 Oh wait, this song is about Sandy the dog.  We’re here to talk about Annie. 
The DVD of Annie shows curly red-haired Annie hugging the dog sandy.
Yes, I own this!
What do you think when you hear the name Annie?  Curly ginger haired orphan?  Freaky pupil-less comic strip eyes?  Fashion icon?  Ovaltine?  Depression era feminist?  A secret decoder ring?  A somewhat bloated big-screen adaption of a Broadway hit?  All of the above? 
Little Orphan Social Climber!
Annie is a sweet, rough and tumble orphan living under the inebriated reign of Miss Hannigan.  All she dreams of is her parents returning with the other half of a locket she was left with.  After escaping the tyranny of Miss Hannigan, saving a dog from street urchins and then being returned to  the orphanage, Annie’s life is about to change.  Grace Farrell is there to temporarily bring an orphan to her employer’s mansion for the sake of his public image.  Annie jumps at the opportunity and is soon singing and dancing into the heart of business-minded Daddy Warbucks.  
Bald daddy Warbucks bellows as his assistant Grace looks on worriedly
Fire my hairstylist!
Adoption seems immanent, but Annie wants to find her parents, so Daddy Warbucks offers up big bucks to find them.  Meanwhile, back at the orphanage, Miss Hannigan, her brother Rooster and his girlfriend Lily are plotting to get Daddy’s big bucks.  Rooster and Lily are going to pretend to be Annie’s parents by using the other half of her locket that Miss Hannigan had the whole time.  What happen’s next?  You’re gonna have to watch to find out! 
Miss Hannigan stands in a doorway, wearing a purple dress.
Miss Hannigan knows how to make an entrance!
How in the name of John Waters and Andy Milligan can I love ANNIE?!?!  Is it the endearingly charming performance  of Aileen Quinn in the title role?  Is it Albert Finney as he transforms Daddy Warbucks from a hard-nosed businessman to a hard-nosed businessman with a heart?  Could it be Carol Burnett’s scene-stealing turn as the drunkenly hilarious Miss Hannigan?  What about the dynamic singing duo of Tim Curry and Bernadette Peters as Rooster and Lily?  Maybe it’s all of the above, and the other orphans, along with some seriously catchy tunes! 
Rooster and lily pose like a musical version of Bonnie and Clyde
Villain fashionistas!
I watched ANNIE a lot as a kid.  I think I enjoyed the idea of being swept away from the monotony of day to day life into a very different world.  I probably also enjoyed the adult humor sprinkled throughout.  My love of this film continues to baffle me, but perhaps i should be proud.  ANNIE stands as a testament to my eclectic cinematic taste.  Whether this taste is good or bad, I’ll leave it for you to decide. 
Bald Daddy Warbucks glances suspiciously to his right
Daddy Warbucks is judging me!
SIDE NOTE: As a kid, I didn’t know who John Huston was, but I now appreciate his direction of ANNIE and I believe he would’ve made a great Daddy Warbucks. 

In conclusion…
What’s in the name Annie?  A little song…a little dance…a little drama…a little comedy…a little suspense…and a whole lot of heart!  If that didn’t make you throw up a little in your mouth, then grab a glass of Ovaltine and enjoy ANNIE
The cast of Annie
You know you want to!
Thank you for reading or listening to my half-blind words. 

Freak Out, 
JLH 

P.S.  In S1E5 of HATERS BACK OFF, Miranda is excited to play “Annie” in a disturbingly funny backyard production!  Don’t know about HATERS BACK OFF Click the pic ⬇️ to learn more about my favorite Netflix series…
Miranda wearing an Annie wig prepares to kiss Patrick in Haters back off
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My books… viewAuthor.at/JohnLHarmon

Sunday, May 5, 2024

booking freakboy: LANDIS (The Story of a Real Man On 42nd Street) by Preston Fassel

Thanks to my love of John Waters and my Andy Milligan obsession, I’ve been circling around the name of Bill Landis and his underground ‘zine Sleazoid Express for some time.  Like a back alley neon-infused sign blinking off as I turned to glance, I kept missing the opportunity to learn more about this mysterious figure peripherally haunting my cinematic reading.  Finally, in my obsession to learn more about Milligan, I caught the neon sign flickering on and lunged for a taste of the phantasmagorical shadows within the 42nd Street netherworld of yesteryear.  
The book LANDIS (The Story of a Real Man On 42nd Street) by Preston Fassel shows identical  images of bill landis
I was quickly fascinated by Bill Landis and his love of obscure, underground cinema.  He not only seriously reviewed these rough gems in Sleazoid Express, he essentially lived his life like he was a character from a 42nd Street grindhouse flick.  Sex and drugs fused and fed his creative soul, especially when Landis fulfilled his dream of becoming a porn superstar!  There’s much more to the story of Bill Landis, but I will leave it to Preston Fassel to tell the rest with his engrossingly compact writing. 

However, I must say a little something about my obsession.  One of the reasons I purchased this book is for the Andy Milligan FANGORIA article reprinted at the end.  Bill Landis interviewed Milligan for the horror mag and it may not reveal anything new, but it seems to confirm everything ever written about the sex-gore filmic auteur.  One aspect of the interview I gleefully appreciated was how, even though the topic mainly focused on his gore films, Milligan managed to slip in  his masterpiece NIGHTBIRDS a couple of times.  

In conclusion…
If you love underground cinema and Andy Milligan, then you MUST drop whatever unimportant thing you’re doing and read LANDIS (The Story of a Real Man On 42nd Street) by Preston Fassel Fair warning though, just like the grindhouse films Landis loved and reviewed, don’t expect a happy ending.

Thank you for reading or listening to my half-blind words.

Freak Out, 
JLH 

P.S. I will have to further research Bill Landis to find out if he ever delved into the films of Walt Davis...
A scene from Oh you beautiful doll shows  big haired Gaye Ramon reading a newspaper
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My queer little books are available from Barnes & Noble and 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