freakboy on film: THE MEATRACK / STICKS AND STONES (a Something Weird 1970 double feature)

This is not the first time an audio commentary pushed me deeper into the underground filmic rabbit hole.  BLONDE AMBITION is a prime example, but unlike that rollicking sex and dance farce, THE MEATRACK and STICKS AND STONES are not pornos.  They would probably fall under the category of Sexploitation, with maybe a hint of Roughie. 

THE MEATRACK (1970) 

written by Joel Ensana/directed by Richard Stockton 

Picking up this hitchhiker may cost you 10 bucks

J.C. is a wandering bisexual hustler, hitching rides and using what he’s got to get money.  After a few tricks, including a bored housewife, a cynical transvestite with sailor boy dreams, and a nice guy named Ken, J.C. rescues a young woman from a lecherous photographer.  Jean is also a wanderer, so they seem to be a perfect match, even though she is not an ally to “the gays.”  Will their relationship survive after two drag queens force J.C and Jean at knifepoint to have sex with each other on film so the intruders can sell it as a porno?  What will happen if Jean catches J.C. with a male client?  All I will say is the ending shares a vibe with Andy Milligan’s FLESHPOT ON 42ND STREET. 

Should we shoot from the top or bottom?

The Andy Milligan vibe is one of the reasons I enjoyed THE MEATRACK.  J.C. has been damaged by a domineering mother and a flaky father, which is a Milligan staple.  The cynical transvestite, who laments the tragedy of getting old in the gay community, could be a close cousin to Cherry Lane in FLESHPOT.  Hmmm…maybe Milligan was inspired by THE MEATRACK.  Anyhoo, the two drag queen pornographers, who are darkly amusing, seem to have escaped from a Gregg Araki film.  So it’s no wonder I enjoyed THE MEATRACK, especially with its overall downbeat tone.  SIDE NOTE: I had assumed “the gays” was a 21st century turn of phrase, so I was surprised to hear it spoken in a film from 1970. 

Trick-or-treat?

STICKS AND STONES (1970) 

directed by Stan Lopresto (there doesn’t appear to be a writing credit)  

Your hosts for the evening

Buddy enjoys staying out all hours of the night and Peter prefers to stay at home.  What is a couple supposed to do as their relationship spirals down in flames?  Throw a 4th of July party on Fire Island, of course.  Inviting a leather queen, a stereotypical flamer and a new age guru should keep the party poppin’ but the couple’s tension is a total buzzkill.  An impromptu striptease supposedly livens up the festivities and causes more friction between Buddy and Peter.  What will happen when the party is over?  Will Peter and Buddy fight it out or love it out?  Maybe both?  I’m not really sure, so please suffer through this film and tell me what you think. 

How many stereotypes does it take to change a car tire?

To be honest, I was hoping STICKS AND STONES would be better.  The pacing suffers from a lack of momentum and the plot is meandering around there somewhere.  The acting is forgettable, with the exception of the stereotypical flamer, but even his schtick grows tired real quick.  I mean, do we really need to experience him full-throttle flaming out while changing a car tire in real time?  No, I think not!  Then there is the monstrous story Peter tells about a puppy he found which was supposed to show how deeply the character loves, I guess.  It just makes him seem like a psychopath.  STICKS AND STONES feels like it wants to be THE BOYS IN THE BAND (1970) but fails to have a cohesive story or intriguing characters. 

He is judging their party attire

In conclusion…It’s pretty obvious which one I prefer, but I feel both films should be experienced at least once.  They are early examples of openly queer cinema, which is important, now more than ever.  So, if you’re in the mood for a 1970’s style of Something Weird, then stick out your thumb and hitch a ride with THE MEATRACK and then RSVP to the never-ending party of STICKS AND STONES! 

SIDE NOTE: The bonus features on this Something Weird DVD includes an “8mm-Mail-Order Specialty” short titled JOHNNY GIANT, which stars John Holmes, who is not a stranger to this blog. (see WIDOW BLUE)  Guess this legendary hetero-centric adult film actor was either “gay for pay” or there was way more to Mr. Holmes than met the eye! 

Freak Out, 

JLH 

P.S. click a pic ⤵️ for more queer cinema… 🏳️‍🌈🍿

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Plunge into the pleasures of lust, the pains of love and the problems of death within the tangled web of desire and deceit sequestered behind the icy gates of the Van Der Van mansion! 🩸 (Free with Kindle Unlimited) 

freakboy on film: TERMINAL DEGENERATION: The Films of Jon Moritsugu

I had never heard of Jon Moritsugu until opening an email from Vinegar Syndrome, which has become my back-alley film fix destination.  Three things peaked my interest.  First, I instantly found the funky-indie-cool cover of the blu-ray box set very appealing.  Second, the description of one of the films as a DIY version of BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS more than intrigued me.  Third, the crazy trailer for the box set secured my desire to learn more about this writer/director. 

What did I learn about Jon Moritsugu? 

I learned MY DEGENERATION (1989) really is, in its own way, a DIY version of BVD, by way of David Lynch and Gregg Araki.  Three young women form a  rock band, achieve success (thanks to the meat industry) and then struggle with the pitfalls of fame, drugs and love of what appears to be a pig’s head.  MY DEGENERATION is a bizarre and amusing introduction to Jon Moritsugu.  Also, I love the music and the out there audio effects!

I learned HIPPY PORN (1991) is neither about hippies nor porn.  If you enjoy allegedly nihilistic, pseudo-intellectual young adults whining about the existential nothingness of their disenfranchised lives, then HIPPY PORN is the film for you.  This was the hardest for me to sit through because it feels tediously overlong and self-indulgent, but the “Accentuate the Positive” musical moment is rather brilliant.  HIPPY PORN also made me almost regret this purchase because the opening scene involves a dead animal, which hopefully wasn’t killed for the purpose of this film.  Watch at your own risk. 

I learned TERMINAL USA (1993) is Jon Moritsugu’s CITIZEN KANE.  Funded by and airing on PBS (the “Sesame Street” network), the story focuses on one very strange day in the life of an Asian-American family, culminating in a household full of cheerleaders, skinheads, a drug dealer and an alien.  Freaky, funky and funny, TERMINAL USA may be the best in this box set and must have inspired Gregg Araki’s NOWHERE (1997). 

I learned MOD F**K EXPLOSION (1994) is another Gregg Araki-style film about two oddball gangs out for a clash and the young woman stuck in the middle, who just wants a leather jacket.  Low-key weird, occasionally hard to follow and inappropriately funny, MOD F**K EXPLOSION is definitely happening in the same universe as TERMINAL USA, but doesn’t quite reach its surreal symmetry.  Still totally worth watching though!

I learned FAME WHORE (1997) might be my favorite Jon Moritsugu film.  The Gregg Araki/David Lynch vibes have fallen away to reveal a quirky, funny and strangely touching look at the danger of notoriety, the desire for success and the damage of loneliness.  After a catchy theme song, we are presented with three interesting characters.  A tennis pro dealing with scandalous (at the time) gay rumors, a young woman (Moritsugu’s wife & collaborator Amy Davis) who fancies herself a Jill-of-all-trades in the entertainment industry and a young man working alongside an imaginary friend (a giant mascot dog) at an animal shelter never meet, but in some indescribable way seem connected in their separate stories.  FAME WHORE surprised me, made me laugh and even broke my heart a bit. 

I learned SCUMROCK (2002) is ironic.  After so many films with a Gregg Araki vibe, a Gregg Araki actor (James Duval) FINALLY appears in a Jon Moritsugu film, but it’s the least like a Gregg Araki film.  Two stories, briefly connecting in the middle, revolve around a young woman trying to make a name for her rock band and a young man trying to make his first film.  SCUMROCK is slow-paced, but amusing, with a sort of happy ending that feels true.

I learned PIG DEATH MACHINE (2013) isn’t as horrifying as the title suggests.  It’s a goofy story about the strange side effects a ditsy blond and a dishwasher experience after eating bad pork at a restaurant.  The ditsy blond’s IQ rises and the dishwasher can suddenly hear plants talking.  My only complaint is I don’t understand why the dishwasher never tries to talk to the plants who are talking to her.  In the end, PIG DEATH MACHINE is an amusing finale to this box set, especially with the surprising and fun stop-motion animation sequence! 

In conclusion… 
Overall, I’m glad I learned about Jon Moritsugu and his eclectic films.  They are very DIY.  The acting is not always great.  The characters are not always likable.  However, much like an Andy Milligan film, there is an honesty underneath the weirdness and absurdity.  Yes, even in HIPPY PORN, including in that tough to watch opening scene.  So, if you are into ultra low-budget, seriously indie cinema, then TERMINAL DEGENERATION: The Films of Jon Moritsugu may be the box set for you! 
Thank you for reading or listening to my half-blind words.

Freak Out, 
JLH 

P.S.  In case you missed my latest video for The FreakOptic Files… 

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My books & blogs…  
http://thejlhcollective.blogspot.com/2018/03/the-collective.html

No time for blogging…

Shouldn’t he be reviewing another STAR WARS film right about now?  Where is a new poem, of sorts?  Why hasn’t he obsessively blogged about Andy Milligan lately? 

I hope these are the prevalent questions in your mind, but don’t freak out!  They will all happen, sooner or later.  I’ve just been busy lately.  I mean, STURGEONS (the complete serials) won’t plug itself.  Well, maybe it can with a few fantastic reader photos! 📗 😍

Feline Approved!

Then I have a book signing event approaching like a noose slowly tightening around my throat.  It’s more of a meet & greet situation where readers will approach me, grab a cookie and (hopefully) pick up an autographed copy of STURGEONS.  I’m not sure if anyone will turn up, but I hope so.  I mean, the article in the Custer County Chief should draw out a few curious folk or at least Ms. Minch! 

Kim, a groovy librarian, designed this awesome flyer!

Yes, I was interviewed for the local paper.   Managing Editor Mona Weatherly wrote a great article about STURGEONS, my vision loss and my writing in general.  The headline, Author fights to get back to writing ‘fun, quirky’ stories is newspaper perfection!  Here are the photos which appeared on a different page than the article.  The purple one is my Amazon Author Page pic and the orange one was taken by Mona.  She said I looked like a proud author, but I said I looked positively goofy, as usual.  

Courtesy Custer County Chief 

To top it all off, I no longer deliver bad news 🗞️ around town.  It was time for that part of my life to end and I definitely won’t miss it this winter. ❄️  My predicted post-Covid 19 career of peddling my wares at a truck stop never manifested, but I am getting wet at a local diner instead.  Yes, I am now a visually impaired dishwasher 🍽️ by day and a queer indie author ✏️ by night!  

I saw the sign!  Well, my sister saw it and told me about it.

Plus, thanks to Vinegar Syndrome and AGFA, I just started digging into the films of Jon Moritsugu.  From what I’ve experienced so far, his very DIY/experimental films are like Gregg Araki and David Lynch had an allegedly nihilistic, pseudo-intellectual punk rock baby.  In other words, this box set is going to take a bit and challenge me along the way. 

Well, until I blog about whether my book event is a pop 👍 or a flop 👎, thank you for reading or listening to my half-blind words. 

Freak Out, 
JLH 

P.S.  Here is the first review of STURGEONS on Goodreads…

freakboy muses music: NOWHERE (music from the gregg araki movie)

"LA. is like..nowhere.  Everybody who lives here is lost." - Dark 

I was living in Omaha, Nebraska in the late 1990's when my boyfriend (at the time) and I were driving around.  The radio station we were listening to announced they were giving away free CD's in their parking lot.  This was before Spotify, so we were soon part of a crowd digging through a pile of plastic cases.  There was some sort of contest about a ticket hidden in one of the CD's, but I remember not really caring about the prize.  I was more interested in the music, especially when I  picked up a soundtrack to a film called NOWHERE.

I became obsessed with this compact disc.  What kind of film was NOWHERE?  How did the songs on the soundtrack fit into the film?  How had I not seen nor heard of this film?  I was even more intrigued because I recognized some of the actors in the photos, but this was either before Internet Movie Database or before I heard of the site.  So, I searched all over Omaha for the film, but NOWHERE was, like...nowhere. 

I just kept listening and obsessing over the free CD I stumbled upon.  I was introduced to some great music, which painted many hypotheticals of NOWHERE.  A few songs quickly became favorites.  Life Is Sweet (daft punk remix) by The Chemical Brothers is a repetitive techno-beat that I wished my fave dance club would've  played.   Nowhere by Curve is a sexy, sultry ode to destruction ("An end must come to all this fun").  I Have The Moon by Lush may go down in history as my favorite love song because it's romantic, sad and wonderfully tragic ("You're  bound to die under the sun").  Trash by The London Suede is a joyous celebration of living on the fringes of society, which I related to then and now ("We're the litter on the breeze").  Plus, 311, Hole, Chuck D and Marilyn Manson provide some edge to NOWHERE.

In a plot twist of fate, a cousin in Grand Island, Nebraska randomly rented NOWHERE and she knew I needed to see this crazy film she discovered.  It was like the clouds parted and a beam of light shined down upon me.  I finally found out what NOWHERE was about and the music & photos at last made sense, well, sort of.   I eventually located NOWHERE in an Omaha video store.  There was a DVD available but I didn't own a DVD player, so I purchased the VHS.  Flash forward 20 years or so, and I finally found a DVD on eBay.  (More about that happy moment here...http://freakboyzone.blogspot.com/2020/12/freakboy-on-film-nowhere-1997.html) 

In conclusion, I enjoy the soundtrack to NOWHERE so much that I purchased a used CD after my free radio station copy was stolen during the infamous 2004 Memorial Day Break-In of my Omaha apartment.  For those without a gadget that plays CD's, I've noticed a NOWHERE playlist or two on Spotify and they may include a more complete soundtrack than the disc.

"NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!" - Dark 

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

Freak Out, 

JLH 

P.S. A different post about a different Omaha soundtrack...

https://freakboyzone.blogspot.com/2020/02/freakboy-muses-music-joanna-original.html 

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In case you want to give the gift of words this holiday season...

viewAuthor.at/JohnLHarmon

freakboy on film: NOWHERE (1997)

I Googled my book (Dark Excursions: the complete set) one evening and spotted a copy on eBay.  This lead me down an eBay rabbit hole of searching for whatever popped into my mind.  Eventually, a DVD of Gregg Araki's NOWHERE was on my screen and it was reasonably priced.  So, I placed my very first order from eBay.  I've enjoyed a lot of the Araki films, but this one has long been my favorite and I had been hoping to find it on DVD for years.

What is NOWHERE? 

Well...

                    "Are we still in reality?" - Dingbat 

(written & directed by Gregg Araki)

Dark is having a really strange day.  His girlfriend believes in giving love and sex freely to anyone.  A dreamy boy from class has been occupying his mind.  He feels his time is near, like a premonition of his own death.  An alien (directly out of Star Trek) is wandering around abducting people.  Oh, and it's Armageddon Day, but all Dark wants is someone to love him completely.  What's a morose 1990's teen gonna do?  Buy a bunch of CD's, play kick the can, go to a drug-fueled party and brood, of course. 

What else can I say about this neon saturated, alterna-pop, frenzied sci-fi, satirical drama of teen angst and ennui at the end of the world?  The plot, if there is one, weaves through various oddly named characters and their romantic entanglements.  All of these threads connect through sex, violence and music, culminating at Jujyfruit's party, the social event of the season.  When viewing NOWHERE, I recommend checking your critical mind at the door and just go with the crazy dialogue, the surreal visuals and the fun cameos. 

Beverly D'Angelo (Vacation) is Dark's loudly blunt mom.  Eve Plumb and Christopher Knight (The Brady Bunch) are parents of a very troubled son.  David Leisure (Empty Nest) is a father to a very troubled daughter.  Charlotte Rae (The Facts of Life) is an intense street corner fortune teller.  Lauren Tewes (The Love Boat) is a talking head on the perpetually bad news program.  John Ritter (Three's Company) is a televangelist leading the teens to a questionable salvation.  Plus, in a tragically all too brief scene, Traci Lords (Cry-Baby), Shannen Doherty (Heathers) and Rose McGowan (Scream) turn up as a trio of post-'80's Val-Chicks.

There is also plenty of familiar faces to be seen in the main cast.  James Duval (Independence Day) is our moody protagonist Dark.  Rachel True (The Craft) is free-lovin' Mel.  Ryan Phillippe (Cruel Intentions) is oversexed Shad.  Heather Graham (Boogie Nights) is sex bomb of little to say "Dogs eating people is cool" Lilith.  Scott Caan (Varsity Blues) is the nice guy with the epitome of nice guy names...Ducky.  I could go on and on with this list but there is one familiar face that stands out and is truly a revelation.

Christina Applegate (Married With Children) expertly leaves vixenish Kelly Bundy far behind as awkward, kind of nerdish Dingbat.  She's smart, down-to-earth, and brave, despite her ridiculous name.  There's a genuine sweetness and innocence in Dingbat, which is a stark contrast to the debauchery going on around her.  In a film full of highlights, Christina Applegate shines bright and gets some great lines.  "Am I like the only person on this cosmic plane who ever goes to class?"

So, that is NOWHERE in a nutshell. 

The DVD I ordered arrived in about a week and was exactly in the condition described.  My only complaint, which has nothing to do with the seller, is the company which released this DVD omitted a post-end credits scene.  A little disappointing, but I can live with this oversight.  Overall, the first half of my first eBay experience was a success.  Yes, there's a DVD of a recently reviewed film heading my way from Greece.  It probably won't arrive until 2021. 

In conclusion, watch your step, grab a corn dog, keep an eye out for roving gangs named after classic gaming systems and enjoy NOWHERE!  

"I'm outta here." - ????? 

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

Freak Out, 

JLH 

P.S.  A recently reviewed film... 

http://freakboyzone.blogspot.com/2020/11/freakboy-on-film-fleshpot-on-42nd.html 

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The Collective Eye for December is open!

https://thejlhcollective.blogspot.com/2020/12/the-collective-eye-december-2020.html