When Rebecca of Taking Up Room announced The Vivian Blaine Blogathon for October 2-4, 2026, my first thought was, naturally, Perry Como. Before my Andy Milligan obsession, my ears were tuned in and turned on to the ultra-smooth, uber-mellow musical stylings of The Como! Since I already blogged a bit about DOLL FACE (1945), and I’m not touching SOMETHING FOR THE BOYS (1944), my only remaining choice for a Blaine/Como vehicle was IF I’M LUCKY (1946).
The plot is pure joyful musical nonsense wrapped around a political satire of sorts. Wally (Phil Silvers) is getting the band back together for a gig with Titan Tires. The main members of the band include his girlfriend/harp player/singer Michelle (Carmen Miranda), trumpeter Earl (Harry James) and, last but not least, singer Linda (Vivian Blaine). There are several other members but they aren’t important to the plot. When the Titan Tires gig falls flat, the band is on the street and hungry. Salvation for an empty stomach is found in the most unlikely place, a political rally. While devouring free hot dogs, the band notices nobody is listening to the candidate running for governor. Thankful for full bellies, the band puts on a show, which keeps butts in seats and makes the candidate happy and popular. The candidate thanks the band by hiring them for all of his political rallies. It’s during one of these events that Allen (Perry Como) shows up with a song and a desire to break into the business of show.
Please stop singing into my eye!
Allen’s song is a hit, so he joins the band and catches the eye of Linda. Things seem to be coming up aces for everyone. The band has a steady gig, Allen and Linda are singing duets, and the candidate is more popular than ever! That is until a political committee blackmails the candidate so the current governor will win the election. Before you know it, Allen goes from crooner to candidate, and the constituents love him! Will Allen become the next governor? Will Linda lose her duet partner? Will Michelle run out of quirky hats to wear? Will Wally throw his back out lugging around Michelle’s harp? Will the political committee use Allen for their own nefarious purposes? I’ll just say that a musical from the 1940’s, even a black & white one, will probably end happily.
The bus driver is ready to drive off a cliff.
I could go on about how amusing it is to watch Perry Como acting like an ingénue when he was already a crooning chart-topper. I could lament the Technicolor tragedy of the vibrantly dressed Carmen Miranda being relegated to black and white. However, we are here to celebrate Vivian Blaine!
Betty White?
According to IMDb, Vivian Blaine was born Vivian Sarah Stapleton on November 21, 1921. It sounds like Blaine was a Broadway star, originating many roles, including Miss Adelaide in Guys and Dolls and would later appear in the 1955 film. As Linda in IF I’M LUCKY, Vivian Blaine is humorous, charming and appears to be having fun. Though maybe not as much fun as she was having in the “Pet Me Poppa” number in Guys and Dolls, which is literally the only thing I remember about that movie. Sadly, this singer-dancer-actor triple threat died on December 9, 1995. Her last appearance was in a 1985 episode of Murder, She Wrote, so at least Vivian Blaine took her final bow in style.
Thanks for the song and dance!
In conclusion… IF I’M LUCKY may not be the best film in Blaine’s decades-spanning career, but I enjoy the innocent humor and the general ridiculousness of the whole thing. If you’re a Vivian Blaine completist or a Carmen Miranda fan or obsessed with Perry Como, then put on a quirky hat, slip on your dancing shoes and “follow the band” to IF I’M LUCKY!
SIDE NOTE: During my research, I learned IF I’M LUCKY is a remake of THANKS A MILLION (1935). Just more proof that Hollywood has always been about remakes.
I was searching for a soundtrack to some other film when I noticed a soundtrack to a film with a long and unusual title. My first thought was, Is that a real movie?
After doing research, I realized it is a real film, obvi. The trailer hypnotized me! Gillian Anderson of X-Files fame stars! Jane Schoenbrun (I SAW THE TV GLOW) is the writer/director! I felt an overwhelming need (yes, need) to see TEENAGE SEX AND DEATH AT CAMP MIASMA! I so badly wanted to grab my Mad Scientist Glasses and catch a showing in a theater, but I live in the center of Nebraska. The closest theater showing it was 2 and a half hours away. If I could drive, I would’ve been there in a heartbeat. I even checked public transportation, which is about an hour away, and departures were at 2 in the morning! It SUCKS to be visually impaired in the middle of nowhere!
Anyhoo…since a theater screening was not going to happen, I purchased a digital copy from Apple TV the moment I could. I convinced myself doing this was no different than purchasing an unknown Blu-ray from Vinegar Syndrome. Ultimately, purchasing the digital version was perhaps better for my half-blind eyes than seeing it in the theater because of the extraordinarily helpful Descriptive Audio language option.
You might be asking, “What is TEENAGE SEX AND DEATH AT CAMP MIASMA about?”
Well…
Is it about rebooting a problematic film franchise from a queer perspective?
Is it about the stress of being a young filmmaker?
Is it about the emotional toll of being an actor?
Is it about how films can positively and negatively alter us?
Is it about the blurring of lines between reality and film?
Is it about the female orgasm?
I will just say Gillian Anderson and Hannah Einbinder better receive acting nods as the two leads! As for Jane Schoenbrun, if they aren’t nominated for original screenplay and director, then the Academy Awards can sink to the bottom of Lake Miasma!
In conclusion… TEENAGE SEX AND DEATH AT CAMP MIASMA was everything I expected, but also so much more. I actually can’t stop thinking about it. So if you’re a horror fan who enjoys a smart, unique take on the genre, grab some fried chicken, dipping sauce and loads of candy to better prepare yourself for meeting Little Death!
Here we are, months later, and I’m FINALLY blogging about the other recently unearthed lost Andy Milligan film. When I first researched his films, out of all of the lost titles, KISS ME, KISS ME, KISS ME! interested me the least because Andy didn’t write the screenplay. That honor goes to infamous exploitation producer extraordinaire William Mishkin (story by) and Josef Bush (screenplay). As time went by, and I came to understand Mishkin and Bush in relation to Milligan, I realized KISS ME, KISS ME, KISS ME! would be worth watching. I mean, William Mishkin was a shrewd businessman, so he must have known his story would be in perfect directorial hands with Andy Milligan, despite the shocking lack of incest in the plot.
KISS ME, KISS ME, KISS ME! (1968)
Jean Novack is a modern day woman with needs. Her hobbies include neglecting her son Jimmy, placating her husband Stan through sex, cheating on Stan with his friend Eddie and day-drinking. Oh, and night-drinking and drinking between drinking. What else is a bored, 1960’s New York City housewife supposed to do?
What to do before watching a Milligan film!
After Stan’s New Jersey stepmother dies, and his brother Ray flees to California, he invites his sister Ellen to move in. Jean balks at first, but comes around to the idea when it means moving to a bigger apartment. The one thing Jean is not happy about is Eddie has started blowing off her advances. To bring Eddie back into her seductive orbit, Jean suggests to Stan that he should set Eddie up with Ellen.
Marriage, Milligan style!
Andy may not have wrote KISS ME, KISS ME, KISS ME! but if you’ve read any of my other Milligan reviews, you know Jean’s plan is going to majorly backfire with dire and deadly consequences. I almost ache to tell you how it all ends, but I won’t since the film is currently streaming on Fawesome. Let’s just say that I actually gasped at the key climactic scene and hoped I didn’t just watch a snuff film. Don’t panic! The two actors in the scene thankfully show up in later Milligan films. As for the surviving characters, they live traumatically ever after.
The fear of spoilers!
All the performances initially seemed more controlled than usual, for a Milligan film, but everything and everyone steadily becomes way out of control by the end. Natalie Rogers as Jean is the one to watch. She is always on and ready to emotionally turn on a dime if it suits her character’s needs. I must also give a shout-out to Gerald Jacuzzoas Stan’s brother Ray. He always magnetizes a scene and as Ray, he vibrates with tortured queer artist nerd vibes.
Not a selfie!
KISS ME, KISS ME, KISS ME! is not the first time Andy Milligan directed someone else’s words. His first film VAPORS proved the melding of fractured minds can create something special and the same can be said here. Within the familial melodrama, Milligan infused KISS ME, KISS ME, KISS ME! with visual chaos, growing more and more visceral as it reaches the gasp-worthy climax. He even got to throw in some of his standards, such as Swirl Camera, an endless staircase to climb, uncomfortable sex scenes and unsettling close-ups. In other words, make no mistake, this is an Andy Milligan film!
Me, daydreaming about finding other lost Milligan films!
In conclusion… Despite my early, judgmental misgivings, KISS ME, KISS ME, KISS ME! won me over. Much like THE DEGENERATES, I have found myself enjoying the off-kilter mix of love, sex and death more and more with each viewing. Though it will probably not break into my Top 5 Milligan Films. So, if you’re in the mood for a trip you’ll never forget, grab a cocktail (or mocktail) of your choice and cozy up to KISS ME, KISS ME, KISS ME!
You know you want to!
NOTE: THE DEGENERATES is also streaming on Fawesome! Freak Out, JLH
P.S. click DINAH EAST to learn the truth about a Hollywood legend! ~~~~~~~~~~~~ A Poetic Happening is happening soon! 📜
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… 👇
My sister noticed this film listed on HBO and read the synopsis to me. Much like FLESHPOT ON 42ND STREET on TCM back in 2020, I knew I had to watch PILLION! It didn’t hurt that one of its stars is Alexander Skarsgård, and he might be at his sexiest here.
Colin is a young Englishman who lives with his father and cancer-ridden mother. On a blind date at a pub set up by his mother, Colin spots a tall drink of biker leather named Ray. After paying for Ray’s snacks while getting another round for his blind date, Colin suddenly has a date for Christmas Day, or night, rather. This first festive back-alley holiday date includes Colin being ordered to literally lick one of Ray’s boots and then to stay on his knees to satisfy the biker’s Christmas wish. Who says romance is dead?
This first date wakes up a submissive kink in Colin and he eventually begins living with Ray. This arrangement includes Colin fixing all the meals, sleeping on a rug on the floor at the end of Ray’s bed, having his head shaved and being one of the naked offerings at a biker potluck picnic. One reward for behaving like a good little submissive is a wrestling sex session, which is more about Ray’s physical pleasure than Colin’s. Is it now obvious why I had to watch this sometimes twisted film?
After a personal tragedy, Colin begins wanting an emotional connection. In an act of compassion or sympathy, Ray allows Colin to share his bed. This seeming softness is short-lived and soon it’s back to the rug. Disappointed, Colin works up the nerve to request a day off where they act like two people in an equal, loving relationship, but will Ray give-in or will Colin have to remain a 24/7 submissive?
Harry Melling, grandson of the 2nd Doctor Who Patrick Troughton, brings a sympathetic innocence to Colin even as he engages in very non-innocent activities. Alexander Skarsgård, brother of Pennywise Bill Skarsgård, infuses Ray with intense sexual magnetism and a believable demanding attitude. The rest of the cast is great, but top honors must go to Lesley Sharp as Colin’s mother Peggy. She is full on believable as a loving parent who is also understandably concerned about her son’s new relationship, even as she is dying. The scene where Ray joins Colin’s parents for a meal is priceless in its mixture of humor and pain.
Writer/directer Harry Lighton balances both pain and humor with brilliant results. There were times I found myself chuckling, but I wasn’t sure it was supposed to be funny. Then again, how could the wrestling scene not be funny with Tiffany’s cover of “I Think We’re Alone Now” playing front and center? I became so curious if the source material for PILLION, the book “Box Hill: A Story of Low Self-Esteem” by Adam Mars-Jones, is also equal parts humorous and painful that I ordered a copy. As if I don’t have enough to read!
I confess that I don’t fully understand this type of arrangement. I mean, I can wrap my head around paying someone for a weekend of being a dom or a sub, but a full-time relationship boggles my mind a bit. However, if the participants are willing adults who completely understand what is expected, then embrace your kink and go for it.
In conclusion…
I enjoyed PILLION because the characters felt realistically written and performed. Plus, it is truly a unique kind of love story. So, if you’re looking for a different way to celebrate 🏳️🌈Pride Month🏳️⚧️, grab a lock or a key and get kinky with PILLION!
SIDE NOTE: According to Merriam-Webster, the definition of pillion is “a motorcycle or bicycle saddle for a passenger.”
Freak Out, JLH
P.S. The character of Ray gave off a vibe that reminded me of the Wendy’s man I blogged about earlier this year. Click the pic for more about him…👇
~~~~~~~~~~~~ Celebrate 🏳️🌈Pride Month🏳️⚧️ with my queer books available in various formats from Amazon… 📚
Where is the word I seek In the sky In the breeze Lost at sea In the gutter Buried in grime Dirt upon dirt No reason No rhyme I ask The Word Man To find one for me He opens his coat Displaying his wares Letters upon letters Forming this and that Adjectives Nouns Verbs Of all shapes and sizes Even a ten cent word or two But which is for me I plead Desperately hungry For something Simply complex Or complexly simple To describe me Define me Make me feel like me Make them understand The me they see And the me they don’t One word Just one Is all I ask The Word Man smiles A bemused smile Offering up the letters Three in all Y-O-U And it’s the only word I can truly be ~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2026, John L. Harmon
SIDE NOTE: Potentially apropos of nothing, I wrote these words after watching THE BRIDE! (2026), which I was unsure about at first, but ended up very much enjoying.
Freak Out, JLH ~~~~~~~~~~~~ My queer words are available from an Amazon near you! 🏳️🌈 📚
Praise be to Severin Films for finding and releasing two of Andy Milligan’s lost films! Believe you me, I was freaking out over this discovery and was constantly checking Severin so I could pre-order ASAP! It was a rare Friday off for me and I just got home from a sloppy joe lunch with my sister. I immediately checked and BAM, there was my dream come true! “This is really happening!” I chanted to my cats as I placed my order, only half-aware I was quoting ROSEMARY’S BABY.
You can imagine how over the moon I was when my order arrived. I watched the two lost films right away and the other films over the weekend. To be honest, I was under the weather for my initial viewings, so subsequent viewings were required, as if I needed an excuse for rewatching!
I was originally planning on doing one post covering all of “GUTTER AUTEUR” The Lost Legacy of Andy Milligan, but I ended up writing a longer review for THE DEGENERATES than I expected. In other words, the following review is just the first in a potential series of reviews…
THE DEGENERATES (1967)
My first thought on my initial viewing was, This movie is daring viewers to hate it. It was loud with screeching performances and was sometimes hard to follow, especially keeping track of which character was which. In other words, THE DEGENERATES was an Andy Milligan film through and through, and I enjoyed it even if I was confused. My confusion may have been due to being ill at the time.
Frank, Jim and GoGo on the go.
THE DEGENERATES is Andy Milligan’s post-apocalyptic, sci-fi epic! Well, sort of. After an offscreen nuclear war has decimated the world, three men (Jim, Frank and GoGo) are sent out to find other survivors. The trio stumble upon a house of women named after flowers or flowering plants. Violet may physically look like a slim bit of nothing with a cute pixie cut bob, but she is in charge and rules with an iron fist. Rose exudes a sweet, understanding motherly vibe. Iris and Daisy are ready to find out what they’ve been missing when the men arrive. Lily is young, sweet and innocent and always wears a hairband. Ivy, the youngest, lives away from her sisters, having lost her mind when she saw their father burn to death in the family car.
What does Ivy know?
Jim has an injured leg and Violet agrees to let the men stay for a couple of days. She assigns Iris to take care of Jim, who gets the luxury of a bedroom, and orders Frank and GoGo to sleep in the shed. Iris and Jim begin forming a bond, while Daisy sneaks out to spend time with GoGo, no matter how ridiculous his name is. Meanwhile, Frank is out to claim innocent Lily for himself. All of this sex ignites a boiling rage in Violet as she believes her sisters are slipping away from her and she will be left alone. Violence soon erupts, with death not far behind. It’s interesting to note that Milligan did not use “swirl camera” to represent chaos in THE DEGENERATES, which makes for a more visceral viewing, in my opinion.
Violet prepares to punish Daisy.
Will Violet’s love and rage go too far? Will Lily be saved from Frank’s manipulative ways? Will Ivy speak the truth about their father’s death? Will Daisy & GoGo and Iris & Jim live happily ever after in a post-apocalyptic world? Well, this is an Andy Milligan film, so the odds are stacked against them.
Iris and Jim are happy for a moment.
The bombastic visuals and dialogue that had bombarded me at first became a filmic drug with my second viewing of THE DEGENERATES. I was able to follow everything going on and was mesmerized. I couldn’t take my half-blind eyes off the screen as Violet descends into absolute madness. Played to severe perfection by Bryarly Lee, who also starred in the still lost Milligan film THE NAKED WITCH, Violet seems to be an unstoppable force. Then there is Hope Stansbury, who wrote Milligan’s first film VAPORS and starred as Dracula’s daughter in BLOOD. In THE DEGENERATES, Hope plays youngest sister Ivy, the one who lives apart from the others. Hope gives the mostly silent Ivy a soul and finds her strength when she finally speaks a long-held secret. The rest of the cast gives it their all, but this film belongs to Bryarly Lee and Hope Stansbury.
Violet demands to be loved!
THE DEGENERATES was written by friends and sometimes lovers, Gerald Jacuzzo and Andy Milligan. They were definitely on the same page because it all feels like Milligan or maybe that’s because of his directorial style. One moment that definitely came from Andy is the crucifixion scene. One character’s right hand is nailed to a wall while the other hand is pinned using a pitchfork, which is a Milligan trademark instrument of torture.
Violet pitchforks Frank.
Speaking of torture (not his acting), writer Gerald Jacuzzo also appeared in some of Andy’s films, most memorably TORTURE DUNGEON, which I have shamefully not reviewed…yet! He was also in VAPORS and appears briefly in the other recently found lost Milligan film, KISS ME, KISS ME, KISS ME! (1968) and is easily one of the best actors Andy utilized.
In conclusion… Despite my confusing but enjoyable first viewing, THE DEGENERATES is quickly rising up the ranks in my favorite Andy Milligan films. It won’t bump FLESHPOT, NIGHTBIRDS or SEEDS from the top spots, but it is giving other favorites a run for their low-budget money! If you haven’t experienced an Andy Milligan film, don’t start here. I recommend beginning with GURU THE MAD MONK and branching out from there. However, if you’re a burgeoning fan or a maladjusted, obsessive Milligan freak like me, THE DEGENERATES must be seen!
My obsession is now a fashion statement!
Freak Out, JLH
P.S. Click TRICKS OF THE TRADE for a look at the script for another one of Andy Milligan’s lost films! ~~~~~~~~~~~~ My books are tragically nothing like a Milligan film, but you can still find a degenerate character or two within their pages.
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