booking freakboy: IT CAME FROM THE CLOSET (QUEER REFLECTIONS OF HORROR) edited by Joe Vallese

I love horror films, from classic to modern and everything in between.  So, when I stumbled upon IT CAME FROM THE CLOSET on Audible, I knew I was going to listen.  I didn’t check out the synopsis, so I assumed it was about the rare horror films with LGBTQ+ characters.  I was pleasantly surprised to be mostly wrong.  

IT CAME FROM THE CLOSET is a collection of essays from LGBTQ+ writers on how they found connections and even themselves in horror films.  It’s refreshing to hear a variety of queer voices telling their stories in conjunction with a genre that has a history of either demonizing or outright ignoring the LGBTQ+ community.  Each writer weaves a personal story, relating his/her/their life experiences with a favorite horror film.  One truly surprising aspect is the wide array of horror films mentioned.  Sure, FRIDAY THE 13TH and HALLOWEEN are there, but never in my wildest imagination would I’ve expected to hear people personally relating to the original GODZILLA or the 1980’s remake of THE BLOB.  All of these essays got me thinking about my connection with a horror film from my youth and a real life experience.  

Even when others stated it was the worst in the film series or complained the male protagonist screamed like a girl, I enjoyed the 1985 sequel A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET PART 2: FREDDY’S REVENGE.  I was around 13 years old when I first saw this much maligned entry in the Elm Street franchise on HBO.  While I didn’t love it as much as the first film, I was drawn to Part 2 for reasons I may not have fully understood at the time.  

In the opening scene, we see Jesse Walsh surrounded by peers in a school bus, but still he seems isolated, alone.  I knew that feeling all too well.  The relating increased as we see Jesse being tormented by his gym teacher and dealing with something inside of himself.  Much like Jesse struggling with nightmares of Freddy Krueger trying to take over his body, I knew I had to stay silent about the queer thoughts inside me.  Jesse is ultimately saved from Freddy by the love of a woman.  Though, in the end, Freddy is still there, clawing his way out.

The most memorable scene for me in A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET PART 2: FREDDY’S REVENGE is when Jesse, who may or may not be having a nightmare, visits what is referred to as a queer S&M joint in the film.  Once inside, Jesse is confronted by his leather-clad gym teacher.  Nothing sexual happens between the two, but the scene intrigued my 13-year-old self.  It felt dangerous and alluring.  Dangerous in the sense that my ultra-conservative, ultra-religious hometown would implode at the idea of such a place.  Alluring in the sense that it looked like a place for outsiders like me.  

Maybe that scene is why, at around 13, when I was washing my hands in the restroom at a Wendy’s Restaurant, I stared at the man using the urinal near the sink.  There was a small privacy wall, but I could see he was wearing black jeans, a black leather jacket and a pair of dark sunglasses.  His dark blond hair was slicked back and he looked dangerous and alluring, like he could’ve stepped out of that queer S&M joint.  He must’ve sensed my eyes fixated on him because he looked at me and then asked, “Do you like girls?”  

I recall his voice sounding deep, but neither gruff nor accusing.  Even at 13, I understood what he was really asking, but I didn’t feel threatened.  I just felt overwhelmingly nervous at being seen.  So, I answered, “Yes,” and quickly finished washing my hands.  Nothing more was said and I didn’t look at him as I left the restroom to rejoin my family in the dining area.  However, once seated, I watched the bathroom door and the man had an amused smile on his face as he left the restaurant.  

I never told anyone about this Wendy’s Restaurant encounter, probably because I knew people would freak out, even though nothing happened.  It was just an intense moment where my love of horror films and my queer life intersected.  At least, unlike Jesse and his gym teacher, my experience didn’t end in bloodshed.  Though it might have if I had answered his question differently. 

In conclusion…
Just like any collection, there are stories you’ll like better than others, but all are fascinating and powerful in their own ways.  The final essay about SLEEPAWAY CAMP is one of my favorites.  So, if you love horror and you’re on the LGBTQ+ 🌈 spectrum, or you’re an ally, then IT CAME FROM THE CLOSET might be the book for you! 

Freak Out, 
JLH 

P.S. click a pic 👇 for more queer horror…

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A list of queer books, some of which are available as audiobooks!  🎧 📚 

For Andy…

His acidic words 
Like a salve  
On my being 
Shouting in hate
Swarming in lust  
Swirling in violence 
Screaming in vain 
Quiets the voices 
Hacking away under 
My volatile mindskin 
Calming what passes 
For a kindred soul 
In this malformed body 
Feeling tethered 
To a forgotten ghost 
Flickering wet night terrors 
Leaving me satiated 
Until the creeping silence 
Becomes severe whispers 
Abruptly intensifying 
Wailing for more  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2025, John L. Harmon 

_____________
I wrote this tribute to late filmmaker Andy Milligan while “songs from a holographic mind” by Matthew Nowik burrowed deep within my nervous system. 

click to listen on bandcamp 

Freak Out, 
JLH 

P.S. click a pic ⤵️ for more Andy…  

Thelma vs. Nosferatu

On a recent excursion to a nearby city, my sister and I stopped at a well-known big box store which doesn’t need more advertising here.  Surprisingly, physical media is still sold in this marketplace, so I had to pop on my Mad Scientist Glasses to see what was on the shelf.  

I purchased two films.  One was a planned purchase.  The other was an impulse buy.  Which one was which and will I keep them both or are they headed for the library discard table?  Let’s find out…

NOSFERATU (2024) 

written & directed by Robert Eggers 

This is a 21st Century remake of the 1922 German silent film of the same name.  The silent film was an unlicensed adaptation of the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker, so you know the basic plot.  Thomas, a young realtor, visits Transylvania to secure a deal with a reclusive aristocrat and inadvertently unleashes a vampire upon the world, or at least upon one city.

Peekaboo, Count Orlok sees you!

NOSFERATU is a beautifully crafted update that fleshes out some unexplored plot elements from the original.  Real estate proprietor Knock has a bit more to do than simply go mad and eat bugs, while the psychic connection between the realtor’s wife Ellen and Count Orlok is more fully developed.  Visually dark (I would’ve been lost without Adrienne Barbeau’s descriptive audio narration) and emotionally moody,  NOSFERATU is a solid love letter to its source material.  However, if you want a truly unsettling vampire, nothing compares to the original silent film.

As an added bonus,  NOSFERATU contains a wink and a nod to a couple of other vampire films through its cast.  Nicholas Hoult plays Thomas, but in 2023, the actor was the title character in the outrageously fun Dracula spin-off RENFIELD.  Willem Dafoe plays the disgraced professor who is treating Ellen’s maladies in NOSFERATU, but in 2000, he portrayed the original silent film NOSFERATU actor Max Schreck in SHADOW OF THE VAMPIRE. 

THELMA (2024) 

written & directed by Josh Margolin 

When Thelma is scammed out of $10,000 by someone pretending to be her grandson, there’s only one thing for this 93-year-old widow to do.  Go after the scammer to get her money back by trekking across the city without her overprotective family’s knowledge.  Will she succeed in her impossible mission?  Hang onto your scooter because it’s going to be a wild ride! 

Hell hath no fury like a Granny scammed!

THELMA is a delightfully funny, low-key crazy film about family, friendship and the realities of aging.  There’s the right amount of heart to ground the story without causing the viewer to vomit. 

The cast is perfection with June Squibb as the determined Thelma.  She brings a human touch to a character that could’ve been portrayed as a caricature by a lesser thespian.  Richard Roundtree, in his final role, brings sweet sincerity as Thelma’s cohort Ben.  Parker Posey, as Thelma’s understandably stressed-out daughter, is a joy to watch and listen to, as always.  Fred Hechinger, as Thelma’s devoted grandson, brings a bit of slacker charm to the table. 

NOSFERATU was my planned purchase because I have the silent version and a remake from the 1970s, so my filmic OCD demanded I purchase a copy of the new one.  THELMA was the impulse buy.  The vivid cover caught my half-blind eyes, but even with my Mad Scientist Glasses on, I couldn’t quite decipher the title.  I thought it was called Tell Me, so I asked my sister to tell me what the hell I was looking at.  She read the title and then mentioned Parker Posey was in it.  With that, THELMA was immediately put in my basket.

Wait, what are you putting where?

In conclusion…

Neither THELMA nor NOSFERATU will be donated to the library.  I enjoyed both and they each deserve more viewings.  However, if I could only keep one, it would be THELMA, which is currently streaming on Hulu.  The story was full of surprises and was extremely entertaining and satisfying.  Plus, it has Parker Posey!  

Freak Out, 

JLH 

P.S. Click a pic ⤵️ for other filmic battles! 🍿

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Escape reality with one of my books… 📚 

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… 🏳️‍🌈🍿

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~

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: 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! 

NUDE ON THE MOON (1961) 

written by Jack Caplan & Doris Wishman/directed by Doris Wishman 

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 

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 

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 

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 

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 

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! 

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! 📗

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?  

BAD GIRLS GO TO HELL (1965) 

written & directed by Doris Wishman 

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 

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 

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 

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 

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 

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 

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 

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 

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…

Freak Out, 

JLH 

The hot month of August is the best time to grab DARK EXCURSIONS!