booking freakboy: VILLA OF QUEENS by Alan Fair

Similar to how my Andy Milligan obsession has shoved me down a rabbit hole to the fringes of the fringes of cinema, my interest in Ed Wood’s literary career has gotten me addicted to Vintage Gay Pulp Fiction.  These often shocking, wildly inappropriate novels with spectacular titles have been an antidote to the general boredom of the mainstream “bestsellers” I experience through a monthly lunchtime book club.  VILLA OF QUEENS was one of those titles that caught my semi-good eye a couple of years ago, but was it worth the wait? 

I felt weak and unprotected facing this giant of manliness.

Glen Andrews a young queer man in his 20’s, is staying at a villa in Cannes with his Uncle Martin.  The young man was kicked out of his brother’s house after being caught in the middle of sexy time with a boyfriend.  Now, away from his homophobic brother, Glen is enjoying the sun and sand and the possibility of a new love in the firm form of Jason Wilding.  

Despite having soft, gentle eyes, Jason is surrounded with dark, lurid rumors of sex and murder.  His last lover David, a wild, snobbish and conceited young man whom Glen resembles, drowned even though he was an excellent swimmer or was he murdered?  This tragedy happened while Jason’s brother Phillip was staying with him.  Phillip now lives in Paris, but what do the other inhabitants of Jason’s château know?  Is Jason’s cook Anna as innocent as she seems?  Does Jason’s facially disfigured companion Paul, who looks after him and takes care of things around the château, know what really happened. 

Glen ignores the rumors and falls in love with Jason anyway.  Never mind that Jason fired a few shots at Glen when he trespassed on the château’s private beach.  Never mind Jason nearly ran over Glen when pulling his car around to give him and Martin a ride home.  Never mind a boulder nearly crushed Glen and Martin as they walked along the beach.  Never mind Martin’s villa was set on fire and Jason just happened to be there as they escaped.  Glen is either deeply in love with Jason or the sex is really that phenomenal to put up with multiple near death experiences. 

Our love poured out, both of us drinking the last dregs of romance that flowed through our trembling bodies.

Who is trying to kill Glen?  Does Glen’s resemblance to dead David have something to do with it?  Is his Uncle Martin also a target?  Does Martin know more than he is saying?  Is Jason behind it all or does he know who is?  What the hell is going on anyway?  

SPOILER ALERT!!!!!! 

Paul is really Jason’s brother Phillip and he is behind the ghastly things that have been happening!  When Jason first brought David home, the young man and Phillip started having an affair.  Jason discovered the affair and kicked his brother out.  Phillip stayed with Martin and they began a relationship, but he couldn’t stop obsessing over David.  Eventually Jason allowed his brother to move back in and was even going to let Phillip and David run off together.  David laughed at this because he didn’t want a mental case as a boyfriend.  Phillip and David had a fight over this and Jason saw his brother carrying the young man’s unconscious body into the ocean to commit murder-suicide, so he hopped in a speedboat to rescue them.  He couldn’t find David (his body would later wash up on the beach) but he found Phillip when he accidentally hit him with the boat, disfiguring his brother’s face.  Phillip survived and was committed to a sanitarium.  Upon release, Jason allowed him to come back, but Phillip used the name Paul so no one but Jason and Martin would know it was him.
Now Paul/Phillip believes Glen is David resurrected and he is furious!  He believes his dead lover would rather be with Jason and Martin than with him.  Completely out of his mind, Paul/Phillip brutally beats and rapes Glen.  Then he fights with Jason and ultimately falls to his death down a marble staircase.  Martin is there, distraught over his injured nephew and the death of his former lover, but in Paul/Phillip’s final breath, he tells Martin that he’s sorry.  So I guess that makes everything a-ok because in the end, Martin has a new young boyfriend he met while remodeling his fire-ravaged villa and Jason and Glen are flying off on their honeymoon.  

Author Alan Fair paints these characters with broad strokes and keeps emotions at surface level, but it makes sense with this novel.  I mean, VILLA OF QUEENS was obviously not meant to be profoundly thought-provoking.  The story is a roller coaster ride awash in convoluted twists and lurid shocks, which is pretty much what I anticipated.  

There is one aspect that rather impressed me.  The characters in VILLA OF QUEENS are unapologetically queer.  There is no struggle with or shame over sexuality.  They are here, they are queer and the reader can rejoice in it!  I think this is remarkable for a book published in 1968, especially since it ends on a happy note.  

In conclusion…
While not quite as emotionally engrossing as DEATH OF A TRANSVESTITE or DESIRE IN THE SHADOWS, this sometimes tawdry tale of love, sex and death was worth the wait.  The crazy plot and openness of its characters kept me engaged, even as I smirked knowingly and lovingly rolled my half-blind eyes as my tablet read the torrid pages to me.  So, if you’re looking for a shockingly entertaining read away from the current literary mainstream, then VILLA OF QUEENS may be the book for you!  

SIDE NOTE: Much like other Vintage Gay Pulp Fiction I’ve reviewed, VILLA OF QUEENS is not readily available.  However, there are some titles available as reasonably priced ebooks, a few of which may or may not be waiting for me on my Kindle app bookshelf. 😁

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

Freak Out, 
JLH
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A sanitarium…
A treacherous marble staircase… 
A convoluted plot with twists and turns…
Am I referring to VILLA OF QUEENS or DARK EXCURSIONS? 🤔 

You decide… 😉 

freakboy on film: PARANOIAC (The 4th Hammer-Amicus Blogathon Edition)

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This post is part of the 4th Hammer-Amicus Blogathon, hosted by Barry of Cinematic Catharsis & Gill of Realweegiemidget Reviews! 

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In Hammer-Amicus Blogathons past, I’ve sunk my teeth into supernatural horror, geeked out over sci-fi zaniness and danced to the beat of teen jazz obsession.  This time around finds me lurking in the shadows of a 1963 psychological thriller that I had never seen before!  Honestly, I didn’t know much about PARANOIAC other than the soap opera twist its plot is centered around. 

Poor Eleanor and Simon Ashby.  First they lost their parents in a terrible accident.  Then their brother Tony killed himself.  These tragedies continue to hang heavy over the Ashby family mansion.  Maybe this is why Eleanor believes she has seen Tony alive!  Simon and Aunt Harriet believe Eleanor has taken leave of her senses…or has she? 

Pushed to the emotional brink, Eleanor has decided to emulate her brother’s suicide by jumping off a cliff into the ocean.  A man saves her and takes her home, shocking everyone in the household.  Apparently, this man is Tony!  No body was ever found, so could it actually be the presumed dead Ashby sibling?  

Tensions mount as the family tries to figure out if this man is really Tony.  Aunt Harriet becomes even more intense.  Simon drinks and explodes in fury even more often than before.  Eleanor believes the man is her brother, but is disturbed by her growing attraction to him. 

Is Tony really Tony?  How will Eleanor handle her incestuous feelings?  Will Simon finally snap?  Can Aunt Harriet keep things under control?  Also, what is up with the creepy singing and organ music coming from the dilapidated chapel?  Who is lurking down there in the nightmare fuel of a mask and what does it mean?  Secrets are revealed, sometimes sooner than expected, but my lips are sealed!  You’ll have to watch PARANOIAC to find the answers! 

After spending a day fighting Triffids, Janette Scott as Eleanor Ashby gives a good performance as a woman on the verge of a nervous breakdown.  Sheila Burrell as Aunt Harriet gives a strong performance as the ersatz matriarch trying to keep family secrets a secret.  Alexander Davion as Tony Ashby gives an intriguing performance as the man who may or may not be who he seems.  (SIDE NOTE: Davion went on to play Ted Casablanca in VALLEY OF THE DOLLS (1967).  Then there is the always memorable Oliver Reed as Simon Ashby.  Reed comes on like gangbusters as the drunkenly violent member of the Ashby clan.  According to the audio commentary, this may have been art imitating life.  

Screenwriter Jimmy Sangster weaves an emotionally disturbing story with echoes of gothic horror reverberating through the corridors.  The viewer may see some of the twists and turns coming, but maybe not when they will occur, which keeps the plot on edge.  After one early revelation, I told my sister I thought it would be the big finale reveal, not something given away halfway through the film.

Director Freddie Francis draws out a solid Hammer film from the script and actors.  He keeps the camera moving, the pace brisk and the atmosphere tense.  A scene involving a car dangling precariously off a cliff is particularly effective! 

If I have one complaint, it is my disappointment in how little the super freaky-creepy mask is utilized in the plot.  When the blu-ray arrived, I was startled by this grotesque face staring back from the cover.  (No, not Oliver Reed)  I let my imagination run rampant with visions of a masked killer bumping off members of a wealthy family.  Maybe the resurrected Hammer studio will give this psychological thriller a contemporary slasher twist! 

In conclusion… 
Somehow PARANOIAC is not quite what you think of with Hammer films, but also totally a Hammer production.  The cinematography is lush black & white.  The performances are spot on for the story.  If you enjoy turbulent twists and turns within a mansion of deep, dark secrets, then you will be captivated by PARANOIAC!  I know I was! 

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

Freak Out, 
JLH 

P.S. click the pic ⤵️ for a different review involving a super freaky-creepy mask…

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Something strange is happening in the town of STURGEONS… 

                      (available from an Amazon near you)

freakboy on film: SWALLOW (2019)

 (written & directed by Carlo Mirabella-Davis) 

With my Mad Scientist Glasses on, I was browsing the library's DVD collection when one caught my half-blind eyes.  The cover looked like a horror film and when I deciphered the title, well...my mind went to unspeakable places.  All I knew for certain was I would be borrowing this DVD.  

After arriving home and popping in the disc, I was relieved to find SWALLOW was in English and had a Descriptive Audio track. (click SUBTITLES). Then the film began and it wasn't really clicking with me.  I didn't really care about privileged newlyweds living in a privileged home and expecting a privileged baby.  I was about to shut off the DVD when the wife did something odd and SWALLOW suddenly had my undivided attention. 

Richie and Hunter Conrad have a golden life.  The newlyweds have youth, love, security and a baby on the way.  They want for nothing.  Yet, if this is true, why does Hunter swallow a marble, then fish it from the toilet and keep it as an indigestible memento?  

Is Hunter bored with the endless days of being a housewife?  Is she worried about her pregnancy?  Is she feeling disconnected from her husband's wealthy upbringing?  Is there something deeper going on in Hunter's mind?  

Haley Bennett, as Hunter, is mesmerizing.  She exudes a vulnerable strength as her swallowing of small objects spirals out of control.  Austin Stowell, as Richie, slowly manifests the husband's real self as he "deals" with his wife's compulsion.  Denis O'Hare plays a pivotal role late in the film and fans of the 1980's series SLEDGEHAMMER will be surprised to see David Rasche as Richie's wealthy father.   

I think SWALLOW is a psychological suspense thriller.  We watch on the edge of our seats as Hunter's life begins to unravel.  We watch in horror at the reactions of others to Hunter's inability to stop herself from swallowing dangerous objects.  We watch with bated breath as the reasons behind her compulsion begin to surface.  It's a strange, shocking journey to take, but I think it's worth it.  

In conclusion, SWALLOW ended up being a hidden gem on the library shelf, so I'm glad I didn't shut it off.  Plus, there was occasionally a  ROSEMARY'S BABY vibe, sans Satan & witches.  Readers of this blog understand how this would  enhance my viewing experience.

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

Freak Out, 

JLH 

P.S. A different post about a different library gem...

http://freakboyzone.blogspot.com/2020/01/freakboy-on-film-chained-for-life.html 

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The Collective Eye is looking a bit different this month, but at least it's open...

...on #blogs & #music  ! 

https://thejlhcollective.blogspot.com/2020/10/the-collective-eye-october-2020.html 

freakboy on film: UNHINGED (2020)

                             (written by Carl Ellsworth / directed by Derrick Borte)

Rachel is having a bad day.  She is getting a divorce.  She lost her salon.  Her brother and his girlfriend have moved in with Rachel and her son.  Thanks to horrible traffic, her son will get detention for being tardy three days in a row and a client fired her.  

No wonder she vigorously honks her horn and angrily drives around a man refusing to go at a green light.  Unknown to her, Rachel has just incurred the wrath of a severely unhinged man who has nothing to lose.  He makes it his mission to show Rachel the real meaning of a bad day in a rage that goes beyond the road.

Just when I thought FANTASY ISLAND was going to be the last new film I would see in the theater, along comes UNHINGED.  A local librarian recommended this 2020 film because it was new and because she was surprised by how much she enjoyed it.  So, I attended a Thursday night screening.  Before you call me brave or crazy for risking my life during a pandemic, I was the only one in the auditorium.  Social distancing has rarely been so easy. 

Sitting all the way to the left in the back row, the perfect vantage point with my Mad Scientist Glasses, I experienced a disturbingly suspenseful ride.  Have you recently honked, yelled or flipped off a driver?  It's 2020 and the world is on edge, which makes UNHINGED a perfect film for these chaotic times.  Honestly, it almost makes me glad I can't drive anymore. 

Caren Pistorius is believable as Rachel.  Even my half-blind eyes could see the love she has for her son while dealing with the stress of life and extreme road rage.  Russell Crowe is convincingly unsettling as the man gone over the edge.  If I hadn't known it was him, I would not have recognized him.  The other actors are good, but this film belongs to Pistorius and Crowe.

One question remains.  Did I enjoy UNHINGED because it's an entertaining popcorn thriller or because it was something new?  I believe I legitimately enjoyed UNHINGED because I would watch it again.  FOOTLOOSE, for example,  was "new" to me this year and once was more than enough. 

In conclusion, if you are hungry for something with a kick that's actually new, then take what precautions you need and drive calmly to a theater near you and see UNHINGED!  

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

Freak Out,

JLH 

P.S.  In case you missed my visit to FANTASY ISLAND...

https://freakboyzone.blogspot.com/2020/03/freakboy-on-film-fantasy-island-2020.html 

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My books & blogs...

http://thejlhcollective.blogspot.com/2018/03/the-collective.html