Don't Mess with These Chicks

Switchblade Sisters (1975) aka The Jezebels
Dir - Jack Hill
Weird Wednesday


I saw this trailer on a trailer compilation a while back and had forgotten how much I wanted to see it. I was not disappointed. Some great performances and action involving this teen girl gang. Fun fact: it features Lenny Bruce's daughter as one of the gang.

Can You Dig It?

The Human Tornado (1976)
Dir- Cliff Roquemore
Weird Wednesday


This is only my second Dolomite movie and it's just as fascinating as the other, Disco Godfather. This film has a lot of awesome to it from Rudy Ray's stand-up at the beginning, to the crazy white mafia basement shenanigans, and the clothes. Holy crap, the clothes! Someday I will make millions by releasing the Dolomite Collection and selling exclusively to gullible hipsters.

What's in the Drawer?

The Magic Christmas Tree (1964)
Dir - Richard C. Parish
Weird Wednesday

There are no words. See this at all costs and make it a holiday tradition as I have these last few years. Truly magical.

Mmmm... Gemser...

Women's Prison Massacre (1983) aka Emmanuelle in Prison
Dir - Bruno Mattei
Weird Wednesday

Not the best WIP I've ever seen, but certainly not the worst. Great VHS cover (as seen above) and you really can't go wrong with the lovely Laura Gemser. Drool.

Business Ladies

The Working Girls (1974)
Dir - Stephanie Rothman
Weird Wednesday

Great little exploitation flick about a group of girls, their sordid relationships and how they earn a buck. Probably most famous for having Cassandra Peterson in her pre-Elvira days plays a stripper who goes topless. Something so memorable that one of the alternate titles of the film is Elvira Naked. A very nice scene indeed.

No Capes Here

Abar, The First Black Superman (1977)
Dir - Frank Packard

I honestly don't remember too much about this one. That's what I get for waiting weeks before entering it in this blog. Sigh.

However, there is some pretty atrocious acting (especially with the kids) and there is little-to-no attempt at masking the "message" of the film. Two outstanding moments have to do with one of the kids calling the other a "watusi wobbler", whatever the fuck that is, and the other is the shocking revelation at the very end of the film. Speechless.

Karate and Stuff

Kill and Kill Again (1981)
Dir - Ivan Hall
Weird Wednesday

Interesting karate action film that's a sequel to another movie I really need to see. There is a lot of great fighting and a fun hypnotizing baddie.

Softcore Nanny

Jailbait Babysitter (1977)
Dir - John Hayes
Weird Wednesday

This is basically porn without any hardcore sex. According to the write-up in the Drafthouse guide Lars was originally distracted by all the boobs, but there were far less than I anticipated. Not much about this was interesting, but there are some bitchin' vans!

It's Fetish Time

The Frightened Woman (1969) aka The Laughing Woman
Dir - Piero Shcivazappa
Weird Wednesday

Here's a great Italian sexploitation that I must thank Lars at the Drafthouse for bringing into my life. A few moments of humor mixed with the serious abduction of a man with an extreme fetish. Amazing score by Stelvio Cipriani (a man who worked with Bava a lot) especially in a scene involving the man and woman playing an organ. No, not that organ. Get your mind's out of the gutter. Sexy dancing, a fancy dressed dwarf and a freaking Aqua Car! Highly recommended.

Pimps and Hoes

Truck Turner (1974)
Dir - Jonathan Kaplan
Weird Wednesday

A classic blaxploitation I had yet to see and now it will probably become one of my favorites. Isaac Hayes is fantastic in the lead role and it's a very different way to see Star Trek's Nichelle Nichols. Some great action, an incredible death scene and some hysterical pimp outfits.

Palance Poliziottesco

Mr. Scarface (1976) aka I padroni della citta'
Dir - Fernando Di Leo
Weird Wednesday

This week's WW pick took us to the world of Italian crime films. In this one Jack Palance is a dirty boss who our main characters are trying to rob to retire to Brazil. I know this because Tony wears a Brazil shirt, his apartment is covered in posters from the country and he mentions it repeatedly. I thought his cohort, played by Al Cliver, looked really familiar and when I checked him on IMDb it's because he was  in tons of Fulci's films. Can't believe I didn't recognize him. While parts of the film get a tad slow the end shoot-out and chase scenes more than make up for it all.

Those Damn Hippies!

Riot on the Sunset Strip (1967)
Dir - Arthur Dreifuss
Weird Wednesday

This is about those crazy out-of-control hippies as they run amok on the Sunset Strip in L.A. There are some great music scenes and wonderful appearances by Aldo Ray and the lovely Mimsy Farmer but it gets really weird about halfway through with the tripping scene. Pretty middle of the road for me.

Put Yo' Weight on It

Disco Godfather (1979)
Dir - J. Robert Wagoner
Weird Wednesday

This is my first full Rudy Ray Moore film and I probably should have started with a double feature of Dolomite & The Human Tornado but oh well. There is a lot of disco dancing and some heavy handed anti-drug messages being shoved down your throat. Not that I'm saying PCP is a good thing but come on. Luckily the last 15-20 minutes are amazing! Crazy hallucinations and some batshit scenarios. Not quite sure if it makes up for the first 70 minutes but it is definitely special.

When Will It End?

Deliver Us From Evil (1977)
Dir - Horace Jackson
Weird Wednesday

If there was one way to describe this movie it would be awkward. This means the acting, the editing, the cacophonous screaming and the straight-to-camera speech at the end. The message is to stop black-on-black crime and boy does it beat you over the head with the message. While it has a good cause behind it I'll probably steer clear of the film in the future.

What are the quotes for and where is the question mark?

Banjo Pluckin' Fun

Hooch (1977)
Dir - Edward Mann
Weird Wednesday

A fun little southern tale about moonshiners who must deal with some east coast Italian mafia types. The VHS Micah has was a former rental and the box has this listed as an action, but it's far from high on in that. There is an extended hoedown scene that ends with sugar pouring out of the ceiling - probably my favorite moment. Danny Aiello is in this and looks stylish in his very awesome outfit of a football jersey tucked into very short cut-off jean shorts and flip flops. Sexy! IMDb has a very small section of the cast listed and it's a shame that my favorite character, the bearded old timer shiner, isn't even on there, even though he's one of the main characters. Everyone should know his name and find films featuring his badassness - William T. Hicks!

Cruisin' for a Bruisin'

Cat Murkil and the Silks (1976) aka Cruisin' High
Dir - John A. Bushelman
Weird Wednesday

This is a film about a gang of high school juvenile delinquents who take things way too far, terrorize some teacher and kill a few people. There are a few moments of good sprinkled about, and some hilariously bad performances by some of the smaller characters, but it's waaaaay too long. Could easily cut 25 minutes to tighten it up. Oh well, they can't all be winners.

Bang, Bang, Snooze

Shoot (1976)
Dir - Harvey Hart
Weird Wednesday

With a decent premise and a cast including Ernest Borgnine and Henry Silva I had high hopes. I guess they were too high. Sigh.

The film has its moments but overall goes a little too "out there" for me to stay with the story. Not to mention the middle lulls quite a bit. Not too impressive, I hope next week's WW is better.

I'm A Cop Killer, Better You Than Me

Cop Killers (1973)
Dir - Walter R. Cichy
Weird Wednesday

An interesting criminal road movie with two coke smugglers trying to sell their big score. There is some incredibly bad acting, especially by an awesome ice cream man. For a movie that's mostly "meh" there are some extremely violent moments as they kill their way through the desert. You also get an extended almost rape scene where one of the baddies goes berserk over a dirty romance novel. One big plus is the bearded hippie they take the coke to and his two doped up ladies.

Caleb vs Lester

The Love Butcher (1975)
Dir - Donald M. Jones & Mikel Angel
Weird Wednesday

From the title I wasn't sure if this was about a butcher who loves or someone who butchers love - turns out it's neither. This has some moments of pure insanity and great a great psycho performance as Caleb/Lester, a man with a split personality. A couple of nifty butchering scenes are a little to few and far apart but still enjoyable.

A Tale for the Road

Road to Salina (1970)
Dir - Georges Lautner
Weird Wednesday

Times like these is when Weird Wednesday does its job. I probably never would have seen this movie but I'm glad I did. Great performances, a wonderful score and a lovely leading lady. Definitely will be watching this again in the future.