TAB HUNTER CONFIDENTIAL -- Movie Review by Porfle

 

Originally posted on 6/8/16

 

It's one thing to "come out of the closet" nowadays, when being openly gay isn't necessarily a career killer.  But when Tab Hunter was America's number one heartthrob, it could not only end your career but land you in jail.

That's how the documentary TAB HUNTER CONFIDENTIAL (2015) begins, with the celebrated subject attending an all-male party in the Hollywood Hills (old 8mm film footage sets the stage) which was raided by the cops.  Before he knows it, he's behind bars and worrying about how to explain it all to his mother.

How a wildly popular young celebrity known for his boyish masculinity and powerful sex appeal to swooning females copes with being "queer" in a world that considers it both a crime and a mental disorder fuels this cracking good film with a consistent appeal of its own. 

Hunter states at the start that he's never been this open before, and indeed his interview segments are thoughtful, heartfelt, and candid.  In his mid-80s, he retains a hint of the young Tab Hunter who shone brightly as an acting and singing sensation before his downfall and eventual comeback as a John Waters star.

The film's narrative is not just related to his sexuality but is an interesting story about a handsome, likable young guy--who, at first, had only a modicum of actual talent--breaking into the movies and then, due to his sheer charisma and almost angelic good looks, blazing a trail like a shooting star across the Hollywood sky. 

Through it all, as we learn from interview segments by friends and fans such as John Waters, Robert Wagner, Connie Stevens, Debbie Reynolds, George Takei, Rex Reed, Darryl Hickman, Lainie Kazan, Mother Dolores Hart (the WHERE THE BOYS ARE star who became a nun), and many others, Tab never let it go to his head and remained Arthur "Art" Gelien, the humble son of a troubled German mother who raised her two sons alone. 

 

As one old friend relates, Art was already a hit with the girls before stardom, often getting mobbed in the hallways of his school.  So he seemed destined to be the stuff of countless crushes by teen girls (and boys). 

Tab's secret life is explored in stories of his covert love affairs with men, including another rising star Anthony Perkins (PSYCHO, FEAR STRIKES OUT). We learn of the studio wielding its power to protect his image from such media sharks as "Confidential" magazine, the model for L.A. CONFIDENTIAL's "Hush-Hush." 

Gossip mag queen Rona Barrett herself is on hand to add her perspective on this, as is actress Venetia Stevenson who served as a "beard" on arranged dates with Tab and Tony. "They created this persona, and that was your job--to be this persona," Tab reveals.  The film also explores his close friendship with Natalie Wood and the one time he almost married a French actress with whom he shared a brief but passionate relationship.

When he quit the studio to go out on his own, Tab lost his immunity from media scrutiny and soon became fair game in the press.  This helped sink his career, which wouldn't see a resurgence until John Waters cast him along with 300-pound transvestite Glenn "Divine" Milstead (PINK FLAMINGOS) as his leading lady in the nuclear family satire POLYESTER, which was a hit. 

Technically, the documentary is another finely-crafted work by Jeffrey Schwarz (I AM DIVINE, SPINE TINGLER! THE WILLIAM CASTLE STORY).  The colorful montage of stills, film and television clips, and interview segments is seamless and consistently engaging, making this documentary both informative and fun from start to finish. 

TAB HUNTER CONFIDENTIAL benefits from the way the two main threads of Hunter's life--the dazzling superstardom and the constant fear of being a closeted homosexual--intertwine and affect each other in ways that are sometimes tragic, sometimes inspirational, and always fascinating. And through it all shines Hunter's winning charm, which remains undiminished.

TAB HUNTER CONFIDENTIAL -- Movie Review by Porfle

CORMAN'S WORLD: EXPLOITS OF A HOLLYWOOD REBEL -- DVD review by porfle

 Originally posted 2/27/12

 

Like HERSCHELL GORDON LEWIS: THE GODFATHER OF GORE, CORMAN'S WORLD: EXPLOITS OF A HOLLYWOOD REBEL (2011) is a fun, well-constructed, and informative documentary tribute to an influential producer-director whose films continue to entertain us.  But while both are loaded with testimonials from friends and coworkers, Corman's are considerably more high-profile.  That's because he gave some of the biggest names in the film industry their first break.

CORMAN'S WORLD takes us from his first screen efforts in the 50s (THE MONSTER FROM THE OCEAN FLOOR, THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS) through his historic association with the groundbreaking American-International Pictures and successful exploitation of the burgeoning teen market, to his break from A-I to form New World Pictures and achieve creative freedom, and all the way to his current cheesy-but-fun monster flicks for the SyFy Channel (SHARKTOPUS, DINOSHARK).

The road is paved with a wealth of fun clips that document Corman's growth as a filmmaker from the crude early efforts such as ATTACK OF THE CRAB MONSTERS, IT CHALLENGED THE WORLD, and THE WASP WOMAN to his more critically-acclaimed Poe adaptations (HOUSE OF USHER, THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM).  "I never had the opportunity to go to film school," he says.  "My student work was being shown on the screen."  Of all his hundreds of pictures, none (save for the anti-racist message film THE INTRUDER with William Shatner, which was a labor of love) ever failed to make a profit, which, to the penny-pinching Corman, was of paramount importance.

The roster of names contributing their (mostly glowing) testimonials reads like a who's who of Hollywood.  Martin Scorsese recalls directing his first studio picture, 1972's BOXCAR BERTHA with Barbara Hershey and David Carradine; Ronny Howard enthuses about his own big break as a director with 1976's car-crash epic GRAND THEFT AUTO; Robert DeNiro and Bruce Dern look back on their early roles in such films as BLOODY MAMA and THE TRIP.

The list goes on--Jonathan Demme, Joe Dante, David Carradine, Pam Grier, Peter Fonda, Jonathan Haze, Polly Platt, Penelope Spheeris, Gale Anne Hurd, John Sayles, Peter Bogdanovich, and William Shatner also pay tribute to Corman, while others such as Eli Roth and Quentin Tarantino, who never worked with him but peg him as a key influence in their careers, testify to his importance as a filmmaker.  Rarely has one man had such a profoundly positive effect upon such a wide array of creative artists.

Aside from a few amusing montages, the lean, straightforward documentary by director Alex Stapleton doesn't try to be cute or to funny things up with cartoony humor or clever cinematic flourishes which, considering the wealth of material at hand, are entirely unnecessary.  Corman himself is seen happily going about his life with wife and producing partner Julie, seemingly as content as ever with the way things have worked out even as he continues well into his 80s.  (A highlight is his being presented, at long last, with an honorary Oscar.)  His own philosophical observations and practical advice regarding the moviemaking business are both fascinating and invaluable. 

Of all the famous faces yakking about Corman during the course of the film, my favorite is longtime associate Jack Nicholson.  The venerable Hollywood legend fondly recalls his early days on such films as THE CRY BABY KILLER, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS (with its famous "dentist office" scene), and THE TRIP, which he wrote.  Best of all is hearing Nicholson talk about that infamous patchwork quickie THE TERROR (directed in turn by Corman, Francis Ford Coppola, Monte Hellman, Nicholson himself, and possibly others) in which he co-starred with Boris Karloff, Dick Miller, Jonathan Haze, and his then-current wife Sandra Knight amidst sets temporarily left standing from THE RAVEN.

The DVD from Anchor Bay is in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen with Dolby 5.1 sound and subtitles in English and Spanish.  Extras include extended interviews, personal messages to Corman, and the film's trailer.

An unexpected moment near the end finds Nicholson suddenly overcome with emotion, on the verge of tears as warm feelings toward his old mentor rush to the surface.  If you can inspire this kind of heartfelt sentiment in a salty old cuss like Jack, then your world must be a pretty nice place to live in.  And CORMAN'S WORLD: EXPLOITS OF A HOLLYWOOD REBEL is an ideal way for us to visit it for awhile.


Buy it at Amazon.com
DVD
Blu-Ray

CORMAN'S WORLD: EXPLOITS OF A HOLLYWOOD REBEL -- DVD review by porfle

SUFFER LITTLE CHILDREN -- DVD Review by Porfle

Back in 1983, English drama teacher Meg Shanks' class, which ranged in ages from about 9-30, decided they wanted to make a movie in the worst way.  Which, to the delight of bad film lovers everywhere, is pretty much what they did.

The "video nasties" controversy was just reaching full bloom, yet the movie they made with the help of entertainment promoter Alan Briggs (who directed among several other chores) was a shockingly no-holds-barred gore flick called SUFFER LITTLE CHILDREN.

The story concerns an orphanage thrown into chaos when head caretakers Morris and Jennifer--one nerdy, the other kind of hot--take on an abandoned mute girl named Elizabeth (Shanks' daughter, Ginny Rose) who just happens to be the conduit for all sorts of sinister forces.  Strange misfortune besets the home and its children as Elizabeth causes harm to anyone who displeases her while using her evil hypnotic influence to turn others into her mindless servants.

A visit from former-resident-turned-pop-star Mick Phillips for a benefit concert gives the kids something else to get excited about, especially when the golden-curled crooner gives Elizabeth his crucifix after she seems to admire it.  Mick's sudden infatuation with Jennifer (which is mutual, to Morris' apparent dismay) involves him more deeply with the growing unrest at the home as weird accidents and other suspicious events continue to occur.

And so it goes, with the no-budget ambience and total inexperience of all involved--as well as a story that hardly seems on its way to anywhere interesting--turning the film thus far into a mildly diverting, intermittently amusing exercise in bad filmmaking for connoisseurs of primitive cinema.

As Jennifer gathers her robotic followers into an upstairs room for a final summoning ritual of evil, we don't really predict anything all that exciting save for some attempts to recreate scenes from CARRIE or THE EXORCIST.

But then, it happens--SUFFER THE CHILDREN suddenly, shockingly bursts forth into full bloom as one of the most hilarious, violent, and utterly mindblowing of the video nasties.  Keep in mind, it's still primitive in every department, but these kids and their adult co-conspirators have really decided to go for broke.

The hilarity begins with a potted plant floating on a wire, followed by flying furniture and other assorted items as Morris and Jennifer are terrorized by supernatural forces POLTERGEIST-style.  The gore itself gets under way when Jennifer's minions scarf up all the sharp stuff in the kitchen and start attacking the adults, including hapless pop star Mick, as though they'd just seen a video nasty themselves and felt compelled to emulate it. 

Blood is plentiful--like, on an H.G. Lewis level--with multiple stabbings, a self-ventilation by a teacher under Elizabeth's control, and even an attempt at a knife-exiting-the-mouth effect which comes off pretty well.  All in all, it's fun stuff and lively as can be.

But that's not all, because there's still the ending, and for that, director Briggs and scripter Shanks have come up with such a doozy of a climax that I'm not even going to hint at it.  Nope, sorry, no clues.  Don't even read anything that might give it away.  Take my word for it, this is one ending you don't want spoiled.

Till then, enjoy the entry-level technical aspects of SUFFER LITTLE CHILDREN, the sub-sub-par acting and dialogue, the editing which seems to have been done on a VCR (Briggs reveals that the film was never really finished and is basically a workprint), groove to the zombie-picnic dream sequence and the fact that there's actually a poppy title song, and just sit back and wait for the whole movie to hit the fan. 

Extras:
"School of Shock"--An Interview with Director Alan Briggs
"Seducing the Gullible"--An Interview with Legend of UK "Nasty" Era Fanzine Critique John Martin
Trailer
English Captions

Buy it from Severin Films/Intervision

SUFFER LITTLE CHILDREN -- DVD Review by Porfle

DON'T LOOK IN THE BASEMENT -- DVD Review by Porfle

 

Originally posted on 12/8/14

 

Despite some seriously threadbare production values, DON'T LOOK IN THE BASEMENT, aka "The Forgotten" (1973), is wonderfully weird and deliriously demented. Lensed in Texas on a shoestring budget and in a single location, this dark madhouse shocker starts out messed-up and just gets more messed-up as it goes along.

Set in a large, seedy old house that serves as an insane asylum, the story revolves around a tightly-knit group of crazies presided over by Dr. Stephens (Michael Harvey), whose methods of treatment are somewhat unconventional.

This includes handing one of the nuttiest residents an axe and encouraging him to chop away his hostilities on a handy log out in the yard, which is great until the guy gives Dr. Stephens a nice big chop in the neck when his back is turned. Exit Dr. Stephens before the titles have even moseyed into view.

Next in charge of the place is the matronly Dr. Masters (Anne MacAdams in a solid performance), who regards the inmates as family and doesn't want to disrupt their routine with anything as pesky as a murder investigation. So she sweeps the whole matter under the rug (so to speak) right before the new nurse that he hired earlier arrives unexpectedly, ready to start work.

Although initially gung-ho about nursing and eager to delve into her new job, it doesn't take long before pretty, perky Nurse Charlotte (1972 Playboy covergirl Rosie Holotik, HORROR HIGH) regrets ever laying eyes on the place as she contends with a hostile and domineering Dr. Masters and meets the downright unnerving nutcases wandering around loose at every turn.

There's the insecure nympho constantly ripping off her clothes and begging every man she meets to "love" her (including the guy who shows up to fix the phone), the former army sergeant who's still fighting some war, the drug-pilfering Goth chick, the frizzy-haired nerd who keeps popping up everywhere like a giddy poodle, and the childless young woman pitifully coddling a doll as though it were real, having already offed a nurse whom she mistakenly thought had tried to steal her "baby."

Bill McGhee (QUADROON, THE TRIAL OF LEE HARVEY OSWALD) is gentle giant Sam, a likeable lug who seems harmless enough since being lobotomized by Dr. Stephens. (Or is he?) Giving HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL's Mrs. Slydes a run for her money in the "creepy old lady" department is a cackling hag named Mrs. Callingham (Rhea MacAdams) whose cryptic warnings to Nurse Charlotte to get out of there as fast as she can will later be proven worth heeding.

Worst of all, perhaps, is the guy with the axe, Judge Oliver W. Cameron (Gene Ross, THE GOONIES, THE LEGEND OF BOGGY CREEK), who seems to have presided over one nerve-wracking trial too many and now shows up at the least opportune times (including standing over Nurse Charlotte's bed in the dead of night) wielding whatever sharp stabbing or hacking instrument he can get his mitts on. When the nympho sets her sex-crazed sights on this wretched piece of work, they make quite a pair.

The screenplay by Tim Pope (who would become a major music video director during the 80s) moves along nicely from one unsettling situation to the next, aided by a capable directing job from former Larry Buchanan collaborator S.F. Brownrigg and a cast of actors who, while mostly unpolished, really throw themselves into their roles--often with surprising intensity.

Imaginative writing helps the story avoid getting too cliched while supplying plenty of scintillating dialogue and unexpected plot twists, with a surprise ending that you won't see coming unless you're one of those "I saw it coming" types.

The film's leisurely pace is punctuated by a few startlingly grotesque scenes--one in particular in which a patient is found one morning with her tongue having been cut out during the night--while building to a nightmarish free-for-all finale that pretty much pulls out all the stops. It all boils down to who kills who, who gets away and who doesn't, and who really is or isn't who we think they are. Oh yeah, and somebody finally looks in that basement, too.

The DVD from Film Chest is in 4 x 3 full screen with original mono sound. No subtitles or extras.

With an eerie atmosphere and weirdness to burn, DON'T LOOK IN THE BASEMENT transcends its meager budget to deliver the gruesome goods for the horror fan who appreciates a good B-movie with some imagination behind it. It may not be terrifying, but don't be surprised if you feel it warping your mind just a bit.

DON'T LOOK IN THE BASEMENT -- DVD Review by Porfle

HANNA D.: THE GIRL FROM VONDEL PARK -- DVD Review by Porfle

Originally posted on 1/21/10

 

Looking like a taboo-smashing relic from the late 60s but actually shot in 1984, the French-Italian co-production HANNA D.: THE GIRL FROM VONDEL PARK is an artsy exploitation flick with one foot in the sublime and the other knee-deep in the ridiculous.

Although twenty years old when she starred as Hanna, French actress Ann-Gisel Glass is playing sixteen and looks like thirteen. Writer-director Rino Di Silvestro (WEREWOLF WOMAN, WOMEN IN CELL BLOCK 7) chose her for her angelic looks so that her descent into porn, prostitution, and drug addiction would be more affecting, and indeed she alternates between brief flashes of little-girl innocence and a deer-in-the-headlights emotional withdrawal from the reality of her downward spiral. But when she's in a train compartment with an older gentleman who has paid to watch her slowly slither out of her schoolgirl uniform, there's a deliberate, knowing seductiveness in her eyes that's anything but innocent.

That's the first scene in the film, and it's beautifully shot and edited with a simple but haunting musical theme, and neither the film nor Glass' performance will be this hypnotic again. But it won't be Di Silvestro's last stylistic flourish--minutes later, Hanna encounters her mother's latest young lover Hans (who has the hots for Hanna) on the stairway to their apartment, and in an exquisitely-staged moment offers him a peek up her skirt through the steps before sticking her tongue out at him and scampering away. (Even a later scene in which Hans sneaks into Hanna's bedroom and ogles her as she sleeps creates its own perverse enchantment.)

This leads to the first clash between Hanna and her resentful, alcoholic mother (Karin Schubert), who depends on Hanna's illicit income to keep her in booze. Schubert plays the role of the wilted flower to the ditzy hilt and their scenes together evoke a giddy hilarity that's made more so by Glass' clumsy emoting and the film's horrible dubbing ("Don't you touch me! Or else I will spit in your face!" Mom warns Hans during one of their many spats).


When she isn't hooking for cash, Hanna wanders in a daze through condemned buildings where people are shooting up in every filthy room (a glimpse of her own future) and shares drugs with her equally lost friend Jeanette. It's here that she runs afoul of some prostitutes by horning in on their territory (more awful dubbing includes the lines "Tell her to go cool it!" and "You'd better beat it forever!") and makes her escape on the back of a motorcycle driven by the darkly-handsome Miguel (Tony Serrano).

This unscrupulous opportunist wins her over with his sleazy charm and soon puts her to work making money for him in the sex trade while introducing her to the needle, hastening her eventual ruin. Before long, Hanna is shooting up via her arms, scalp, tongue, and eyelids in an increasingly disturbing series of images and finally hits bottom in a reformatory. Her only hope comes in the form of Axel (Sebastiano Somma), a dashing young man who falls madly in love with her and risks his life against Miguel and his thugs in an attempt to pull Hanna out of the pit.


The DVD from Severin Films is in 1.85:1 widescreen with Dolby Digital 2.0 English mono, and the print quality is very good. Extras include a trailer and a 42-minute interview with Rino Di Silvestro which offers some fascinating insights into his creative processes and filmmaking philosophies. ("Cinema is suffering and I used to transmit this distress to the crew," he reveals.) Listening to him speak at length about the film actually increased my appreciation of it on second viewing.

Filmed on a low budget and a tight schedule in Amsterdam and Italy, HANNA D.: THE GIRL FROM VONDEL PARK is Rino Di Silvestro's update of the old cautionary films such as REEFER MADNESS which warned society of certain tragic realities while wallowing in their inherent exploitation potential. Thus, Hanna's sad tale is packed with more nudity and softcore sex scenes than you can shake your stick at, while offering up plenty of gratuitous drug-related degredation as well. Add to this Silvestro's knack for the occasional display of dazzling style and some of the most unintentionally funny acting and dialogue this side of MST3K (again, due mainly to the dubbing), and you've got a pretty good recipe for entertainment. Di Silvestro's staging and editing tend to look increasingly slapdash as the film draws to its hyperventilating climax, and the more he expects of his star the less she's able to give. Nevertheless, she's always interesting to watch.

HANNA D.: THE GIRL FROM VONDEL PARK -- DVD Review by Porfle

ART OF LOVE -- DVD Review by Porfle

If nothing else, Walerian Borowczyk's French-Italian historical sex film ART OF LOVE (1983) is worth watching simply to gaze upon the voluptuous, Rubenesque beauty Marina Pierro in various forms of undress. The film grabbed my attention right off the bat by showing her luxuriating in a clear glass bathtub during the titles, an image we'll get to see several more times along with other arresting views of her ample and curvaceous physique. Unfortunately, in order to do so, you have to watch the movie.

It's the year 8 A.D., and Roman poet and love-advice expert Ovid (Massimo Girotti) is holding lectures for men and women based on his three-part poem of seduction and love, Ars Amandi ("The Art of Love"). During these lengthy, rambling monologues, we see his teachings being followed by his various students, including Claudia, the unfaithful wife of Roman soldier Macarius (Michele Placido), and her young lover Cornelius, who looks like a late-60s pop idol.

Their heated trysts offer most of the entertainment to be found in this rambling, often incoherent narrative. In one scene, a sick Claudia is tended to by Cornelius according to Ovid's sage advice: "Bring to her at times an old lady who, with trembling hands, will carry eggs and sulfur to purify the room and bed." I think the movie is trying to be funny when Claudia chokes and gags on the sulfur smoke as the old lady starts throwing eggs at the walls. But it's played so straight I'm just not sure.

Other characters include Claudia's faithful African servant and confidant Sepora (Mireille Pame), who likes to fellate a bronze phallus that she keeps in a cabinet, and Macarius' porky mom Clio (Laura Betti), who likes to poke her servants with pins despite Ovid's explicit admonitions and sometimes has the blonde fright wig snatched off her head by a pesky cockatoo. And then there's the barbaric Roman general Laurentius, whose abuse of his cowering wife Modestina includes beating her and locking her in a dog cage.


That highly unpleasant subplot doesn't have much to do with anything, but neither does most of the seemingly random action that occurs during the course of the film. There's a tame orgy sequence about midway through that consists of people running around half-naked and what appears to be scenes from another film spliced in (apparently this is the "restored" orgy footage mentioned in the DVD notes).

The sparse plot is padded to the gills with whatever footage director Borowczyk felt like shooting at the time, including endless stolen moments between forbidden lovers and several sequences that don't make a whole lot of sense (a man gleefully chomps a live goldfish, a woman fondles a marble horse's genitals, etc). One of these is Ovid's story of a love-starved woman who disguises herself as a cow in order to be serviced by a bull. No, I'm not making that up.

Besides a number of lovely vignettes in which Marina Pierro is meticulously photographed with the care and attention of an ardent admirer--my favorite parts of the movie--the camerawork and editing are often as shaky and choppy as the plot. To make things worse, Luis Bacalov's musical score sounds like the same enervating snatch of elevator music played over and over. I do like the natural lighting and the authentic Roman locations, and some of the performances are pretty good if you can get past the bad dubbing.


Ovid's endless blather quickly wears thin, though, as most of the film is accompanied by such turgid poetry as: "Do not allow useless modesty to withhold the magic of your caresses. You will see your beloved's eyes film over with a sheen of tremulous and dainty lust, as the sun's rays rise back from the surface of the placid pond." The rest of the dialogue is littered with such gems as "Are you happy with your parrot, Claudia?" and "Swear on the privates of your favorite god!", and while the action often resembles "A Mediterranean Night's Sex Comedy", the overall mood of the film is rather dire.

The DVD from Severin Films is in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen with Dolby Digital 2.0 mono, dubbed in English. Image quality is fair, though somewhat washed-out. The sole extra is a trailer.

After trudging my way through ART OF LOVE, which seems much longer than it is, I felt as though I'd escaped from it. The final minutes do boast an unexpected twist that flies in from out of left field, but like the rest of the story it has little impact. (A couple of shots in this sequence contain a strange, unidentified shape silhouetted at the bottom of the screen--what the hell is it?) As for Ovid--in accordance with history, he finally has his act shut down by the Roman government for promoting adultery, with the resulting raid coming none too soon to suit me.

ART OF LOVE -- DVD Review by Porfle