Head in the Clouds Double IPA keeps us cool during this discussion of Russ Meyer's 1965 cult classic.
Note: Since this episode was recorded, the beer has become available in stores around Southern California.
Russ Meyer is chest obsessed. In fact, the actress who plays Billie almost didn't get the gig because Meyer didn't think she was ample enough.
Tura Satana has an interesting acting style, where she aggressively yells her lines, regardless of what that line is.
We discuss where Meyer fits into film history: is he just an exploitative leering creep, or a groundbreaking feminist champion?
This is not a movie about good parenting.
The open sets an unsettling, confusing tone.
Going out in the desert and tearing around dry lake beds is a very southern California thing.
El Mirage lake bed is one Jayson knows of, although he doesn't know if that's the one in the movie. He does, however, know they shot at a ghost town called Randsburg,
The cars are a Porsche 356, Triumph TR-3 and an MGA. Go-go dancing and criming pay well for these ne'er do wells.
Gender roles are reversed in this film. The main women play the roles traditionally went to men.
Russ Meyer wasn't interested in continuity.
Poor Linda and Tommy just wanted to do some time trials, but run afoul of Varla. It's Gidget meets Hell's Angels.
Varla's karate chop murder of Tommy is pretty awesome.
The cinematography is stark. Shooting in black and white, with pin-up type shots of the women, helped create the mood.
There's a western feel, down to Varla wearing the traditional black of the villain.
The gasoline attendant inadvertently tells us the rest of the movie.
Varla's convoluted scheme is way more complicated than it needs to be.
Jayson notes that this went from a heist movie to Texas Chainsaw Massacre when the old man is introduced. He refers to one son as "The Vegetable," the other son is Kirk, who, from all appearances, seems normal.
We were really unsettled by the old man. Like, really unsettled.
Big horror movie moment when Kirk 'saves' Linda by taking her back to the house and old man.
The lunch scene, wow. Billie and the old man getting day drunk on Cutty Sark. Jayson took note of the meal: celery, chicken, mashed potatoes, corn, grapes. The actors are really eating, and the Vegetable has food all over his lip.
Varla's putting the moves on Kirk. This is the worst lunch ever. The old man is terrible at meal conversation. Kirk succumbs to Varla's 'charms.'
We touch on the undertone of lesbian attraction between Varla and Rosie. Rosie's accent is comically stereotypical, to the point of being offensive.
Billie's lingo is so of its time. Jayson researched some of the lines, thinking they were from somewhere else, but everything leads back to this film.
The big climax begins. Varla yells her lines. The old man sends the Vegetable to get Linda, i.e. rape and kill, but he's reached his limit.
Varla mocks people for caring about anything other than the long green.
Kirk's reached his limit, too. Time to institutionalize his brother. And, smack his dad around.
The old man has a moment of self awareness, thanks to Varla's complete nihilism.
Varla's knife throwing skills are beyond compare when she kills Billie.
The old man pulls the "get off my property" line. This doesn't work on Varla. The world's slowest game of chicken ensues. The long green was always in the wheelchair. Varla's maniacal laugh plays the entire time she's running over the old man.
Varla slowly crushes the Vegetable.
They warn us throughout that you'll get lost in the desert at the drop of a hat, but these folks keep finding each other with ease.
Varla and Kirk fight it out, with karate chops galore! Then, Linda saves the day.
Maybe there's a sequel where Kirk and Linda go off together, and we find out Kirk isn't so normal after all.
We speculate about all the loose ends the movie leaves. After the closing credits there are a lot of questions to be answered, especially by Kirk.
Russ Meyer is clearly the winner in this movie.
There's a lot to unpack in this film, but we don't know if Meyer intended any of it. We recommend it, though. It's a ton of fun, and, whether he meant it or not, it was ahead of its time.
Head in the Clouds Double IPA from Santa Monica Brew Works is delicious. Get it if you can, and if you can't, support your local brewery.
Intro music for this episode is a mix of (1) Turn on The Funk (Story Blocks Audio subscription), (2) sample 1961’s The Phantom Planet [in the public domain], and (3) sample 1968’s Voyage to the Planet of Prehistoric Women [in the public domain]. Outro music is a mix of (1)Stripper 60s (Story Blocks Audio subscription) and (2) laughing and racing sound effects (Story Blocks Audio subscription)
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