DVD Region 2 Russ Meyer's Faster Pussycat... Kill! Kill! $15.95
DVD Region 2 Russ Meyer's Supervixens $15.95
DVD Region 2 Russ Meyer's Vixen $15.95
DVD Region 2 Russ Meyer's Beneath The Valley Of The Ultravixens $15.95
DVD Region 2 Russ Meyer's Up! $15.95
DVD Region 2 Russ Meyer's Mondo Topless $15.95
Maybe some more will be out soon.
Buford T Pusser
04-02-05, 10:25 PM
Here's a short review:
March 26, 2005
Russ Meyer Collection
Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill! / Mondo Topless / Vixen! / Supervixens / Up! / Beneath the Valley of the Ultra-Vixens (18)
Director: Russ Meyer, 1966-1979
Stars: Tura Satana, Haji, Erica Gavin, Kitten Natividad, Raven De La Croix
Out to buy: on DVD
Russ Meyer was a paradox. He enraged feminists, yet empowered actresses; he was a populist cult director — and made possibly the greatest rubbish yet seen.
His improbably proportioned actresses were physical manifestations of the films — larger than life and hard to take seriously. Though filled with poor acting, low production values and wonky narratives, his movies, like his characters, were designed to have their tongues in every available cheek.
Ironically, his calling card, the ballsy Faster Pussycat!, features no nudity. The story of three go-go dancers on a rampage of sex and violence is lacking in moral fibre, relentlessly aggressive and still shocks almost 40 years later. And in the brutal Varla (Satana), Meyer sired a new generation of strong female leads, from Pam Grier to Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley in Alien.
Essentially a fitness video for those whose pint-lifting arm needs bulking up, Mondo Topless displays the technical skills that backed up his fantasies. Burlesque dancers throw insane shapes, while sharp editing, idiosyncratic camera work and incongruous use of scenery provide the pulse. It’s a pity that it soon feels like being at a northern soul all-nighter with a migraine.
With the promiscuous Vixen, Meyer broke into the mainstream, perhaps by satisfying the public’s need to see a woman fellate a fish before debating Cuba’s racial policy and the merits of communism.
This absurdist quality shaped his late 1970s flicks. Meyer amplified paltry scripts through enthusiasm and frenzied pacing, and, though more explicit, any eroticism is diffused through broad humour and self-parody.
Supervixens threatens a classical narrative, as a petrol pump attendant goes on the run after being framed for his wife’s murder. But Meyer realises his folly and veers off course, preferring a horny, live-action Road Runner cartoon. Up! hints at a murder mystery, forgets all about it and spends its time assaulting retinas before resolving the crime in a final reel that beggars belief. Beneath . . . — penned, like Up!, by the film critic Roger Ebert — squeezes Meyer’s motifs for all they’re worth. Chronicling one man’s feud with the missionary position, we’re treated to pervert Nazis, memorably hyperbolic dialogue and insane sex scenes. Clearly, Hollywood is a duller place for his absence.
On the extras, Jonathan Ross’s excellent Incredible Strange Film Show interview investigates Who Killed Bambi?, Meyer’s doomed Sex Pistols movie. Pitched as “a sexy soapy Hard Day’s Night”, it was halted after Malcolm McLaren led the project into financial difficulties. In a separate interview, the actress Raven De La Croix recalls how Meyer filmed a sequence that required her to be submerged in a lake. He insisted on so many retakes that she almost drowned.
4 stars
DVD extras Commentaries, interviews, trailer reel, picture galleries. 3 stars
Russ Meyer collection: films and extras
VIXEN
Audio commentary from Russ Meyer
'Vixen' featurette
Erica Gavin photo album
Trailer reel
SUPERVIXENS
Audio commentary from Russ Meyer
Trailer reel
BENEATH THE VALLEY OF THE ULTRAVIXENS
Audio commentary from Russ Meyer
'Kitten Natividad' featurette
Trailer reel
FASTER PUSSYCAT...KILL! KILL!
Original Russ Meyer audio commentary
Audio commentary from the 'Pussycats' Tura Santana, Haji and Lori Williams!
'Go Pussycat Go!': an exclusive featurette
MONDO TOPLESS
35 minute interview with Russ Meyer by Jonathon Ross from the 'Incredibly Strange Film Show' (35 mins)
19 Jan 2005: UK News - UPDATED. Arrow Films have certainly got the ball rolling this year with the announcement that they've acquired 18 Russ Meyer movies for UK DVD release. But that's not all. Behind the scenes they've been busy working on providing some fantastic extras for these movies!
I can exclusively confirm that Blue Underground and Nucleus Films have been busy working on these extras. New featurettes and audio commentaries have been produced by Blue Underground as follows:
Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!: Featurette: Go Pussycat Go! + Audio Commentary with Tura Satana, Haji and Lori Williams
Vixen!: Featurette with Erica Gavin and Harrison Page
Up!: Featurette with Raven De La Croix
Beneath the Valley of the Ultravixens: Featurette with Kitten Natividad
In addition to the above, Nucleus Films have sourced the only four Russ Meyer audio commentaries he ever recorded, and which were only made available on the long OOP American laserdisc releases of Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!, Vixen!, Supervixens and Beneath the Valley of the Ultravixens. Nucleus have also sourced Jonathan Ross's Incredibly Strange Film Show epsiode Russ Meyer: King of the Nudies (from 1988) which will be included as an extra on Mondo Topless.
Suffice to say you won't be disappointed. Even better news is that because of the BBFC's newer relaxed censorship restrictions, all will be presented fully uncut for the first time in Britain!
March Titles:
Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!
Vixen!
Mondo Topless
Up!
Supervixens
Beneath the Valley of the Ultravixens.
Further titles (more extras to be confirmed) will be issued in April, as follows:
Motor Psycho + Good Morning... And Goodbye! (double-bill)
The Immoral Mr Teas + Eve And The Handyman (double-bill)
Cherry, Harry And Raquel + Common-Law Cabin (double-bill)
Lorna + Mudhoney (double-bill)
Vixen Trilogy (three disc set)
Wild Gals Of The Naked West + Black Snake (double-bill)
Pandora Peaks + Finders Keepers, Lovers Weepers! (double-bill)
A little more info:
19 Jan 2005: UK News - UPDATED. Arrow Films have certainly got the ball rolling this year with the announcement that they've acquired 18 Russ Meyer [/url]
Funny you guys posted this now. I took a little break and came to the DVDTalk just to see if there was any info on Russ Meyer DVDs now. And there it is! Thanks.
Now if I can just find the things.
Richard Malloy
04-03-05, 03:30 PM
Are these really supposed to be in 1.85:1 aspect ratio, as CD-Wow indicates? And, if so (color my surprised), they're not anamorphic?
pigmode
04-03-05, 04:03 PM
How do you explain these to your wife?
DrGerbil
04-03-05, 04:24 PM
How do you explain these to your wife?
In my experience, women love RM's films. Just have her sit down and watch a bit. :)
Buford T Pusser
04-03-05, 08:09 PM
Funny you guys posted this now. I took a little break and came to the DVDTalk just to see if there was any info on Russ Meyer DVDs now. And there it is! Thanks.
Now if I can just find the things.
I'm here to help.
Just go to the link at CD Wow and they will be found. I ordered all of them last night.
Buford T Pusser
04-03-05, 08:10 PM
How do you explain these to your wife?
To my wife or your wife?
My wife doesn't have any problem with them. They are pro-women!
pigmode
04-03-05, 09:24 PM
To my wife or your wife?
My wife doesn't have any problem with them. They are pro-women!
Mmmkay. I'm telling mine its what the doctor ordered. -ohbfrank-
Buford T Pusser
04-04-05, 01:09 AM
Then why the -ohbfrank- ?
Would that be her reaction?
:confused:
Buford T Pusser
04-05-05, 07:20 PM
The day after I ordered I had a message that six of the discs were sent. They just emailed that UP! wouldn't be into their place until 4/8.
Chauncey
04-06-05, 02:41 PM
Darn, now the prices are $17.95 a pop. Oh well, you snooze you lose.
Richard Malloy
04-06-05, 04:25 PM
Are these really supposed to be in 1.85:1 aspect ratio, as CD-Wow indicates?
Yes... I'm quoting myself! :)
I've only ever seen these films on VHS, so naturally they were 1.33:1. But I always assumed this was the OAR. Am I wrong? Or is cd-wow wrong by labelling them 1.85:1? Or is the DVD wrong in its aspect ratio?
Buford T Pusser
04-06-05, 07:09 PM
Darn, now the prices are $17.95 a pop. Oh well, you snooze you lose.
Did you follow the link that takes $2 off each dvd????????????????
Joe Molotov
04-06-05, 10:26 PM
Mmmkay. I'm telling mine its what the doctor ordered. -ohbfrank-
Buford T Pusser is a medical doctor!? You learn something new every day. -eek-
So Dr. Pusser, for someone who's never seen a Russ Meyer movie, but always kinda wanted to, what would be your suggestion?
Buford T Pusser
04-07-05, 12:42 AM
Well my faves are the Vixen trilogy, Faster Pussycat Kill! Kill! (the fave of most people), then Mudhoney (cool gothic religion story), Lorna (oh baby!) and Motorpsycho (the first motorcycle gang pic and they're basically mopeds). Mondo Topless is fun if you like go-go music, great editing and imagery of transistor radios and big breasts, with a helping of over the top narration.
"Beyond the Valley of the Dolls" is a wild ride with a great soundtrack.
I really liked the "Our Town" narration and story from "Beneath the Valley of the Ultravixens". This was also the first Russ film I saw and it was so different than anything I'd seen before.
Charles Napier is excellent in "Supervixens" and I love how all the women have Super in their name.
Tough call.
Buford T Pusser
04-07-05, 12:50 AM
Here's the majority of his releases. I'll rate them by tiers with 1's being the most important, then 2, etc. There are six 1's. For a variety of his styles I'd go with Faster Pussycat, then Vixen, then Beyond the Valley, then Mudhoney, then Supervixens, then Beneath the Valley.
1 Beneath the Valley of the Ultra-Vixens (1979)
2 Up! (1976)
1 Supervixens (1975)
3 Black Snake (1973)
4 The Seven Minutes (1971)
1 Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970)
2 Cherry, Harry & Raquel! (1970)
1 Vixen! (1968)
3 Finders Keepers, Lovers Weepers! (1968)
3 Good Morning... and Goodbye! (1967)
3 Common Law Cabin (1967)
3+ Mondo Topless (1966)
2 Motor Psycho (1965)
1 Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (1965)
1 Mudhoney (1965)
2 Lorna (1964)
3 Eve and the Handyman (1961)
3 The Immoral Mr. Teas (1959)
(the original nudie cutie)
Michael A
04-07-05, 09:26 PM
I've only ever seen these films on VHS, so naturally they were 1.33:1. But I always assumed this was the OAR. Am I wrong? Or is cd-wow wrong by labelling them 1.85:1? Or is the DVD wrong in its aspect ratio?
I received all six titles yesterday from the UK HMV and the back cases for all list the ratio as "4:3 full frame" - I'll get a chance to have a look at them on weekend and will let you know if that's not the case.
DrGerbil
04-08-05, 07:41 PM
I received all six titles yesterday from the UK HMV and the back cases for all list the ratio as "4:3 full frame" - I'll get a chance to have a look at them on weekend and will let you know if that's not the case.
Faster Pussycat is indeed 4:3. I'm assuming the other RM films released by Arrow are also "full frame". Hopefully, this proves not to be the case.
cultshock
04-09-05, 01:14 AM
I think I remember reading that only Black Snake was shot in scope, so the correct OAR for that film should be around 2.35:1 (my VHS copy has approx that aspect ratio and looks good. If the new DVD of it is 4:3, it is completely wrong). I'm not if the other films should properly be 4:3 or 1.85:1 though.
Buford T Pusser
04-09-05, 04:30 PM
I have a book that might list the ratio, but I can't seem to find it right now.
I'm reading this book right now. It's old reviews and interviews of the time. Some interesting stuff.
Got all but Up! today. It looks like they have some good extras. I pity anyone that bought the last issue of discs.
Still no word on the format of his flicks.
Just checked and the discs play in JVC player. So far it's played all region discs except for Spaced.
Buford T Pusser
04-15-05, 10:54 PM
Got UP! a few days ago.
These even play w/my Mac laptop.
Watched a few of the extras and they have some good info. One is Kitten being interviewed in the UK. It sounded like she might be doing a strip show after the interview.
Another had an interview w/Raven De La Croix who is now a blonde.
Buford T Pusser
05-18-05, 07:18 PM
I've now listened to the commentaries and watched the extra bits on all of these. Still haven't watched the movies in a standard fashion though.
The commentaries are fun and so are some of the extras. But if you don't want to see how some of the ladies have aged you may want to avoid that stuff.
Buford T Pusser
07-01-05, 01:21 PM
FYI-
I've seen these new releases on eBay:
Motor Psycho + Good Morning... And Goodbye! (double-bill)
Cherry, Harry And Raquel + Common-Law Cabin (double-bill)
Lorna + Mudhoney (double-bill)
rmick
07-05-05, 02:23 PM
There's been some discussion of this in the DVDTalk forum, but are these R2 discs actually region free NSTC?
Buford T Pusser
07-05-05, 04:26 PM
I can't say they are, but they play on my JVC home, Polaroid portable and MAC laptop.
mifuneral
07-07-05, 03:49 AM
Well, computer dvd roms will let you watch dvds from any region as long as you stick with that region. I think it lets you switch regions two or three times, and after that you're stuck with whatever the last region was.
Buford T Pusser
07-07-05, 09:47 AM
That is true. I put a Japanese music vid in the computer and it told me I could change a few times and never again.
Giles
07-08-05, 10:44 AM
just received Up! from Nicheflix - looking forward to watching this over the weekend.
How many discs/how much? I've been w/Netflix for about six years.
Giles
07-08-05, 03:39 PM
They'll probably get the next wave of discs soon.
How do you like niche?
How many discs/how much? I've been w/Netflix for about six years.
they have certainly been helpful in curtailing my DVD purchasing. They could improve on the Euro discs (notably some Danish movies I have been reading about) and British TV/comedy/music discs.
my rental plan with Niche is 3 movies at a time for a monthly fee of $24.99
on the whole I have been really happy with them. Some of the more popular titles take an extremely long time to wait for: Layer Cake for example which I just deleted off my queue since it's slated for a Region 1 release in August.
Buford T Pusser
07-08-05, 11:27 PM
Thanks for the info.
Buford T Pusser
07-09-05, 02:15 PM
FYI-
I've seen these new releases on eBay:
Motor Psycho + Good Morning... And Goodbye! (double-bill)
Cherry, Harry And Raquel + Common-Law Cabin (double-bill)
Lorna + Mudhoney (double-bill)
I received these today.
The only extra is the Trailer Reel. :( This was already on the other discs.
cultshock
07-11-05, 06:05 PM
So, what's the transfer quality like on these? I've heard that they are still just using old video masters instead of going back to the original negatives, but they've had some work done and look better than the Region 1 discs and OOP laserdiscs (I've still heard nothing about the quality of the Japanese releases).
BTW, I'm now reading the recent Meyer biography "Big Busoms and Square Jaws" by Jimmy McDonough. It's pretty good so far.
Giles
07-12-05, 09:35 AM
I just watched Up! last night and what a hoot! I was surprised at the extreme (if a tad silly) gore (reminscent of H.G. Lewis) along side the many scenes of copulation.
Buford T Pusser
07-14-05, 01:15 AM
The transer quality looks pretty good to me. I can't compare them to anything from the past. I have dubs of the official RM releases on vid but haven't seen them in years.
The color and contrast is good and looks pretty sharp on my widescreen TV. No noise, scratches, etc. either.
The sound is also good.
Thanks for the reminder on that book. I've been watching the release date for many months and need to pick it up.
Do you have the pricey book RM put out? His site has had it "on sale" for quite a few months. They always put a deadline on the sale, but it just starts back up.
It's $129, much better than the original $349 price.
http://www.russmeyer.com/html/book/newbook.shtml
Chauncey
07-20-05, 03:15 PM
If you can't wait, you can get all the Russ Meyer DVDs here: http://www.arrowfilms.co.uk/index.php?category_id=15
I got The Immoral Mr. Teas/Eve and the Handyman, Pandor's Peaks/Finders Keepers...Lovers Weepers, and Wild Gals of the Naked West/Blacksnake from these guys. The shipping was quick. The only downside is you pay full retail, and they didn't deduct the VAT even though they shipped to the US.
Buford T Pusser
07-20-05, 10:25 PM
Thanks for the info. I think I was can wait. :D
That's about $30 per disc. Was shipping free to the US and how much is the VAT?
Chauncey
07-22-05, 11:42 AM
Shipping was 4.30 pounds for 3 discs. VAT in Britain is 17.5% of the total. In this case the VAT is about 2.38 pounds per disc. As I mentioned in my earlier post, they did not give me the discount on this. I am going to email them and see if they will give me the discount. I will report back my findings.
cultshock
07-22-05, 12:09 PM
The transer quality looks pretty good to me. I can't compare them to anything from the past. I have dubs of the official RM releases on vid but haven't seen them in years.
The color and contrast is good and looks pretty sharp on my widescreen TV. No noise, scratches, etc. either.
The sound is also good.
Thanks for the reminder on that book. I've been watching the release date for many months and need to pick it up.
Interestingly, the book talks about the video transfers. Meyer did the transfers back in the mid 1980's and they were state of the art at the time. These transfers have been the basis of every VHS, LD and DVD released. Sadly, the people currently in charge of RM Films have no real care for Meyer's film legacy and have no desire to shell out money for new transfers taken from the original negatives. Even more sad, is that all the negatives are not being taken care of properly, and are deteriorating. This includes his films that haven't been released in years (eg. EUROPE IN THE RAW). Some of Meyer's friends are pushing to try to get RM Films to have those restored and released on DVD before it's too late, but so far no dice. :(
Do you have the pricey book RM put out? His site has had it "on sale" for quite a few months. They always put a deadline on the sale, but it just starts back up.
It's $129, much better than the original $349 price.
http://www.russmeyer.com/html/book/newbook.shtml
I'm thinking of picking it up, especially now that I've read his bio (which talks about the history of RM's huge book set). I would never have paid $349, but $129 isn't too bad for 3 hardcover books. The book was originally announced in the 1980's with a price tag of $80. Russ even tried to solicit some preorders. I'm sure some people were pissed that it took 15 years for the book to finally come out (at a much greater price than originally planned) :lol:
Buford T Pusser
07-23-05, 10:06 PM
How about you buy it and read it and I'll rent it from you? :p
I picked up "Big Bosoms and Square Jaws" by Jimmy McDonough that you mentioned.
I read the last chapter about his demise and the other extra bits at the end and now I'm starting at the beginning.
Sad how things ended with his life and films under the direction of a controlling person that hasn't even seen them. What chance do they have when the person making the decisions has zero respect for the work. :(
eXcentris
03-20-07, 01:23 PM
After watching Pervert! (TLA Releasing) which is a pretty good hommage to Meyer films filled with buxom beauties, comedic horror and gore, I started looking at Meyer films available on DVD. I read about the UK Arrow film releases in this thread, did some searching, and found out there was a boxset of 18 Meyer films released in the UK by Arrow films in Nov.2006:
Anybody buy this? Looks like a pretty good deal for roughly $110 USD + shipping.
My guess is that these are the individual releases by Arrow re-packaged in that boxset.
Buford T Pusser
03-22-07, 02:12 AM
That's a sweet deal. Of course I've already bought nine of them and need three more. On eBay that would be about $20 each. Oh well.
Cameron
03-22-07, 02:31 AM
that is a good deal, wish those special features would show up stateside
zombeaner
03-22-07, 03:30 PM
BlahDVD.com has them for 7,99 pounds sterling, which is a really good deal, I'm only missing two of that set now, which I'll be buying in early april. go to blah, then you have to go to the DVD section, and then to teh adult section, and THEN search. The DVDs don't show up in regular section of the website. Also, they are PAL R0
Buford T Pusser
03-23-07, 12:08 AM
Some of the discs at Blah at 4.99 pounds!
Sadly they only have eight of them and I have all of them plus Up!
Arrow also sells this set at it's Ebay store and it goes for about $118 + shipping (less, if you can avoid Buy it Now). I highly recommend the set, and Arrow Films as well,who got it to me from the UK in about four days!
Still, I'd love to see a Region 1 release.
zombeaner
03-23-07, 07:47 AM
Some of the discs at Blah at 4.99 pounds!
Sadly they only have eight of them and I have all of them plus Up!
Buy: