Bad Ass Chicks

MOVIE REVIEWS [In Brief] . Pervert!, Dust Devil, Frankenhooker

by Chris   ⋅   May 9, 2007   ⋅   Comment now   ⋅    RSS

I had some pretty nice capsules for El Topo and Pistol Opera, but unfortunately I seem to have misplaced them. Well, these capsules of Pervert!, Dust Devil, and Frankenhooker will have to suffice. Read on, cult film lovers, read on.

Pervert! - This has been getting quite a bit of notice in the cult film circles, and was even featured in one of San Francisco’s midnight movie lineups during the past few months, so I had to pick it up. Former Ren & Stimpy director Jonathan Yudis’s homage to Russ Meyer flicks has all the right ingredients for achieving cult greatness: tongue in cheek humor, a ludicrous narrative, buckets of blood, earnest bad acting, and a bevy of boobs, all spun on a pocket-lint budget. Heck, there’s even a deranged killer straight out of a King Missle song. And a lot of the acclaim Pervert! has been receiving is completely warranted. It definitely understands and loves the films it references, and works hard to abide by exactly the same constraints those films were forced to recognize, whether they be taste or budget, or lack thereof. While the film is a parody, never once does it appear to condescend the genre it’s emulating. It really is the closest thing to a 21st century Meyer film. That said, the film grows a bit tedious in its reliance on asinine humor (completely in line with Yudis’s Ren & Stimpy roots) and sequences featuring unhindered jumblies. The comedic-sexy thing is fine for a few minutes, but I could do with a bit more story (Meyer had a great one with Ebert’s Beyond the Valley of the Dolls). Furthermore, the girls who are the subject of these sequences aren’t really that much to look at; Mary Carey’s face seems to hide some subtle physical deformity, and the other two girls looked downright masculine. Pervert! is not a great cult film, but it’s the most honest one I’ve seen in years. It’s worth a look, but I honestly don’t see myself watching it again anytime soon.

Dust Devil - Another film that has been getting press in the Cult DVD circuit. The tale of Richard Stanley’s supernatural “western”’s production is near epic in its series of hardships and imbecilic meddling at the hands of the infamous Weinsteins. Stanley set out to make a film about a shape shifting demon who comes from the dust to snatch up weak and weary souls, only the W’s wanted to market it as a straightforward modern western/thriller, and, without Stanley’s permission, removed all references to the supernatural, as well as Stanley’s original film’s hero. Now, having seen Stanley’s original version, I’m not sure either were really that good. This true version of Dust Devil is a plodding, overly serious affair. The Dust Devil himself comes across as completely wooden, and while I quite liked John Matshikiza, his character of Joe Niemand was a bit tough to identify with. There’s a nice dash of style, but the film’s energy is so disperate nothing ever pulls enough together to form even mildly engaging cinema. Dust Devil is an interesting experiment, but it is one I must recommend skipping.

Frankenhooker - Yes, the movie with the infamous shrieking video-box. I remember seeing this on the shelf at countless video-stores, but never actually took the chance to watch it. But you know what? I was seriously missing out. Frankenhooker is the tale of a scientist whose girlfriend accidentally offs herself in a robotic lawn-mowing accident. Rather than live without his beloved, he turns his refocuses his studies on re-animation. Make that reanimation and improvement, for not only can he resurrect his girlfriend, but he can also give her the body she always dreamed of. He just needs parts. That’s where the exploding hookers and the Super-Crack come in. I really should leave it at that. Suffice it to say, Frankenhooker is one of the funniest horror-comedies I’ve seen in quite some time. Despite the title, it’s got quite a bit of heart, and the special effects are nothing short of amazing. Furthermore, Unearthed Films Uncut release of the film may just be the coolest cult DVD release of the year. Definitely do what you can to pick it up.

About the Author

Chris Nelson has been a film fanatic since age six. A former film and English major, he is now a Software Engineer and contract Technical Writer living in the Silicon Valley.