Thursday, February 09, 2006

Let Me Die a Woman – 1978

Yeah, the exploitation fun never stops. This movie belongs in the category Ultra-Exploitive. Yes, its Doris Wishman’s transgender documentary. Built from pieces gathered together over the course of at least 5 years, this movie features more “pickles and beaver” than you can shake a stick at (because, you know, by this time, the Supreme Court had decided that just showing even the sexual organs by themselves was not obscene). Most of it pretty nasty. And of course, this is the movie you’ve heard about that actually contains footage of a real “Sex-Change” surgery. Yep, couldn’t have gone much longer without seeing that.

In light of modern sensitivities, this movie is not nearly as shocking as it was in the 70’s, when the idea of homosexuality was still taboo, and the idea of a sex change was still unfathomable. And even Doris couldn’t find but one transgendered individual that didn’t look like a really bad drag queen.

The film itself is in great shape. No subs, but a great commentary by Doris Wishman biographer Michael Bowen and star, Leslie. Also, there’s an alternate opening credit sequence. Unfortunately, the movie is only interesting in that “Watching a Train Wreck” sort of way. There really isn’t anything to recommend this movie, so the only folks who are going to watch it are freaks and Doris Wishman completists. Unfortunately, I all into both categories.

Two beers out of Five.