Friday, March 17, 2006

Another night that includes Adult Fare. Plz do not read if the frank discussion of adult topics offends you. Thank you.

Abby – 1974

     A classic, “thought lost” blaxploitation flick from the hands of that exploitation genius William Gridler. This movie was pulled very shortly after its initial theatrical release because of saber-rattling by Warner Brothers. They said it infringed on The Exorcist. Anyone who has seen this movie knows that this is a heaping bowl of steaming crap. What they meant was that this movie was slated to outgross The Exorcist, because it appealed to a bigger audience. And American International caved, and it sank beneath the waves of unfair competition. (And soapbox, god what is wrong with me?)

Anyway, many of us “Bad movie people” having been waiting for this to complete our collections, and now finally it is here. Unfortunately, “the best print available” is none too good. It looks like it was taken from a VHS tape (we know this isn’t the case, as it was never released on VHS), washed out and scratched. The audio is equally muddy and unclear. Overall, the presentation is much poorer than we might have hoped.

And, to be fair, this movie does not live up to its hype. I’m sure in its day, the language and situations were fairly shocking (a church woman going on a sexual spree in bars <gasp>), but by today’s standards, both are pretty lame. That, coupled with the bad print, leaves me pretty disappointed by this movie.

The extras that are so ballyhoo’d on the cover (“Loads of Extras!”) are a big let down too. There is an interesting text section of the history of the flick that’s a good read. The rest are lobby posters and one sheets, a trailer in worse shape than the movie, and that’s it. Not exactly “loads” in my book.

Two beers out of five (and still no nudity! The R rating is all for language)

Midnight Blue, Vol. 2, 70’s Porn Stars

     Okay, I’ve had all the puritanical fare I can stand. Lets see some 70’s porn stars being interviewed (and then stripping!) by Al Goldstein, publisher of Screw magazine. Midnight Blue was a cable access channel that Al put together that the cable channel HAD to air, that really pushed the boundaries of decency in the 70’s. Lots of frank talk about sex and porn with such luminaries as Marilyn Chambers and Seka. What’s not to like?

Well, I could have done without seeing the woman who could tie her privates in a knot. Her stage name was Veri Knotty. LOL! If that doesn’t make you smile, you might need an infusion of some serious relaxants.

The video quality here is not the best either. There’s an apology screen at the beginning explaining they did the best they could with the ¾ inch tape masters, but “You can’t shine shit”. That right there let me know I was in for a good time. I appreciate that kind of humorous honesty.

There are commercials for topless joints, escort services, and swinger clubs sprinkled throughout, and they are as entertaining as the interviews themselves. But the best part is the trivia track that pops up little tidbits about the people or action on the screen. They made me laugh out loud OFTEN. Do NOT skip this feature, it’s the best part of the show.

And speaking of extras, let’s get that out of the way. There are none, other than the trivia track. No subs, no slideshows, nothing! Just one two hour compilation of Midnight Blue episodes from the 70’s.

And you know what? That’s enough. There’s more natural beauty bared here than you can shake a meatstick at. Just what I needed after a week of clean living. Thanx, Al!

Four beers out of five (could have gone all the way with just one more little extra)