Judy (1970) /The Night Hustlers (1968)
Starring: David Haller, Sandy O'Hara, George Mead, China
Valles, Joe Varo, Andrea Barr, Margo Billings, Marcel De Lage
Judy: A sex killer is on the loose, terrorizing working
girls in Boston’s seedy ‘combat zone.’ Will a rogue ex-detective solve the
mystery before more buxom beauties meet an unfortunate demise?
My Review and Thoughts:
Not even a minute in and you get full-blown nudity and
lesbian sex. this is a true classic drive-in double feature
First is Judy which came out in 1969 and is a hoot of a film
with pure softcore porn, booby licking, fondling, and female vertical smiles
showcased in all their glory, mixed with lesbian sex throughout.
Add in a sex crazed killer and you have a true classic grind
house film.
This stars Dave Haller as Gunner Sloan and with a name like
that you know this is going to be one wild, sleazy, gritty, erotic, grind house
wonder, forgotten in time, but thanks to Vinegar Syndrome, behold you have
Judy. A truly erotic, nasty, sleazy, exploitation film, brought to all the fans
of this type of cinema.
This has nudity throughout, masturbation, lesbian sex,
fellatio, taking a shower, being choked and raped and murdered.
Fans of this old-school soft-core sleazy movie cinema who
pays $.50 to get your rocks off with a prostitute in the dark, hidden in the
isles of grind house flashbacks with drunks and cigarettes will come together
and love this wild interesting, comical at times, and truly an eye-opening sexploitation
of the time.
David W. Hanson directed only two films and this sleazy film
is one of them. It was co-directed by the co-writer George Meadows.
I enjoyed this, because I love grind house cinema. I love
those old-school sleazy exploitation films of the 1970’s and 80’s. Those
forgotten little gem's that seem to be swept under the rug, or thrown in the
dumpster.
Thankfully this one was rescued and finally brought out so
that all can explore and be entertained by it, in that sleazy, cigarette
smoking, dirty cinema, sticky floors, dim and non-working lights, with stale
popcorn and the pervert concession man staring at your date or your pick up,
while playing pocket pool.
Plot is simple, sex, a detective, rape and murder, sex, a
detective, rape, sex sex, sex, boobs, lesbians, sex and did I mention lesbian
sex.
Video/Audio:
This is an older film, so it's going to show an older age,
these movies were not filmed the greatest when they were made. The camerawork
from its time is very aged and so it does not age that great, but what is great
about this one is it can be seen. It's good, and its quality it's not great,
but it's an amazing restoration so that people can continue to enjoy this
drive-in feature.
No real problems with the audio whatsoever. You get that
old-school sleazy music, that laid-back funky type of soundtrack.
Overall:
Overall I feel the movie works. Vinegar Syndrome did a
wonderful job bringing this forgotten little film out on DVD, plus it's a
double feature, two movies for the price of one. This brings back those classic
days of drive-in cinema, when you could load up on junk food, grab a blanket,
bring a friend, bring your family, you get my point.
I remember going to the drive-in as a kid watching sometimes
three movies in a row. I remember as a kid sitting in front of the car on the
blanket spread out on the grass, listening, eating popcorn and watching the
films. All that wonderful glory under the night sky, the stars shining, vehicle
after vehicle, kids running around playing, women and men necking in the cars.
It was a hoot, it's a forgotten reality that I miss greatly.
I highly praise Vinegar Syndrome just because I love the
quality of what they do. They save films that most movie buffs haven't even
seen. For us old-school, hard-core lovers of cinema, those 70’s and 80’s and
even 1960 films of a Grindhouse drive-in nature, Vinegar Syndrome create that
forgotten reality for the masses of old school and now a new school generation
of old-school cinema.
==============
The Night Hustlers (1968)
Plot: In this oddity, a group of vice cops trade stories of
their sleazy busts
My Review and
Thoughts:
Boy, do we have a hoot here. This is one of the weirdest,
interesting, strange, softcore drive-in second bill I have ever seen. It's a
bunch of men sitting around the table telling stories of their sexual
escapades.
Tons of booby fondling, tons of fake sex, and tons of random
boob shots. I have a question for all you ladies out there: Do women sit around
combing their hair, talking on the phone or cooking naked with their boobs just
hanging out?
I really don't know how to explain this movie other then
it's a softcore eroticism. The acting is downright horrible, but you really
don't watch these types of films for the acting, so I'm not going to fault it
for that. It is what it is, filled with humor, and that silly grind house
soft-core nakedness. A true one of a kind oddity of the 70’s.
In one shot you have a stripper playing with the pole while
a bunch of men sit around looking at her, not really making any motion and then
when she stops stripping, one guy in Speedo's and another guy in daisy Dukes
start twirling themselves around the pole, and all the guys in the audience are
screaming and yelling. So, you have a somewhat homoerotic reality mixed in with
a stripper. The stripper then for no apparent reason starts masturbating while
the guys entertain themselves.
That's how this whole movie takes place, flashbacks of
weirdness told by police officers around a table.
Audio/Video:
Again, this one is probably lost through the time and the
film abandoned, and not given any real treatment. It is scratchy at times, it's
not crisp, you can tell it's old, it's a very aged movie, but this is one of
those type of cinema pieces that has been forgotten by time, so any negative is
really a plus. Vinegar Syndrome did a great job bringing this oddity back into
the limelight and for that it’s gets points.
Overall:
Well I'm a diehard fan of drive-in cinema, I love grind
house cinema. I love those old weird features and this was clearly the second
half of what you would see in the olden days. In the past, you use to be able
to go into the drive-in or even a theater matinee, get two for the price of
one. One being the greater picture and the last being the lesser value, and
that's clearly what this double bill DVD is. Judy was more entertaining then,
The Night Hustlers.
Both feature films leave a lasting impression upon the viewer.
Each one is original, unique and truly an odd ordeal to be hold for the fans of
this genre of cinema. Fans will love both. The plots are silly, the acting is
way off, but most of all it grabs the fans, the cult followers of drive-in
cinema. Judy and The Night Hustlers are truly cinematic oddities pushed toward
the cult following of this type of cinema.
=====================
Baby Rosemary (1976) /Hot Lunch (1978)
Starring: Desire
Costeau, Juliet Anderson
Baby Rosemary: After the death of her father, a beautiful,
though sexually traumatized, young woman enters an erotic nightmare while
awaiting his funeral. “Baby Rosemary” is a haunting adult film like no other.
Hot Lunch: Andrew’s life has hit rock bottom. After being
fired from his job and discovering that his girlfriend is having an affair, he
hits the streets looking for work only to discover a non-stop series of sexual
delights waiting for him at every turn.
My Review and
Thoughts:
Here’s another double feature of the old days of erotic
cinema. This is an odd mixed set of films, specifically for Baby Rosemary,
because it’s more weird, and disturbing at the same time. The concept of mixing
porn with an unsettling atmosphere is done here, which is always as bit
disconcerting in my book.
Something these old X rated films seemed to do in the golden
years of Grindhouse and underground cinema is mix a violent tone in with the
sex. Most people watch sex just to get off. So, adding a darker tone is always interesting,
because it is in direct contrast with the notion of sexual gratification. At times,
it makes for an interesting film like the first film in this double feature
Baby Rosemary. A twisted little darker sexual porn. This is directed by John
Hayes who did other films outside of porn such as exploitation films and mixing
in a little splash of trashy horror though out his career with such over the
top retro-classics like Grave of the Vampire and Garden of the Dead.
Baby Rosemary is most defiantly one to see. It is a slightly
psychological film, mixing in past actions of nightmares with a reality of an
average erotic film. It plays sort of
like a pornographic nightmare realized, coffins, cults, rape, sex, nightmares
and orgies at a funeral home, need I say more.
Hot Lunch is more of a basic sex romp. This is another weird
tale at times but nothing like the first one. It is also directed by Hayes, but
it is much more straightforward in its approach, and nothing like the
bizarreness of the first half of this Peekarama double bill.
Both these films contain sex, and yes more sex. Baby
Rosemary is very enjoyable, odd, and very different. Something that I feel
lovers of grindhouse and weird trippy style of cinema will really enjoy.
Baby Rosemary stars the very beautiful knock out goddess
Lesllie Bovee. A true eye candy starlet of sexual desire. It also stars the
porn legend and veteran John Leslie who stared in over 300 pictures. He was a
master talented porn icon. He sadly passed away at the age of 65, but his
legacy in the adult world lives on. Those who research and consider porn a
major part of film, will always know him for his many great porn industry
roles.
Both these features are classic and truly memorable doses of
eye candy, and truly bizarre porn oddities. Two true golden age porns
resurrected and brought out lovingly on this double feature Peek-a-Rama DVD by
the one and only masters of odd and smut cinema, Vinegar Syndrome.
Audio/Video:
It’s old porn films, but thankfully they showcase a better
print then the original, and these films where never filmed in crisp beautiful
ways, so you should expect some grain and popping noises, but with that said
these two look better than they ever have. I saw Baby Rosemary a while back and
it was horrible looking transfer, but this DVD version makes it shine. This is
the must own version of both films.
+ Dual-Layer DVD-9 | Region Free | 16:9 Anamorphic | MONO
+ Scanned in 2k from 35mm original negatives
Extras:
+ Original theatrical trailer for BABY ROSEMARY
+ Hot and Soft theatrical trailers for HOT LUNCH
+ Alternate soft scenes for HOT LUNCH
Overall:
Great retro porn. Four films resurrected nicely on DVD, by
those masters of vintage erotica restoration Vinegar Syndrome. HIGHLY
RECOMMENDED.