Book Review: SHEER FILTH - Edited by David Flint, FAB Press

Before the internet took over the way that everyone consumed information, interacted, and generally told the world what they thought of things like films through blogs and such, people made fanzines. Often photocopied, rough-looking pamphlets, but created with a passion for the chosen subject which was unrivaled. Sure, maybe some of the facts were a little askew, and the photo reproduction left a lot to be desired, but where else would some Regular Joe living in a remote part of the country get to learn about the perverted, transgressive delights that mainstream magazines dared not touch?

Between 1987 and 1989, David Flint edited and published one such fanzine, Sheer Filth, and he returns to that publication in this collection, published by FAB Press. Reprinted, as-is, is almost all the articles that appeared in the nine-issue run. Writers such as David Slater, David Kerekes and Flint himself have all gone on to bigger things, and become highly respected with fans.
Catering for the sleazier side of the market (and thus making it a prime candidate for my bookshelf), Sheer Filth covered an array of diverse subjects as Nekromantik (including director Jorg Buttgereit's first UK interview), Linnea Quigley, Annie Sprinkle, Bettie Page, Carry On films and Justine, the controversial novel by the Marquis de Sade.

Being a small press publication, there was a fabulous attitude of 'anything goes', so we get pieces on several key porn films of the seventies, and even a short item bemoaning the disappearance of the cumshot in films - which has, of course, made a re-emergence - big time! The use of such extreme images and text was in itself risky, lest we forget, that this was a time when people were having videos confiscated by customs, hardcore porn was illegal, and the mere whiff of a horror film sent the censors into a tizzy fit.

A selection of film and book reviews, are grouped together, making the collection feel more like its own entity, rather than just lazily putting them in the order they were originally released. Even in these sections, there's an eclectic range. Obscure fifties horror titles sit side-by-side with ropey German porn and British sex comedies; and it all feels completely natural.

So what value, other than nostalgia, does this collection of reprints have in the information highway age? Well, there's a lot. Not only is a wonderful snapshot of the time, it also includes some brilliant interviews that would have likely disappeared from trace. Lovers of cult films and counter-culture genres will relish the pieces in which Norman J. Warren, H.G. Lewis (and his partner-in-crime David F. Friedman), Pamela Green and many others open up about their careers. It's eminently readable because they are interviewed by people, like us, who have a passion for the subject - not just carrying out another assignment.

It looks incredibly lo-fi, but the reading experience is pure HD. Buy it while you have the chance. 

10 out of 10

DVD Review: Spanish Fly (1976) Leslie Phillips and Terry-Thomas

The 70s were a wonderful time for British sex comedies. They all wanted to be "dirty" without having the guts to actually be so (not that the BBFC would have allowed it anyway). Spanish Fly is firmly in the old school camp, right down to its two stars, Leslie Phillips and Terry-Thomas. Think of an Ealing comedy and add a few boobs and some suggested bonking and you get the idea. All the elements of a good British sex comedy are there: the annoyingly bouncy theme tune and some well known TV/film faces, with the different ingredient: a foreign setting, in this case Minorca.

 Sir Percy de Courcy (Thomas) is doing what he does best, blagging his way around the continent, thinking of one scam after another, when he comes up with the idea of buying some really cheap Spanish wine and selling it to the toffs as expensive French. When the wine proves undrinkable, he tells his butler/companion Perkins (Graham Armitage, who was so wonderful as the mocking Louis XIII in Ken Russell's The Devils) to add something to it in order to make it more palatable. During this mixing process, some of the local insects get put into the mix, but rather than making the wine worse, it actually improves it and has the effect of an aphrodisiac. Cue Sir Percy's old school rival, Mike Scott (Phillips), who's been having a spot of bother in the bedroom department, and is on the island with a group of models (dolly birds, of course) to shoot a lingerie set. Sir Percy gives Mike a sample of the wine, and the results are instantly rampant.

 

While not as saucy as some of the other films in the genre, there's still plenty of flesh on display and the leads are always watchable (Thomas especially playing up to his caddish image with plenty of "absolute shower" quotes). Sue Lloyd (Crossroads, Corruption, The Ups and Downs of a Handyman) is able support as Phillip's sex starved, suffering wife who seems to be the money behind his fashion business. While billed quite highly, the recently departed Frank Thornton (Are You Being Served?, Keep It Up, Jack) appears only briefly as Phillip's doctor at the start of the film. The director, Bob Kellett was no stranger to this type of film, having made the Frankie Howerd Up! films (of which, Up Pompeii still ranks as one of my all time favourites), the wonderful Ronnie Barker sound effect classic Futtock's End and Don't Just Lie There, Say Something!

The trouble with Spanish Fly is it's not really rude enough to be a successful British sex comedy, and not necessarily funny enough to just be a comedy. For novelty value alone, and the chance to see the two great actors make the most of the lovely ladies, it's a interesting diversion at least. It's worth noting, it was around this time Thomas was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, and he made very few films afterwards, and there's a very curious jump cut in a scene where Lloyd barges in on Phillips with another woman, and she takes away his bed sheet to leave him naked with just a pillow to quickly put into place. It certainly looks as though there may have been one or two frames which may have revealed more than the actor would have liked, but this cut was in the previous VHS version I have seen so it was no doubt done at the original editing stage, and not for this release.

Which brings me to the DVD, I really must applaud Network for even bothering to release this, as I'm sure the market is very small. And whats more, actually making a fantastic job of it too. Like their recent DVD of The House In Nightmare Park, this comes with the as-exhibited cinema ratio and 4:3 as filmed versions (which both look glorious, as they are from the original negative), as well as 50 mins from the films score. Re-live that awful theme tune again in glorious fidelity. It's hard to recommend the film on its own merits, but I would certainly recommend the disc for the curious, and fans of 70s kitsch cinema
6 out of 10

Retro Review: Keep It Up Downstairs (1976)

UPDATED WITH INFO ON THE DVD RELEASE!

Made to cash in on the successful British TV series, Upstairs Downstairs, this 1976 British sex comedy tells the story of the Cockshute family, whose fortune is dwindling so much that they have had to get rid of the family jewels ("the glories of our past are now paste") and are at risk of being evicted until obnoxious Snotty Shutteworth (the fabulous Willie Rushton) comes up with a plan - allow him to move in, and they can all stay. This suits the family fine, despite some reservations that it may upset their rather unusual routine. The servants, headed by butler Hampton (Neil Hallett, Virgin Witch, Groupie Girl, Can You Keep It Up For A Week?) seem to be up to all sorts of shenanigans with the masters.

The youngest of the bunch, Peregrine (Jack Wild, the Artful Dodger from the musical version of Oliver!) is more interested in inventing down in the basement and even spurns the advances of his sex mad step-mum, played by the glorious Sue Longhurst. They come up with a plan to marry him into some rich family, and invite them around. Francis (John Blythe) and his wife Daisy (Diana Dors) who just so happens to be a former showgirl who Hampton recognises. With them all there, and the nuptials all but arranged, they come up with a better plan - steal their jewelry in the middle of night, but things go awry when the midnight liaisons start, but could Peregrine's latest invention, a pliable rubber sheath be the key to a change in their fortunes?

 

Full of familiar faces, and shot on location at the grand Knebworth house, Keep It Up Downstairs is a fun, if not quite hilarious film. Some amusing double entendres and visual gags and some surprisingly good acting. A cut above the usual 70s fare, largely down to the period costumes and the impressive cast.

 

The lovely Françoise Pascal (The Iron Rose, Burke and Hare) appears as Mimi, the French maid and steals the scenes she is in. While she (apparently accidentally) slips a nipple out in one scene, she was adamant not to reveal anymore (despite having done photo spreads in some top shelf publications; she later said she was fed up of titillating men) and one scene involves her having to bend over out of a window, and have her bare behind seen to from the inside (giving Françoise the attention is Simon Brent, who was the lead in her first screen role, Norman J. Warren's Loving Feeling). Mary Millington, who appears as another chambermaid, provides Françoise's rear for this shot, amusingly as it doesn't match with Madame Pascal's Mediterranean complexion. In her fabulous autobiography, As I Am!, she tells how she asked Mary about her choice of career, "Why Not? My body is beautiful and sex is healthy" was the response. Françoise's next major project was the hit UKTV show, Mind Your Language. A show I remember watching at 7/8 year old, and loving. Barry Evans, himself a veteran of my beloved 70s sex comedies starred as the hapless adult eduction language tutor. I've just managed to purchase the complete series (3 seasons) on DVD, and look forward to re-watching soon.

 

Also appearing are Carmen Silvera ('Allo 'Allo), Aimi MacDonald (Vampira), who sadly keeps her clothes on, and some of those "I know their face" actors, Julian Orchard (Carry On Henry) April Olrich (The Skull) and Peter Halliday (Virgin Witch, Madhouse). It benefits from a great script by Hazel Adair, who also wrote (under the name Klaus Vogel) Brit horror Virgin Witch as well as co-producing it and Can You Keep It Up For A Week? Using her real name was a considered brave, as of course, women don't and can't think of any saucy or sexual. The director was none other than Robert Young, who had made the brilliant Vampire Circus for Hammer and went on to make the classic House of Horror TV episode, Charley Boy as well as the rather awful A Fish Called Wanda sequel, Fierce Creatures. He directs the romp well, the late night farce moments especially, making it far easier to watch than some of the genre, although reports from the set were that the actors had no idea what was going on from one day to the next! The film has disappeared from view, however. A late night screening on Channel 5 in the UK or second hand copies of the old VHS being the only chance to catch it, which is a shame as it's certainly better than a lot of the films that were re-issued in the "saucy 70s" DVD boom.
7 out of 10
UPDATE: 
The NETWORK DVD release has now been released, and I'm happy to report that, like their recent releases of The House In Nightmare Park, Spanish Fly and Konga, the results are brilliant. Transferred from the original elements, and presented in both it's theatrical ratio (1:66:1) and as-filmed 4:3, the film looks stunning, especially after having to put up with a dodgy VHS transfer previously. Although There was one scene (the first scene with Willie Rushton) which demonstrated a strange colour fluctuation, nothing too annoying - but noticeable. The film still holds up as a saucy postcard type comedy, helped by it's brilliant cast, especially Sue Longhurst (why she is not billed higher I don't know). A highly recommended release of a film from a time when British cinema had a sense of humour. DVD: 8 outof 10

                       

R.I.P. British Sexpolitation King Stanley A. Long

Sadly, legendary film producer/writer/director Stanley Long passed away on September 10th aged 78.
As regular visitors to this blog will no doubt have gathered, I have a fondness for the type of film Stanley became famous for. His Adventures series (Taxi Driver, Plumber's Mate, Private Eye) were always trying to emulate the success of the Confessions films, but were entertaining in their own right.
His early films as producer, exploitation documentaries West End London, Primitive London and London in the Raw all courted controversy. Yet, some 40 years after they were made were gaining praise thanks to their BFI Flipside releases. Most of his 70s output (both as producer and director) are now available on DVD. I reviewed A Promise Of Bed (aka This, That and The Other) a while back, and have had others lined up to do when I had the time. His final feature film, the 1983 portmanteau horror Screamtime was a favourite of mine from the VHS era, despite its limitations.
He directed and produced a 2007 TV series, The Other Side of the Screen which paired him with legendary cinematographer Jack Cardiff (The Red Shoes, and director of The Mutations) and car boot botherer Paul Martin and looked at various aspects of film making.
As a cinematographer, Stanley was behind the lens of classic British horrors The Sorcerers and The Blood Beast Terror and apparently Polanski's Repulsion, uncredited.
His autobiography, X-rated: Adventures of an Exploitation Filmmaker (co-written with Simon Sheridan) is superb and well worth picking up.
My thoughts are with his family and friends. Thank you Stanley for all the fun.

Retro review: The Amorous Milkman (1975)

Davey (Brendan Price, Secrets of a Door to Door Salesman - 1974) is your typical down trodden milkman, living in a squalid little flat, and chatting up the bored housewives on his round. One of these, Rita (Diana Dors) later almost brings about his downfall. Which is not to say there are others who cause the hapless delivery man problems. When he meets Janice (Diana Reading, a bit part actress who had blink and you'll miss them roles in Witchfinder General -1968 and Zeta One - 1969) she is dressed only in a very small towel, leading to plenty of "Have you seen my pussy?" type gags, and after a haphazard date - she suggests a going to see a foreign porn film -  they are inexplicably engaged.

Things get confused more for our hero when he bumps into an old friend, Sandy (Mr Diana Dors, Alan Lake) who introduces him to Diana (Julie Ege, Up Pompeii - 1971 and The Mutations - 1974). Davey is smitten, and the two hit it off, but Sandy warns him off, as she is seeing a hard nut gangster (Ray Barrett).

He then meets Margo (Nancie Wait, Au Pair Girls) who he finds himself also engaged to after a drunken quickie, interspersed bizarrely with footage of WWII fighter planes and Hitler, topped off with plenty of vomit.

Things go from bad to worse when Rita, fed up with having no attention from husband Gerald (the brilliant Bill Fraser), decides to throw herself at Davey when he drops in on his round. Gerald returns early, however, and she has to make out it was Davey who had pounced on her. Going as far as to accuse him of rape to the local police (headed by the also brilliant Roy Kinnear). It is hereon in that the tone of the film completely changes. Going from being a (rather poor to be honest) sex comedy to a fairly grimy and uncomfortable mess. His fiancées all find out about Davey's duplicity, and of course he gets a good hiding from John, Diana's gangster boyfriend. 

The Amorous Milkman was written (from his own book), produced and directed by actor Derren Nesbitt, who is most famous as the evil SS officer in the war classic Where Eagles Dare (1968), but also appeared in Ray Cooney's brilliant farce Not Now, Darling (1973) (which also starred Julie Ege) Mary Millington flick The Playbirds (1978) and the overlooked horror Burke and Hare - 1972). He should take the blame for all the films short comings, but since he had a spot of bother himself soon after its release (concerning knocking his then wife about) I feel I should lay off him a little. (Also, I may be meeting him in October at the Festival of Fantastic Films so don't want to get in his bad books). 

The film is really the runt of the 70s British sex comedy litter, despite having plenty of flesh on display, some genuine talent on board and one or two funny lines (a great gag has Gerald tell Rita he's not been able to have butter since he saw Last Tango In Paris). Brendan Price is a decent enough actor but just does not have the charisma or cheeky charm of Messrs Askwith, Evans and Neil for this genre.

Watch out for brief appearances by Nesbitt himself as Davey's milk round stand in when he is arrested (apparently he wanted Arthur English but he was unavailable), Dad's Army star and writer of The Ghost Train Arnold Ridley as the cinema usher and Marianne Morris, star of José Ramón Larraz's Vampyres (1975), Fred Emney (The Italian Job - 1969) with glasses rather than his trademark monocle, as the magistrate, Sam Kydd (Hammer's The Hound of the Baskervilles - 1959, Moon Zero Two - 1969)  and Anthony Sharp - another one of those instantly recognisable faces - (House of Mortal Sin -1976, A Clockwork Orange, Die Screaming, Marianne - both 1971) as Davey's counsel.

The US DVD is out of print (and features the tag line "If your pussy could talk!", and no UK release has surfaced since the VHS days, although it did screen a few times on Channel 5 when they went through their phase of showing the Confessions/Adventures films.

5 out of 10