The Beach Girls (1982) / Coach (1978) Review

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(More customer reviews)More drive-in/grindhouse-style fun! A grindhouse, by the way, was one of those 70's & 80's-era theaters that usually showed the same kind of sexy, violent exploitation fare as your typical drive-in theater. Sadly, both grindhouses and drive-ins have mostly fallen by the wayside in our slick multiplex culture. But, fear not, you get a sharp taste of that bygone era with these terrific "Welcome to the Grindhouse" DVDs. So, what's in store when you pop this particular double-feature disc into your DVD player and kick back? Glad you asked.
First (well, after the cheesy, scratchy, yet colorfully hypnotic "previews of coming attractions" bumper that every theater seemed to show in those days), you get a short trailer to something called "The Van" (randy guys cruising for chicks in their specially-outfitted-for-love vehicle) and a longer trailer for something called "Jocks" (randy guys on some vague high school or college sports team who party and chase girls a lot). Do you sense a theme here?
Next up, our first feature, "The Beach Girls". In a nutshell: one long party, frequent nudity (skinnydipping in the pool, skinnydipping on the beach, and just an overall casual attitude about the importance of clothing in general), and lots of pot smoking. With its lenient attitude about drug use and sex, along with the way it ridicules men in uniform (especially the poor U.S. Coast Guard, whose officers are portrayed as ascot-wearing dopes), I can't imagine that "The Beach Girls" was very popular with PTA groups, law enforcement, and other organizations that usually sport a sour attitude about those kinds of things. But you're not among those groups, are you, so all you need to know is this: the girls are sexy; the jokes are stupid but undeniably chuckle-inducing; and there's a general, upbeat "sun & fun" flavor that keeps things bopping along. The result: 90 minutes of silly, clothing-optional fun.
Next up: more sexy previews. "Malibu Beach" looks like the official sister film to "The Beach Girls". In fact, many of the visual gags performed by the extras in "The Beach Girls" (dog stealing the bikini top from the gal sunbather, for example) are seen again- the exact same footage, I mean- in the trailer for "Malibu Beach". I guess Crown International Pictures was an economical operation. There's also a trailer to a film called "My Tutor", featuring that classic theme of the exploitation era, the student/teacher liaison (more on this later). Oh, and be sure to remember: in order to see all these high-art previews and trailers, you need to hit the "grindhouse experience" icon on the DVD's menu screen, not just select an individual movie. The "grindhouse experience" means you get all the goodies discussed here.
Next we have our second feature, entitled "Coach". Of the handful of "Welcome to the Grindhouse" movies I've seen so far, this one is the most like, well... a real movie. It's a nice little story about a female high school basketball coach winning over her detractors (the high school's old boy network, the skeptical team members, etc.) and eventually making her underachieving team into winners. It's nothing groundbreaking, but this polished movie, with its recognizable actors (Cathy Lee Crosby, Keenan Wynn, etc.) was clearly an attempt by Crown International Pictures to break into more mainstream markets. Fear not, though, exploitation fans... in many respects, Crown still couldn't help being Crown, so you still get the following from "Coach": occasional female toplessness (by the girl students, but not, alas, by Ms. Crosby... except for one short, teasing shot); lots of male butt views in the team shower for gal viewers; a hot affair (unfortunately, discreetly filmed) between Cathy Lee Crosby's coach character and one of her teenage charges (a very young Michael Biehn, who went on to play the time-traveling Reese a few years later in the first "Terminator" film); a surprisingly benign view of that teacher/student liaison on the part of the film makers (no 11th hour punishment or tragedy to break up the illicit lovers); and the usual goofy but fun jokes.
The prints used for the two films are both very, very good. They're sharp, clear, and bright, and free of scratches and other glitches. That, coupled with the fact that the films themselves rate a couple of notches higher on the production quality scale (especially "Coach"), made these goofy, sexy comedy/dramas (well, "dramas" might be too strong a word) a pleasure to watch. After all, there's nothing wrong with a little polish and professionalism with one's exploitation fare.
Well, enough with the sun, fun, and bikinis. Now it's time for me to check out some of those "Welcome to the Grindhouse" DVDs that feature martial arts double features. Everything can't be about girls and hedonism, you know.

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Gwendoline - Unrated Director's Cut (aka - The Perils of Gwendoline in the Land of the Yik Yak) (1985) Review

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(More customer reviews)I have been wanting to pick up this obscure movie for years, ever since I first watched it some 12 years ago. Unfortunately, up until now it has been out of print - even on VHS. I was un-willing to pay an obnoxious price for a used version on Video tape. Now there is no reason to fret any more: Gwendoline is here & she's on DVD!!!
The original title of the film was The Perils of Gwendoline in the Land of the Yik Yak. It is basically a low-budget INDIANA JONES type of adventure movie, only with a whole lot more erotica mixed in. One could say there are elements of Monty Python as well. Brent Huff plays a Harrison Ford wannabe. He has a great physique for an adventure movie, but he's not a particularly good actor. The third major character is Gwendoline's sidekick / friend, Beth (played by French actress Zabou).
The overwhelming reason to buy this DVD may be summed up in 3 words: Tawny Kitaen topless! While she has stripped down in a few other movies (such as WITCHBOARD), one needs to have the pause button on the DVD remote handy to get a good look. Not so with this film. She is topless throughout most of the 2nd half of the film - and that's a very good thing!!!
I can't for the life of me understand why Tawny has not had a more robust acting career or why she didn't make many more movies. For one thing, there have not been too many female redhead movie stars. Tawny is gorgeous and there are a few scenes in this film where she is absolutely ravishing - to the extent that she took my breath away. She is also a better actress than a great many women in Hollywood.
To be sure, this is a very corny movie. Tawny and Zabou are good actors; the rest of the cast are all a bit stilted. I believe it was originally in French as the people all suffer from dubbing-man's disease. However, it is also a very fun movie, and I had forgotten just how cute Zabou is.
So, if you are even a remote fan of Tawny Kitaen you need to JUMP at the opportunity to buy this one. It's a feel good movie and Tawny is the one who will making you feel good!


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BASED ON THE KINKY COMICS THAT SHOCKED THE WORLD - UNCUT, UNCENSORED & UNRATED FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER IN AMERICA!Video vixen Tawny Kitaen made her movie debut as the virgin adventuress on a provocative odyssey to find her lost father. But even if she can endure the scorching torment of the desert and steamy hungers of the jungle, will she survive her final ordeal at the hands - and more - of the warrior women of Yik Yak?Brent Huff and French sex kitten Zabou co-star in this erotic cult classic directed by Just Jaeckin (EMMANUELLE, THE STORY OF O), now fully restored from French vault materials and featuring scenes never-before-seen in America!

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Grizzly (1976) Review

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(More customer reviews)I remember when I first saw "Grizzly" at the movie theater during the mid-1970s. I must be truthful. At the time, filled with a child's energy undoubtedly spawned by too much candy and coke, I thought it was a terrifically exciting action flick. I loved the thundering musical score by Robert O'Ragland, the dizzying camera angles during the helicopter sequences and the likeable camaraderie between leads Christopher George, Richard Jaeckel and Andrew Prine.
When watching the film again as an adult, I was pleasantly surprised that many of my fond memories still held up. Granted, "Grizzly" is strictly a B-Movie imitation of the far superior "Jaws," complete with an inexperienced law enforcement official, an eccentric zoological expert, a salt-of-the-earth guide and a corrupt supervisor/executive. But there is a surprising energy to the proceedings as these hunters slowly close in on a prehistoric 18-foot grizzly dining on unsuspecting (and for the most part female) campers.
The picturesque scenery (filmed at a state park in Georgia) adds to the energetic proceedings, camouflaging the film's conservative budget. But not even the tallest of pine trees can cover up a painfully awkward supporting cast (many of whom are the title character's appetizers), backyard special effects (a man in a bear suit) and the prolonged, violent deaths of two important cast members.
Granted, "Jaws" was an extremely violent film, but the violence was always stylish. The corpses which begin popping up (and falling down) in "Grizzly," look as if they've been bathing in buckets of discount Karo syrup.
What I like about "Grizzly" is the tremendously exciting final battle between the bear and the surviving members of the hunting party. Intense close-ups and quick editing truly create a suspenseful confrontation. We should probably thank director William Girdler (a schlock hack whose infamous credits include "Three on a Meathook" and the horrible "Day of the Animals"), in what is most likely the only good film he ever helmed.
An added note must be made about the film's rather somber conclusion, where a survivor sadly inspects the chaos surrounding him. While "Grizzly" does not necessarily have a sad ending, there is general remorse shown by this character for the victims of the title beast. This haunting moment is actually an improvement over the rather lighthearted conclusion to "Jaws" the year before.
The three leads are uniformly likeable, as Christopher George, Richard Jaeckel and Andrew Prine utilize their experienced personas to full effect. As a child watching these brooding and flawed heroes traipse through the forbidding woods hoping to somehow kill this indestructable beast, I remembered thinking..."They are so cool."
The movie's premise is unbelievable, several scenes are laughably bad and the gratuitous violence is unpleasant to say the least. But even today, 30 years removed from the cramped mall theater, George, Jaeckel and Prine versus The Grizzly is still oddly...."cool."
Somewhere, Jack Arnold is smiling.

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