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| A racy, sensationalistic, screamingly naughty poster for Russ Meyer's Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! |
Three go-go dancers race-drive in the desert, where they meet a young couple. The leader of the dancers, Varla murders the guy and kidnaps the girl. The group wind up at the home of some maniacs with money, and a true blood bath unfolds!
Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! is written by Jackie Moran (Wild Gals of the Naked West (1962)), with Californian master co-writer-director Russ Meyer (The Seven Minutes (1971)) contributing story elements. It was Meyer's 9th theatrical fiction feature.
This movie simply exceeds the usual bar of awesomeness by miles. It has to be experienced, and even then its wild, renegade thrills are stupefying.
The scruffy, dirty jazz and rock that fills out the film's soundscape fits perfectly with the insane, overstrung dialog and characters. Tura Satana (Irma la Douce (1963)) is mean and badass as Varla, and Meyer and Charles G. Schelling (The Black Cat (1966)) has cut the film to perfection.
Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! is the epitome of a cult film and a subversive treat that continues to spread its wicked fun.
Related post:
Russ Meyer: Beneath the Valley of the Ultra-Vixens (1979) - Late-late night sex-silliness from Russ Meyer
Watch Meyer speak shortly about his career in an interview here
Cost: 45k $
Box office: Unknown
= Uncertain - but appears to have been an initial-flop-later-hit
[Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! was released 6 August (USA) and runs 83 minutes. The title was changed from The Leather Girls to The Mankillers to its final title, which sound editor Richard S. Brummer came up with. Meyer has stated that it signifies a film that has everything: Speed (faster), sex (pussycat) and violence (kill! kill!). The film was shot on B/W due to its low budget. Susan Bernard was just 16 at the time, couldn't drive and was afraid of Satana. Her mother was present during shooting, which took place in California. The fights include real hair-pulling and throwing sand in the face. The film was released on a double bill with Mudhoney (1965), also directed by Meyer, in North America, and the only other listed market is West Germany in 1967, prior to re-releases, beginning in the 90s. Reports on its performance differ; it seemed to have flopped initially, but become profitable over time, as it has become a cult item. It made 36k $ in its 1995 US re-release. Satana returned as an uncredited stripper in Our Man Flint (1966). Meyer returned with Motorpsycho! (1965). Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! is fresh at 74 % with a 7/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]
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