Monday, April 16, 2007

Pervert!


If the names Mary Carey or Russ Meyer mean anything to you, "Pervert!" should be in your DVD collection. However, if neither name rings any sort of bell (good or otherwise), then skip this homage to exploitation flicks.

"Pervert!" plays like two different films, each roughly 40 minutes long and only minimally cognizant of the other. In the first part, James (Sean Andrews) returns to the family ranch after a year at college. He finds his father shacked up with Cheryl (Mary Carey), a buxom blonde who doesn´t have any problem seducing James. When she turns up missing and a seemingly endless parade of other girls enter (and leave) the homestead, James begins to get suspicious of his father. In the second part, a revelation about the young boy comes to light in the most jaw-droppingly perverse plot point possibly in Hollywood history.

Before I go any farther, a warning: no punches will be pulled in this review. This is adult subject matter and, if this material has the potential to offend you, tune out now. There will also be spoilers for this film. It would be impossible to talk about "Pervert!" without mentioning the various twists. You have been warned.

What we have here can be distilled down to two words: breasts and sex. That is really all "Pervert!" is about. There isn´t some high-brow message or serious attempt to be a mainstream film. Director Jonathan Yudis went into the film knowing what he was creating: basically, a big joke. He claims inspiration by Meyer, the director behind scores of exploitation flicks starting with 1959´s "The Immoral Mr. Teas." Based on the admittedly low-brow expectations of the film by the cast and crew, "Pervert!" excels in spades.

This movie, obviously, is based on sex. The father´s (Hezekiah, played by Darrell Sandeen) affairs with Cheryl and a list of similarly big breasted women; James´ virginity, which is taken in a sex montage paying tribute to Meyer; a subplot voodoo story involving James gaining more self confidence through penis enhancement; a parade of girls running around topless…and not being embarrassed about it. And, last by not least, the inspiration for the title: the Pervert, which we´ll discuss shortly.

Is "Pervert!" fun? Sure, in an awe-inspiring, bewildering "how did this movie get made?" type of way. There comes a point, though, when all critical and rational thought gets thrown out the window and we just laugh at the ride Yudis takes us on. Until the horror story kicks in. The girls are killed off one by one in true schlock horror movie fashion. But what is killing them?

It turns out, we find, James´ voodoo doctor gave his penis life. The appendage is fully detachable and, I kid you not, kills most of the women in the movie. Why? Jealousy, I guess. I don´t think we´re ever really told why. So, in the film´s third act, we have grown actors fighting a claymation schlong in a desert. The tool gets burned, thrown against walls, the balls (which double as its feet) are stubbed on a protruding nail, he/she (the credits list "the perv" as being played by "himself/herself") mercilessly fucks at least two women…working its way in so deep it comes out her mouth.

When the penis comes on the screen for the first time, with its eyes popping into place and mouth opening to reveal white killer teeth, the movie launches into a brand new realm of insanity. As if everything that came before-meat sculptures and sex around every corner, to name only two-didn´t ratchet the movie into the exploitation stratosphere, the spanking and the breasts hanging out and the honey-covered half-naked Carey and…oh hell.

For boobs, boobs, boobs and more boobs…watch "Pervert!". It´s as simple as that.

VIDEO:
The 1.85:1 anamorphic transfer looks good, considering "Pervert!" was shot in the span of two weeks. I would have expected more problems in the video portion of the disc under those circumstances; however, all I can really mark it down for are some white lines and occasional pops in some of the darker scenes. Otherwise, the wide range of colors (Yudis strove for a comic strip feel) come though crisply on the screen. Even the oft-troubled blacks and reds don´t present problems during the feature: the former is appropriately dark and rich while the latter does not bleed and stands out well against the tans and blues of the desert. Overall, very impressive.

If the names Mary Carey or Russ Meyer mean anything to you, "Pervert!" should be in your DVD collection. However, if neither name rings any sort of bell (good or otherwise), then skip this homage to exploitation flicks.

"Pervert!" plays like two different films, each roughly 40 minutes long and only minimally cognizant of the other. In the first part, James (Sean Andrews) returns to the family ranch after a year at college. He finds his father shacked up with Cheryl (Mary Carey), a buxom blonde who doesn´t have any problem seducing James. When she turns up missing and a seemingly endless parade of other girls enter (and leave) the homestead, James begins to get suspicious of his father. In the second part, a revelation about the young boy comes to light in the most jaw-droppingly perverse plot point possibly in Hollywood history.

Before I go any farther, a warning: no punches will be pulled in this review. This is adult subject matter and, if this material has the potential to offend you, tune out now. There will also be spoilers for this film. It would be impossible to talk about "Pervert!" without mentioning the various twists. You have been warned.

What we have here can be distilled down to two words: breasts and sex. That is really all "Pervert!" is about. There isn´t some high-brow message or serious attempt to be a mainstream film. Director Jonathan Yudis went into the film knowing what he was creating: basically, a big joke. He claims inspiration by Meyer, the director behind scores of exploitation flicks starting with 1959´s "The Immoral Mr. Teas." Based on the admittedly low-brow expectations of the film by the cast and crew, "Pervert!" excels in spades.

This movie, obviously, is based on sex. The father´s (Hezekiah, played by Darrell Sandeen) affairs with Cheryl and a list of similarly big breasted women; James´ virginity, which is taken in a sex montage paying tribute to Meyer; a subplot voodoo story involving James gaining more self confidence through penis enhancement; a parade of girls running around topless…and not being embarrassed about it. And, last by not least, the inspiration for the title: the Pervert, which we´ll discuss shortly.

Is "Pervert!" fun? Sure, in an awe-inspiring, bewildering "how did this movie get made?" type of way. There comes a point, though, when all critical and rational thought gets thrown out the window and we just laugh at the ride Yudis takes us on. Until the horror story kicks in. The girls are killed off one by one in true schlock horror movie fashion. But what is killing them?

It turns out, we find, James´ voodoo doctor gave his penis life. The appendage is fully detachable and, I kid you not, kills most of the women in the movie. Why? Jealousy, I guess. I don´t think we´re ever really told why. So, in the film´s third act, we have grown actors fighting a claymation schlong in a desert. The tool gets burned, thrown against walls, the balls (which double as its feet) are stubbed on a protruding nail, he/she (the credits list "the perv" as being played by "himself/herself") mercilessly fucks at least two women…working its way in so deep it comes out her mouth.

When the penis comes on the screen for the first time, with its eyes popping into place and mouth opening to reveal white killer teeth, the movie launches into a brand new realm of insanity. As if everything that came before-meat sculptures and sex around every corner, to name only two-didn´t ratchet the movie into the exploitation stratosphere, the spanking and the breasts hanging out and the honey-covered half-naked Carey and…oh hell.

For boobs, boobs, boobs and more boobs…watch "Pervert!". It´s as simple as that.

VIDEO:
The 1.85:1 anamorphic transfer looks good, considering "Pervert!" was shot in the span of two weeks. I would have expected more problems in the video portion of the disc under those circumstances; however, all I can really mark it down for are some white lines and occasional pops in some of the darker scenes. Otherwise, the wide range of colors (Yudis strove for a comic strip feel) come though crisply on the screen. Even the oft-troubled blacks and reds don´t present problems during the feature: the former is appropriately dark and rich while the latter does not bleed and stands out well against the tans and blues of the desert. Overall, very impressive.

No comments: