Why Russ Meyer Matters

[diebitter]

Haven't seen any Meyer in years, except Faster Pussycat, which I had on pre-order when I heard it was coming out. LOVE THIS MOVIE.

It's one of the few movies I'd actually love to see a remake done, but by really good people. It'd be really easy to mess up.

And yes, Russ Meyer is important and a true auteur.

Story I heard from Roger Ebert when he asked Russ Meyer how he wanted to be remembered. Russ said he wanted on his grave this quote by Charles Keating:

"More than anyone else in his time, Russ Meyer was responsible for the decay in values in American Society"

under which Russ wanted carved:

"I was glad to do it - Russ"

[mrbaseball]

[ QUOTE ]
Faster Pussycat, which I had on pre-order when I heard it was coming out. LOVE THIS MOVIE

[/ QUOTE ]

It was on TV the other night. I DVRed it it and am looking very forward to it but haven't had a chance to watch it yet.

[Tigermoth]

This is my happening, and it freaks me out!

I'm a huge Russ Meyer fan. Seven of his films came out on DVD in France a few years ago before they were available in the States, and I snatched them up. Unfortunately, I think they translated the titles into French and back again, because I ended up with 4 movies with "Vixen" in the title, none of them remotely like the American titles.

Up! (aka Mega Vixens) is one of my favorite movies, and the dead fish table dancing scene in Vixen! makes me happy no matter what.

Bit of trivia: In Beyond the Valley of the Dolls and Up!, the same line is used. Both Ashley and Paul say (at least some variation of) "I'd like to strap you on sometime." This has always fascinated me, as it's a rather graphic pick-up line that can successfully, or not, be used by either sex.

One of his films, I forget which one, was being shown on public television in Amsterdam when I was there a couple years ago. It's the one that featured a man killing a woman in a bathtub with his bare hands. Very graphic and violent. I was surprised that something like that could be shown on public television. Europeans are fine with the nudity and all, but from my experience, they tend to shy away from showing violence on TV even more than Americans.


One more: Come into my den, said the spider... et cetera

[Tigermoth]

[mrbaseball]

[ QUOTE ]
Haven't seen any Meyer in years, except Faster Pussycat, which I had on pre-order when I heard it was coming out. LOVE THIS MOVIE.

It's one of the few movies I'd actually love to see a remake done, but by really good people. It'd be really easy to mess up

[/ QUOTE ]

Watched this last night and liked it a lot. I know what you mean about a remake though. As much as I liked though I felt it just missed in a couple of areas. Hard to describe really? Problem is I think any remake would be horribly botched. Also I think any remake would lose that incredible 60's vibe.

[Blarg]

I can't imagine a Russ Meyers flick being remade by anyone coming out even halfway well. Tarantino might try, but he doesn't have the right combo of anarchic and funny. Well, one exception to Meyers being unrecreatable, especially in these less accepting times -- John Waters, from his Hairspray days, showed he could get into that sort of hallucinatory goofy otherness that Meyers could, and do it in a period piece that somehow combined being observant with being totally over the top. And there are few people who are more comfortable in the role of cinematic outlaw.

That he's gay could make him miss some of the simple pleasures of gigantic boobs and tempt him to turn toward purely making fun rather than also happily throwing some unabashed lust around, who knows. With Meyers it was always clear he very much liked the girls and the robust silliness of the missions his movies set their characters on, and damn well wanted to jump on them. I'm not sure if Waters can do lust.

[diebitter]

I agree it's hard to think of a single director who could tackle it well. But, you know, there's always new talent coming up. I do hope American cinema throws up someone with the pizazz of a Meyer or Waters (or even Gordon Herscell Lewis or early Romero) in the next few years.

[Moneyline]

[ QUOTE ]
I can't imagine a Russ Meyers flick being remade by anyone coming out even halfway well.

[/ QUOTE ]

It's not a remake and I haven't seen it, but I've heard good things about this homage. And at risk of sounding nitty, it's "Meyer" without the "s."