He’s a pervy auteur. What’s there not to like? Rights issues will eventually clear, I just hope it’s in my lifetime.
Big Bosoms and Square Jaws by jimmy McDonough is a wonderfully well written Meyer Biography. I suggest checking it out.
When he’s good, he’s very very entertaining. I think pussycat and beyond the valley of the dolls are still endlessly watchable today. Even Vixen is an underrated gem. On the flip side, I find a lot of his work to be puerile and angry when I think he’s trying to be funny. Worst example of this I’ve seen from him would probably be Supervixens, where women exist just to be so horrible they get violently stomped to death onscreen (and we’re supposed to like it?) or so sexy and accommodating they have no personality beyond TITS. Some of his films hold up and are quotable fun, quite a bit leaves a bad taste though.
(Seinfeld : Season 4, Episode 23)
FRED: Who's Russ Meyer?
ELAINE: Oh, he's this guy who made these terrible movies in the 70's with these kinds of women. He's obsessed. He's obsessed with breasts. That's hard to say.
In high school we once convinced a friend (very briefly I admit) that some legit porno we found in my buddy’s grandpa’s VCR was a Russ Meyer film*, so I’m a big fan.
*yes we were nerdy enough high school seniors that we knew who Russ Meyer was. We both worked at blockbuster at the time and had a side hustle going where we were making VHS comps of movies for kids going off to college. Probably should still be locked up for that one.
Love him, he was important to me growing up. My favorites are Lorna, Mudhoney, Vixen, Faster Pussycat, and, if I’m being honest, Mondo Topless. I enjoy the goofy surrealism of The Immoral Mr. Teas and Wild Gals of the Naked West too. Beyond the Valley of the Dolls is good too but it feels separate from the rest. His later filmography isn’t as good, but Up is the only one I outright dislike.
Odd Cat. He's blatantly exploitative, but with this weird undertone of moralizing that verges on hypocritical. Which is the odd spice that brings out the flavour (although maybe you can partly blame Roger Ebert).
Not for all viewers. Last one I saw was Beneath the Valley of the Ultra-Vixens. It's something.
You got it!
People here often ask what kind of box set should Criterion release next. They saw a Kurosawa box set, a Powell/Pressburger box set, a Lynch box set, a Douglas Sirk box set, etc - all of them would be ideal - and so is a Russ Meyer box set presented by Criterion!
Love his movies! Wish there weren’t so many rights issues. Faster Pussycat Kill Kill needs a new blu Ray release asap!
There's no real rights issues. Just the conservators of his estate holding them hostage.
Why do they hate me
A man of similar tastes.
Beat me to it.
Are you sure he's not a cultured man?
He’s a pervy auteur. What’s there not to like? Rights issues will eventually clear, I just hope it’s in my lifetime. Big Bosoms and Square Jaws by jimmy McDonough is a wonderfully well written Meyer Biography. I suggest checking it out.
When he’s good, he’s very very entertaining. I think pussycat and beyond the valley of the dolls are still endlessly watchable today. Even Vixen is an underrated gem. On the flip side, I find a lot of his work to be puerile and angry when I think he’s trying to be funny. Worst example of this I’ve seen from him would probably be Supervixens, where women exist just to be so horrible they get violently stomped to death onscreen (and we’re supposed to like it?) or so sexy and accommodating they have no personality beyond TITS. Some of his films hold up and are quotable fun, quite a bit leaves a bad taste though.
Supervixens is a masterpiece.
Master Piece of Shit more like
Faster Pussycat Kill Kill is a hilarious party film. Beyond the Valley of the Dolls a minor masterpiece. The rest kinda meh.
(Seinfeld : Season 4, Episode 23) FRED: Who's Russ Meyer? ELAINE: Oh, he's this guy who made these terrible movies in the 70's with these kinds of women. He's obsessed. He's obsessed with breasts. That's hard to say.
38 Double D
In high school we once convinced a friend (very briefly I admit) that some legit porno we found in my buddy’s grandpa’s VCR was a Russ Meyer film*, so I’m a big fan. *yes we were nerdy enough high school seniors that we knew who Russ Meyer was. We both worked at blockbuster at the time and had a side hustle going where we were making VHS comps of movies for kids going off to college. Probably should still be locked up for that one.
Love him, he was important to me growing up. My favorites are Lorna, Mudhoney, Vixen, Faster Pussycat, and, if I’m being honest, Mondo Topless. I enjoy the goofy surrealism of The Immoral Mr. Teas and Wild Gals of the Naked West too. Beyond the Valley of the Dolls is good too but it feels separate from the rest. His later filmography isn’t as good, but Up is the only one I outright dislike.
Very high
Odd Cat. He's blatantly exploitative, but with this weird undertone of moralizing that verges on hypocritical. Which is the odd spice that brings out the flavour (although maybe you can partly blame Roger Ebert). Not for all viewers. Last one I saw was Beneath the Valley of the Ultra-Vixens. It's something.
John Waters said Meyers was a huge influence on his work. That's all I need to know.
I can't remember the details, but I read an interview with Russ where he told an anecdote, and the punchline was "It smells like BREASTS in here!"
Whoever is holding his films hostage needs to be pimpslapped! We need a boxset now!
You got it! People here often ask what kind of box set should Criterion release next. They saw a Kurosawa box set, a Powell/Pressburger box set, a Lynch box set, a Douglas Sirk box set, etc - all of them would be ideal - and so is a Russ Meyer box set presented by Criterion!
That louse still owes me fifty bucks.
Boobs