Vinegar Syndrome Peekarama Review: Little Sisters (1972) / Powder Burns (1971)

LITTLE SISTERS
(1972, dir: Alex deRenzy)

"The maker of Censorship in Denmark & History of the Blue Movie has reached a new plateau in adult films."

As you can see, there is no written review for Little Sisters. I have however, recorded an episode of Mondo Squallido looking at the film. Find out what I think of it by clicking this lovely video:

POWDER BURNS
(1971, dir: Alex deRenzy)

"OUTLAW MEN - WILD WOMEN"

  After a montage of the vastness of the desert (we're nearly in Herzogian territory here!) we are thrown balls deep in to a small shoot out. Yep, welcome to the Old West! Well, not exactly! Aside from cowboys, horses and fitting music, we also have chaps wearing aviator shades and scrapped cars laying about. The year is actually 1969 and we're in the small town of Sewer Pipe Creek. The local sheriff (and barkeep) is having a spot of trouble with the pesky McNasty Brothers, a trio of brothers who like to cause chaos in the town for a couple of weeks once a year. Our hero runs the scum out of town and as a result, his saloon girls aren't too happy because although a troublesome threesome, they spend more money in the town in two weeks they are gallivanting than the locals do in a whole month. Cut to a year a later and we see the now former sheriff pondering on his career and life as he knows it. After trying to unsuccessfully woo his only remaining saloon girl, a new face appears in town. A young and curvy blonde go-go dancer nicknamed “The Golden Dream”. She struts her stuff (and what a lovely pair they are!) for the barkeep and his pals. She is an instant hit, sparking the barkeep to dream of the business opportunities his new dancer can bring to town. As he's drooling over his new busty business venture, the McNasty Brothers are padding out the run time by slowly (I mean VERY slowly) roaming the desert and causing yet more mischief. They eventually return to Sewer Pipe Creek. Will history repeat itself? Well, after some innocent enough drinking and frolicking with the new dancers (that was quick barkeep!), a fight breaks out between the brothers and a couple of locals, resulting in another shootout in which all those involved are killed (even though you can clearly see them still breathing) leaving the girls to rob the corpses! Yep, your guess is as good as mine?

 

What can I say about Powder Burns? Not that much actually. What we have here is an ultimately unforgettable film. A clumsily staged and acted outing that has more unintentional entertainment that intentional. Don't get me wrong, the comedy element works with some genuinely funny dialogue from our sheriff / barkeep. There's some nice talent on show too. Unfortunately, none of the girls are really credited, which is a shame because even though the film lacks in terms of story (an almost porn take on Samuel Fuller's Forty Guns if you will), acting and visually appealing technical elements (with the exception of the occasionally interesting use of handheld cinematography), the girls are very nice indeed and I want to see more! There are some rather odd elements too, including an extended and sped up sequence of people drinking at the bar. I have no idea why that's included, but it is and I suppose it adds to the charm (if a deRenzy film can be charming!) of the film. It's inoffensive enough, but I could see some people having major problems with some of the out of place and odd sequences. If you're here for the porn element, you may also be disappointed as the small amount of actual sex is clumped together within the final third. Yep, this is an unconventional (just like a deRenzy film should be) piece of early porno to say the least. I didn't hate the film at all, I was just expecting much more. I mean, it's Alex deRenzy making a meta western porno! It should have been more entertaining than it was.

Overall, Little Sisters is the better of the two films. Powder Burns just completely pales in comparison. That being said, how can I be too harsh when we are presented with two of deRenzy's earlier works on one disc? It's great that we are getting his work on legitimate disc in the first place! Both films are quirky and unconventional in their own way so folks looking for a different adult experience should give these a try. If you are a fan of deRenzy, chances are you already own this release. If you want a fun experience, then this is a nice double feature that is sure to go down a treat at a drunken gathering! Both films are presented in their original aspect ratio and have been cleaned up as best as possible by Vinegar Syndrome. There is clear print and sound damage, but you have to remember that chances are the original prints were probably not in the best shape. The bottom line is this is the best presentation of these films we will ever get. There are no special features on the disc, but like I said, these are two early deRenzy films so we should be thankful we have them widely available. Let's not forget that the Peekarama series is always brilliantly priced, so you are definitely getting your money's worth. This is a must own release and I look forward to what deRenzy treats we will get from Vinegar Syndrome in the future!

The Little Sisters and Powder Burns double feature is available from Vinegar Syndrome here as well as your favourite online retailers.

Ultimate Cinemageddon #2

Here it is a little earlier than usual (which is strange for me). The response I had from Part 1 was actually very overwhelming. I'm really happy with this new direction I am going in. I love teh experimentation involved. Sure I'm just using my iMovie software but it gets the job done. I'm not trying to be a superstar DJ (that phase is over) or anything like that but I can see the satisfaction those guys get when the beats blend and all that jazz. Although I was extremely happy with the first installment, I felt it was a little rough round the edges and some tracks went on for too long. Hopefully I think you will agree that this installment, although still flawed is a much more tighter production.

Before I forget, I would like to say that things have changed up a little bit. I won't be providing a folder like I did last time with all the individual, unmixed tracks. It takes up way too much space on my Dropbox account and I refuse to pay for a file hosting site (well, I can't afford it in all honesty) so if anyone hears a song in any of the mixes from now on, drop me a line and I will do my best to get them sent over to you. Another thing is, this installment is a bit longer and has much more treats so expect the project to change a lot as I progress and experiment.

One last thing and I will be doing a post on this here soon, but go over to check out the amazing project that is The Book. If you are a fan of Italian cinema then you are going to cream your pants when you read that. Also don't forget to check out their indiegogo page where you can contribute and receive some lovely treats for helping. Like I said, I will be going in to much detail soon but if you feel like it, you can check out a video made here.

But wait! I lied! There's one more thing I swear! I just passed 30,000 views on the blog. I know some of you guys may snigger because you get that traffic on a daily basis but man, thank you so much. Never thought anyone would interested in my crappy creative exploits, modest aren't I? What? You want your music now? Ok then...



PDx

Ultimate Cinemageddon #1

On this day I have some sad news. The Mondo Squallido Official Soundtrack series has come to an end. 10 volumes of cinematic bliss seemed to be a great cut off spot. I felt it was a great number to finish... Oh wait.... Just received a memo... Oh right... OK....

Where episode 10 ends, episode 1 of my new Ultimate Cinemageddon begins. It's essantially the same formula; 23 tracks comprised of music, excerpts and trailers to some of cinema's greatest (and sleaziest) moments. There is one big twist aside from a name change and a blurry logo however, it comes in both an unmixed and mixed form.

That's right, I have evolved a tiny bit and thanks to my video editing software (I need to get proper software at some time) I can now experiment. OK, superstar DJ's won't need to sleep with one eye open but I'm actually proud at how episode came out (especially considering it only took me an hour). Hopefully as the episodes go on, there will be a lot more experimentation and the creases will be ironed out.

Of course, to cut down on file sizes, the mixed version will be available through my Soundcloud page to download or listen at your pleasure. The unmixed version will be available directly from the blog. I think whenever a new episode is available, the unmixed files of the previous episodes will be deleted but the mixes will stay up for as long as possible.

Anyway, I'm going to stop waffling and give you the goods. One thing I am also doing differently from now on is not wasting your time giving a description of each track. My fingers hate me after every post!

Ultimate Cinemageddon #1 Mix:

UNMIXED FOLDER

PDx

Jess The Ripper - A Tribute

Yesterday (as of typing this obviously) the world of cinema lost another true hero, Jess Franco. I'm going to come right out and say it. I haven't even managed to watch a tiny fraction of Jess Franco's work and I wouldn't do my readers or Jess himself the injustice of claiming to have done so. If you want to read a much more informed and personal account of Mr. Franco I would suggest strongly you read Tim Lucas's touching and emotional posts here and here.

Love him or hate him, you can't deny that Jess Franco wasn't a hard worker. With literally hundreds of film credits under his belt all the way from directing, acting to being cinematographer and so many more jobs. The funny thing is, his IMDB Page is rather inaccurate as there are so many more projects out there that had some sort of Franco involvement! Not only was he one of the most hard working and ultra prolific figures in the world of film, Jess also was an accomplished jazz musician.

Sure, some of his films might be weak and might miss the mark but I implore you to say a bad word about a man who did what he wanted  and never succumbed to major studio pressure. I implore you to say a bad word about a man who gave the world such beauties as Lina Romay. Yeah I thought as much.

I owe a very personal thanks to Jess because Mondo Squallido would just not exist without him or his work. 99 Women was the first film I reviewed for Mondo Squallido. I won't pimp that video out here but if you want to see it, it's on my Youtube page. It's figures like Jess that keep my film watching experience a exciting one. As I said, there are some stinkers in the filmography, there in MANY directors filmographies. You can have your "perfect" multimillion dollar budget blockbusters, that bores the Hell out of me! I want a film that was shot back to back with another film, I love corners being cut, I love the schlock and imperfections of the cinema from the likes of Jess.

Well, I'm going to close this little tribute. Like I said, my experience with Jess and his work is an ongoing one and thanks to the wonders of modern technology and independent DVD labels we are discovering, rediscovering and most importantly enjoying work from one of cinema's most hard working and well loved cult directors.

Thank you so much Jess for the joy you have given me with your films.

PDx

Picking Yer' Brain #1: Fabio Frizzi

Hello and welcome to the first installment of Picking Yer' Brain!

If you are a fan of the Facebook group you may already know what this blog exclusive series is all about. If not, basically this is where I ask 5 questions to various people within the world of cult cinema. Hopefully this will be the start of an interesting series and will consist of actors, writers, directors and just like today, composers. Our first guest is a man who needs no introduction but because I'm nice and honoured to have him here, I will! You will know him from his various collaborations with your favourite gore maestro, Lucio Fulci. A composer who took Fulci's films to a completely other level with his scoring. Today, I would like to welcome the one and only Fabio Frizzi!

...

First of all I would like to thank for taking the time to do this. Most fans of Euro horror and cult will know your work, especially Zombie Flesh Eaters. You worked a lot with Fulci. What are your fondest memories of him?

The memory of a great professional, an eclectic complex man, a person who loved cinema and knew it very well. Lucio was definitely one of the directors from whom I learned a lot, the role that music plays in film making, the charm and complexity of my profession. Finally, and very importantly, the relationship of friendship and mutual esteem.

You have scored and been involved in over 70 movies. Are there any personal favourites of yours?

Each soundtrack that I created is something important and beautiful for me. Every time I go into a project, there is a new story to tell, a group of people to work with, new ideas to build, perhaps to look for new musicians. Hopes, stress and satisfaction are mixed together every time, in percentages always different. It's like talking about their children, there is not one better than the other. Of course, the big production linked to the films of Lucio Fulci is one of the most interesting seasons of my life's work. Manhattan Baby, for example, is a film that is not as beloved as Zombi 2 or The Beyond. But these days I'm working on a re-orchestration of his themes for the concerts "Frizzi 2 Fulci" that there will be in the coming months. And I assure you that the soundtrack of Manhattan Baby surprised and impassioned me so much.

Are there any modern film composers working today that you really like?

The work of the soundtrack has changed a lot over the past 20 years, as for all the arts there is an increasing use of the technology, which sometimes crushes the creative element. I think the magic of Nino Rota atmospheres or the natural power of Bernard Herrmann's orchestrations are wonders unrepeatable. But surely even today there are composers of great quality that I admire and appreciate. Three names among all James Newton Howard, Denny Elfman and John Williams, just to name a few.

What is the creative process when it comes to scoring a film?

The creative process depends on many things. But to enclose in a single concept, let's say that you have to get into the film, as a part of it, must live from within the project, get in the shoes of the individual characters, experience the feelings you can breathe on set, the harmonies and the injustices that story contains. The fun and bitterness, love and hate. Then, when you're full of it as after a wedding lunch, you go to the piano and the ideas come out, naturally.

Are there any current projects or projects of yours in the near future that you would like to tell the readers about?

There are many projects that are born or to be born. First of all, thanks to the web, opportunities and meetings can take place anywhere. There are at this time, as well as two Italian films, other collaborations with northern Europe and the United States. A new project, which is very important to me that I mentioned earlier, a show-tribute to my friend, the great Lucio Fulci. "Frizzi 2 Fulci " will be a marathon through the music written for his films. Not only that, it will be a way to tell the man, the friend, the artist. Maybe during the life he deserved more. He is having today, thanks to millions of fans around the world, the right recognition.

...

Once again, a massive thank you to Fabio Frizzi for his time, it has been an honour.

If you want to know more information on upcoming projects, especially "Frizzi 2 Fulci" please click on those links down below!

Fabio Frizzi Logbook Facebook
Frizzi 2 Fulci Facebook

PDx

The new blog.

Hello one and all.

Welcome to Mondo Squallido. I used to run the blog anotherclicheddesign and the Youtube page of the same name. Lots of things have changed since then. I now reside on the Matteiofthedead Youtube channel and will be doing my main blogging on this page.

So what is Mondo Squallido? Well children let your uncle Pete tell you. Mondo Squallido translates to Squalid World. I came up with the title for a series of videos I began to make on my Youtube channel where I would review sexploitation, adult, sleazy and sexually extreme films. The title was inspired by those glorious Mondo films from the 70's and 80's and just seemed to fit. Whether or not the Italian is totally correct is another option but hey... where was the quality control in those exploitation films we all love?

While I have been away from blogging, a lot of stuff has also happened in my life. I am now currently at Liverpool John Moores University starting my Film Studies course. Therefore, I decided to talk about films, review films properly ad it came to me that I can do a quick review on my Youtube channel and do more in depth reviews here on the blog. I won't just be reviewing films however, here I will discussing all sorts of things related to the seedier side of popular culture. Hopefully, I will have guest posters on here in the future.

So there you have it chaps and chappettes. The first post on the Mondo Squallido blog. The first of many hopefully. Please feel free to check out the link down below to my Youtube page or any links that are posted on ere. I'm here to share my passion and my ever growing education of the films, books, music.... culture (or sub culture for some of you peeps). I hope you enjoy it too.

Pete


http://www.youtube.com/user/MatteiOfTheDead