Sykes-A-Delic Falana-Vision!

Dummy death by farm mulcher and a full-monty Lola Falana are just two of the reasons to sit through director William Wyler's final film, THE LIBERATION OF L.B. JONES (1970).

But our favorite moment occurs at the 43-minute mark. For those of you who have never seen the film, allow us to bring you up to spoiler-free speed: Lord Byron Jones (Roscoe Lee Browne), the prosperous undertaker for the black population of a small Tennessee town, is a deeply troubled man.

He's just filed for divorce from his much younger, hot-to-trot wife Emma (Falana)...

...who has been getting it on with redneck deputy Willie Joe Worth (Anthony Zerbe) and is now pregnant with the dumb cracker's kid.

Knowing that all hell is about to break loose -- and possibly lead to his untimely demise -- L.B. tries to enjoy a stiff drink at a local bar...

...when sweet young thing Jelly (Brenda Sykes) starts dancing for him in a way that suggests her potential availability as the next Mrs. Lord Byron Jones.

Poor L.B. enjoys the show for about five seconds...

...and then starts to catch glimpses of Emma shaking in front of him instead of Jelly.

In a sequence guaranteed to elicit howls of laughter from modern audiences, editor Carl Kress quick-cuts between Jelly and Emma as they dance for the now thoroughly depressed L.B.

The frame grabs above were sourced from a Columbia VHS tape, purchased two decades ago at a Record Explosion in midtown Manhattan and unearthed last year during our move to the new Temple, but THE LIBERATION OF L.B. JONES is now available as a Sony Screen Classics MOD.

Movie Ad of the Week: THE CONTEST (1977) a.k.a. THE MISS NUDE AMERICA CONTEST (1980)

James P. Blake's documentary about the 1974 Miss Nude America Pageant was filmed under the title NAKED CITY, INDIANA and first released theatrically by Trans-American in the fall of 1976 as MISS NUDE AMERICA ("A film exposing a bizarre American phenomena... and the man behind it"). The ad above is from its Madison, WI opening as THE CONTEST (from Atlas Films) on October 14, 1977. Below are two ads from 1980, when the Jerry Gross Organization re-released it as THE MISS NUDE AMERICA CONTEST.

Movie Ad of the Week: BIG ENOUGH N' OLD ENOUGH (1968)

World Premiere - Wednesday, April 17, 1968 - Albuquerque, NM

The K. Gordon Murray production BIG ENOUGH N' OLD ENOUGH -- "introducing" Sidney Poitier's older brother, Cyril Poitier, and directed by Joseph G. Prieto -- had its world premiere at the Tesuque Drive-In in Albuquerque, NM on April 17, 1968. A 52 year-old father of 12 at the time of this film's release, Poitier signed a nine-picture deal with Murray but ended up with a supporting role in only one more of the producer's micro-budgeted movies, THE DAREDEVIL (1972).

By June of '68, Murray was advertising BIG ENOUGH N' OLD ENOUGH as a follow-up to his sweaty drive-in hit SHANTY TRAMP (1967), also directed by Prieto. A month later the title was changed to SAVAGES FROM HELL and a new ad campaign pushed it as a biker flick.

Mystery Movie: THE HOUSE BY THE HILL (1977)

Our pal Jon Putnam brought this latest installment of “Mystery Movies” to our attention a couple of months ago. A Newport/Hallmark release that made the rounds during the 1977/1978 release year, THE HOUSE BY THE HILL borrows the tag line and title design from THE HOUSE BY THE LAKE (1976), but doesn’t appear to be a re-titling of that movie; the ad below is from the Boston opening on September 28, 1977, just a few months after THE HOUSE BY THE LAKE passed through the area. We know that it isn’t a re-titling of HORROR HOSPITAL, THE SCHOOL THAT COULDN’T SCREAM (WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO SOLANGE?) or LAST HOUSE – PART II (BAY OF BLOOD/ TWITCH OF THE DEATH NERVE), since we’ve found those listed in different cities as co-features. We’re also pretty sure that it isn’t THE NIGHT TRAIN MURDERS/LAST STOP ON THE NIGHT TRAIN/NEW HOUSE ON THE LEFT, since Newport had that in circulation in late ‘77 under the title THE X-MAS MASSACRE. Two possibilities are THE HOUSE ON STRAW HILL and THE HORRIBLE HOUSE ON THE HILL, but those were already making the rounds under alternate titles and from different distributors – TRAUMA (Entertainment International) and DEVIL TIMES FIVE (Seymour Borde), respectively – right around the same time.

The most likely suspect is THE CULT (1971), which Allied Artists was playing on the drive-in circuit as THE MANSON MASSACRE from 1976 to ’78, co-billed with everything from FRIGHT and ALICE, SWEET ALICE to LAST SUMMER and TWILIGHT’S LAST GLEAMING -- and because THE HOUSE BY THE HILL’s co-feature throughout New England (Newport’s sub-distribution territory) was another Allied Artist release, TEENAGE GRAFFITI, we’re just about ready to put money down on this one. Besides, THE CULT is still our favorite guy in this unsolved case, and no one has come forward to dispute our assertion that the film’s mystery director, “Kentucky Jones,” is actually Albert Zugsmith. We’re sure this will all get cleared up someday, but until then, we’re hoping someone will come forward with more information on THE HOUSE BY THE HILL and the whole Hallmark/Newport/Central Park/Parker National connection.

Movie Ads of the Week: THE VERY FRIENDLY NEIGHBORS (1970) and THE OUTRAGEOUS UNBELIEVABLE MECHANICAL LOVE MACHINE (1971)

During his years as a producer at Universal International, Albert Zugsmith’s name appeared on everything from THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN and Douglas Sirk melodramas to TOUCH OF EVIL and Mamie Van Doren exploiters, but near the end of his career he dove headfirst into the skin flick market with independent productions like SAPPHO DARLING (1968), TWO ROSES AND A GOLDEN ROD (1969), THE CULT (1971), TOM JONES RIDES AGAIN (1972), and VIOLATED! (1974) The ads above have identical credit blocks and appear to be the same movie under alternate titles, but the b&w still sets we've found indicate otherwise and the release pattern is too contradictory to be for just one film; THE VERY FRIENDLY NEIGHBORS was an M.A. Ripps presentation that passed through Danville, VA in November of 1970, but the above ad for THE OUTRAGEOUS UNBELIEVABLE MECHANICAL LOVE MACHINE claims April '71 as its "1st Danville run." A quick email sent to the guys who hold the pink slips for all of the later Zugsmiths came back affirmative: THE VERY FRIENDLY NEIGHBORS and THE OUTRAGEOUS UNBELIEVABLE MECHANICAL LOVE MACHINE are two different movies. Columbia sued producer Donald E. Leon over the latter film, claiming that its title was too close to the studio's flashy Jacquelin Susann adaptation THE LOVE MACHINE (1971), which might account for its abbreviated stay in theaters.

Mystery Movie: NIGHT OF THE DEVIL

Our buddy Bob Plante emailed this “Mystery Movie” to us a couple of months ago, but it got lost in our jukebox – er, inbox – until just the other day. According to the label on the 45 rpm record pictured above, “When You Made Love” (Parts 1 & 2) by Romeo Taylor is heard in the movie NIGHT OF THE DEVIL. A thorough online search has yielded nothing about any movie with that title, and very little about Mr. Taylor and his record label, Me-O Records. Oh, and you can forget about finding a year on this single, because the cratediggers discussing it online can’t even agree on what city Taylor was located in, nor what pressing plant was churning out his records. We’re confident that “When You Made Love” will eventually turn up on a U.K. produced R&B/funk/northern soul compilation, but what about NIGHT OF THE DEVIL? Any ideas?

Movie Ad of the Week: AUDITIONS (1980)

The second of three movies Harry Hurwitz (THE PROJECTIONIST) directed under his “Harry Tampa” handle -- the others are FAIRY TALES (1978) and NOCTURNA (1979) -- AUDITIONS is supposedly a documentary that was filmed with hidden cameras during the auditions for the never completed FAIRY TALES PART II, but you’ll smell the bullshit the instant Linnea Quigley and Hurwitz regular Bob Staats show up using pseudonyms when both of them had already appeared in the first FAIRY TALES under their real names. The rest of the cast consists mostly of recognizable porn stars (Rick Cassidy, Rhonda Jo Petty, William Margold, Linda York, Jennifer West) and oddball GONG SHOW types. It opened in Atlanta on May 16, 1980 with a self-imposed X rating, but producer Charles Band submitted it to the MPAA in 1982 for an official X ahead of its release on video through his Wizard label.

Movie Ads of the Week: TRANS-EUROP-EXPRESS (1968) and THE MAN WHO LIES (1970)

Back in December we had the pleasure of seeing Alain Robbe-Grillet's TRANS-EUROP-EXPRESS (1966) and THE MAN WHO LIES (1968) in watchable, sub-titled versions -- and on a decent-sized screen to boot! -- thanks to a one-day-only double bill shown as part of the Film Forum's salute to actor Jean-Louis Trintignant. The series, while hardly exhaustive (Where was THE SLEEPING CAR MURDERS? THE LIBERTINE? WITHOUT APPARENT MOTIVE? DEATH LAID AN EGG? THE FRENCH CONSPIRACY? DEADLY SWEET? THE CROOK?), did offer the chance to see these two mind-twisters as well as a couple of other obscurities, like the uncut AND HOPE TO DIE. The word on the street is that a certain company shelled out big bucks (thus outbidding our friends at Mondo Macabro) on the U.S. rights to release these and three other Robbe-Grillet movies on DVD, so sometime before the end of the year we should be upgrading our blur-o-vision DVD-R of TRANS-EUROP-EXPRESS and viewing THE MAN WHO LIES, EDEN AND AFTER (1970), N TAKES THE DICE (1971) and SUCCESSIVE SLIDINGS OF PLEASURE (1974) in the comfort of the Temple screening room.

Now, about these ads: TRANS-EUROP-EXPRESS made its Big Apple debut on May 12, 1968 through the AIP subsidiary Trans-American Films, while Grove Press' Evergreen Films opened THE MAN WHO LIES in New York on April 13, 1970.

All-Night "Endangered Fest" at the Alamo Drafthouse on March 23!

Hey gang! Temple of Schlock's own Chris Poggiali will be appearing at the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, Texas on Saturday, March 23 to co-host an all-night "Endangered Fest" with Lars Nilsen and the American Genre Film Archive! Four of the "found" films from our Endangered List will be screened that night! More details to come!

Movie Ad of the Week: GOSH! (1974)

GOSH! (1974), writer-producer-director Tom Scheuer's low-budget comedy about the casting couch exploits of fictional Hollywood starlet Alice Goodbody (Sharon Kelly), was one of the last releases from Joe Solomon's Fanfare Corporation, and certainly the last one he bothered to promote with in-theater personal appearances by cast members. The ad above is from the exclusive Madison, Wisconsin opening on Wednesday, June 19, 1974, with Sharon Kelly scheduled to hand out autographed photos in the lobby of the Majestic Theater. Despite her prominent "introducing" credit, Kelly had already starred or co-starred in a half dozen movies by this time, including SASSY SUE, THE DIRTY MIND OF YOUNG SALLY, and THE DIRTY DOLLS. Solomon never had much use for sexually explicit material, which explains the disclaimer under the R rating (the film had to be cut to avoid an X) as well as his lack of interest in exploitation after the rise of hardcore. GOSH! disappeared from Fanfare's release in September '74 but was picked up by Intercontinental Releasing Corporation and re-titled ALICE GOODBODY for theatrical bookings that stretched from 1975 to the end of the decade. Fanfare released only a few more films -- the Lenny Bruce biopic DIRTYMOUTH, the Tyburn production PERSECUTION (as both SHEBA and TERROR OF SHEBA) and the PG-rated cut of RUN, ANGEL, RUN! -- before cashing it in at the end of 1975.

The Endangered List (Case File #128)

INTERPLAY (1970)

Starring
Zee Wilson (Nora)
Ed Moore (John)
Gwen Saska (Helen)
Sam Coppola (Mel)
Phil Allen (Eddie)

with
Lani Ryland
Yeyvonne Pontoon
Artie Giannini [Uta Erickson]
Corinne Shull
Jutka Goz
Anita Ferris
Merlin Coslick
Arlene Starr
Roslyn Dickens
Ruth Reachel
Iris Acker
Ethel Hazen
Janet Banzet

Directed by
Albert T. Viola

Written by
Harvey Flaxman

Executive Producer
Felix J. Bilgrey

Cinematography by
Jack Malick

Edited by
Fred von Bernewitz

Music by
James Burroughs

Art Direction
Dan Gladding

A
Success Films Ltd.
production

A
Times Film
release

Eastmancolor

Running time: 97 minutes
MPAA rating: X (1970)

Times Film re-released this with an R rating in 1973 under the title PART-TIME VIRGINS (or PART TIME GIRLS), on the bottom half of a double bill with FULL TIME FEMALES.

Movie Ad of the Week: HOUSE OF HOOKERS w/ HILLBILLY HOOKER (1975)

The British crime film A TOUCH OF THE OTHER (1970), directed by Arnold L. Miller and starring Kenneth Cope and Shirley Anne Field, was first released stateside by Film Ventures International as THE HAPPY HOOKERS in 1973 with an ad campaign created by Donn Davison. By 1975 it had been re-titled HOUSE OF HOOKERS and was being used as a co-feature with MASSAGE PARLOR HOOKERS, a re-titling of the NY-shot psycho-thriller THE MASSAGE PARLOR MURDERS! When HOUSE OF HOOKERS opened in Panama City, Florida on May 11, 1975, the second feature was HILLBILLY HOOKER, an FVI re-titling of Davison’s HONEY BRITCHES (1971). Also released as SHANTYTOWN HONEYMOON and THE LITTLE WHOREHOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE, Davison’s film was sold to Troma in the late 1980s as DEMENTED DEATH FARM MASSACRE after Fred Olen Ray shot new wraparound scenes for it with John Carradine.

Movie Ad of the Week: THIS IS A HIJACK (1973)

World Premiere - Friday, June 1, 1973 - Hutchinson, KS

Producer-distributor Joe Solomon held the world premieres of HELLS ANGELS ON WHEELS (1967) and its sequel, ANGELS FROM HELL (1968), at the Meadow Lark Twin Drive-In theater in Wichita, KS, with the stars of both films on hand to meet moviegoers and sign autographs. Solomon returned to Kansas a few years later for the world premiere of THIS IS A HIJACK at the South Hutch Drive-In in Hutchinson, with leading lady Lynn Borden doing handshake-and-autograph duty on opening night.

Movie Ads of the Week: Harry Novak in the mid '80s

By 1986, legendary exploitation distributor Harry Novak of Valiant International Pictures (nee Box-Office International) had been in business for over 20 years and still retained a theatrical presence, even if the "core" of his product had gone from soft to hard. Adults-only showcases like the Cinema Theatre in Madison, WI (now known as the Barrymore Theatre) were still running 35mm prints of Novak releases like JOHNNY DOES PARIS (1979), THE SEVEN SEDUCTIONS OF MADAME LAU (1981), THAT'S MY DAUGHTER (1983), INSPIRATIONS (1983) and MOMENTS OF LOVE (1984), the latter two directed by Novak himself under the pseudonym "H. Hershey."

October 25, 1985

January 31, 1986

February 7, 1986

February 14, 1986

April 4, 1986

Movie Ad of the Week: DON'T JUST LAY THERE (1970)

Advertised as "The ultimate climax," the softcore sex flick DON'T JUST LAY THERE -- directed by character actor Phillip Pine (the first Colonel Green on STAR TREK), with music by Martin Margulies (a.k.a. Johnny Legend) -- started making the rounds in September 1970. Because the storyline has something to do with young people being murdered by a mysterious character known as "Zodiac," it was re-released a couple of years later with a new ad campaign that made it look like a horror movie, with a tag line added to cash in on the then-current Zodiac murders in northern California (Cast member Kathy Hilton also appeared in the softcore THE ZODIAC COUPLES around the same time). The ad above is from the Tucson, Arizona opening on February 23, 1973. The one below is from Cedar Rapids, Iowa on April 5, 1974.

Pressbook Synopsis

The people in DON’T JUST LAY THERE have the right idea. Their lifestyle is centered around an unstoppable, rarely quenchable, and often wildly perverted thirst for sex. One ordinary, passion-ridden day they find themselves thrust into a bizarre, chaotic nightmare world of mystery, murder, and drugs.

Billie Starr, an avant-garde erotic photographer, has been given an interesting assignment by a mysterious nameless employer. In attempting to gather her models and assistants, she finds it difficult to get them to stop their sexual antics long enough to be captured on film. Eve, her lesbian-playmate and model, requires an arousing morning "burst" which she achieves through the use of an electric vibrator and Billie's soothing description of their next torrid affair. Sloan, her photographic assistant, begins his day with grass, acid and a little "peeping torn" action on his table telescope. Rock, the handsome male model, is busy practicing various diagrammed sexual positions with a beautiful black playmate.

Billie finally gathers them all and, together with Rusty (the sensual brunette stripper) and Ion (the groovy, energetic black non-stop humper) they set out on their journey to a secluded mountain camp to photograph an astrology-oriented sexual lay-out. While on the freeway on the way to the camp, the grass flows freely and Rock busies himself on top of Eve. This hilarious sequence shows the reactions of several "straight" passers-by who have an incredibly clear view of Rock's activity. One middle-aged man becomes so wildly "turned on" while watching that he forgets himself and runs into a pole.

Billie and company finally arrive at the camp and are greeted by Creighton, an eerie, often funny caretaker with strange sexual fantasies. They busy themselves around the picturesque countryside, shooting acts of intercourse in dozens of unique positions. Many of the events which take place are seen from Sloan's distorted, colorfully erotic, drugged point of view.

After the day's shooting, the group gathers in their cabin for a wild party. Rusty begins a breath-taking, rhythmic "dance of erotica". The party activity reaches a fever pitch. Suddenly, Rusty's ecstatic movements become a macabre "dance of death" as she ominously freezes and falls to the ground. While the others stand helplessly, a voice from a hidden tape recorder greets them. They learn that they are to be the guests of a sinister unseen host who calls himself Zodiac; and that they are to die, one by one.

The group panics as the avenues of escape are cut off one by one. Creighton is found dead. Zodiac mockingly speaks to them once more, reminding them of their fate. As they feel the creeping fingers of death closing in on them, they frantically seek refuge and escape in violent outbursts of sexuality. The murderer could be any one of them.

Eve and Billie cling to each other on a haystack in a tragic, absurdly classical moment of happiness. The murders continue. The film reaches a surprising, lavish, revealing climax which includes a staggering, slow-motion rape sequence and an awe-
inspiring dream-like orgy in which the murderer is confronted sexually by all of his victims.

This film displays a captivating blend of realistic sexual honesty and offbeat campish melodrama. Also included in the film: an original musical score from a soon-to-be released soundtrack album which features "Don't Just Lay There", "Five Fingered Lover", "Humpin', U.S.A.", "If I Should Spread Before I Die", "Ecstasy in Death", "Play Another Lick For Me", and other exciting music from the film, definitely the best music, lyrics, and score ever created for the wildest, funniest, sexploitation film of any year.

The Endangered List (Case File #127)

A FABLE (1971)

a.k.a.
GOIN' DOWN SLOW

Starring
James Patterson (Husband)
Hildy Brooks (Wife)
Al Freeman, Jr. (Leader)

Directed by
Al Freeman, Jr.

Screenplay by
Imanu Amiri Baraka [Leroi Jones]
based on his play "Slave"

Produced by
Victor Ramos, Jr.

Executive Producer
Marvin Malmuth

Camera
Bruce Sparks

Edited by
George Bowers

MFR Productions

Running time: 80 minutes
No MPAA rating

Cannes Film Festival screening: 5/15/1971
World Premiere (Chicago): 3/31/1972

Guest Review: DARK AUGUST (1976)

To properly introduce Stephen Bissette, our latest guest reviewer, I'd have to write an essay five times longer than the review itself! Mr. Bissette's artwork first caught my attention in the pages of Bananas magazine in the late '70s, but it was the awesome graphic novel adaptation of 1941 that burned his name into my mind forever. Years later, I was thrilled to see my writing appear alongside his in the pages of Fangoria, European 'Trash' Cinema and Wet Paint. Myriad comic book sites, message boards and Wikipedia can tell you the rest, but I highly recommend Steve's excellent blog and fully stocked online store as your next stops. Without further ado, here's Steve with a review of DARK AUGUST! -- Chris P.

DARK AUGUST (1976)
Director: Martin Goldman

A flatlander’s nightmare: brooding, burly New Yorker (J.J. Barry) moves to Vermont, where his accidental hit-and-run killing of a little girl (Karen Lewis) leaves him perpetually looking over his shoulder, fearing the backwoods hoodoo retribution of the child’s grandfather (William Robertson).

Compelling but none too scary, in part due to Barry’s unlikable lead. Still, it’s competently made, mounts some effective suspense, and fascinates with its manifest dread of the very land and people its brutish urban protagonist aches to live among. Stowe, Vermont locals and/or vacationers will want to seek this out for the snapshot of the village in its mid-1970s prime; one sustained confrontation between Barry and Robertson is staged downtown by the fire station, affording a lingering view and plenty of townie talent and extras.

Co-starring Academy Award-winner Kim Hunter (for A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, 1951), who is a standout as the rural psychic Barry consults seeking relief; co-scripted by Goldman and lead actress Carole Shelyne, and reportedly filmed in 1975 under the title THE HANT. This PG-rated thriller tasted fleeting theatrical distribution in the US (from Howard Mahler Films, Inc.) and Mexico before its surprisingly wide video release (from Lightning Video in North America and at least two labels in the UK, and other overseas videocassette outfits). Note: Though it didn’t make it into the film version (SILVER BULLET, 1985), Stowe VT is where the young hero of Stephen King’s The Cycle of the Werewolf (1984) was sent to spend the rest of his summer with relatives – after having survived the events of King’s novella.

©2012 Stephen R. Bissette

Movie Ad of the Week: FULL TIME FEMALES w/ PART TIME GIRLS (1973)

This double dose of R-rated sexploitation from Times Film opened in Chicago on August 10, 1973. FULL TIME FEMALES is the French import L'INSATISFAITE (1972), directed by Jean-Marie Pallardy and starring Danièle Vignault, Michele Bory, Patrice Cuny, and Georges Guéret. PART TIME GIRLS is really PART-TIME VIRGINS, the R-rated re-release title of INTERPLAY (1970). Originally released by Times Film with an X rating, this New York-shot cheapie was written by Harvey Flaxman and directed by Albert T. Viola, the same filmmakers who hit paydirt a year later with PREACHERMAN (1971).

Movie Ad of the Week: WHIRLPOOL w/ WAKE UP AND DIE (1970)

This double dose of Euro shock from Jerry Gross' Cinemation Industries hit New York theaters on December 9, 1970. WHIRLPOOL is a Danish production from Spanish director José Ramón Larraz, starring Karl Lanchbury, Vivian Neves and Pia Andersson. The MPAA gave it an X rating.

The co-feature at 14 theaters was Carlo Lizzani's SVEGLIATI E UCCIDI (1966), based on the life of Italian criminal Luciano Lutring, starring Robert Hoffmann (as Lutring) and Gian Maria Volonté. It was originally released in the U.S. by Rizzoli in 1967, on a double bill with the spaghetti western KILL OR BE KILLED. Cinemation also released it as I KILL FOR KICKS.