Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!

"Very Good"

Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! Review


In 1966, Russ Meyer's classic, Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!, first hit the big screen. 1995 marks the re-release of what is considered the director's best and most accessible work: still as fun, twisted, and hilarious as ever.

The picture opens with an ominous voice-over, reminiscent of an old Ed Wood picture, warning us of the dangers of a certain creature that often "travels in packs." Of course this creature is none other than ... the go-go dancer, which, when released after a hard night's work, has the tendency to wander through the desert looking for trouble.

Faster, Pussycat! is the story of three such creatures (Tura Satana, Haji, and Lori Williams) who, after a particularly competitive auto race, wind up in a plot involving murder, kidnapping, and the lust for an old man's "stash" of money. It's a thin plot, of course, but the ultra-hammy acting by the three ladies is what really carries the story from one hilarious scene to the next.

The Ed Wood comparisons don't stop at the narration. In many respects, Faster, Pussycat! is so bad it's good. Satana, Haji, and Williams couldn't act their ways--working together--out of a paper bag. But surprisingly, this works. With the heavy use of '60s hipster-slang and a cool jazz/thriller theme music soundtrack, the three leads are portrayed as anti-heroines of a bygone age. So what if they haven't memorized their lines?

And don't be fooled, Meyer knew what he was doing. The script is full of self-mocking references, with Satana referring to a "scene" or "the screenplay." And as a true master of low-budget filmmaking, Meyer could turn this schlock into profits. While appearing as half-industrial film, half-farce, the sum result is an entertaining fringe picture that's really quite suitable for the mainstream.

As new prints of Faster, Pussycat! travel around the country, you'll probably hear that Meyer was "a soft-core pornographer" with films like Beyond the Valley of the Dolls. But when you see this movie (and you really should), you may not even notice: despite the sensationalistic topic and scantily-clad characters, Pussycat has no nudity, due to the heavy censorship activity of the era. Of course, Meyer's reputation is quite the opposite. Meyer fools us all again.



Facts and Figures

Run time: 83 mins

In Theaters: Friday 6th August 1965

Budget: $45 thousand

Production compaines: Eve Productions Inc.

Reviews

Contactmusic.com: 3.5 / 5

Rotten Tomatoes: 73%
Fresh: 19 Rotten: 7

IMDB: 6.8 / 10

Cast & Crew

Director:

Starring: as Varla, as Rosie, as Billie, as Linda, as The Old Man, as Kirk, as The Vegetable, as Tommy, as Narrator, Michael Finn as Gas Station Attendant

Contactmusic


Links


New Movies

Star Wars: The Last Jedi Movie Review

Star Wars: The Last Jedi Movie Review

After the thunderous reception for J.J. Abrams' Episode VII: The Force Awakens two years ago,...

Daddy's Home 2 Movie Review

Daddy's Home 2 Movie Review

Like the 2015 original, this comedy plays merrily with cliches to tell a silly story...

The Man Who Invented Christmas Movie Review

The Man Who Invented Christmas Movie Review

There's a somewhat contrived jauntiness to this blending of fact and fiction that may leave...

Ferdinand Movie Review

Ferdinand Movie Review

This animated comedy adventure is based on the beloved children's book, which was published in...

Brigsby Bear Movie Review

Brigsby Bear Movie Review

Director Dave McCary makes a superb feature debut with this offbeat black comedy, which explores...

Battle of the Sexes Movie Review

Battle of the Sexes Movie Review

A dramatisation of the real-life clash between tennis icons Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs,...

Shot Caller Movie Review

Shot Caller Movie Review

There isn't much subtlety to this prison thriller, but it's edgy enough to hold the...

Advertisement
The Disaster Artist Movie Review

The Disaster Artist Movie Review

A hilariously outrageous story based on real events, this film recounts the making of the...

Stronger Movie Review

Stronger Movie Review

Based on a true story about the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, this looks like one...

Only the Brave Movie Review

Only the Brave Movie Review

Based on a genuinely moving true story, this film undercuts the realism by pushing its...

Wonder Movie Review

Wonder Movie Review

This film may be based on RJ Palacio's fictional bestseller, but it approaches its story...

Happy End  Movie Review

Happy End Movie Review

Austrian auteur Michael Haneke isn't known for his light touch, but rather for hard-hitting, award-winning...

Patti Cake$ Movie Review

Patti Cake$ Movie Review

Seemingly from out of nowhere, this film generates perhaps the biggest smile of any movie...

The Limehouse Golem Movie Review

The Limehouse Golem Movie Review

A Victorian thriller with rather heavy echoes of Jack the Ripper, this film struggles to...

Advertisement
Artists
Actors
    Filmmakers
      Artists
      Bands
        Musicians
          Artists
          Celebrities
             
              Artists
              Interviews