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From: "The Fool" <[email protected]> Hey Jody Maxwell, I've just seen this review of one of your films, I had no idea you worked with the acclaimed director Cecil Howard! Just wondering if you had any memories of what he was like to work with....
Cheers
Linked Review: Neon Nights The evolution of the erotic film in America is an interesting phenomenon - beginning with silent "loops", progressing to films with actual narratives photographed on 35mm (or at the very least 16mm) punctuated with erotic interludes, evolving today into the "gonzo" style which favors extreme acts and absolutely no narrative cohesion. The argument over the merits of old school vs. new school porn is an ongoing one, and one's personal taste will of course dictate whether they prefer watching films with some degree of technical proficiency and some semblance of a plot or whether their interests lie in the more stylized yet documentary-like approach of current erotica. Based in New York, back when pornography had its roots chiefly in the Big Apple and certain sections of the west coast, producer Cecil Howard scored a big hit with Babylon Pink and several other releases. By the time of Neon Nights he had graduated to directing, and his films have gone on to achieve some cult popularity among smut film fanatics. Though his productions obviously can't compare to the modest resources of even the more modest B films of the period, they are a model of craftsmanship and economy when compared to many of the porn films cranked out today. Whereas many current porno flicks suffer from excessive padding and repetition, Howard has a good sense of (if you'll pardon the pun) when to get in and get out of a sex scene. Kinkier and more daring than Babylon Pink, the film includes specialty items like foot fetishism and fisting but never degenerates into the sickening extremes of some of the current "gonzo" films. The cast includes a number of XXX staples, and they all enter into the spirit of the proceedings with appreciable enthusiasm. Leading lady Lysa Thatcher (Never So Deep, Loving Lesbos), looking all of 18, is appropriately wide-eyed and innocent in her role; her gradual 'indoctrination' into erotic excess makes for some memorably unhinged moments in the final, Fellini-esque orgy, however. Veronica Hart, who parlayed her career as a XXX performer into becoming one of the industry's better directors (she made the Ginger Lynn comeback feature Torn, which is highly recommended) and 'elder statesmen', making cameo appearances in the likes of Boogie Nights and Magnolia for Paul Thomas Anderson, is a singularly attractive performer, not to mention an energetic one. Her sex scene with Eric Edwards (Babylon Pink) is one of the film's highlights. Legendary porno stud Jamie Gillis (Dracula Sucks) makes a cameo appearance to add some marquee value. Director Howard stages the fun and frolic with competency, and his decision to introduce more whimsy and stylization to the picture gives the film a decidedly different flavor. A sequence involving Thatcher being abducted by a horny magician who proceeds to have her levitate while he gets busy with his assistant (a primal Jody Maxwell) is wonderfully over the top, and surprisingly well shot. The final sequence - a sort of smutty tribute to Italian art house cinema - is drenched in color gel madness but never becomes arty to the point of distracting from the mission at hand, as it were. Though hardly the masterpiece of erotic cinema the advertising materials make it out to be, Neon Nights is a good example of 80s porn - of a time when the men looked like men, the women looked like real women, and the sex didn't have to go for gross out effects on a regular basis. Media Blasters' 2-disc release of Neon Nights, as part of their Command XXX line, is most satisfying. The fullframe transfer shows signs of the film's age and low budget origin, but beyond some scratches and negative dirt, it offers a sharp, colorful transfer. The mono audio track is also pleasing, serving up the various moans and groans (not to mention some spectacularly low rent sound effects; dig the thunder claps during that Edwards/Lake tryst!) with clarity. The remixed 5.1 stereo track is a pointless addition - such a high tech redux merely detracts from the film's period charm. Extras commence on disc one, with a commentary track by Howard, moderated by Casey Scott. As with his track on Babylon Pink, Howard comes off as a sensible New York businessman first, and as an unpretentious artist second. He recalls the filming and performers with affection and seems to have a good time revisiting one of his most popular titles. Some never before seen outtakes, which don't amount to anything too groundshaking, and the original theatrical trailer, full of PR-conscious ballyhoo, round out the first disc. Disc Two includes the edited-for-cable softcore edition, looking to be in rougher shape than the main feature. This version removes much of the film's appeal, turning the film into a joke without a punchline to some extent. Several interviews - with Hart, Gillis, Edwards and director of photography C. Davis Smith - and a photo gallery finish the supplements. The interviews are fascinating. Gillis comes off as an entertainingly dirty old man, all too anxious to discuss his sexual exploits yet bewildered by the popularity of these old films ("They're not very good," he chuckles). Veronica Hart makes a tremendous impression - now 50 years old, she still looks very attractive and is very open about her feelings about sex, sexuality and the porn business, explaining her motivation for refusing to do certain kinds of films (a socially conscious sort, she refused to perpetuate the rape-as-fantasy myth, for example) and generally coming off as a pleasant interviewee. The Edwards interview picks up from the one he did for Babylon Pink but, alas, the screener copy at my disposal included only one glitch and it was during this interview, making it impossible to watch the better part of it. The Smith interview is also interesting, with the now-elderly DP seeming to regret his participation in adult films and advising aspiring filmmakers to make "real" films, not cheap erotica; his ambivalence to one side, he, too, comes off as a likable, down to Earth sort. 2/27/06 http://www.eccentric-cinema.com/cult_movies2006/neon_nights.htm |