Reviews (4)

Good Idea, Bad Execution
Partway through watching My Tutor on DVD, I remembered I'd seen it in the theater when it first came out. Back then I had the same reaction I do today: this movie could have been a whole lot better than it is.

Bobby Chrystal (Matt Lattanzi) has failed his high school senior year French finals. This means he won't be able to get into Yale, a situation intolerable to his overbearing Yaley dad (Kevin McCarthy, best known for playing the main character in the 1956 Invasion of the Body Snatchers). Dad hires beautiful blond Terry Green (Caren Kaye) to be Bobby's summer live-in French tutor. If Bobby can pass a makeup French test at school, all past educational shortcomings will be forgiven and the halls of Yale pre-law beckon. However, Bobby learns a whole lot more from Terry than French as she becomes his first lover.

That bare description of plot sounds like it could make a sweet romantic comedy. And it could - it just doesn't. To start with there's the sub-plot of Bobby's friend Billy (Clark Brandon) and his repeated, unsuccessful efforts to get his younger brother (Crispin Glover) and Bobby laid, including a trip to the most dysfunctional brothel on God's green earth, hooking them up with a trashy waitress with a biker boyfriend, etc. These episodes simply aren't funny. Bobby, the main character we should like, is a whiny punk. The acting by all concerned is frankly not that great. There's not much in the way of chemistry between Lattanzi and Kaye, especially early-on. Rather than real people who find each other attractive, they come across like beautiful actors reading their lines - badly. (They do get better as the movie progresses.) The way the two characters hook up - not to give away too much of the scintillating plot - is unbelievable. We don't see the relationship develop through time, from attraction to liking to, eventually, sex. Toward the end of the movie, after Bobby's treated Terry quite decently during the relationship, it's back to acting like a whiny punk when it becomes obvious they're not going to last. You just want to slap this guy upside the head.

There are a few good things in My Tutor. In-between the unrealistic start of the relationship and Bobby acting like a baby toward the end, there's some genuinely sweet stuff as Bobby and Terry pillow talk in bed. It's nice. And Billy's comeback to a girl at a party who refuses to dance with him is one of the funniest things I've ever heard in any film. I really want to like this movie for the few things it does right; unfortunately they're not enough to counterbalance the many things it does wrong.

In my mind I contrast My Tutor to Coach, the 1978 Cathy Lee Crosby/Michael Biehn movie also dealing with a 30-ish woman in a sexual relationship with a high school student. Coach doesn't have quite the production values of My Tutor, it's not as slick and glossy, and its sub-plot of the upcoming "big game" basketball championship is frankly ridiculous, but at heart it's a much more successful film. Because (a) the acting is better - come on, we're talking Cathy Lee Crosby and Michael Biehn here, (b) the relationship seems much more real, not to mention healthy. The characters have great on-screen chemistry, it's believable these two people like each other, as well as find each other attractive. They spend time getting to know each other over numerous dates, talking for hours on end, before nature finally takes its course. You know, all the things My Tutor doesn't do.

The "extras" on this DVD are really lame. Of special note, the "Animated Bios" consist of still pictures of three of the cast (Kaye, Lattanzi, McCarthy) and sketchy bio text "animated" in that it scrolls up the screen. The one neat thing here is the "Naughty Bits Guide," a separate chapter menu for all the movie's "naughty bits," i.e. those featuring nudity/sex. This is such an inventive and fun idea I'm almost tempted to give My Tutor one more star just for that.

Dull but cute
The main reason to watch this flick is if you have a thing for gay male porno star of yesteryear, Tom Steele. The leading guy looks just like him. You see a lot less of this guy, if you catch my drift, but it's cute and watchable in a nostalgia kind of way if you remember seeing it on cable 20 years ago.

"School's out...but Bobby's education has just begun..."
See Bobby (Matt Lattanzi). See Bobby flunk French. Flunk, Bobby, flunk. See Bobby's dad (Kevin McCarthy). See Bobby's dad hire a tutor (Caren Kaye) to French Bobby during the summer. No, wait, I mean to teach Bobby French. "My Tutor" is a 1983 example of the teensploitation genre that kept USA's late night movie show "Up All Night" in business for years. It is a good thing Bobby's tutor likes to take advantage of the family pool late at night and take bikini breaks during class, because it gives us an excuse to ignore the leading man, who has zero charisma to go along with his low test scores. At least he looks old enough that your mind is not distracted by legal complications arising from their interaction. However, in a limited defense of this film it should be pointed out that the "love scenes" are taken seriously, avoiding the raunchy comedy that derails most of these films, so while "My Tutor" is bad it does not descend to the level of being truly awful. You just have to bite the bullet and treat the storyline seriously. Crispin Glover plays Bobby's best friend and serves as a reminder that some actors get out of these low-grade B-movies alive despite scenes that should have inspired them to buy every copy of this tape available in the world and have them destroyed. However, when the cutest girl in the film (Kitten Natividad) is just dropping by for a cameo, that is not a good sign. Otherwise, this is your basic arrested male adolescent sexual fantasy film, which is all you really need to know to decide if you want to spend 90-minutes of your life sitting through "My Tutor." All I can say is that I hope those who insist bad movies be reviewed to achieve a sense of balance are happy now.

Romance or porn?
Totally natural/realistic romance story in sharp contrast, sometimes indeed opposite, to current porn movies (where all characters behave almost totally like machines) and current romance novels (whose reading is almost always boring). ... Read more

Description

Beneath the Valley of the Ultra Vixens is the epitome of twenty-threeyears of guttering filmmaking, geared for the young and old alike, the sophisticate andthe blue-collar, and in every blazing scene, the ring of truth. Never, never before hasMeyer revealed so much of himself, and taken such umbrage with his own lifestyle . . .scenes bulging with bra-busting humor and love . . . each bearing his own indeliblestamp.A horny little tale of Olympian togetherness, jogging therapeutic cuckolding,faith healing, willing klutzy men, and sexually aggressive females in Small Town, USA. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Meyer's Maddenning Classic
Tons of frantic mad coition, some amazing women, great laughs and surprisingly avant garde. See it and live.

Spectacular
All I can say is vow, vhat vimen in this film. It is unbelievable how great this film is. Great fun for the whole family

Beneath The Valley Of The Cult Classics!
Russ Meyer co-wrote, directed, produced, photographed and edited this 1979 cult classic. Kitten Natividad is outstanding as Lavonia/Lola Langusta, the Latina nymphomaniac. Ken Kerr is perfectly cast as her husband Lamar Shedd, a man whose sexual preferences have forced his wife to take extreme measures. The super-stacked Ann Marie, who plays the radio faith healer Eufaula Roop, manages to turn Lamar's head around in the right direction. She could raise the dead! This movie really pulls out all the stops, encapsulating all of the classic elements that make up a Russ Meyer movie. With the onslaught of hard-core adult films, this movie seems tame by comparison. Russ Meyer would never write and direct a theatrical movie again. "Russ Meyer's Pandora Peaks," a direct to video release, is a documentary narrated by Russ Meyer. It contains footage shot in the early 90's, which was finally released in 2001 to capitalize on Pandora Peaks' fame. It is not up to the standards of Russ Meyer's earlier films. "Beneath The Valley Of The Ultravixens" is Russ Meyer's final epic film. ... Read more

Description

Russ Meyer's "Big Girls" return in an all new cult movie from William Winckler Productions. See big, busty Chastity Knott (Kitten Natividad) use her new amazing abilities, as the super-stacked costumed crime fighter, the DOUBLE-D AVENGER, to stop villainous bikini bar owner Al Purplewood and his sexy, murderous strippers. Starring KITTEN NATIVIDAD of Russ Meyer's "Beneath the Valley of the Ultravixens", HAJI, of Russ Meyer's classic "Faster Pussycatt, KILL! KILL!", RAVEN DE LA CROIX, of Russ Meyer's "UP" and Sci-Fi Fantacy Icon FORREST J ACKERMAN. Also starring Mimma Mariucci, Sheri Dawn Thomas, Andrea Anna Persun, Lunden De'Leon, Larry Butler and Gary Canavello. The DVD contains special features with behind the scenes photos of the making of film, the movie trailer, and classic Kitten Natividad photos.Ginemotographer/Editor - Raoul J. Germain Jr., Written & Produced by William Winckler. Color-2001 - Ages 18 and over. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Pure slock
This movie is pure corn in that it takes every opportunity to include every bad joke about women's ta-tas. But on a late evening after a hard day, it's enough. Yep, sometimes we need to view cheesy bad movie to appreciate the times that we can view high quality films. This movies does a great job. Big breasted women exploited for all they are worth with low budget laughs. Satisfied my craving for pure slock.

This is the Joe Bob Briggs Presents Version!
This is the second DVD version of "The Double-D Avenger," from Elite Entertainment, which features Joe Bob Brigg's hilarious audio commentary, along with other new bonus features, including a "Making of" documentary, new images, trailers, and more.

The special "Making of" documentary is a total GAS, with stars like Kitten Natividad fouling up their lines, making complete arses out of themselves! Director William Winckler is also seen doing stuntwork, dressed in Kitten Natividad's superhero costume! It's a complete riot!

The movie is very, very campy, and famous drive-in movie critic Joe Bob Briggs makes it even campier!!! A fun movie guarenteed to give audiences big laughs. . . . something everyone needs right now! It's as close to "Mystery Science Theater" as you can get nowdays!

Probably the last time audiences will see their favorite Russ Meyer movie stars, all together, starring as leads in a film! A special treat for B-movie buffs!

A-plus, hilarious, crazy entertainment!! It's real low-budget, B-movie fun! As Joe Bob Briggs says, "check it out!"

Double D Fun
The Double D Avenger is a uniquely entertaining DVD starring former stars of Russ Meyers films. Kitten Natividad has always been my fav, and even though she's on the plus side of 50, Ms. Natividad still delivers the goods. This movie is for the kind of men (and women) who like good-humored fun, like the original "Batman" TV series. The girls are buxom and there's lots of double entendres and politically incorrect humor (like an early John Waters movie without the X-Rated stuff). The "Crockazilla Plant" scene is as funny as anything I've ever seen in a movie, and the character of "Orbs, Leader of the Ta Tas" should have her own film. Just lots of fun and a real guilty pleasure. Plus...Forrest J. Ackerman has a cameo!

Joey

A Great Cult Film !!!
I love cult films and this one is great ! The Double-D Avenger is the Russ Meyer filmstar reunion movie.

Like a lot of Russ Meyer fans, I preferred Meyers' early work- the black and white 60's films like 'Faster Pussycat Kill Kill'. I feel that the ones he made in the 70s became lousy, disjointed sleaze.

The Double-D Avenger has all the positive Russ Meyer movie elements, plus it's full of other cult movie elements, including good ol' Uncle Forry - Forrest J Ackerman. A++++

Benny Hill Fans Rejoice !
This B-movie is an absolute riot ! Very few flicks today can come close to the clever cheekiness of Benny Hill's comedy. This one definitely does ! The risque slapstick, saucy humour, visual gags, and innuendo are reminiscent of Benny Hill. And just like Benny Hill, this movie does not resort to offensive gratuitous nudity. Bravo to this film's creators ! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Extremely disappointing
I'd seen one Russ Meyer movie before, Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, and remembered it as a fun frolic filled with bountiful babes. So I bought Up! hoping for some light-hearted fun along the same lines, and boy was I disappointed. Up! is a mean-spirited, unfunny, violent movie that happens to have a fair amount of nudity. There are a few worthwhile moments, but none of them ends up being sexy because almost every scene ends with a rape or graphic murder. Not exactly what I call fun filmmaking!

up is neat
"Up" is so much better than other soft porn movies. It has lots of large, naked breasts and bizarre, creative dialogue and plot. The acting, cinematography, editing and picture quality is all top-notch stuff. However, I'm not sure it is worth the exhorbitant price. If Russ is going to charge 30-40 dollars for his fine films, he could at least spend an hour and a half doing a commentary track.

RUSS MEYER'S UP! BOSOMANIA!
Russ Meyer, the Fellini of the sex-industry, has finally started to release his legendary films on DVD. The first series of his cult-classics to hit the digital format are MONDO TOPLESS, CHERRY HARRY AND RAQUEL, and RUSS MEYER'S UP! Although all three of these films are essential viewing, RUSS MEYER'S UP! is probably the best one, and a perfect place to start for both novices and aficionados alike!

RUSS MEYER'S UP! starts off in the inimitable Russ Meyer style... German sex-fiend Adolph Schwartz (who bares an almost uncanny resemblance to another famous Adolph) is mysteriously murdered when an unseen assassin places a piranha into his bath tub! In the meantime, a beautiful and well-endowed woman is seen jogging into town... The rest of the film is basically your standard whodunit, sparkling with witty and hilarious dialogue (co-written by famous film critic Roger Ebert), and punctuated with Russ Meyer's trademark touches... Flashy editing, top-notch direction, visual puns, indescribably humor, graphic sex and excessive violence clash together in one of Meyer's most entertaining spoofs. And just in case you get confused, Kitten Natividad shows up occasionally as an all-nude Greek Chorus, to recite the facts and pose open-ended questions, the whole time speaking in Meyer's trademark Shakespearean accent and ready to break out into an orgasm at any moment! The highlight of the flick occurs when Janet Wood and Raven De La Croix engage in what has to be one of the most memorable fight sequences to grace exploitation cinema! Bosomania indeed!

And, of course, it wouldn't be a Russ Meyer film without a colorful and offbeat cast of characters! Edward Schaaf as the aforementioned kinky nazi, Robert McLane as the sensible Paul, Janet Wood as the Sweet li'l Alice, Monty Bane as the perverted sheriff Homer Johnson, and the magnificent Raven De La Croix as the mysterious Margo Winchester are just some of the unusual personalities that populate Russ Meyer's twisted flick!

Needless to say, RUSS MEYER'S UP! is an essential purchase for all you cult-film fans out there! This was Meyer's second to last major film (BENEATH THE VALLEY OF THE ULTRA-VIXENS was his swan-song), and by now, the celebrated auteur had perfected his directorial style! For intelligent, hilarious, and witty X-Rated entertainment, you can't possibly go wrong! ... Read more

Reviews (17)

FINALLY! "L.A.P.D.! Police run out of control!"
At last, the Citizen Kane of low budget bad taste comedies is on its way to DVD. With an unreal cast including The Unknown Comic, Linda Blair, Pat Paulsen, Andrew Dice Clay, Billy Barty, Pat Morita and others, Night Patrol made history upon its release in 1984 by stretching the boundaries of taste and decency in film comedy to new limits. Dismissed by mainstream critics as a knockoff of Police Academy, the film has survived with a rabid cult following to this day and now comes the news we've been awaiting. Thank you Anchor Bay for continuing to be the #1 cult DVD company anywhere, and keep up the great work!

The most gloriously politically incorrect comedy ever made
OK, so this movie is definitely not for everyone. It's rude, crude, and offensive, but, taken at the level of a guilty pleasure, it must be considered some kind of a classic. This film aims not so much below the belt, but more like straight towards the gutter. It's targets include gays, women, minorities, police, and almost every other group imaginable. Now that you've been warned, those who are not easily offended will most likely laugh their lips off at everything from the oft-repeated theme song("LAPD"), to the I-can't-believe-these-people-are-in-it cast, which includes "Gong Show" alumni such as Jaye P. Morgan and The Unknown Comic to faded names like Pat Paulsen and Linda Blair to actual stars like Pat Morita (in one of the most surreal scenes ever) and Andrew Dice Clay. More importantly, especially in the post-Rodney King era, it paints LA cops as degenerates who get high with the drug dealers they should be busting and blithely shooting innocent bystanders like its no big deal. All in all, not to be missed for fans of bad taste.

"L.A.P.D! Police run out of control!"
Finally, the Citizen Kane of low budget bad taste comedies is on its way to DVD. Featuring an amazing cast including The Unknown Comic, Linda Blair, Pat Paulsen, Andrew Dice Clay, Billy Barty, and Pat Morita(as "Rape Victim"), this film made history upon its release in 1984 by pushing the standards and boundaries of bad taste in film comedy to new limits. Thank you Anchor Bay for continuing to be the number one Cult DVD studio in the world and keep up the great work!"

I saw this at the show when it came out .
It was a late show. I was tired so maybe thats why the jokes were funny. But I saw this on cable about 5 year later and it was still funny. "The Dice Man" has a bit part and his jokes are so bad there good. Billy Barty (one of the munchkins) is the police chief who lies,farts and vows to drive all the hookers out of town (in his car)! It was low budget but nobody took it seriously maybe that's why is wasen't offensive (like so many of the new supposedly "funny movies" of today)

You either LOVE it or Hate it
I Saw this when I was 11, now as an adult Im laughing even more! ITs a low-budget sheesy film that Very well made in its format... Several parts had me laughin out loud and it seems to have a cult following... I wonder if PAt Morita has this movie in his resume? lol The cast seemd to have fun and if a dvd of this movie exists..I WANT IT! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Over the course of a long night at a decrepit L.A. hotel, a cross-section of equally decrepit people live out their desperate, dead-end lives. This is the jaundiced vision of director Adam Rifkin, best known for the raucously enjoyable Detroit Rock City and the cult curiosity The Dark Backward. He's corralled some good people for this low-budget offering (Natasha Lyonne and Ann Magnuson as hookers, Vinnie Jones as a cruel pimp), but the lion's share of screen time goes to a pair of small-time crooks (Donnie Montemarano and Vinny Argiro) planning to split for Vegas in the morning. It's diverting for a while, but the bleached-sepia look and unrelenting rancidity take their toll, grinding the picture down. Even a soft-shoe shuffle for Fayard Nicholas (of the awesome Nicholas Brothers), a grace note if there ever was one, can't lift the movie out of its determined sense of gloom. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Adam Rifkin-A Director To Watch
Both Detroit Rock City and Night At The Golden Eagle are perfect films in my mind. So, why is it that Rifkin doesn't get more attention as a filmmaker? See this movie...It rocks! Very depressing but powerful and attention grabbing the whole way through.

Gritty film--well done--not always easy to watch
Director Adam Rifkin's dark film, "Night at the Golden Eagle," is the tale of Tommy and Mic--two aging, small-time hustlers. Tommy (Donnie Montemarano) is released from prison with the warning from the warden (James Caan in a cameo performance) that he doesn't want to see him back again. Mic (Vinny Argiro), Tommy's boyhood friend is outside the prison gates waiting for Tommy, and the joyful reunion lasts less than 2 minutes, and ends as soon as Tommy discovers that Mic has sold the car. Mic is trying to turn his career criminal life around. He's living in a disgusting flophouse hotel called preposterously "The Golden Eagle." Mic works as a night-time janitor at peep-show parlour, and between the sale of the car and his meagre earnings, he's scraped together a grand sum total of $2,500. He has bus tickets to Vegas and dreams that he and Tommy will have a new life in Vegas as Blackjack dealers surrounded by strippers.

Unfortunately, some old habits are hard to break, and while Mic goes off to mop the floors at the peep-show parlour, Tommy invites a prostitute to his room. Tommy and Mic are supposed to leave for Vegas the next day. What can possibly got wrong with their plans?

Both Tommy and Mic have problems with reality--Tommy hasn't changed one bit, and prison hasn't reformed him or sparked the least introspection. Mic, on the other hand, is the more complex character. He has changed. He wants life to improve--unfortunately, he's not realistic either, and his fantasies of a new life in Las Vegas are pathetic and yet necessary to his daily existence. All the hotel residents have some form of mental escape--drugs, sex, impossible dreams, and one can hardly blame them, for the reality which surrounds them all is the Golden Eagle Hotel--it's hell incarnate, and who wants to be conscious of the fact that they are residents of hell?

I was hooked into this film within 5 minutes. The lead actors--Donny Montemarano and Vinny Argiro had absolutely no prior acting experience, and they were just incredible. Vinnie Jones as Rodan, the pimp, is a rather unpleasant character who exploits young runaway Loriann. Loriann is one of life's victims who wanders into the neighbourhood, and is rapidly recruited by Rodan after one brief "training session" given by fellow veteran prostitute Sally (Ann Magnuson). Loriann and Sally soon form a poignant pseudo mother-daughter relationship, and Loriann's fate is sealed.

The cinematography is amazing, and many of the shots are in a golden tone. This creates a rather bizarre effect--the sordid, filthy squalor of the hotel in a warm, rich glow. This is not a particularly easy film to watch--its dark, depressing, and unrelenting view of the residents of the Golden Eagle hotel is nothing short of depressing. If you liked the raw honesty of "Requiem for a Dream," chances are you will like this too--displacedhuman. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Pure slock
This movie is pure corn in that it takes every opportunity to include every bad joke about women's ta-tas. But on a late evening after a hard day, it's enough. Yep, sometimes we need to view cheesy bad movie to appreciate the times that we can view high quality films. This movies does a great job. Big breasted women exploited for all they are worth with low budget laughs. Satisfied my craving for pure slock.

This is the Joe Bob Briggs Presents Version!
This is the second DVD version of "The Double-D Avenger," from Elite Entertainment, which features Joe Bob Brigg's hilarious audio commentary, along with other new bonus features, including a "Making of" documentary, new images, trailers, and more.

The special "Making of" documentary is a total GAS, with stars like Kitten Natividad fouling up their lines, making complete arses out of themselves! Director William Winckler is also seen doing stuntwork, dressed in Kitten Natividad's superhero costume! It's a complete riot!

The movie is very, very campy, and famous drive-in movie critic Joe Bob Briggs makes it even campier!!! A fun movie guarenteed to give audiences big laughs. . . . something everyone needs right now! It's as close to "Mystery Science Theater" as you can get nowdays!

Probably the last time audiences will see their favorite Russ Meyer movie stars, all together, starring as leads in a film! A special treat for B-movie buffs!

A-plus, hilarious, crazy entertainment!! It's real low-budget, B-movie fun! As Joe Bob Briggs says, "check it out!"

Double D Fun
The Double D Avenger is a uniquely entertaining DVD starring former stars of Russ Meyers films. Kitten Natividad has always been my fav, and even though she's on the plus side of 50, Ms. Natividad still delivers the goods. This movie is for the kind of men (and women) who like good-humored fun, like the original "Batman" TV series. The girls are buxom and there's lots of double entendres and politically incorrect humor (like an early John Waters movie without the X-Rated stuff). The "Crockazilla Plant" scene is as funny as anything I've ever seen in a movie, and the character of "Orbs, Leader of the Ta Tas" should have her own film. Just lots of fun and a real guilty pleasure. Plus...Forrest J. Ackerman has a cameo!

Joey

A Great Cult Film !!!
I love cult films and this one is great ! The Double-D Avenger is the Russ Meyer filmstar reunion movie.

Like a lot of Russ Meyer fans, I preferred Meyers' early work- the black and white 60's films like 'Faster Pussycat Kill Kill'. I feel that the ones he made in the 70s became lousy, disjointed sleaze.

The Double-D Avenger has all the positive Russ Meyer movie elements, plus it's full of other cult movie elements, including good ol' Uncle Forry - Forrest J Ackerman. A++++

Benny Hill Fans Rejoice !
This B-movie is an absolute riot ! Very few flicks today can come close to the clever cheekiness of Benny Hill's comedy. This one definitely does ! The risque slapstick, saucy humour, visual gags, and innuendo are reminiscent of Benny Hill. And just like Benny Hill, this movie does not resort to offensive gratuitous nudity. Bravo to this film's creators ! ... Read more