Super exciting SMUT CITY news, folks! First, SMUT CITY is moving to Sundays. That’s right, no longer will you have to compromise your love of porn against all the exciting “sitting in bars” action Saturday night has to offer. Second, this month marks the first entry in our new SMUT CITY guest programmer series.
The selector of October’s film is Lars Nilsen, the man behind the Alamo Drafthouse’s Weird Wednesdays and one of the main inspirations for our rambling, entertaining, quasi-informational style of pre-film introductions. Lars felt that SMUT CITY’s audience could benefit from an introduction to the prolific output of euro-sleaze auteur Jesus Franco, and so we will be watching 1977′s CALL OF THE BLONDE GODDESS aka VOODOO PASSION. Here’s what Lars had to say about the film:
“We’re not exactly sure if audiences of 1977 were clamoring for a softcore porn remake of I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE but thanks to hyper-prolific genius-man Jess Franco they got the most stupefyingly awesome softcore porn remake of I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE imaginable. When newlywed Susan joins her husband Jack at his island home, all sorts of mysterious things begin to happen. Jack’s perpetually unclothed blonde sister immediately welcomes her into the family hot tub. Susan’s weird naked voodoo dreams start coming true and the ludicrously gorgeous black magic priestess welcomes her into the cult. Meanwhile, the man she married on a whim begins to seem vaguely sinister, in a sexy way. This movie is 1977 to the max, and packed with gorgeous locations, stoned funk grooves and ragingly beautiful starlets who couldn’t give a fuck about the depilatory arts. Don’t forget to take your glaucoma medicine before you watch this!”
Black magic, boobs, and perpetually unclothed blondes, exciting stuff to say the least. We here at SMUT CITY have enormous respect for Lars’ taste in exploitation cinema and are very excited for SMUT CITY’s first foray into softcore, though there very well might be more to come. You can RSVP for the event here or just show up with $5 and a six-pack. Both are encouraged. Also, for fans of film and those curious about the work of Jesus Franco, Lars’ shared some additional thoughts about the director, and CALL OF THE BLONDE GODDESS in particular, which you can check out below these details.
WHAT: SMUT CITY presents: CALL OF THE BLONDE GODDESS w/ Lars Nilsen
WHEN: October 16th, 10:30PM
WHERE: The New Movement, 1819 Rosewood Ave
PS: 18+ BYOB $5
Lars on CALL OF THE BLONDE GODDESS:
“As far as we can tell, no filmmaker in the sound era has ever written and directed more feature films than Jess Franco. In the ten years leading up to CALL OF THE BLONDE GODDESS, Franco made more than 70 full-length features. His career total is around 200, though we will likely never actually be able to complete a full tally since most of the films were made under pseudonyms (generally the names of Franco’s jazz heroes). It’s such a mind boggling achievement on its own that it threatens to obscure the fact that Franco’s life-work is some of the most interesting and valuable ever created, especially in the realm of sex films. No less an eminence than Orson Welles singled out Franco as an important talent. The great man, over the objections of his producers, insisted that Franco be hired as his assistant director on CHIMES AT MIDNIGHT after seeing one of Franco’s films in a back-alley Pigalle cinema.
CALL OF THE BLONDE GODDESS has never been singled out as a superior Franco film. In truth, it’s not much different than many of his other movies. The locations are familiar, the cast members had worked for him many times, even the plot (a remake of I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE) is a retread, though an inspired one. But as an entry-level Franco film it should serve its purpose – to immerse the viewer in the delirious, gorgeous, ridiculous world of Franco. To Franco’s credit, it is an exceptionally beautiful looking film. The Caribbean (via Portugal) settings are exceptionally photogenic and the actresses contribute much to the appeal of the movie, especially Vicky Adams, who plays the exotic blonde goddess of the title.
Before Jess Franco ever picked up a camera he made his living as a jazz musician and pulp novelist. His films are improvisations on pulp themes and like a good jazz musician he may play the same piece many times but he says new things in each new version depending on his mood, his sex life, the contents of his stomach and bank account. At times his scanarios seem more akin to dreams than conventional movie plots. In fact they were mostly created on set on the day of shooting. To complicate matters further, often while Franco was directing a film for a producer, he was surreptitiously making his own movie on the side with the same actors, crew and sets!
CALL OF THE BLONDE GODDESS is the work of a man with a highly individual vision. Some of you will like it, some will dislike it and hopefully a few of you will go all obsessive over it. Either way, it’s the appropriate response.”
