Bizarre, delightfully weird drama from Paul Bartel, the director of "Eating Raoul", "Lust in the Dust" and "Death Race 2000". These are all interesting films, but "Private Parts" is better -- it's fascinating, too.
Little Cheryl, the cute Ayn Ruymen, turns up at her aunt's hotel, The King Edward, and discovers she's entered an urban catacomb of weirdos. Everybody is either a pervert or a raving nutcase. One character, George (John Ventantanio), a porno photographer, is both, and is central to the film's final revelation.
The script is filled with intriguing ideas. For example, because George can't have a real woman, he fills a plastic one with water and makes love to her. When he's finished, just before he climaxes, he injects his own blood into her belly and watches it spread through her body.
The film captures an authentic, skid-row ambiance that was LA in the early 70's. Ayn Ruymen's curious, naive, adventurous runaway from Cleveland even reminded me of Naomi Watts' character in Lynch's "Mulholland Drive". In fact, "Private Parts" is quite a Lynchian piece and may have been one of the director's cinematic influences.
Lucille Benson's Aunt Martha is a wonderful creation, a fussing, fanatical, Shelley Winters type who brings enormous authority to her role and wears the very familiar skin of a typical Los Angeles native of the period.
Bartel invents something unique in every scene and packs his story with wonderful and bizarre elements. A sudden beheading is a lovely, macabre surprise and the generous nudity is much appreciated.
Entirely original and relentlessly odd. I loved it.
Little Cheryl, the cute Ayn Ruymen, turns up at her aunt's hotel, The King Edward, and discovers she's entered an urban catacomb of weirdos. Everybody is either a pervert or a raving nutcase. One character, George (John Ventantanio), a porno photographer, is both, and is central to the film's final revelation.
The script is filled with intriguing ideas. For example, because George can't have a real woman, he fills a plastic one with water and makes love to her. When he's finished, just before he climaxes, he injects his own blood into her belly and watches it spread through her body.
The film captures an authentic, skid-row ambiance that was LA in the early 70's. Ayn Ruymen's curious, naive, adventurous runaway from Cleveland even reminded me of Naomi Watts' character in Lynch's "Mulholland Drive". In fact, "Private Parts" is quite a Lynchian piece and may have been one of the director's cinematic influences.
Lucille Benson's Aunt Martha is a wonderful creation, a fussing, fanatical, Shelley Winters type who brings enormous authority to her role and wears the very familiar skin of a typical Los Angeles native of the period.
Bartel invents something unique in every scene and packs his story with wonderful and bizarre elements. A sudden beheading is a lovely, macabre surprise and the generous nudity is much appreciated.
Entirely original and relentlessly odd. I loved it.