Russ Meyer is a great forerunner of independent cinema and free speech. This is a very bold story. Although the camera transfixes on beautiful female forms, the movie as a whole isn't very pretty. But who said that art had to be pretty or in good taste? There is no question in my mind that Mudhoney is a work of art. I like that one of the film's main focus is the hypocrisy of religion. The insane preacher (who screams the Lord's prayer)played by Frank Bolger hides behind religion to cloak a deeper malevolence. By the end of the film this said preacher turns the whole town into a crazed blood thirsty mob. Fans of RM will see many familiar faces like Lorna Maitland, John Furlong and Stuart Lancaster. There is one of the most insane, inappropriate funerals ever depicted on film. This film is artistic and sleazy and dramatic. The final shots of Rena Horten running through the town in a panic were very tense. The looks of guilt of the townspeople after the lynching was very effective and dramatic. Mudhoney AKA Rope of Flesh is a unique entry in the world of Russ Meyer. I loved it.
