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Sukeban burûsu: Mesubachi no gyakushû (1971)
Suzuki knows what I like
Queen Bee's Counterattack is the first out of seven films in the Sukeban series. Four of them were directed by Suzuki so I'll be sure to watch at least three of them after this and who knows even more. It's a promising start of the series which didn't really come as a surprise. It's what I'd come to expect after watching Suzuki's other girl gang flick Terrifying Girls' High School. Though they are far from the same.
It's the perfect Pinky Violence setup. We follow the gorgeous Reiko Ike who's the girl gangs' boss since their previous leader has been caught by the officials. Trash starts to rain down on them when the old leader returns and the Yakuza is causing problems. Meanwhile they get mixed up with a motorcycle gang. The conflicts are stacking so it's time for... nudity.
And there's plenty of it. Of course it's all in favor of the violence, or corruption...even for the fun of it. It has all it needs to please the fans. Switchting between humorous scenes and melodramatic sequences, it sure has plenty to tell in a short time. There's room for everything, it's almost a random bag of fun at some points.
Probably the best example of the humorous fun and excitement this film has to offer must be the scene where they all have sex while riding on a motorcycle. Pretty hilarious, clever and highly entertaining. Add some topless fighting, some Yakuza business... and we have a great film. Though it comes off pretty simple and straight forward, never does it feel that way.
With a great cast (plenty of familiar names), a really decent look, cool music and intriguing storytelling, Queen Bee's Counterattack has to be a dream start for the series. There's plenty of shameless fun to look forward to, so I'm happy like a 13-year old grabbing his first pair of boobs.
House of 1000 Corpses (2003)
A true master of the genre.
I must've been 12 or 13 years old when I first saw Rob Zombie's debut ''House of 1000 Corpses''. Not particularly aware of what the film had to offer, I still enjoyed it a lot. But is there really more to it then I could've seen back then, or should it have stayed a heart warming memory? It was amazing to see Capt. Spaulding and to hear Moseley yell again. It also felt great to see and hear Sheri Moon Zombie giggle and dance again. I should name all the actors, though. All the way to the tiniest roles... they delivered what was necessary. I was surprised to see Rainn Wilson though, I'm a huge 'The Office' fan so it was fun to see him in such a traditional teenage victim part. Let's spill it out: HO1C is a truly horrific yet insanely funny flick, probably one of the best within the last 20 years. Yes, one of the best.
There's a no-bullshit approach which still stands tall. It's a fast paced freak show with plenty of messed up stuff, reminding you of TCM more than once. A big inspiration, there's no doubt. It's a familiar story with likewise parts to be played, and the entire mood is almost as dirty as Hooper did back in the seventies. It has a similar way of keeping things tense, but there's still plenty of room for some typical Zombie-stuff.
One of the coolest things I noticed this time around is how the stage-artist experience he had really shows on screen. The house is like a giant stage for all the crazy and fun stuff to come, it's like a horror performance. Zombie's music fits the picture perfectly, it's a huge addition on the already sublime vibe he created with the dark yet comedic setting. Full of memorable characters and quotes to die for.
The standard teenagers on a road trip set up works perfectly. The introduction has been kept fairly short and thereby still works like a charm. It's extremely well written, making it a feast to sit through. Introducing new freaks and providing the laughter when they are needed. There's no doubt... Rob's timing is excellent. He definitely earned the respect of the true horror hound with this one.
Many of these aspects were kept as he worked on the 'second' film ''Devil's Reject'', which is probably known as the better film. I'll disagree firmly. I love DR, don't get me wrong, but there's really nothing quite like HO1C even though it borrows a lot from other (mainly classic) films. It offers the ultimate experience, with Moseley playing his best role since TCMII and various monstrous appearances which blew my mind. It's a must, a true modern gem.. it's Zombie's masterpiece.