Blu Release – 3/5
The Wild Pussycat
Director – Dimis Dadiras (A House in the Clouds, Taxi Driver)
Starring – Kostas Prekas (Intimate Relations, City’s Jungle), Gisela Dali (Lust for Sex, The Executioner), and Maria Foka (The Runaway Kid, Naked in the Street)
Release Date – 1969
Rating – 2/5
Tagline – “Purring on the outside. Seething on the inside”
I’ve been slowly working my way through my Mondo Macabro films that was sent to me for review. I believe I have six blus with seven movies total so it wasn’t that big of a task but finding time between work and home life seems rather difficult right now. I’m finally moving forward with getting my house repaired after the fire.
My time has been very limited but I have been able to work through several releases which brings me to Mondo’s double feature with two Greek exploitation films. The first is The Wild Pussycat which was finished in 1969 and released in the early 70s.
**Spoiler Alert**The film follows a young woman who lost her sister recently. She killed herself after she was in an abusive relationship with a man. He was cheating on her and was often physically and emotionally abusive to her which was the reason she took her life. She plans her revenge on the man. She lures him back to her place and drugs him. She then puts him in a room and chains him up like a dog with a two way mirror. He can see out but no one can see in. He is then subject to her perverse acts with no way or touching her or satisfying himself.**Spoiler Alert**
I was not a fan of Bloodlust. The movie was way too slow with no atmosphere and a story you could see coming. Out of the Mondo Macabro releases in my marathon this was the weakest one. I was hoping that The Wild Pussycat would take me back to a more enjoyable release but the film could barely hold my attention. I wanted to like it but I just couldn’t.
The acting in this one is strange. I get every culture or society has different ways of doing things but the acting in this film is just odd. The characters make eye contact briefly before their eyes bounces around like they are high on speed. The dialogue has no emotions behind them and the scenes are painfully dry. Even the scenes that are meant to be sexy fall flat because the cast has no dedication to their role.
The story for this one moves at a snails pace and does not have the affect on the viewer that was intended. The movie tries to be sexy while flirting with being a thriller but all it really does is put the viewer to sleep. The sex or sexy scenes are so underwhelming that you may get the impression that this is a parody. If you can make it through this film in one sitting I will be thoroughly impressed.
Finally, if you want blood and gore you wont find it here. The film is a character piece that relies heavily on the character’s interactions. Overall, The Wild Pussycat is not the film I was expecting. I’m a huge fan of exploitation and I was expecting a fun sexploitation flick. Instead, I get something else that just wasn’t for me.
The Deserter
Director – Christos Kefalas (Snoken, Hemresa)
Starring – Hristos Politis (To the Last Man, Hell in the Aegean), Franca Parisi (Atom Age Vampire, The White Angel), and Stephanos Stratigos (Proud Eagles, Fire and Blood)
Release Date – 1970
Rating – 2.5/5
I had a bad taste in my mouth after watching The Wild Pussycat. I love exploitation and all the creative sub-genres that spawned from it but I can quickly tell that Greek exploitation was something in it’s own right. The double feature from Mondo Macabro had a second Greek exploitation film titled The Deserter. This 1970 film was another first time watch for me but I would be lying if I said I was excited to see it. If The Wild Pussycat was the main attraction I could only imagine the quality of film the second billed film was going to be.
**Spoiler Alert**The film follows a military deserter who is running from the horrors of war. After running for what feels like forever he decided to stop by a small pond to cool off. A woman that lives nearby spots him and the two immediately get a sexual attraction. The woman is too shy to make her move so she decides to steal his clothes and run away. The man wonders to a farm nearby where a lonely housewife takes him in and hides him in the barn where a relationship blooms. Her husband often neglects her sexual needs for work so she seeks it out with the deserter. However, the young girl from earlier is the housewife’s cousin and a love triangle begins with the woman fighting for his attention. The young, shy woman refuses to let go of him and turns to a witch to make him love her.**Spoiler Alert**
I really do dislike writing negative reviews for movies sent to me for review. I always try to remain respectful and find positive things within the film but I can’t like everything sent my way. The Deserter was a step up over TWP but it wasn’t as good as I had hoped.
The acting in this one is a step up over the other film. The characters are a little more detailed and the cast has something to work with. They do a great job at taking those characters and taking them off the paper. With that being said, they are still rather clichéd and their scenes are very predictable.
The story for this one does flow like a day time soap but tosses in a few twists here and there. I really enjoyed the dark atmosphere centered around the witch but this aspect was not fully explored. There is so many amazing possibilities with this and the film did itself a disservice by not fully exploring it. The film movies at a slow pace and mostly hits like a romantic drama. There is several scenes that are just too long and the interactions between the characters is just all wrong for the tempo of the scene.
Finally, if you want blood and gore you will need to seek it elsewhere. However, if you want a character driven romance with some dark moments then you are in luck. Overall, The Deserter is not an amazing film but it does deserve at least one watch. It does have it’s moments but no replay value what so ever.
Special Features:
Brand new HD transfers from negative.
Newly created English subtitles.
Greek version and uncut export version (WILD PUSSYCAT).
Trailers.
Promo art video presentation.
Mondo Macabro previews.
