Blu Release – 3.5/5
The Girl Can’t Stop
Director – Willy Rozier (Beside Murder, Sin and Desire)
Starring – Xenia Kalogeropoulou (The Storyteller, The Prodigal Son), Georges Riviere (Castle of Blood, Horror Castle), and Jean Sobieski (Plucked, Playgirl 70)
Release Date – 1965
Rating – 3/5
Tagline – “The shocking story of the far side of love… and the men and women with twisted desires who play there!”
My month long horror binge is well under way. So far this month I’ve watched slashers, films about the occult, demon slaying, murder mysteries, and a film adaptation of a children’s book that was a childhood favorite of mine. My annual October horror movie binge is something I look forward to each and every year. However, sometimes I get non-horror films in for review and try to sneak them in from time to time.
A couple weeks back Mondo Macabro sent over a few releases of theirs to check out. I wanted to review them before my October binge but I never could find the time. After watching a few horror titles I decided it was time to check out one of these releases. The first was a double feature with the first film in the set being The Girl Can’t Stop from 1965. This French title was a new one to me and I couldn’t wait to check it out. I want to thank Mondo Macabro for sending this one my way.
**spoiler alert** The film follows a failing business man who just lost his last bit of money gambling. A sleazy friend of his convinces him to have his wife sleep with a wealthy banker so he will feel obligated to loan him money. He reluctantly agrees and soon convinces his wife to go along with their seedy plan. She eventually falls in love with the banker but the grass is not always greener on the other side. She discovers that he is a sadistic man who enjoys when his servant tortures women. **Spoiler Alert**
This one looked like it would be a fun sexploitation with some twisted moments. Sadly, that was not the case. It’s a drama that worked that ended with a little perversion that may have been considered taboo in the mid-60s but to a generation that grew up with South Park and G-String Divas it was relatively mild.
The acting in this one was very well done for the most part. I really liked the characters and the lengths the cast went to keep them grounded and believable. However, a few scenes did feel rushed and it looked as if the cast was just going through the motions to finish. This was only in a few scenes but the inconsistent performances are very noticeable.
The story for this one is very predictable but I thoroughly enjoyed it. The man convincing his wife to sleep with a banker so he can secure a loan only for her to fall in love with him is something the viewer can spot a mile away. The perversion part is a bit unexpected but it’s not that wild when you consider most have read or at least watched the film adaptation of 50 Shades of Gray. Honestly, I liked the film but I was expecting more of a sexploitation than a drama.
Finally, this is not a film with any bloodshed or gore. It’s a character driven piece that is enjoyable but not something you would want to toss in during your Halloween viewing. Overall, The Girl Cant Stop was very enjoyable. I really enjoyed it but I do wish it was a little more sleazy. With that being said, I highly recommend grabbing a copy.
https://vimeo.com/824791650
Ravishing Dany
Director – Willy Rozier (Sin and Desire, The Girl in the Binkini)
Starring – Sandra Julien (House of Cruel Dolls, Nada), Jurgen Drews (Short Night of Glass Dolls, Night of the Flowers), and Michael Paulin (The Masters of Time, The Man Without a Face)
Release Date – 1972
Rating – 3.5/5
Tagline – “The story of a girls adventure on the road”
I love pairing movies and have marathons or double features when I can finally sit down to enjoy one. That’s why I love the boutique labels like Mondo Macabro, Vinegar Syndrome, Severin Films, and so many more. Sometimes they pair like minded films or works from the same filmmakers together to give genre fans and collectors more bang for their buck. Mondo Macabro has released several double features over the years and recently put out Ravishing Dany that had a bonus second film titled The Girl Can’t Stop.
While I did watch The Girl Can’t Stop first I decided to go ahead and follow it up with the second film. While I did enjoy The Girl Can’t Stop, Ravishing Dany is the prize of this set. Like always, I want to thank Mondo Macabro for sending this one over for review.
**Spoiler Alert** The film follows an aspiring model named Dany that hitchhikes to the various destinations that she needs to visit. This results in some random nudity and awkward situations as the various patrons that pick her up reveal their true intentions with the beautiful young lady. **Spoiler Alert**
I went into Ravishing Dany after watching The Girl Can’t Stop and was pleasantly surprised to find that the film was nothing like the bonus film included on the disc. With that being said, I fucking loved it. The humor doesn’t always find it’s mark but I laughed more at this one than I have any sleazy comedy in the past.
The acting in this one is decent but it does get awkward at times. The cast is having a lot of fun with the film which shows but the acting is very loose here. It doesn’t take away from the film but it does lack from memorable characters aside from Dany herself. The story for this one is simple and the perfect set up for a sexploitation film. While it’s not as exploitative as most sexploitation films it does have plenty of humor. In fact, I was very surprised by how funny it is. It is a bit too long but it doesn’t over stay it’s welcome. It would greatly benefit from some clever editing to remove some of the more pointless scenes.
Finally, don’t expect blood or gore here. We have humor and skin so if that is your thing then you are in luck. Overall, Ravishing Dany is one of the more entertaining films released by Mondo Macabro. This release will go mostly unnoticed by genre fans but if you dig exploitation or foreign film then I highly recommend it. It’s a lot of fun.
https://vimeo.com/822330219
Special Features:
Region free
Brand new 2K restorations of each film from the negatives
French or English audio (with optional Eng Subs) for DANY and French audio with optional English subtitles for THE GIRL
Interview with director’s daughter Catherine Rozier
Featurette – Dany and the Censors
Christophe Bier reads Willy Rozier
Trailer for DANY
