Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!

Production: Eve. Director Russ Meyer; Producer Russ Meyer, Eve Meyer; Screenplay Jack Moran; Camera Walter Schenk; Editor Russ Meyer; Music Paul Sawtell, Bert Shefter; Art Director [uncredited]
Crew: (B&W) Available on VHS, DVD. Extract of a review from 1966. Running time: 86 MIN.
With: Tura Satana Haji Lori Williams Susan Bernard Stuart Lancaster Paul Trinka

July 10, 2024

Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! is a somewhat sordid, quite sexy and very violent murder-kidnap-theft meller which includes elements of rape, lesbianism and sadism, clothed in faddish leather and boots and equipped with sports cars. Some good performances emerge from a one-note script via very good Russ Meyer direction and his outstanding editing. It was brought in at $44,000 and uses California desert exteriors throughout.

Jack Moran’s story concerns a trio of bosomy swingers led by Tura Satana, her female lover Haji, and his ambiSEXtrous Lori Williams. Out for kicks, Satana does in Ray Barlow via explicit karate, then kidnaps latter’s chick, a petite Susan Bernard. Greed takes them to crippled widower Stuart Lancaster’s desert diggings, where he dominates his retarded, but muscular son, Dennis Busch, also Paul Trinka, a more sensitive offspring.

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It is obvious that Meyer has a directorial talent which belongs in bigger and stronger films. His visual sense is outstanding, also his setups (executed by Walter Schenk’s crisp camera). Meyer’s editing has a zest and polish which, without being obvious post-production gimmickry, lends proper pace and emphasis. All he needs is stronger scripting and more adept performers.