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Pervert! (2005)

Official site. Get your copy here!

Dir: Jonathan Yudis

Hezekiah (Darrell Sandeen) lives in a remote desert shack in California. He’s a mean old coot and also a randy one!
Hezekiah’s Wife died in mysterious circumstances and he now spends his time bedding (and spanking) various busty whores. His latest conquest is bubbly ex-stripper Cheryl (Mary Carey).
When he’s not humping and spanking Hezekiah is creating sculptures of figures…from bits of meat!

If all that wasn’t enough there’s an, almost naked except for animal skins, mystical Native American woman (Aurelie Sanchez) dancing around the desert infuriating the gun toting Hezekiah with her cunning coyote ways!

Into this extremely bizarre set-up comes Hezekiah’s Son, James (Sean Andrews), who has come to stay with his Father for the summer. James is also as randy as his Dad and Cheryl plans on making the most of it!

But if a horny Son and his whore loving, meat sculpting old Father is not odd enough, there seems to be something rather lethal sneaking around the shack doing unpleasant things to any unfortunate woman it comes across….

 

Take a divine obsession with Russ Meyer, a love of Drive-In flicks, a 16mm camera, a few good friends and a whole hell of a lot of talent and passion…give it all a mix…and what do you have?
You have “Pervert!” that’s what!

Jonathan Yudis's first full length feature knows exactly what it wants to do, knows exactly how to do it and is unapologetic as far as any potential detractors may be concerned. This isn’t a film for such people anyway.
Yudis and his screenwriter Mike Davis are also unapologetic about their love for all things retro. Many people try to pay homage to their heroes, and this is a welcome thing, but very few do it successfully and even fewer do it successfully while still creating a movie that is still manages to be their own work. These guys do though!

From the joke MPAA rating (“This film has been rated Horny -14”), to the astute ’Stag Films’ jumpy, scratched, retro company title, to the comic-book opening (think “Creepshow”), that features the welcome (and suitably crazy) return to movies for Malik Carter as the narrator/host of our tale (from blacksploitation faves “Penitentiary II” and “Black Belt Jones“), to the multi screen images (food fetish ,breasts and internal organs) over the opening credits to the essentially buxom hitchhiker that opens the story… you just know that “Pervert!” is going to be bursting with energy and cinematic dementia!

The first half of the movie, as we meet our main protagonists, is a backroads shindig, a comic dollop of Sexploitation greatness, it's a big breast bonanza, it's quite frankly the best Russ Meyer film Russ Meyer never made. It’s mad, bad, crazy, sexy and damn funny!
And any convert of Meyer’s celluloid Church of Breast Worship will be in mammary Heaven as bold , beautiful and naturally buxom ladies bounce across the screen with joyous abandon.

Which actually brings us to the main highlight of the movie, adult film star and one time Governor of California hopeful (!) Mary Carey.
Mary is not only utterly, utterly gorgeous but she’s a damn good Exploitation actress to boot.
Given the far-out, over the top comedy styling of the movie she perfectly judges how to deliver her dialogue and is as astute as hell in judging her body language to ensure her physical attributes (!) are always seen in their best, and most naturally abandoned, light.

Mary‘s performance (that fits her character like a glove) is cute, sexy, mischievous, wild and fun loving but Carey puts all this across with such a wonderfully natural style, and essentially never comes across as self indulgently knowing (as the vast majority of ‘Scream Queens’ often do in movies by the likes of ‘Troma’ and Jim Wynorski), that she literally lights up the screen and you can’t help but think that if Russ Meyer were alive today he’d be signing Mary up for his latest opus. She’s that good.
And given that, it has to be said that when she’s not on screen it’s not only the audience that misses her, the actual movie does too.

At the half way point the film switches from it’s pure Russ Meyer style craziness to embrace a camp splatter movie/slap stick plot line, via an amazingly unexpected, totally deranged, utterly delightful plot twist, which sometimes owes more to Frank Henenlotter (you will see why…and yes, you won’t believe your eyes!) than Russ Meyer.
And although this 2nd half is perhaps not as successful as the utterly delirious 1st half it’s certainly packed with enough gross out, far out, ‘watch out it’s about’ moments that the film maker’s all important grip on simply delivering no-nonsense entertainment to like-minded fans is never lost.

The second half also delivers some extra female characters in the gorgeously shapely forms of
Sally Jean (as latest Hezekiah pick-up Alisha) and Juliette Clarke (as Patty the Nurse who wears a ‘uniform’ that looks like it came from ‘Strippergrams R Us’).
With hardly a scene in the film not featuring one of these curvy ladies Jonathan Yudis makes sure that the Meyeresque devotion to the big breasted female form is never abandoned and as such the sheer sexual energy the film gives off, even in it’s most bizarre, bloody and grotesque moments, is never lost.
Juliette Clarke is especially welcome during the latter stages of the movie and her ‘solo’ (sort of…hee hee) sex scene in the desert is an energetic highlight (just one of many examples of the actors throwing themselves, mind, body and soul, into their roles) and one that also has a wonderfully sick pay-off.

But this is not just a girly show and thankfully the male parts (ho!) of the movie are just as enjoyable, although in a different way!
Sean Andrews is perfect as the sexed-up James and mixes just the right amount of innocence (and ignorance) in with his sexual hijacks to make sure that James always stays linked to the audience.
And his lust filled, ‘I can’t believe what’s being offered up before me’ expressions, as bountiful bosoms are unveiled before him, are a joy!

Yudis himself makes a brilliant appearance as a back roads, bald, tattooed (complete with swastika), gold toothed, homosexual mechanic who also like to slap on a bit of ‘bling’ and talks like Eminem’s redneck Uncle. And with such lines as, “I ain’t one of those dickless queer -ass faggots. I ain’t come here to redesign your living room! I came here to fuck you up the ass”, you can’t help but warm to him!

But it’s Darrell Sandeen (from “L.A. Confidential” of all things) who really shines as the horny, mean old loon Hezekiah.
Like Mary Carey Sandeen knows exactly how to perform such a broadly drawn character in such broadly drawn material. He gives a barnstorming, ‘sex, fire and brimstone’ performance but never moves out of the movie to play to the audience in that lazy, self-indulgent way that is seen far too often in today’s homages to 60’s/70’s Exploitation/Drive-in films.
He’s also given some of the movie’s best dialogue (most of which, throughout the film, is a laced with sexual connotations and double entendres, no matter what the subject of conversation may be) which is what any actor must relish.
Such gems as ; “If the good Lord had intended women to drive he’d have equipped them with common sense instead of tits” and “as long as your under this roof Nurse there shall be no blasphemy spoken! Now keep you Goddamn mouth shut and fuck me dry” are delivered perfectly!
And it takes an astute acting mind to have a Father deliver such words as, “She’s not a substitute for your Mother mind you, but she’s a woman who can satisfy me in ways your Mother never could”, to his Son and do it in such a deadpan manner!
And that the, at the time, 74 year old Sandeen can pull off Hezekiah’s spank and thrust sex scenes with such energy (even though I think Mary Carey makes it very easy to get energised about such things) shows that he could easily become a genuine cult figure in modern Exploitation flicks.

Away from the performances and the writing though it’s Jonathan Yudis in particular, as well as his crew (wonderful desert cinematography by Guy Livneh and razor sharp editing by Fitz) who are the stars and driving force.
Given it’s shot on film origins “Pervert!” looks as beautiful and cinematic as those movies it pays respectful homage to.
The artistic and the technical are also working in harmony to give the film it’s manic energy and (cleverly controlled) sense of chaos. Yunis pulls as many tricks out of his hat as possible in presenting and styling the movie.

Sudden explosions into multi-screen montages, cartoon ‘thought clouds’ drawn on the screen to house nightmare images, and short (very Meyeresque)‘interludes’ which interrupt the main narrative with shots of the very busty (of course) Lucia doing generally bizarre dance and workout routines, are the kind of off the wall excursions into the surreal that Russ would have been proud of.
They also mean the film is constantly surprising the audience with what it will do next, thus keeping the pace and ever essential energy of the piece flowing.
The use of comedy musical stings and cartoon sound effects also enhance the overall carefree fun of the movie.

The score is another crucial ingredient to the success of “Pervert!“ and just like the film it accompanies it’s an amazingly mad mix of craziness!
The opening title song (by “The Clyde Mego Situation”) kicks us off nicely with a punk attitude, but don’t expect this opening number to signpost what’s in store musically!
The rest of the score is an eclectic cocktail of Western movie cues, lounge Jazz, Funk, Rockabilly, Swing, moody orchestral moments, Bollywood type songs and slap stick tunes of all descriptions.

The occasional blood and gore FX by Bruce Barlow are lots of over the top fun and are delivered with the relish that only comes with being a fan of such moments first and foremost. Although I would love to go into the details of our mysterious killer, I am loathe to spoil any of the revelations and surprises “Pervert!” is packed with, so I will just say that the FX, model and stop motion work (yes you did read that right…stop motion!) are deliriously enjoyable, extremely well done, and deliver some very memorable sights!
And you certainly won't forget Hezekiah'a barmy meat sculptures which deliver as much of a 'yuk' factor as they do mirth.

And hellfire, if all that was not enough fun and frolics for you “Pervert!” also features the best ‘dying breath speech’ revelations EVER , the most hysterical moment of outrageous child abuse EVER, and the best scene of a guy being interrogated by forced cunnilingus EVER! (With an added surprise that leaves a bad taste in the nose if not the mouth).

All in all then “Pervert!” is not only a great looking, technically marvellous movie, it’s also a movie filled with love for a by-gone movie age and those (especially the much missed Russ Meyer) who toiled away with little or no critical appreciation, and often not that much financial return either, in the business they sometimes loved, sometimes loathed but always felt at home in.
And we not only give thanks to all those past masters that did such great work in these most maligned of genres, but we also give thanks to Jonathan Yudis and his trusty actors and crew for giving us the best damn trip down Exploitation/Drive-in memory lane any fan could ever hope to take!

 

“Pervert!” comes packaged in a stupendous retro cover that gloriously harks back to the 60’s Sexploitation films of old , and as well as offering a post card reproduction of said cover/poster, we also have the entertaining trailer (though be warned it does give away a few things), cast and crew bios and film stills.
It’s a shame that there was not footage of any of the “Pervert!” screenings (you can find photos online…just Google), or any deleted scenes. And an audio commentary would have been fantastic.
But as it is the presentation is lovely and the film itself is such an enjoyable and well made romp through all that made these types of movies so good in the first place that it can’t help but be anything less than an essential purchase.

Go to the “Pervert!” site (http://www.pervertthemovie.com/) for details on how to order direct, pick up the soundttrack CD, find more info and photos and even pop onto the forum to ask the makers any questions.
You can also purchase the film indirectly (though still officially) from Ebay and Amazon.
So you see you have no excuse not to grab yourself a truly wonderful “Pervert!” all of your very own!
And hey, while you're at it...check out a bit more (or even a lot more) of the lovely Mary Carey HERE