| Femmes Fatales | Feb 7 2020 |
There are no small parts. Only small casting agents.
Above is a lovely shot of British actress Zoe Hendry, who we last saw in 1975's erotic epic Butterfly, and whose other credits read like a cautionary tale of cinematic ambition smashed on the rocks of rent paying reality. She's played, in no particular order, “naked college girl,” in 1974's Confessions of a Window Cleaner, “native dancer,” in 1976's Queen Kong, “topless patient,” in 1978's What's Up Nurse!, and, “other girl,” in 1974's The Man Who Couldn't Get Enough. And who can forget 1976's infamous Nastassja Kinski vehicle To the Devil a Daughter, in which Hendry played “first girl”?
Yes, it's quite a résumé Hendry accumulated, but since she originally got her break on The Benny Hill Show—which made an industry of scantily clad women—her stalwart appearances in sexploitation films are no surprise. But she eventually outflanked one-track-minded movie casting agents by shifting back to television during the 1980s, where she got a chance to act more seriously. Probably got paid better too. Still, we're irresistibly drawn to titles like Queen Kong. Maybe we have one-track minds too, but we have to watch that, right? Right. We'll do the heavy lifting so you don't have to, then report back.
Yes, it's quite a résumé Hendry accumulated, but since she originally got her break on The Benny Hill Show—which made an industry of scantily clad women—her stalwart appearances in sexploitation films are no surprise. But she eventually outflanked one-track-minded movie casting agents by shifting back to television during the 1980s, where she got a chance to act more seriously. Probably got paid better too. Still, we're irresistibly drawn to titles like Queen Kong. Maybe we have one-track minds too, but we have to watch that, right? Right. We'll do the heavy lifting so you don't have to, then report back.
BritainWhat's Up Nurse!The Man Who Couldn't Get EnoughThe Benny Hill ShowQueen KongConfessions of a Window CleanerTo the Devil a DaughterZoe HendryNastassja Kinskitelevisionnudity
| Vintage Pulp | Jul 12 2019 |
Marie Forså gives a lofty performance in a down and dirty classic
Above is a Japanese poster for the Swedish film Butterflies, another sexploitation romp featuring blonde-on-blonde sex symbol Marie Forså. The movie also stars Harry Reems and Eric Edwards, two legit porno actors from back in the day, here getting a chance to do some mainstream work. The basic thrust, so to speak, of the plot involves a country girl who goes to the big city and has various sexual adventures with older and more experienced men. You know the drill.
As with other Forså films, there are explicit scenes, but in this case it's actually her doing the deed. There are several quick uncut pans from face to nether regions in two of her bed sessions that leave no doubt. There's confusion around this because the filmmakers wanted a gynecological version of the movie and shot jarring close-ups of thrusting genitalia. Those aren't Forså's. They were shot later to make the film extra explicit, and the uncut pans of Forså were dumped. We don't understand it, but that's what happened. So there are three slightly different versions of the movie out there—an r-rated one with no hard sex, a version with the revealing pans of Forså, and an x-rated version with a body double.
On a related note, even though the intercourse is real, that doesn't mean the sexual ecstasy is, but Forså is a brilliant performer in this regard. You may even believe she's having the best sex of her life. This is of course not the norm for softcore and porn actresses, whose fakery generally is obvious. But Forså is a force of nature. We don't know if there's a legally available version of the movie with the Forså pans. If there is, that's the one to acquire. But either way, her innocent looks, combined with an uninhibited performance, make Butterflies a true blue classic. It premiered in Japan today in 1975.
On a related note, even though the intercourse is real, that doesn't mean the sexual ecstasy is, but Forså is a brilliant performer in this regard. You may even believe she's having the best sex of her life. This is of course not the norm for softcore and porn actresses, whose fakery generally is obvious. But Forså is a force of nature. We don't know if there's a legally available version of the movie with the Forså pans. If there is, that's the one to acquire. But either way, her innocent looks, combined with an uninhibited performance, make Butterflies a true blue classic. It premiered in Japan today in 1975.
JapanSwedenButterfliesMarie ForsåHarry ReemsEric EdwardsZoe Hendryposter artcinemasexploitationnudityxxxmovie review
