Though I agree with the criticism that this movie is often slow moving and that many of the cast members are talent impaired, I actually enjoyed "The Minx." It's like American-made Eurosleaze. Scheming corporate tycoon Henry Baxter (deep-voiced department store mannequin Robert Rodan) plots a takeover of another company, screwing over his wealthy wife Louise (Jan Sterling) and brother-in-law Ben (Ned Cary). But Henry's not the only one plotting, and when he puts Ben in charge of procuring hookers for a weekend business retreat he sets himself up for a blackmail scheme involving the titular Minx, a group of sexy spies/prostitutes, lead by redhead Shirley Parker. And for added '60s grooviness, it's all set to a soundtrack provided by The Cyrkle.
The filmmakers try to give this standard issue exploitation plot a little bit of style, but their reach often exceeds their grasp. Many of its problems could be fixed with simple editing. There are several scenes that go on too long, like when Parker sets up her surveillance equipment at a hunting lodge, a scene that's only of interest to those who just can't grasp how one might hide a tape recorder in a moose head or conceal a camera behind a bad painting. The sex scenes are artfully done, even though many of them were obviously spliced in later to appeal to prurient interests, sometimes to comical effect. (Example: someone references Henry's swinging parties in college and there's an abrupt cut to a naked guy in horn rims jumping on a bed with a topless babe while a drunken crowd watches, laughing hysterically. These people have nothing to do with the rest of the movie.) There is a fair amount of flesh on display, and, yes, Rodan does bare his tush, although it could just as likely be a stand-in (a nice behind all the same).
Cranking the drama up to 11 is Jan Sterling, as Henry's neglected wife, her histrionic performance falling somewhere between Eleanor Parker's in "An American Dream" and Susan Hayward's in "Valley of the Dolls." Despite getting star billing, Sterling's part is small and that's too bad; had "The Minx" given more time to her character and less to Parker's hiding surveillance equipment the movie would double its entertainment value, but that would require more writing than producers evidently wanted to put into this thing. Nevertheless, I enjoyed "The Minx" for its awkward (and failing) attempts to appeal to both the art house and grindhouse audiences.
