Good Morning... and Goodbye!

I like GOOD MORNING...AND GOODBYE! Yes, the whole thing is silly. The soapy elements are annoying but visually this movie rocks. Just look at the beginning of the movie, with the credits on the mailboxes. Fun and original. Even though I didn't care much about plight of the old man (impotence), I thought the whole visual juxtaposition of the horny construction worker (who sleeps with every women in town) against the rich old man who can't satisfy his own wife worked in a wicked way, certainly when this culminates in a bloody fist fight between the old man and the beefy construction worker at the end of the movie. Yep, sex and violence. And then there's Haji, who plays the earthy sorceress who helps the old man regain his mojo. She's the film's most beautiful woman, imo. It's obvious Haji had a lot of fun doing this picture.

The film is dated on several levels. But the almost minimalist approach to the filmmaking (and the sometimes stunning photography) gives the movie a sorta timeless feel to it, which counters the really dated aspects. All in all, a pretty good Russ Meyer flick.

'Good Morning... and Goodbye!' is one of Russ Meyer's more obscure movies. I wouldn't recommend it as an introduction to Meyer's strangely skewed world of sex and violence, but anybody already into his movies will not be disappointed. The best thing about the movie is the opening voice-over dialogue which I wish I could quote at length. It's priceless and pure Meyer, and is narrated over a montage of action shots which include most of the movie's nudity (which is very little). Written by Jack Moran, who also scripted Meyer's classic 'Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill!' and his extremely underrated 'Common Law Cabin', it stars the wonderful Stuart Lancaster from the former, and the beautiful Alaina Capri, from the latter. Lancaster is one of Meyer's best loved actors, and Capri is arguably his most underrated actress. She only starred in two of his movies, but was not only hot, but played the bitch goddess roles as good as Eric Gavin ('Vixen!'). Why she is hardly mentioned when anyone discusses Meyer's leading ladies is a mystery to me. Lancaster and Capri play an unhappily married couple. Lancaster is rich but impotent, and Capri is sexually frustrated. Add to this Capri's blue collar boyfriend, and Lancaster's blossoming teenage daughter and you're set for some typically hysterical Meyer soap operaisms. To top it all off Haji memorably appears as a witch who gives Lancaster back his mojo. 'Good Morning... and Goodbye!' wouldn't make my list of favourite Russ Meyer movies, but it by no means his worst effort, and pretty entertaining. Fans should enjoy it, but beginners are advised to start with 'Faster Pussycat!' or 'Supervixens' for the real deal.

When you read about Russ Meyer, people usually write about Erica Gavin, Edie Williams, Tura Satana, but I never hear anyone mention how wonderful Alaina Capri is as Angel in Good Morning and Goodbye. Before Vixen, Alaina Capri was the super-bitch with an unquenchable thirst for sins of the flesh. Smoldering bitch glare, perfect dark brown mountain of hair that is always set perfectly, arched eyebrows, she really is the perfect RM archetype. This is a sexploitation film but it is very unique in it's frank depiction of human sexuality. Most films of this era have men that are in control love machines, this one deals with the crippling affects male impotence can have on connubial bliss. The women in 'Good Morning..' demand their sexual needs. Unconventional for its time. I love the scene when Angel gets so horny that she drives to the construction sight and lays on the horn alerting her stud of her presence. This film is also a great showcase for Haji. I love that she is dressed like Eve, Mother of the Earth, her silver fig leafs covering her bronze body, she teaches Burt( the impotent husband) how to make love again with her sexual witchcraft. Haji's role is mysterious, sometimes it is depicting her as a invisible nymph watching and manipulating the other players like Puck in A Midsummer's Nights Dream... other times she is seen interacting with the characters... Is she good? Is she evil? Indeed does she exist at all? This movie is campy and silly but one gets the feeling that the director is in on the joke. The opening narration is some of the funniest dialogue of all time ("They're like a beef stew..."). Although Roger Ebert basically dismissed this film and 'Common Law Cabin' in his retrospective of RM's work as being his lesser films, I think 'Beyond the Valley of the Dolls' pays many homages in its screenplay to 'Good Morning...' The photography is beautiful, Russ Meyer was a master of blending art and sexploitation.

Like "Common Law Cabin" and "Finders Keepers Lovers Weepers" this flick a somewhat typically Meyer sex/drama morality play spiced with wicked dialogue and busty chicks. Burl (Meyer regular Stuart Lancaster) is a rich impotent farmer who's sexy nympho wife (Alaina Capri of "Common..") fool around a lot because, eh, she's a nympho! Burl then takes a trip to the woods to sulk and meets a "sex witch" (the exotic Haji from "Faster Pussycat, Kill! Kill!") who revitalizes him to satisfy his young wife..and happy times are back again! The dialogue, editing, photography are topnotch as usual with Meyer-flicks but the plot (except for Hajis role) are a bit routine. It's no "Faster Pussycat..", "Mudhoney" or "Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls" but still one Russ' better ones (I've seen 17 of Meyers films and I like'em all, so it's hard to be objective). A must for fans!

Good Morning... and Goodbye! is one of the movies from Russ Meyer's soap opera period. It isn't really a comedy as such; it's more of an extremely over-the-top melodrama. It's basically about a rich but impotent husband (Stuart Lancaster from various Meyer vehicles) and his sexually dissatisfied wife (Alaina Capri from Common Law Cabin) who, due to the lack of sexual fireworks at home, takes a blue collar lover. She does not hide this fact from her husband at all. This leads to all manner of confrontations where men and women talk harshly to one another Meyer style.

Jack Moran the screenwriter of Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill! Is the writer here and it shows. The dialogue is filled with the gloriously vicious put downs and nonsensical hipster talk that we've come to expect. Alaina Capri in particular gets a barrel-load of great lines and she delivers them with gusto. Capri is awesome in this film. She is without doubt one of the sexiest women to grace a Meyer picture. Her pneumatic figure, coupled with her strong beautiful features, make her a perfect super-bitch for an RM production. Meyer, it goes without saying, photographs her to perfection and she owns every scene she is in. She isn't really an actress but she delivers her lines in that curious way that all women seem to in RM productions – half shouting, half sneering – which for some unknown reason always works brilliantly. Alaina Capri is truly the most underrated Russ Meyer actress. She just oozes charismatic sex appeal. And all her bits seem to be in the right places. Another Meyer regular Haji appears too in a memorable role as a supernatural sorceress. Haji was the most quirky of all Meyer women, a true free spirit who is clearly in her element in this movie as a creature of nature at one with the forest. She interacts with Stuart Lancaster's impotent husband and gives him back his missing sex drive. Lancaster is, as usual, great but RM productions are always really about the leading ladies.

Technically it's up to the usual high standards we expect from a Meyer flick. His photography and quick editing are all great once more. It isn't one of his more outrageous films as there isn't much nudity and the violence is restricted to a couple of bloody punch ups. Even the story is fairly routine. However, don't worry this is a great RM movie. Alaina Capri and Haji are fabulous. Jack Moran delivers another bunch of great lines. And Russ films it all with loving care. Just great.