'Erotic Tales'
MONTREAL -- The marketers for this anthology of short films by notable filmmakers have their work cut out for them. Not just because anthology films traditionally don't do well at the boxoffice (not even "New York Stories", with its superstar directors and Disney marketing muscle), but also because most of the films in this collection are not very good and even worse, not very erotic.
Shown in two parts at the Montreal World Film Festival, "Erotic Tales (Part One)" consists of efforts by Ken Russell, Melvin Van Peebles and Paul Cox.
Russell's film, "The Insatiable Mrs. Kirsch", is perhaps the most entertaining, but the thinness of the humor makes it slight at best. A man vacationing at a seaside resort becomes obsessed with a beautiful blond woman who has the habit of eating various foods (corn on the cob, sausages) in a way that stimulates his imagination. He follows her around and becomes even more intrigued by the sound of a vibrator that constantly emanates from her room. Finally summoning up the courage to approach her, he winds up being invited to her room, where he discovers things are not what they seem. Russell seems to be having a good time with the material, but there's only so far he can go with it.
The most egregious effort is easily Van Peeble's "Vrooom Vroom Vroooom", a sloppily made, poorly acted bit of nonsense about a lonely nebbish who befriends an elderly woman who turns out to be a sorceress. She grants him two wishes, the first of which turns out to be a gleaming new motorcycle. Speeding down the highway, he discovers that it is also his second wish, since in mid-drive it turns into a beautiful woman. Although the morphing effect (endlessly repeated) is kind of nifty, the film lacks any point or true wit.
Paul Cox's "Touch Me", about the burgeoning sexual relationship between two women, an art teacher and the nude model for her class, is another slight effort, but at least it provides some heat. In a gentle and subtle progression, the younger woman rediscovers herself and her sexuality, and a scene in which she enjoys a fireside massage is both erotic and tender. The film's more stylistic flourishes, such as emotionally liberating messages emerging from a fax machine, don't really work, but at least it's something more than an extended goof.
EROTIC TALES (PART ONE)
Presented by Regina Ziegler
Mercure Distribution
THE INSATIABLE MRS. KIRSCH
Director Ken Russell
Screenplay Ken Russell, Hetty Baynes
Photography Hong Manley
Editor Xavier Russell
Starring: Hetty Baynes, Simon Shepherd
Running time: 25 minutes
VROOOM VROOM VROOOOM
Director/Screenplay/Editor/Music Melvin Van Peebles
Photography Igor Sunara
Starring: Richard Barboza, Laura Lane, Dewar Zazee, Kim Smith
Running time: 30 minutes
TOUCH ME
Director Paul Cox
Screenplay Paul Cox, Barry Dickins, Margot Wiburd
Photography Nino Martinetti
Editor Paul Cox
Music Ranjit Saha
Starring: Gosia Dobrowolska, Claudia Karvan, Chris Haywood, Barry Otto
Running time: 26 minutes
(c) The Hollywood Reporter...
Shown in two parts at the Montreal World Film Festival, "Erotic Tales (Part One)" consists of efforts by Ken Russell, Melvin Van Peebles and Paul Cox.
Russell's film, "The Insatiable Mrs. Kirsch", is perhaps the most entertaining, but the thinness of the humor makes it slight at best. A man vacationing at a seaside resort becomes obsessed with a beautiful blond woman who has the habit of eating various foods (corn on the cob, sausages) in a way that stimulates his imagination. He follows her around and becomes even more intrigued by the sound of a vibrator that constantly emanates from her room. Finally summoning up the courage to approach her, he winds up being invited to her room, where he discovers things are not what they seem. Russell seems to be having a good time with the material, but there's only so far he can go with it.
The most egregious effort is easily Van Peeble's "Vrooom Vroom Vroooom", a sloppily made, poorly acted bit of nonsense about a lonely nebbish who befriends an elderly woman who turns out to be a sorceress. She grants him two wishes, the first of which turns out to be a gleaming new motorcycle. Speeding down the highway, he discovers that it is also his second wish, since in mid-drive it turns into a beautiful woman. Although the morphing effect (endlessly repeated) is kind of nifty, the film lacks any point or true wit.
Paul Cox's "Touch Me", about the burgeoning sexual relationship between two women, an art teacher and the nude model for her class, is another slight effort, but at least it provides some heat. In a gentle and subtle progression, the younger woman rediscovers herself and her sexuality, and a scene in which she enjoys a fireside massage is both erotic and tender. The film's more stylistic flourishes, such as emotionally liberating messages emerging from a fax machine, don't really work, but at least it's something more than an extended goof.
EROTIC TALES (PART ONE)
Presented by Regina Ziegler
Mercure Distribution
THE INSATIABLE MRS. KIRSCH
Director Ken Russell
Screenplay Ken Russell, Hetty Baynes
Photography Hong Manley
Editor Xavier Russell
Starring: Hetty Baynes, Simon Shepherd
Running time: 25 minutes
VROOOM VROOM VROOOOM
Director/Screenplay/Editor/Music Melvin Van Peebles
Photography Igor Sunara
Starring: Richard Barboza, Laura Lane, Dewar Zazee, Kim Smith
Running time: 30 minutes
TOUCH ME
Director Paul Cox
Screenplay Paul Cox, Barry Dickins, Margot Wiburd
Photography Nino Martinetti
Editor Paul Cox
Music Ranjit Saha
Starring: Gosia Dobrowolska, Claudia Karvan, Chris Haywood, Barry Otto
Running time: 26 minutes
(c) The Hollywood Reporter...
- 9/8/1994
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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