Mudhoney (1965)

This fevered slice of Southern grotesque would be psychotic by most directors' standards. However, in comparison with breastmaster extraordinaire Russ Meyer's other works, this one seems almost subdued. It's still a hoot, though, with a few gorgeous women romping around in states of undress and snarling, scenery-chewing performances and Meyer's closeups reaching an almost Expressionistic peak. Also fits nicely into Russ's Nudies-With-a-Message canon, this one being a warning against the perils of fanaticism and groupthink. In this, the film is downright clever at holding its motives in secret until the last few minutes, where we find out who the true villain of the piece has been all along. (Sidney Brenshaw's progress from devious to monstrous to pathetic shouldn't work but does.) Bring on Lorna in my opinion.

Grade: B+