PRIVATE PARTS (1972)

 Paul Bartel, besides being a great character actor that shows up in many Roger Corman-produced films, was also a pretty amazing director. This is his first feature, after making a few short films, and it's a pretty awesome bit of cinematic weirdness. The plot sorta plays like a murder mystery but the killing seem to take a backseat along the way to just general strange goings on at an old hotel. There's an oddball cast of characters(including my favorite a flaming gay leather-daddy priest), a see-through blow-up doll that gets filled with water and blood for quite the visual, and a final message that's sure to offend most trannys in the year 2019(then again what doesn't?). Bartel name drops ALICE DOESN'T LIVE HERE ANYMORE except that movie didn't come out until 2 years later(so I guess he has prescient psychic abilities as well!). The character of Aunt Martha always makes me think of the movie titled SOMETIMES AUNT MARTHA DOES DREADFUL THINGS because she does! Definitely more rewatchable than that Howard Stern movie of the same name. Watch it on a double-feature with Bartel's equally wacky EATING RAOUL for added thrills.

CHOPPING MALL (1986)

 Kelli Maroney, from NIGHT OF THE COMET, and a few of her friends spend the night in a mall with killer robots(or KILLBOTS as the original title called them). CHOPPING MALL sounds like the title of a slasher movie, which this basically is, except instead of a homicidal killer you get 3 out of control, laser-shooting robots who might rip your neck out, electrocute you or blow your head to smithereens(in the films big money-shot/show-stopper scene). The plot is about as basic as it gets but all the elements are there(blood, boobs & beasts(technically metal beasts in this case but same idea))for a good stupid horror flick. As a bonus the film is only around 70 minutes long so you get in and out nice and quick.
 The cast in this is pretty sweet with Paul Bartel and Mary Woronov showing up in the beginning as their characters from EATING RAOUL which makes me want to go re-watch that film again soon and Dick Miller as Walter Paisley which was his character from A BUCKET OF BLOOD as well as a bunch of other things.
 Julie Corman was the producer here and her husband Roger's b-movie classic ATTACK OF THE CRAB MONSTERS shows up playing on TV.

NAUGHTY NURSE (1969)

 Paul Bartel's 2nd film is all about a kinky nurse and what kinda crazy s & m bondage antics she gets up to on her lunch break.  While this plays for under 10 minutes Bartel manages to tell a coherent story and even throw in a couple of twists at the end.  This film would be a great opening feature to play before EATING RAOUL since they both deal with sexual perversions.  Thanks to this film Gene Corman decided on Bartel to direct PRIVATE PARTS and we got some great slices of cinematic weirdness. 

THE SECRET CINEMA (1968)

                                      "I can love only one thing Jane, the cinema"

Paul Bartel was one of my favorite directors from the 70's & 80's.  From PRIVATE PARTS to DEATH RACE 2000 to EATING RAOUL his films all have a crazy energy to them that I can really get into so it was great to get a chance to check out his first film here which is a pretty neat 30 minute short.  The story concerns a woman named Jane who has a suspicion that her life is secretly being filmed for a movie.  This basic story has been recycled by Hollywood for that stupid TRUMAN SHOW movie and before that Woody Allen made something similar and I'm sure there have been others but for me it works better in short form here.  It's a horror/comedy/drama mix that Bartel was only able to make cuz he stole some film and equipment from a company he worked for.  That's what real dedicated filmmakers do.  My favorite character is Jane's boyfriend who splits up with her because she doesn't share his obsession with cinema.  I can really relate to that fellow and I feel his pain.  The insane director is also a nice touch.  I think the main thing I find amusing is that the horrifying idea presented in this film, being filmed constantly and having no privacy, is something internet-obsessed, reality TV-loving people today would love to have happen to them.
 Bartel later remade this as an episode of Steven Spielberg's AMAZING STORIES but I can't imagine that a bigger budgeted TV-version of this would be all that great.