Written and directed by Paul Morrissey (
Flesh for Frankenstein,
Blood For Dracula).
Based on an idea from John Hallowell. Cinematography by Paul Morrissey, and Music by John Cale.
The film stars Joe Dallesandro as Joey Davis, Sylvia Miles as Sally Todd, Andrea Feldman as Jessica, Pat Ast as Lydia, the motel owner, Ray Vestal as Ray, the producer, Lester Persky as Sidney, Eric Emerson as Eric, Gary Kaznocha as Gary, Harold Stevenson as Harold, John Hallowell as Gossip columnist, Pat Parlemon as Girl by the pool, Bonnie Walder as Bonnie.
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| Joe Dallesandro as Joey Davis |
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| Sylvia Miles as Sally Todd |
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| Pat Ast as Lydia |
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| Andrea Feldman as Jessica |
A loose remake of Sunset Blvd. The William Holden struggling writer character is replaced by Joe Dallesandro's Joey Davis, a former child star who is now a piece of beefcake who gets by on his looks and as a sort of gigolo. The Gloria Swanson character is split into two women, Pat Ast plays Lydia a dive motel owner who lets Joey stay in a room for his sexual services, and Sally Todd a still hot to trot actress who was once almost somebody. Sally lives in a mansion that was part of her alimony settlement. Sally has a daughter (Andrea Feldman) who is flirting with the idea of becoming a lesbian. She also lives at the motel with her baby boy and her girlfriend.
The motel has other whacked out characters that flitter in and out through the main storylines.
Joey was a regular on Mousetime, U.S.A. and The Big Ranch, where he actually was in a show that had Sally as a "guest star." When Sally meets Joey the motel, it's lust at first sight. Sally hires Joey to be her pool cleaner and to also unclog her "pipes."
After Joey does a lot of playing hide the sausage with Sally, she puts a good word for Joey in at a production meeting. When Joey dumps Sally for a brunette more his age Sally goes Noirsville.
Noirsville
This is way more talky for it's own good, the dialogs and monologs drag on way past their shelf life. It should have been way more visual you'd thin than it is, for a film involved with artist Andy Warhol. Its basically audio trash that may have shocked back in the day but it's just blah now, with uninteresting visuals. The minimum budget gives us a motel set with a poolside. The interior of a few motel rooms, along with the interior and exterior of Sally's mansion and the pool there. Its not a visual treat.
From the same year John Waters Pink Flamingos has the shockingly decadent dialogs too but its also way more visual, depicting the seamy slums of Baltimore as another one of the characters.
Not really a film that's anything to get excited about, skip it. 5/10
Andy Warhol's BAD is a bit more what we are looking for.
