Wild Gals of the Naked West / Black Snake

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Wild Gals of the Naked West (1962) Black Snake (1973)

(aka "Immoral Girls of the Naked West" or "Naked Gals of the Golden West" or "The Immoral West" or "The Naked West-and How It Was Lost" )

directed by Russ Meyer
USA 1962

Wild Gals of the Naked West was one of the so-called "nudie cuties" made by cult director Russ Meyer, but as with the others he crafted in this style, it is less popular with his fans, never mind those who don't avidly follow his work, and considered a lesser work in the filmmaker's canon. However, as far as the accoutrements of an almost plotless spoof of Westerns go, it is strikingly photographed in bright, often primary colours, using stylised set design and cartoonish imagery that renders this one of his best looking films, especially as he reverted to black and white for many of his mid-sixties films, not that those efforts looked worse, but it was a marked change in approach.

Excerpt of review from Graeme Clark located HERE

Posters

Theatrical Release: May 9th, 1962 (USA)

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DVD Review: Arrow Films (The Russ Meyer Collection) - Region 0 - PAL

DVD Box Cover

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Distribution

Arrow Films

Region 0 - PAL

Also available in the Russ Meyer Collection which includes 18 films!

Runtime

1:01:02

Video

1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio
Average Bitrate: 5.52 mb/s
PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s

NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.

Bitrate

Audio

English (Dolby Digital 2.0)

Subtitles

None

Features

Release Information:
Studio: Arrow Films

Aspect Ratio:
Fullscreen - 1.33:1

Edition Details:
• Trailer Reel
• TV Spots

DVD Release Date: June 20th, 2005
Keep Case

Chapters 6

Comments

"Wild Gals of the Naked West" and "Black Snake" may well be the single most bizarre pairing of films in the Russ Meyer box set. Thematically they couldn't be further apart. The first film of this double bill is a nearly plotless series of vignettes that all involve the corniest of cornball humor, mixed with a fair amount of exposed breasts and bottoms. The jokes are all groaners and some completely nonsensical. Overall, this is a very messy and ultimately forgettable entry in Meyer's cannon. "Black Snake", on the other hand, may well be Meyer's most ambitious work, telling the story of a cruel slave owning family in the Caribbean who find themselves in the midst of a slave revolt. Despite the fact that this is unlike other Meyer films, it still bears his trademarks of unnecessary nudity and graphic violence. Both films are very, very odd, but ultimately I wouldn't call either good.

Unfortunately the image on this disc, and indeed all of the films included in Arrow's Russ Meyer Collection, can only be described as a disappointment. The image is incredibly soft and carries low levels of contrast and clarity. The image also contains very distracting ghosting that occurs during almost any movement, no matter how fast it is. Finally, the image is also interlaced. Even when my computer ran interlacing correcting programs, the combing was readily apparent. When they were turned off, horizontal movements looked like they do in the seventh capture on both films.

The sound on "Black Snake" was decent enough, but the audio track for "Wild Gals of the Naked West" left a lot to be desired. Of all of the films included in the box set, this is the only one that has a near constant series of audio interference in the form of cracks and hisses. Unfortunately there are no subtitles on the release.

The only extras included are a trailer reel and a series of TV spots that are found on a number of the releases in this collection.

Given the A/V problems with this disc and the mediocre to poor nature of the films, I'd recommend staying clear of this release unless you're a Meyer completist. If you have the boxset, then they're worth a whirl, otherwise pass on this subpar release.

- The Immoral Mr. Teas

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Screen Captures

Heavy Combing and Ghosting

(aka "Black Snake: The Whip" or "Dutchess of Doom" or "Slaves" or "Sweet Suzie" )

directed by Russ Meyer
USA 1973

A gorgeous mix of sex, violence, social comment, and film parody, set in the Caribbean in 1853, with Hempel as the whip-wielding plantation mistress taking black slaves as studs until they finally revolt. Catch the super sermon by a crucified rebel (complete with choral backing), and Meyer's final eulogy to racial harmony (i.e. miscegenation). Makes even Mandingo look serious.

Excerpt of review from Timd Out London located HERE

Posters

Theatrical Release: March 28th, 1973

Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews

DVD Review: Arrow Films (The Russ Meyer Collection) - Region 0 - PAL

DVD Box Cover		CLICK to order from:
Distribution	Arrow Films Region 0 - PAL
Runtime	1:22:27
Video	2.35:1 Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced Average Bitrate: 6.5 mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate
Audio	English (Dolby Digital 2.0)
Subtitles	None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Arrow Films Aspect Ratio: Widescreen anamorphic - 2.35:1 Edition Details: DVD Release Date: Chapters 6