Discuție Lipstick
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A Little More than Standard Exploitation
postat de către northcoastSTAFFMOD pe data de 12 iunie 2025 la ora 8:50 PM
During my formative years in the 1980s and early 1990s, Lipstick (1976) was one of those B-grade exploitation movies that was shown (with nudity blurred and profanity muted) in heavy rotation very late at night/very early in the morning on regular American broadcast TV, and, if memory serves, unedited on Cinemax. It was also grouped with the "naughty" (but not pornographic) movies in the seedy corners of local video rental stores.
I watched both the edited broadcast version, and later rented the uncut video store VHS, all those years ago.
This movie was released theatrically (it was not straight-to-video), but it didn't turn a profit; however, with video rentals included, from what little information I've been able to glean, it does appear to have eventually made its money back, and then some, on what must have been a very low budget.
Revisiting this movie just recently, after having bought a one-dollar DVD (one of the thousands of various titles flooding the market following the collapse of America's last nationwide video store chain, Family Video, a few years ago) at a local flea market, it is clear why Lipstick still had a following, decades after its release:
The stunning beauty of Margaux Hemingway, a globally-known supermodel when Lipstick was released. (A beauty which, as so often seems to sadly happen, was both a blessing and a curse for her in real life. Sometimes being born average is not such a bad thing).
Ostensibly, Lipstick was supposed to be a serious study of the horror of sexual assault and the humiliating aftermath that many victims have to endure-- and this was how Hemingway was convinced to take the role --but, in reality, to most audiences it came across as pruriently voyeuristic, featuring as it did fairly graphic, and fairly frequent, nudity of the central character (Chris McCormick, played by Hemingway).
However, upon rewatch, I was surprised to see that Lipstick does have a little more going for it-- it does try to handle the aftermath of assault with some understanding, although the courtroom scenes do come across as ham-handed.
What is even more shocking, in my opinion, than the actual assault itself involving Margaux, is what happens near the very end of the film involving Margaux's real-life sister Mariel Hemingway (also playing her sister in the movie, Kathy), and her teacher (and her older sister's assailant) Gordon Stuart (played by Chris Sarandon). It's a terrifying sequence that will make your blood curdle.
Counterpoints to some scenes that some might find too hard to believe (without revealing major spoilers):
Mariel Hemingway was 14 in real life at the time, playing a girl who was 13. Children of that age often make decisions that adults would not. Keeping in mind the manipulative nature of her teacher, I don't think it's unrealistic for Kathy to find herself in the situation that she does with Gordon.
Chris McCormick (Margaux Hemingway) having the rifle-- remember, she and Kathy were going to go into the mountains, and it's alluded to earlier in the movie that Chris had experience with firearms. I did not think the situation portrayed in the movie was contrived, although it was convenient.
Final note:
In exploitation movies, the focus is often on female nudity. For the record, Chris Sarandon does have a nude scene in this movie. It is not during the rape scene, but it's still more than a little creepy, but for those who might wish to see a lingering view of his form, you've been informed.
Lipstick (1976):
Although still basically an exploitation movie, in certain places it does manage to rise above the usual schlock.
5 out of 10.
Răspuns de rooprect
pe data de 13 iunie 2025 la ora 3:33 PM
The trailer looks interesting and I see the director Lamont Johnson has a respectable history in TV (8 eps of The Twilight Zone, 14 eps of Peter Gunn, and holy cow this guy directed one of my fave B-scifis of the 80s, Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone !!)
I'd never heard of this, but lately I've been revisiting a lot of 70s "sexploitation" films, as you may have seen me raving on the boards about French cult director Jean Rollin. I've learned that in many ways 70s sexploitation & 70s B-movies in general were the equivalent of today's indie movement. Low budget producers & studios could make easy money on "sexy" films, and once in a while they'd get serious filmmakers, throw them a bunch of money and tell them they can do whatever they want as long as there are some naked chicks. Some serious filmmakers saw this as an opportunity make good low-budget films which they otherwise could never do.
In addition to a respectable director, the writer of Lipstick did "Columbo", "Night Gallery", Absence of Malice and the screenplay of The Firm, and the cast certainly has some star power (not just Margaux Hemingway but Anne Bancroft?!), so I'll keep my eyes peeled for a cheap DVD or blu-ray on ebay. Alas it looks like it's already achieving cult status, blu-rays selling for $30, so your $1 investment was pretty smart!
Răspuns de northcoast
pe data de 13 iunie 2025 la ora 7:22 PM
Thank you, rooprect!
Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone (1983) -- I remember that one. I had no idea Lamont directed it. It's been eons since I've seen it, but I remember I liked it. Molly Ringwald, that mainstay of 1980s teen movies, playing a steampunk space girl-- who would've guessed?!
And, yes, you're right about the deal I got on the Lipstick DVD -- and to think that it had been sitting in some guy's hot, exposed flea market tent. It amazes me how I can spend a little money on a beat-up, first-run DVD (it says 2003 on the disc, I think this was the first time Lipstick had been put into DVD format), but then sometimes brand-new discs that I buy (and spend a lot more money on) barely work; talk about frustration!
And I've been meaning to say, rooprect, that I really enjoyed your review of The Demoniacs (1974). I'd never heard of that movie, but I thought your review was very well-written and insightful. I've been a little disappointed that you got no replies, but judging by, over the last few days, how many of the posts here on TMDB have gotten no responses, I think the Summertime doldrums have set in. I think you've been here at least as long as I have, rooprect, and if you've noticed, from June - August activity here on TMDB really drops (the same thing used to happen on that other website, before they nuked their boards, the suicidal morons). I try to spend some more time outside myself in these warmer months, outside of the matrix;)
Always nice talking to you, as usual, rooprect!
Răspuns de bratface
pe data de 14 iunie 2025 la ora 2:38 AM
It's selling on Amazon (at the moment) for $11.88.
Răspuns de rooprect
pe data de 14 iunie 2025 la ora 8:30 AM
Thanks!!
Răspuns de rooprect
pe data de 14 iunie 2025 la ora 8:36 AM
Great talking to you as well nc. I like how you give films an extra look, not just dismissing them over budgetary flaws or whatnot, to uncover some interesting stuff. I found a few clips online and I gotta say Margaux's acting is really compelling.
Thanks for the kind words about my Demoniacs review! It's a hard one to find (I had to drop 25 bucks for the recent release), as with a lot of Rollin's films so I doubt there will be a ton of conversations on his stuff but it's fun to leave our thoughts out there anyway.
As for steampunk Molly Ringwald... absolutely! I wonder if her character served as a template for some of the gritty female action heroes that would come in the 90s and after. (Kinda reminiscent of Milla Jovovich in The Fifth Element, no?)
Răspuns de northcoast
pe data de 14 iunie 2025 la ora 10:35 AM
Although I may at times be blunt when it comes to my responses here on TMDB, when it comes right down to it, I've no right to be overly judgmental. If you peruse my DVD/Blu-Ray Collection list here on TMDB (it's publicly-available), you'll see that there are titles on there that are pretty much inarguable as to their general popularity-- but there are also a fair number that most people would scratch their heads over . . . but I don't care, I like them for various reasons (note that I didn't necessarily say that they were great)!:)
As for The Fifth Element, rooprect, I've heard mostly good things about it over the years, but I just can't get up the gumption to see it. It just never caught my fancy, Jovovich aside.
Răspuns de rooprect
pe data de 14 iunie 2025 la ora 12:11 PM
lol You and me both, I haven't seen The Fifth Element, I just know from the pictures that Milla Jovovich's short red hair and tough appearance look a lot like Molly Ringwald's "Niki" in Spacehunter.
It's kinda fun to trace the origins of the badass-female-protagonist since it's a relatively new thing, I'd say only gaining traction around the 00s with Tomb Raider, Underworld and Resident Evil. That's actually one of the reasons why I'm interested in Lipstick, to see if she's portrayed as a tough protagonist. Who knows, maybe even the entire 1970s rape/revenge genre (including the controversial I Spit on Your Grave) can be seen as a laying the groundwork for the badass-female-protagonist trend. But as we've been discussing, there's a fine line between female empowerment & exploitation masquerading as empowerment. Even to this day, we never get a badass female hero who isn't wearing skimpy or skintight attire 🤔
Răspuns de northcoast
pe data de 14 iunie 2025 la ora 12:19 PM
Excepting the panties scene at the very end of the first movie, we do have Sigourney Weaver as Ripley from the Alien franchise. She is neither conventionally attractive nor does she wear skimpy clothing, but she is, unmistakably, a badass.
Răspuns de rooprect
pe data de 14 iunie 2025 la ora 12:34 PM
BINGO. I agree Ripley's the first truly non-sexualized badass female protagonist. And she was a hit. Makes you wonder why that didn't signal Hollywood that we audiences don't require t&a from our female badasses. I think her androgynous look lends more credibility to the character & story. I certainly take Ripley more seriously than, say, Barbarella lol