movie@missthe.UUCP (01/23/85)
First off, this IS a serious review. (Gene??) The reason that we aren't signing our names is that we don't want to admit that we actually went to the theatre, spent money for it, and sat through the whoooooooole thing. (burp!) Seriously, we aren't the type that likes blood and gore, and we hated Fri 13th. The other two of that title were significantly worse, we've heard, although we didn't bother to find out. "The Perils of Gwendoline" is even worse, AND THERE *IS* NO BLOOD AND/OR GORE TO SPEAK OF. ***SPOILER WARNING, IF THIS MESS CAN BE SPOILED*** Imagine a whole stereotyped Chinese city with stereotypical sinister Chinese starving crooks living it. Imagine a movie that starts out in such an offensive and demeaning (to orientals, that is) place. Now, then. Introduce a stacked, sexy, utterly helpless and coweringly powerless idiot heroine who is nailed in a box, kidnapped (in that order, please), tied up, rescued by THE HERO, tied up, rescued, tied up, (I think you get the idea!?)... Of course, her utterly repugnant, ugly, mousy, and totally devoted sidekick has a lot to do with the rescuing... Oh yes, did we mention that the hero is also caught, tied up, rescued, tied up, escapes, tied up, escapes, tied up, RAPED (By the heroine, no less, who is from a CONVENT, and who has to ASK HOW to do it, and who IS FORCED to do it on top of everything else, pun intentional!), and rescued. (Assume the whole audience is laughing their heads off at this seemingly unintentional farce.) Add a few stereotypes of the worst of American, Oriental, and African individuals. And all for a butterfly. Sure. Riiiiiight! Would you like to buy a bridge? I have a big one for sale, too. Sure I do. Let's assume we have this whole mess. What DO we have? "The Perils of Gwendoline". Oh. You guessed it? (So why are you soooo suprised already? Here's the deed to your bridge.) Somehow, we almost thought that the movie could have been intended as a farce, but it doesn't seem that way. Oh yeah, we also noticed that it was originally filmed in a language other than English and overdubbed. We didn't find out where because we left at the beginning of the credits for the first time since either of us grew up. (signed) Not Gene Siskel and what's his face
ecl@ahuta.UUCP (e.leeper) (01/28/85)
REFERENCES: <666@missthe.UUCP> (Sorry to inflict this on everyone, but I have to post this response, because whoever wrote the original stripped off their name...) > First off, this IS a serious review. (Gene??) The reason that we > aren't signing our names is that we don't want to admit that > we actually went to the theatre, spent money for it, and sat > through the whoooooooole thing. (burp!) Well, I'm willing to admit that not only did I go to a theatre, spent money for it, and sat through the whole thing, but that I actually enjoyed it! > Seriously, we aren't the type that likes blood and gore, > and we hated Fri 13th. The other two of that title were > significantly worse, we've heard, although we didn't > bother to find out. "The Perils of Gwendoline" is even worse, > AND THERE *IS* NO BLOOD AND/OR GORE TO SPEAK OF. This is supposed to establish you as legitimate reviewers? In fact, my one complaint about this film would be the gratuitous violence. > > ***SPOILER WARNING, IF THIS MESS CAN BE SPOILED*** > > Imagine a whole stereotyped Chinese city with stereotypical > sinister Chinese starving crooks living it. Imagine a > movie that starts out in such an offensive and demeaning > (to orientals, that is) place. It's a parody, folks, that's why it's stereotyped!!! > Now, then. Introduce a stacked, sexy, utterly helpless and > coweringly powerless idiot heroine who is nailed in a box, > kidnapped (in that order, please), tied up, rescued by THE > HERO, tied up, rescued, tied up, (I think you get the idea!?)... Helpless? Hardly. She wipes out several trained warriors before the end of the film. Idiot? Again, hardly. She manages to maneuver the hero and everyone else around her to do just what she wants. If anyone's an idiot it's the hero. > Of course, her utterly repugnant, ugly, mousy, and totally > devoted sidekick has a lot to do with the rescuing... Her sidekick is quite good-looking in a cute sort of way--not at all repugnant or mousy. > Oh yes, did we mention that the hero is also caught, tied up, rescued, tied up, > escapes, tied up, escapes, tied up, RAPED (By the heroine, no > less, who is from a CONVENT, and who has to ASK HOW to do it, > and who IS FORCED to do it on top of everything else, pun > intentional!), and rescued. (Assume the whole audience is laughing > their heads off at this seemingly unintentional farce.) That's how French comics are--heavily into B&D. And it's intentional farce. > Add a few stereotypes of the worst of American, Oriental, > and African individuals. > > And all for a butterfly. Sure. Riiiiiight! Would you like to > buy a bridge? I have a big one for sale, too. Sure I do. > > Let's assume we have this whole mess. What DO we have? > "The Perils of Gwendoline". Oh. You guessed it? (So why are > you soooo suprised already? Here's the deed to your bridge.) > > Somehow, we almost thought that the movie could have been intended > as a farce, but it doesn't seem that way. Oh yeah, we also > noticed that it was originally filmed in a language other > than English and overdubbed. We didn't find out where because > we left at the beginning of the credits for the first time > since either of us grew up. Well, I stayed through all the credits (always do). It was filmed on location in Tunisia (I believe) and some place else, but it was a Parafrance (French) film in any case. > (signed) > Not Gene Siskel and what's his face Evelyn C. Leeper ...{ihnp4, houxm, hocsj}!ahuta!ecl
cher@ihlpm.UUCP (Mike Cherepov) (01/30/85)
> > Well, I stayed through all the credits (always do). It was filmed on location > in Tunisia (I believe) and some place else, but it was a Parafrance (French) > film in any case. > > Evelyn C. Leeper > ...{ihnp4, houxm, hocsj}!ahuta!ecl I think credits mentioned Morocco. Friend of mine recognized the language spoken by people in the junk boat - it was Tagalog, so the location must have been around Philippines. About the movie: I thought it was wonderfully absurd, and designed to provide a lot of laughs - successfully. I enjoyed what seemed like slight spoof of some Indiana Jones' and Romancing the Stone lines. Mike Cherepov