Private Parts [DVD]

Not to be confused with Howard Stern's 1997 film of the same name (which I liked), Private Parts (1972) is an excellent, early effort from writer/actor/director Paul Bartel (Death Race 2000, Eating Raoul), who, sadly, passed away in 2000. Produced by Gene Corman (Night of the Blood Beast, Attack of the Giant Leeches), brother to Roger Corman, the film features Ayn Ruymen ("The McLean Stevenson Show"), John Ventantonio (Alien Lover), and Lucille Benson (Duel, Halloween II). Also appearing is Laurie Main (Time After Time, My Chauffeur), Ann Gibbs (Dear Dead Delilah), Stanley Livingston (Smokey and the Hotwire Gang), Charles Woolf (Elvira, Mistress of the Dark), and Bartel himself, in a humorous cameo as `Man in Park'.Seems not too long ago Judy (Gibbs) and Cheryl (Ruymen), a pair of midwestern girls, left their humble beginnings behind for the west coast, ending up in a crummy apartment on the beach in LA. The pair eventually have a falling out, partly over the fact Cheryl, who's jailbait through and through, gets her kicks on peeping on Judy and her boyfriend getting their freak on, and Cheryl splits, stealing Judy's wallet in the process. Seems Cheryl has a relative in the area, an Aunt Martha (Benson), who just happens to run a shabby flophouse of sorts, the King Edward Hotel to be exact, in a seedy part of town. Aunt Martha reluctantly agrees to let Cheryl stay, but on one condition, that Cheryl not wander around the hotel alone (a condition she repeatedly violates as the film progresses). This seems like sound advice, given some of the residents like Mr. Lovejoy, the perpetual drunk, Reverend Moon (Main), a phony baloney minister who's got a thing for astrology and brawny, young men, and George (Ventantonio), the creepy photographer who lives on the third floor and has a hobby of snapping photos of couples copulating in the park at night. Anyway, not too long after, Judy's boyfriend comes around to warn Cheryl about an angry Judy (Cheryl stole Judy's money, remember?), followed by Judy herself, both probably wishing they hadn't...Cheryl's room seems comfortable enough, except for the strange noises coming from next door. Aunt Martha assures Cheryl that room is empty, but Cheryl's not convinced, so she steals the master keys and checks it out for herself...turns out it is empty, but notices various peep holes that look into her room along with the bathroom she uses. Also, one of the residents of the hotel has taken a real shine to our little Cheryl, leaving notes and small presents for her in her room. With the stolen master keys, Cheryl begins sneaking into other's rooms, trying to match the handwriting on the notes left for her in her room, and eventually learns a number of things, including information about the mysterious disappearance of a young woman named Alice, who used to live in the hotel...there are many secrets and strange relationships hidden away within the King Edward, the hotel where few check in, and no one checks out...This was a very odd movie, and I really enjoyed it. The story may not be all that unique, but it's told with flair, originality, and a dark, comic undertone that kept me interested throughout (the seediness and squalor of the characters quickly overshadows that of the hotel and its surroundings). The really interesting aspect for me was how, as the movie started, it just seemed a series of loosely connected events and strange details not really leading anywhere, but later on I began to realize this wasn't the case, as there was a sly subtly in the hinting of the material in terms of the various relationships and past occurrences with the hotel and its residents. I did manage to figure out what was happening before it was actually revealed (although I wasn't 100 percent sure until the story gave up its goodies), but I felt this was partly an intentional choice by Bartel, the director, and not the result of any weaknesses in the story or direction. As far as the characters, there weren't many I liked, but it didn't have an adverse effect on my liking the movie. Cheryl was a petulant, sneaky, ingratiating, thieving little tease who had no problem lying to others, sticking her nose where it didn't belong, and just being a pest in general (she was cute, though)...sounds like a typical teenager to me...and then there's Aunt Martha, who seems kind enough at first (slightly off, perhaps), allowing Cheryl to stay and such, but her quirky ideas and bizarre beliefs begin to illustrate the nature of her reality (or unreality), and how different it is from what many of us would probably consider normal. At first her concern for Cheryl's welfare seems genuine, but then later it seems it wasn't so much concern for Cheryl, but the effect of Cheryl's presence on some of the other residents of the hotel. And finally there's George, who has a strange, exotic air about him, one that quickly turns ominous, as his peculiar predilections (inflatable love dolls, huge hypodermic needles, etc.) become known. Turns out he and Cheryl have something in common, that of peeping, and from this develops a relationship as she feels he's the only one who sees her as something than what is really is (jailbait), but his desires soon escalate far beyond that of what Cheryl could have ever imagined. My favorite part of the film is the last ten minutes, as the humor comes fast and furious as the father of a missing, local teen shows up with the police in tow, looking for his son. As the group begins to uncover certain peccadilloes, their quips and comments are a riot, especially given how naturally they throw them about. Also, the sequence with Aunt Martha's pet rat Whitey and the electrified key ring is a real hoot. Bartel made a number of films, some of them not so great, but when he's working with material that suits him, as is the case here, wonderfully tacky things ensue.The picture, presented in ananmorphic widescreen (1.85:1), looks very good, and the Dolby Digital mono audio comes through cleanly. There's little in the way of extras except for an original, theatrical trailer.Cookieman108By the way, the title for my review comes from a line near the end, spoken by an elderly female resident of the hotel, as the police are looking to question some of the hotel residents. There's nothing more appealing than hearing an 80 something year old woman talking about `jerking off'.

What a gem of a little movie. It's as seedy of a 1970s level exploitation film as you'll find. There is something very stark, voyeuristic and disturbing about it from the get-go. At times, it seems ludicrous that this would be a horror film, and then at others, it's hard to see it as anything but. Just a nice surprise and a terrific oddity from the director of EATING RAOUL. The ending was simultaneously stupid and enjoyable with a random laugh-out-loud moment that is right at home amid the chaos. And for horror aficionados, who still have a respect for non-torture porn, the violence is surprisingly graphic, especially for 1972. And I would be amiss not to mention Ayn Ruymen in the lead. Jail. Bait. (Though she was 25 years old at the time.) Don't know how this lady didn't have a bigger career. Absolutely stunning.

This movie was a missed opportunity more than anything else. It certainly had all the elements to make it a Grindhouse Classic but somehow missed the mark. Transvestism, voyeurism, muscle fetish, rodent killing—it’s all here, and it’s set in a wonderfully sleazy fleabag hotel, but not used or exploited in a way that would have made this film great. John Waters should have been a consultant—he could have helped make this all gel properly. Also, the casting of Stanley Livingston (“Chip” from MY THREE SONS) really does the film a disservice because he’s too associated with the TV show and it’s jarring and “removes” the viewer from the film. His scenes with his father and the two cops seem so out-of-place and seem a better fit for MY THREE SONS than this movie. I wanted to love this but was ultimately dissatisfied.

well howard stern is a cool dude i watch his show almost every night but ! this is about the other movie called private parts..the much older one..and i think even this movie is too weird for howard...well you should get it and i cant believe its not on dvd yet..i found this at hollywood video in seattle and fell in love with it..its a messed up plot that will take you places silence of the lambs only dream of...you wont be sorry buy it or something you have to see it i wish i could watch it with you..take care ( winks

Never liked death race . But this one blew me away and will grow up on me with time. The french subs was the reason why i bought it.

I found this movie by accident. I was looking for Howard Sterns movie. But I really enjoyed the movie. It was pretty good.

It's a film like I have never seen before. It was good.

Just sucks. How is this being passed off as acting? Or humor? It's boring.

J'aime, sans plus.