Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!

Three go-go dancers race cars in the desert. They provoke a young couple they run into, it turns into a fight and the man dies. They take the girl with them and drive off. On the road they reach the ranch of an old man in a wheelchair who is said to have money hidden, and the three decide to stay. The subject is not eroticism but who holds the power. The women talk, fight, drive and decide; every man is drawn as either stupid, pitiful or depraved. That inversion is the real reason for the film's present reputation. The form is surprisingly skilled. The black and white is harshly contrasted, the framings come from below, the cutting is fast. The desert chases are brisk and clean despite the money. It drew no interest on release and failed commercially. It became a cult item years later, from the end of the seventies; John Waters praised it and had much to do with its recognition. It is the Russ Meyer film people cite. Tura Satana plays Varla, the leader, and performed her own fight scenes; Haji and Lori Williams are the other two. Who it is for: viewers curious about sixties independent exploitation and genre landmarks. Who it is not for: anyone who will find the praise for its women overstated; the film is empowering and exploitative at once.