Supervixens
Encyclopedia
Supervixens is a 1975 sexploitation
film by American filmmaker Russ Meyer
. The cast features Meyer regulars Charles Napier
, Uschi Digard
, and Haji. The film also features Shari Eubank
(in a dual role) in one of her only two film roles ever and Christy Hartburg
in her only film role ever.
's Super Service in the desert, finds himself too irresistible to a series of women, all of whom have the word "Super" in their given name
s. In the beginning, he is married to the hypersexual
, demanding, and jealous SuperAngel (Shari Eubank
), who constantly harasses him at work. She orders him home at once when she calls Clint and overhears a female customer, SuperLorna (Christy Hartburg
), hitting on him at work. Clint finds SuperAngel's constant accusations and arguing a turnoff and, back at home, they fight after he rejects her aggressive advances.
A neighbor calls the police as Clint leaves for a local bar, where the bartender is the very scantily clad SuperHaji (Haji).
Meanwhile, SuperAngel seduces Harry Sledge (Charles Napier
), the cop who responded to the police call. He is impotent and unable to perform. She repeatedly taunts and insults him over this, which finally results in him killing her by stomping her brutally in a bathtub, then throwing a radio in the water which was plugged into the wall socket. Sledge burns down the house, then tries to pin the murder on Clint. Clint claims being in the pub all night, but SuperHaji has her revenge on him (from insulting her breast size earlier) by refusing to confirm his alibi. Clint is then forced to flee.
In his rush to escape, Clint hitchhikes a ride from a man (John LaZar
) and his girlfriend SuperCherry (Colleen Brennan
). During the drive, SuperCherry comes on to him and puts his hand over her breast, but then pulls it back. She then tries to give him a handjob
over his pants, but he continues to resist her advances. The driver takes offense to Clint rejecting his girlfriend, but she says he probably just wants a closer contact. She again attempts and fails to seduce him and he asks the driver to let him get out. The driver follows him out and beats and robs him. Clint is found by an old farmer who takes him to his farm to heal from his injuries and Clint agrees to work for the farmer for a week to repay him.
The farmer has a younger Austrian mail-order bride
, SuperSoul (Uschi Digard
), who is hypersexual. After energetically satisfying her husband, she comes knocking on Clint's door at night. She immediately pushes him into his bed where she proceeds to mount and rape him, until he manages to overpower her. However, she does the same the following day and this time overpowering him after jumping him from behind in the barn. Looking for SuperSoul, the farmer finds them in the barn, then chases Clint away and punches SuperSoul.
Fleeing from the farm, Clint meets a motel owner and his deaf daughter, SuperEula (Deborah McGuire
), who convinces him to take a ride with her in her dune buggy to have sex in the desert. They are caught by her father and chased out of town.
Clint eventually meets up with SuperVixen (also played by Shari Eubank) at Supervixen's Oasis, a roadside diner. SuperVixen is (inexplicably) a friendly and giving reincarnation
of SuperAngel, whose ghost now appears nude between scenes to comment on the plot from atop a bedspring balanced on a mesa
. Clint and SuperVixen fall in love and are inseparable, although their common nemesis
, Harry Sledge, arrives on the scene and plots ending the lives of the now happy couple.
Sexploitation
Sexploitation, or "sex-exploitation", describes a class of independently produced, low-budget feature films generally associated with the 1960s and serving largely as a vehicle for the exhibition of non-explicit sexual situations and gratuitous nudity. The genre is a subgenre of exploitation films...
film by American filmmaker Russ Meyer
Russ Meyer
Russell Albion "Russ" Meyer was a U.S. motion picture director, producer, screenwriter, cinematographer, editor, actor and photographer....
. The cast features Meyer regulars Charles Napier
Charles Napier (actor)
Charles L. Napier was an American actor, known for his portrayals of square-jawed tough guys and military types.-Early life:...
, Uschi Digard
Uschi Digard
Uschi Digard is a Swedish former softcore porn star and model known for her roles in Russ Meyer films.- Early years :...
, and Haji. The film also features Shari Eubank
Shari Eubank
Shari Eubank is a retired American 1970s adult actress, who has only appeared in two films.-Early years:...
(in a dual role) in one of her only two film roles ever and Christy Hartburg
Christy Hartburg
Christy Hartburg is an actress and model who appears in Russ Meyer's Supervixens . She is the actress who adorns the famous poster for that film. She performed on several Bob Hope tours to Viet Nam in the late sixties and early seventies...
in her only film role ever.
Plot
Gas station attendant Clint Ramsey, who works at Martin BormannMartin Bormann
Martin Ludwig Bormann was a prominent Nazi official. He became head of the Party Chancellery and private secretary to Adolf Hitler...
's Super Service in the desert, finds himself too irresistible to a series of women, all of whom have the word "Super" in their given name
Given name
A given name, in Western contexts often referred to as a first name, is a personal name that specifies and differentiates between members of a group of individuals, especially in a family, all of whose members usually share the same family name...
s. In the beginning, he is married to the hypersexual
Hypersexuality
Hypersexuality is extremely frequent or suddenly increased sexual urges or sexual activity. Hypersexuality is typically associated with lowered sexual inhibitions. Although hypersexuality can be caused by some medical conditions or medications, in most cases the cause is unknown...
, demanding, and jealous SuperAngel (Shari Eubank
Shari Eubank
Shari Eubank is a retired American 1970s adult actress, who has only appeared in two films.-Early years:...
), who constantly harasses him at work. She orders him home at once when she calls Clint and overhears a female customer, SuperLorna (Christy Hartburg
Christy Hartburg
Christy Hartburg is an actress and model who appears in Russ Meyer's Supervixens . She is the actress who adorns the famous poster for that film. She performed on several Bob Hope tours to Viet Nam in the late sixties and early seventies...
), hitting on him at work. Clint finds SuperAngel's constant accusations and arguing a turnoff and, back at home, they fight after he rejects her aggressive advances.
A neighbor calls the police as Clint leaves for a local bar, where the bartender is the very scantily clad SuperHaji (Haji).
Meanwhile, SuperAngel seduces Harry Sledge (Charles Napier
Charles Napier
Charles Napier may refer to:*Charles Elers Napier , British naval officer*Sir Charles James Napier , British general*Sir Charles Napier , Scottish admiral of the Royal Navy...
), the cop who responded to the police call. He is impotent and unable to perform. She repeatedly taunts and insults him over this, which finally results in him killing her by stomping her brutally in a bathtub, then throwing a radio in the water which was plugged into the wall socket. Sledge burns down the house, then tries to pin the murder on Clint. Clint claims being in the pub all night, but SuperHaji has her revenge on him (from insulting her breast size earlier) by refusing to confirm his alibi. Clint is then forced to flee.
In his rush to escape, Clint hitchhikes a ride from a man (John LaZar
John LaZar
John LaZar is a classically trained American actor of both stage and screen.LaZar grew up in San Francisco, California and is of Mediterranean and Native American heritage. He is best remembered for his lead role as Ronnie 'Z-man' Barzell in the 1970s Russ Meyer film Beyond the Valley of the Dolls...
) and his girlfriend SuperCherry (Colleen Brennan
Colleen Brennan
Colleen Brennan , also known by other aliases such as Sharon Kelly, is an American porn actress and member of the XRCO Hall of Fame.-Career:...
). During the drive, SuperCherry comes on to him and puts his hand over her breast, but then pulls it back. She then tries to give him a handjob
Handjob
Handjob is a slang or informal word referring to an act of manual stimulation of a male's penis by a sexual partner, whether female or male, usually to the point of orgasm and ejaculation. The act is similar to male masturbation, though the latter is performed by a male on himself...
over his pants, but he continues to resist her advances. The driver takes offense to Clint rejecting his girlfriend, but she says he probably just wants a closer contact. She again attempts and fails to seduce him and he asks the driver to let him get out. The driver follows him out and beats and robs him. Clint is found by an old farmer who takes him to his farm to heal from his injuries and Clint agrees to work for the farmer for a week to repay him.
The farmer has a younger Austrian mail-order bride
Mail-order bride
Mail-order bride is a label applied to a woman who publishes her intent to marry someone from another country. This term is considered offensive by some people. The mail-order bride industry is the economic trade of contracted domestic partnerships, often between citizens of different countries or...
, SuperSoul (Uschi Digard
Uschi Digard
Uschi Digard is a Swedish former softcore porn star and model known for her roles in Russ Meyer films.- Early years :...
), who is hypersexual. After energetically satisfying her husband, she comes knocking on Clint's door at night. She immediately pushes him into his bed where she proceeds to mount and rape him, until he manages to overpower her. However, she does the same the following day and this time overpowering him after jumping him from behind in the barn. Looking for SuperSoul, the farmer finds them in the barn, then chases Clint away and punches SuperSoul.
Fleeing from the farm, Clint meets a motel owner and his deaf daughter, SuperEula (Deborah McGuire
Deborah Mcguire
Deborah McGuire is an American actress.-Career:She is probably best known for appearing as SuperEula in the sexploitation-satire film Supervixens , directed by Russ Meyer.-Filmography:...
), who convinces him to take a ride with her in her dune buggy to have sex in the desert. They are caught by her father and chased out of town.
Clint eventually meets up with SuperVixen (also played by Shari Eubank) at Supervixen's Oasis, a roadside diner. SuperVixen is (inexplicably) a friendly and giving reincarnation
Reincarnation
Reincarnation best describes the concept where the soul or spirit, after the death of the body, is believed to return to live in a new human body, or, in some traditions, either as a human being, animal or plant...
of SuperAngel, whose ghost now appears nude between scenes to comment on the plot from atop a bedspring balanced on a mesa
Mesa
A mesa or table mountain is an elevated area of land with a flat top and sides that are usually steep cliffs. It takes its name from its characteristic table-top shape....
. Clint and SuperVixen fall in love and are inseparable, although their common nemesis
Archenemy
An archenemy, archfoe, archvillain or archnemesis is the principal enemy of a character in a work of fiction, often described as the hero's worst enemy .- Etymology :The word archenemy or arch-enemy originated...
, Harry Sledge, arrives on the scene and plots ending the lives of the now happy couple.
Cultural references
As a groundbreaker cultural revolutionaire, Meyer was ever watchful for adding sly remarks about American Society. Especially insightful are these:- Meyer makes the cartoonish nature of the film explicit towards the end, when Harry's impending death is preceded by the "Beep-beep!" sound of the Roadrunner, which always introduces imminent disaster for Wile E. Coyote in the Wile E. Coyote and Road RunnerWile E. Coyote and Road RunnerWile E. Coyote and The Road Runner are a duo of cartoon characters from a series of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons. The characters were created by animation director Chuck Jones in 1948 for Warner Bros., while the template for their adventures was the work of writer Michael Maltese...
cartoon series. The antagonist breaks the Fourth WallFourth wallThe fourth wall is the imaginary "wall" at the front of the stage in a traditional three-walled box set in a proscenium theatre, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play...
between the fictional world and the audience with a facial gesture showing he is resigned to his fate.
- As a humorous sidenote, in the end credits of the film the names of all participants have been changed either partially (Uschi Bristol instead of Digard) or completely (Brown Pants, C. Unt). Shari Eubank is credited as 'Shari Sheridan'.
- As a combatCombatCombat, or fighting, is a purposeful violent conflict meant to establish dominance over the opposition, or to terminate the opposition forever, or drive the opposition away from a location where it is not wanted or needed....
photographer in World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Russ Meyer made many friends and acquaintances in Europe. Meyer used running jokes and recurring themes in many of his films which were unique to the veteranVeteranA veteran is a person who has had long service or experience in a particular occupation or field; " A veteran of ..."...
's sense of humor. In Supervixens, these include the use of German marching tunes and Nazi references. Actor Henry RowlandHenry Rowland (actor)Henry Rowland was an American film actor.-Biography:Rowland had heavily Teutonic facial features, making him an invaluable commodity in wartime films, even though he was born in the American Midwest. Rowland "heiled" and "achtunged" his way through films ranging such as Casablanca to Russ Meyer's...
appears as Martin BormannMartin BormannMartin Ludwig Bormann was a prominent Nazi official. He became head of the Party Chancellery and private secretary to Adolf Hitler...
, who was Adolf Hitler'sAdolf HitlerAdolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
personal secretary, rumored to have escaped Allied justice for decades and the subject of many "sightings". The Bormann character refers to SuperAngel as the Führer.
- Bruce SpringsteenBruce SpringsteenBruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
mentions this movie in the chorus of his song 'Pilgrim in the temple of love'.
- GarbageGarbage (band)Garbage are an alternative rock band formed in Madison, Wisconsin in 1994. The group consists of Scottish singer Shirley Manson and American musicians Duke Erikson , Steve Marker and Butch Vig . All four members are involved in songwriting and production...
included a song called "SupervixenSupervixen"Supervixen" is a 1995 song written, recorded and produced by alternative rock group Garbage, and was the opening track of the band's self-titled debut album. "Supervixen" was titled after Russ Meyer's 1975 violent love-triangle movie Supervixens....
" on their debut album.