User reviews

Avant-garde. Experimental. Conceptual. Sensory.

Upfront, this would be rated NC-17 today. I was elated when I watched the credits that Bill Paxton starred. And then I learned it was shot in Wales. And then I knew something was afoot.

This one is for those of us who prefer eccentric and eclectic movies that make sense only to the director/writer. In other words, don't waste your time trying to find meaning in it. Don't sit back, don't relax, and don't enjoy the ride.

I liked it, but then I'm weird.

Having just seen the late Bill Paxton in the big Hollywood blockbuster Aliens (1986), made just three years after this avant garde arthouse production, I was struck by how radically different the two films were. I also wondered if he was embarrassed by Taking Tiger Mountain, with all of its trippy sex scenes and full nudity, but regardless, I guess it just shows ya gotta start somewhere.

This film is meandering in plot but the main concept is that a young man (Paxton) is programmed to be an assassin following 730 cruel days of being manipulated with drugs and aversion therapy. He's sent out to kill the leader of a global sex slavery operation in a Welsh town called "Brendovery" (sounding a lot like Bend-over-y) where women know their place and are submissive to men. He struggles with his task in part because of his confusion over sexual orientation.

You see, part of the conditioning this young man went through shifted his interest to men and included sex reassignment surgery before his orientation and identity were restored. It's an unfortunate aspect of the film because it seemed in there to titillate or generate shock out of the "weirdness" of these things, and to lump transgender or homosexuality in with the depravity we see elsewhere. It was also preoccupied with needless sex scenes and didn't make all that much progress with the main story line, losing considerable focus along the way.

On the positive side, I loved all the commentary about the future United States that we hear from the narrated news - how it's a Christian Democratic government and televangelist (now Secretary of State) Jerry Falwell is leading state executions and a plan to return to apartheid policies, how out in Utah the "United Mormon Front" is battling the Mafia, and how the President of Kansas has just been assassinated. "Earlier this year, the province of New Jersey was pounded with several small scale tactical nuclear warheads as punishment, according to the church, for its moral negligence," we hear. Meanwhile, the country is mired in economic Depression and its policies are rendered impotent, leading to cannibalism in big cities and American "boat people" being turned away by some countries. These news bits include other countries and were easily my favorite part of the film.

The impression we get of the world of the future following its "Mega-wars" is suitably dark and the cinematography in Wales is often quite good, but unfortunately the story-telling and overall construction of the film is subpar. All dialogue being dubbed after filming and going for some kind of shock factor with all the nudity didn't help matters. There were some great concepts here but the film lacked a cohesive vision, making for a mediocre watch (and I don't recommend this one for family movie night).

If this plainly starred Paxton and did not contain the real sex scene and nudity, no one would care if it got lost in the shuffle. However, Vinegar Syndrome cleaned it up and brought us an amazing transfer. Sadly, the movie watches just as it sounds.

The visuals can be nice here and there and the basic plot is fine, but the gap in production and drug-induced student film style is apparent throughout. What begins as interesting quickly turns to double-subbed audio of a "big brother" type broadcasting news over the infrequent dialogue.

The rest is just a muddled mess of random ideas that may or may not have been in the original script (if there even was one). Unfortunately, this is just a blip in history that, to me, was a waste of the efforts of the good people at Vinegar Syndrome.

There is a disturbing and Misogynystic opening sequence of woman talking about changing the sex of a male experimental subject but this idea isn't really followed up and the rest of the film is Bill Paxton wandering around in low budget sci fi fashion through what's supposed to be a dystopian future and eventually during the end credits you find out what the title of the movie means. It's all well shot in widescreen Black and White, there is one funny scene involving Parents watching their son having sex, but the rest would be more at home back in the 1970's.

Paxton fans might be shocked or interested or aroused to find Paxton fully naked and with erect penis in various scenes and getting an on screen blow job, no special effects just well, there it is. How this could have effected his career while he was alive is anyone's guess, I'd assume he was perfectly happy knowing the film would not be released during his lifetime. Paxton is also credited as being the production designer, there is one cool sculpture garden otherwise it just looks like they shot in un changed real life small town places, it's never convincing as being set in the future at all. Paxton's performance, no pun intended, is fearless-to say the least- and pretty good really, different from the "game over" persona that made him a semi star after Aliens until the unfortunately early death that eventually ended his career.

The film really would still not be too great but much more at home in the late 1960's or 70's before hard core pornography came along and so it's easy to see why it just sat unreleased for so long after it was made in 1982. Other than the good photography it really seems like some half scripted arty student film that overstays its welcome as a feature.

Paxton fans beware or be aware of your chance to see all of him, the rest of us can skip it and not miss anything.

All of these changes happened in 7 or 8 years?

They obviously didn't have the budget to make anything appear futuristic, so you end up with this preposterous "near future".

Paxton penis is the only memory you'll have of this Burroughs inspired dreck!

Four writers, two directors. And a naked 28 year old bill paxton. Billy hampton (paxton) has been hypnotized, mind altered, electro shocked and had many other therapies to convince him to murder a general for a group of women. It's a wacky, indie, underground film, with so much nudity, cussing, and pretty graphic sex, so this one won't be for everyone! When he arrives, he has adventures of all kinds. And appears to have forgotten his mission. Or has he? And for most of the film, there's a constant government public speaker spouting rules and headlines in the background. It's zany. But interesting! Directed by Tom Huckabee and Kent Smith. Written by Paul Cullum, Tom Huckabee, Kent Smith & William S. Burroughs. If you dig weird, indie quirky films, you will love this guaranteed.