[.ca] Lipstick

strong stuff:
This is one of my favourites from the 70's and it's great to see it finally appear on dvd. This is a hypnotic combination of cheesy exploitation and hard hitting drama that keeps you hooked right up to the explosive finale. Margaux Hemingway is fantastic as the model who receives the unwelcome attentions of psychotic music teacher Chris Sarandon. Sarandon's character has to be one of the most loathsome ever put on film. Mariel hemingway delivers a curiously affecting performance as the glamour model's younger sister. After having only seen this before on UK tv in a cut version this nicely presented disc is a welcome addition to my collection.

Worst Movie Ever:
...and boy am I glad it's finally on DVD. Can't wait to get my copy!

There's something about this movie ...:
It's far from being the best film ever made, but LIPSTICK has some special quality about it. Let's first look at the exceptional performances from the cast: Chris Sarandon - plays the school teacher of the younger sister (Mariel Hemingway) who rapes the older sister first and then the younger sister after being acquitted of the first crime. He really comes across as the creep he is intended to. You grow to hate him, which is the point. Mariel Hemingway - her acting debut in which she shines. A great performance. Ann Bancroft - plays the lawyer convincingly. An all round great actress. Margaux Hemingway - the lead actress, and real-life sister of Mariel (unfortunately died tragically in mid 90's). Not a great actress by any means but she had her moments in the film. Pity about her voice. She was actually a model in real life then, rather than an actress. The film bombed upon release in 1976 possibly because audiences couldn't accept Margaux trying to switch to acting. These days, such a movie would go straight to TV. It is worth seeing at least once - The younger sister's performance is that good. DVD SUMMARY - a bare bones release saved by an impressive transfer (and widescreen anamorphic too!). No trailer included.

I'm torn! Not a GOOD movie and a bare bones DVD ...:
This was a 1976 drama that probably killed Margaux Hemingway's career as an actress and model, but oddly enough launched her younger sister Muriel into the spotlight! It's a rape drama about a victim (Margaux) who's rapist goes free (Chris Sarandon), and then attacks her younger sister (Muriel) and then all hell breaks loose! The movie itself is a guilty pleasure - a potboiler melodrama done quite stlyishly, but somehow offensive and not well acted. Would fit in well with a double bill with EYES OF LAURA MARS! The fashion sequences are unique, and also the modern dance is neat to watch. And Margaux running in heels and a red sequin dress with a hunting rifle is a sight to see! I put it on my list of bad movies that I love. It has a SHOWGIRLS sensibility! Tried hard to be artsy and meaningful, but in the end was just too over the top to be anything but camp. The DVD has a great transfer, but NO special features at all. Not even a trailer! Pity because Margaux died mysteriously, and this is her biggest movie. Memories of her would be welcome as well as why the movie was made. Credits show that a former DA of LA was an advisor, so somebody was trying to say something!

A GLOSSLY TREAT:
The late Margaux Hemingway saw her movie career take a nosedive after the release of this film, while her co-star and little sister Mariel became the toast of the town. But to many cinephiles, she'll always be remembered as the woman in red holding one mean rifle. Margaux plays Chris McCormick, a top fashion model (no stretch at all, here, since she really was a top model at the time) who ends up regretting her decision of having innocently invited her sibling's music teacher (Chris Sarandon of "Fright Night" fame) to her apartment. While she cries rape (with the help of Academy award winner Anne Bancroft as her attorney) the judicial system, however, sees it differently. LIPSTICK is the ultimate B-movie extravaganza. Raw to the bone, it is avant-garde cinema with a glossy exterior. David Rayfeil's script spares no details in degrading his star via an ultra-violent scene (à la "The Accused") and a misogynistic message regarding men and feminine beauty. But as a whole--and not too taken seriously--LIPSTICK is 90 minutes of pure fun. The film has a Russ Myer feel to it, a sort of cinema verite of the late 60's (the ones who lured mostly the male clientele). Margaux Hemingway gives all she's got and comes up almost rosy despite her limited range. She may not be Meryl Streep, but, contrary to popular opinion, her performance is believable. Of course, then-12 year old Mariel do steal the show with her quiet but strong delivery. Every nuance of her emotional face shows the making of a great actress, and she did become one for awhile, while her older sister stumbled and stumbled in forgettable Z flicks. LIPSTICK was indeed the apogee of Margaux's career. Far from being Academy award worthy, it is definitely a fave among lovers of cult movies, and with good reasons. Now all it needs is a deluxe DVD edition with all the extra goodies.-----Martin Boucher