The Swinging Barmaids is a 1975 American exploitation film about a serial killer who targets cocktail waitresses. The film was directed by Gus Trikonis, and stars Bruce Watson, Laura Hippe, William Smith, and Dyanne Thorne. It was re-released in 1980 as Eager Beavers.
| The Swinging Barmaids | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster by John Solie | |
| Directed by | Gus Trikonis |
| Written by | Charles B. Griffith |
| Produced by | Ed Carlin |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Irv Goodnoff |
| Edited by | Jerry Cohen |
| Music by | Don Bagley |
Production company | Carlin Company Productions |
| Distributed by | Premiere Releasing Org. |
Release date |
|
Running time | 88 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $1,250,000 (1980 release)[1] |
William Smith later recalled "Jesus Christ, that was a wild fuckin’ movie! (Laughing) Yeah, that was kind of fun."[2]
Plot
editAfter murdering Boo-Boo, a cocktail waitress at the Swing-A-Ling Club, Tom, a psychotic killer, disguises himself and gains employment as a bouncer at the same club where he continues his killing spree. While police lieutenant Harry White attempts to stop him, Tom sets his sights on 'pure' waitress Jenny.
Cast
edit- Bruce Watson as Tom
- Laura Hippe as Jenny
- Katie Saylor as Susie
- Renie Radich as Marie
- William Smith as Lt. Harry White
- Dyanne Thorne as Boo-Boo
- Zitto Kazann as Zitto
- Jim Travis as Dave
- Ray Galvin as Jack
- John Alderman as Andrews
- Milt Kogan as Dan
- Judith Roberts as Sally
Cult status
editQuentin Tarantino screened the film at his festival in 2007. A critic at the screening wrote:
This flick is kind of bizarre. It’s a serial killer flick that’s not really high on the gore or suspense. It’s a sexploitation flick without much titillation. It’s a William Smith movie where he’s kind of unthreatening (until the end when he’s as badass as you want him to be). None of that means it’s a lame movie. Not at all.[3]
Shock magazine wrote "By normal critical standards, this is the dregs. But as no-budget 70s exploitation goes, this crap succeeds on every necessary level (I particularly enjoyed the crude, handheld camerawork during the murder scenes). Laced with fitfully sleazy kicks and a surprisingly energetic, corpse-laden finale, this inept flick is a wonderful example of the bad-/s-good nature of drive-in cinema. "[4]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Donahue, Suzanne Mary (1987). American film distribution : the changing marketplace. UMI Research Press. p. 297. Please note figures are for rentals in US and Canada
- ^ Poggiali, Chris (1998). "Shock Cinema Talks with the Legendary William Smith". Shock Cinema. No. 12. p. 6.
- ^ Review of 2007 screening at Aint-It-Cool-News
- ^ "The Swinging Barmaids". Shock Cinema. No. 13. 1998. p. 19.
External links
edit- The Swinging Barmaids at IMDb
- The Swinging Barmaids at The New York Times
- The Swinging Barmaids at Grindhouse Database
- The Swinging Barmaid at TCMDB
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