Vixen
Directed by Russ Meyer
Written by Robert Rudelson, Russ Meyer, Anthony-James Ryan
Starring Erica Gavin, Garth Pillsbury, Jon Evans, Harrison Page, Vincene Wallace
Rated X
Runtime: 1 hour, 10 minutes
Available on 4K Blu-ray from Severin Films

by "Doc" Hunter Bush, Podcast Director

Synopsis:

Amid the cultural chaos of 1968 and armed with a budget of only $70,000, producer/director/cinematographer Russ Meyer transcended sexploitation by crafting this "bosomacious melodrama" (Time Magazine) about racism, communism, bush pilots, draft dodgers, and one ferociously free-spirited wife named Vixen (the incredible Erica Gavin of Beyond the Valley of the Dolls and Caged Heat). Despite attempts at censorship that include one of the first-ever X ratings and 23 separate U.S. prosecutions for obscenity, it became one of the year's top-grossing movies, forever transformed independent films and remains the creative template for Meyer's unapologetic vision of American cinema. Vixen is now scanned in 4K from the original negative restored by The Museum of Modern Art with over 3 hours of new and archival Special Features curated by Severin Films in conjunction with The Russ Meyer Trust.

What Features Make it Special:

• 1981 Censor Prologue (theatrical re-release)

• Archival Audio Commentary with co-writer/producer/cinematographer/co-editor/director Russ Meyer

• Audio Commentary with actress Erica Gavin

• Woman... or Animal?-- Interviews with actors Erica Gavin and Harrison Page

• David Del Valle's The Sinister Image with Russ Meyer and Yvette Vickers

• Entertainment... of Obscenity?-- Marc Edward Heuck oh the film's historic Cincinnati Censorship Battles

• Trailer

Why You Need to Add it to Your Media Library:

First, a heads-up: On its face, Vixen is a pretty by-the-books softcore film. Canadian bush pilot Tom (Garth Pillsbury) has a very promiscuous wife, Vixen (Erica Gavin) who sleeps with just about anybody who stays at their little B&B, which the connubially faithful and willingly oblivious Tom is fine with. Where the heads-up comes in is that the titular sexpot hotwife is incredibly racist towards the only other member of her brother Judd’s (Jon Evans) biker gang, Niles (Harrison Page). Ultimately, after tackling subjects such as the American politics of the era, draft-dodging, and communism, Vixen learns to see Niles beyond just his race. BUT. Getting there is kind of rough at times and that tone does clash with the cheesecake feel of the rest of the film.

With that out of the way: There are a lot of good reasons to buy this release. Buy it as an example of a dying art form–the kind of sleaze that Russ Meyer made was sociologically provocative but also chaste–his unwillingness to make XXX films lead to him mostly retiring in 1979 after censorship groups targeted his films to make an example of them. It would have been easier and more profitable for Meyer to make the switch to hardcore porn, but he just had no interest.

Buy it as a piece of film history; Meyer received one of the only X ratings of the era, largely as a punishment. There is a story there aside from just the sleaze and all of it. The sex and the subject matter are both designed to get a rise out of the audience in much the way as the films of John Waters (who is an equally outspoken fan of Meyer's work and critic of pearl-clutching censorship).

Buy it as a piece of art! The restoration itself is absolutely gorgeous! I could NOT believe how good it looked. The film's grain is preserved, giving it the necessary tactile quality, but the lighting and colors are incredibly beautifully balanced. From a filmmaking perspective, Meyer is actually a really fun director with an eye for imagery, color, and dramatic lighting. Heck, the Museum of Modern Art assisted with this restoration! Who am I, or you then, to argue its artistic value?

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