Review of Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (1965) by Ethan Y — 18 Apr 2009

A true exploitation classic from the man who understood the genre best. Meyer's background in photography gives him an excellent eye for black and white cinematography, making Faster Pussycat the best looking of the so called "grindhouse" films.

There's something almost artistic about the way he films the remote desert locations and the buxom women he puts in them. The movie also has something rarely seen in B movies: Good performances. No, it's not Shakespeare, but every actor is more than capable and brings their absolute most to the role.

I can't quite decide if Tura Santana is my dream woman or a total nightmare. On the one hand she'll kill you, but on the other hand...well look at her! I think that's an important duality in Meyer's film.

On the one hand we are presented with three prime examples of female beauty, all of them wearing appropriately revealing outfits, but on the other hand, these women are fearsome and vicious. They rarely let themselves be ogled.

This makes Faster Pussycat a rare creature: a feminist exploitation film.