Trailer—The Kiss of Her Flesh

source: The Kiss of Her Flesh

After murdering a bunch of busty babes in the nasty minor Exploitation classic "The Touch Of Her Flesh", misogynistic psycho Richard Jennings is once again killing sexy chicks one by one, in what may very well be one of the sleaziest films of the 60s. "The Kiss Of Her Flesh" of 1968 is the third part of Michael Findlay's infamous "Flesh" trilogy, following "The Touch Of Her Flesh" (1966) and "The Curse Of Her Flesh" (also 1968). I haven't seen the second part, "The Curse...", yet, but I think I can still say that this third one is positively the sleaziest part of the trilogy. The first part was basically a sleazy slasher, in which Richard Jennings (played by director Michael Findlay) was just a maniac who went on a killing spree after catching his * girlfriend in bed with another man. He is still a maniac here, but a more perverted one than ever, and instead of just shooting girls with a crossbow, he murders them in sadistic (and even more absurd) ways. The female characters are entirely sex-crazed, and it is therefore easy for Jennings to find new victims. He murders one victim, for example, by poisoning his own semen (!) before she performs fellatio on him. Sexy Maria (Uta Erickson) decides to put an end to Jennings' cruel deeds, and she's not afraid to use her female charms to achieve her goal. The murders (and the plot) are secondary here, however, since the main focus lies on the sleaze. One sex scene follows another, the sleaze includes lots of full frontal nudity, lesbian scenes, incest (two sisters having sex with each other) and sadistic sexual tortures. This film is somewhat of a phenomenon for its time. While the black and white photography and the terrible sound quality (the sound is asynchronous to what is seen, since the movie was shot first and synchronized later) seems like extremely low-budget 50s cinema, the extreme sleaze seems like it comes directly from the rancid 70s. It is quite hard to rate a film like "The Kiss Of Her Flesh". On the one hand, it is an incredibly awful film that has hardly a plot. On the other hand the extreme sleaze and nastiness are pioneering for the time it was made, and for an Exploitation fan it is an incredibly fun film to watch. Also, it is fun to know that Earl Hindman, who is famous for his role in the sitcom "Home Improvement", started his career in a sleazy exploitation flick like this one. Recommended to my fellow fans of Exploitation!

Unhinged weapons expert Richard Jennings (ripely played with lip-smacking evil relish by writer/director Michael Findlay) continues his vicious misogynistic killing spree: He not only bumps off hookers and strippers, but also plans on killing his wife's swinging bisexual sister and her kinky boyfriend. The almighty sleaze cinema duo of Michael and Roberta Findlay crank up the deliriously twisted sadism and carnal depravity to the nice'n'nasty ninth degree: Jennings kills his victims with such novel things as an acid douche and his own poisoned season, plus we've got voyeurism, lesbianism, incest, oodles of yummy female nudity (full frontal this time, which was pretty racy stuff for the late 1960's), brutal torture with a lobster claw (!), bondage, and even a sex scene involving anal beads that's downright painful to watch. Voluptuous blonde Uta Erickson burns up the screen as the saucy Maria. Buxom brunette Rita Vance likewise provides a scrumptious eyeful as a horny hitchhiker. The rousing conclusion on the beach hits the stirring spot. Roberta Findlay's stark black and white cinematography gives this fetid flick a suitably seedy noir look. A scuzzy treat.

This is the third and final entry in the Findlay's "..of Her Flesh" trilogy ("The Curse of Her Flesh", "The Touch of Her Flesh") and is the most twisted one of the bunch. Just like the previous two, the action centers around the main character who thinks all women are evil whores and devises many a clever way to kill them. And that's where all the laughs (albeit uncomfortable laughs) come in. He kills women with lobster claws, poisonous semen, car cigarette lighters, acid douche treatments, and etc. The nudity and sex scenes are relatively graphic for 1968 and the bongo beatnik soundtrack is great. Of course the acting is awful and the directing is bare-boned, but that's to be expected. Not for everyone, for certain, but among the most depraved in exploitation cinema, this one is a classic in that regard.

This was the final of three sickie films from director Michael Findlay and his wife, Roberta Findlay. It has to be seen to be believed, and is easily the most gratuitous in every respect - the sex, the violence, you name it. I feel sort of guilty giving it three stars, but this is as good as these things get when that offbeat mood strikes for softcore sleaze and homegrown horror. Findlay portrays misogynistic madman Richard Dennings who still hates women two years after he caught his wife messing around with another guy. He continues his mayhem of torturing and killing every girl on the planet after getting them *. Among his many devices include electrocution, lobster claws (!) and even some of his own tainted man juice (!!) This film is totally deranged. Also featured are two sisters who are - err, - more than a little glad to be reunited after so many years, and a little more of a plot this time, as leading lady Uta Erickson (who quite often can't seem to stop laughing) becomes a heroine determined to stop the murdering lunatic once and for all. Adding much to the sinful proceedings are a lot of outdoor shots of upstate New York on a snowy winter. *** out of ****

Kiss of Her Flesh, The (1968) * 1/2 (out of 4) Thankfully the final film in director Michael Findlay's Flesh trilogy. Once again the psycho killer stalks the streets looking for women to kill. Boring on all accounts, as is the entire trilogy. These three films could have been edited down and together into a twenty minute movie and they'd still be slow and dull. Curse of Her Flesh, The (1968) ** (out of 4) Second in the "Flesh Trilogy" has Richard Jennings (Michael Findlay) returning, stalking the streets for more women to kill. The bigger budget adds some better production values and the cinematography is pretty good here. The jazz music score helps move things along and Findlay does a better job with the story structure. However, there's still way too much dead space to be fully entertaining. Touch of Her Flesh, The (1967) * (out of 4) Richard Jennings (Michael Findlay) catches his wife in bed with another guy so he runs out of the house only to be hit by a car. Now, confined to a wheelchair, he decides to take revenge on any hooker/* he comes across. One of the first "slashers", this NYC cheapie might be one of the first of its kind but that doesn't make it a good movie. Like most of these films, the biggest problem is the fact that we've got 20-minutes worth of story and then 50-minutes worth of pointless and boring strip scenes. To me, that's why short films are often a lot better than trying to push something that isn't there into the feature category. Wall to wall nudity can't save this one. The first film in the "Flesh" trilogy.

Schlockmeisters Roberta and Michael Findlay top their other excursions into depravity with this rather unsettling horror flick.Again it features Michael Findlay murdering * women in a variety of grisly ways."The Kiss of Her Flesh" is a surprisingly effective and fast-paced piece of sleaze.With its creative murder weapons-tire iron,lobster claw,electrical earring wiring,blowtorch and poisoned sperm-"The Kiss of Her Flesh" has more in common with such later slasher films as Tony Maylam's "The Burning" than with the usual 60's nudie-roughie."Flesh Trilogy" was also the first slasher series,featuring the eye-patch-wearing psycho returning to wreak more havoc on scantily-clad women."The Kiss of Her Flesh" is definitely the most depraved of the series.It is loaded with pretty explicit nudity,sometimes full-frontal and there is plenty of lesbian sex on display.The acting is stiff and the gore is amateurish,however the air of misogyny is simply overwhelming.A must-see for any self-respecting fan of sleaze!