Russ Meyer had an utter fetish for curvy women. Especially curvy women with a large often intimidating bust. Many of whom are looked down upon, and that’s a damn shame. Anne Margaret, one of the sexiest women who ever lived was curvy, and the three women featured in “Faster Pussycat!” are also curvy bomb shells. One in particular, who happens to be my favorite, is Tura Satana, the curvaceous and busty stripper named Varla. “Faster Pussycat!” was considered porn at the time, but Director Russ Meyer loved to think he was better than simple porn, and he’d be correct in his assertion. This is much better than porn, because you can become aroused without feeling obligated to. Meyer prefers to titillate rather than undress his performers and arouse viewers in a Pavlovian routine.
In “Faster Pussycat!”, the strippers, sick with the doldrums and ogling of their customers, take a vacation out on the road racing their hot rods, and engaging in a fight or two. Until they meet a young couple and begin their torment upon them as a means of relieving their aggression and sexual frustrations. They’re particularly hateful toward men. “Faster Pussycat!” can be thought of as a precursor to “The Last House on the Left,” the tale of three amoral over sexed women who encounter two simple people and make their lives a living hell for the sake of some money. For a film made in the era of free loving, and go go dancing, Meyer’s film is surprisingly well aged.
In spite of some colloquialisms of its time, Meyer’s film manages to age with a texture that leaves it still watchable and entertaining, and that’s due to its three hell cats. Varla, Rosie, and Billie, are all gorgeous, sexy, and pure utter scum. But you can’t help enjoy them wreaking havoc on everyone they meet. Particularly from Satana who rumbles with men throughout the story fighting them, enlisting some kung-fu, and even manages to over power them on many occasions. She’s Baby Firefly circa 1966, and she’s not afraid to enlist her extra assets to get what she wants.
The performances from Satana, and company are serviceable at best, but that’s not the entertaining aspects of “Faster Pussycat!”, the fact that Meyer does it better than the supposed benchmark horror film by Craven is what’s so amusing. Meyer never takes his film as a joke, and he manages to show off the pure deadly nature of these women while somehow keeping the audience on their side the whole time. Meyer features some of the more memorable moments in his cinematic repertoire including the opening where the trio dance as ogling men scream maniacally, Varla’s violent finisher to one of her male victims, and her tug of war with her hot rod, and a muscle bound man.
It’s no surprise the film has built itself a following, because Meyer is simply obsessed with the female form, particularly the breasts, and as someone who adores both the legs and breasts, it’s a grab bag of party favors. “Faster Pussycat!” is a frenetic piece of hot blooded filmmaking that’s a mystery, exploitation film, and hot rod thriller all rolled into one busty package.