By Melissa Antoinette Garza
I love the insane villains of the 1970s. The way that women were allowed to tap into sexy crazy back then. DEATH GAME (1977), LET’S SCARE JESSICA TO DEATH (1971) and THE BLOOD SPATTERED BRIDE (1972) are all sensational examples of the different ways women allowed to convey psychosis.
GIRLY (1970) begins with four strange occupants, who pretend to be a family. Girly (Vanessa Howard) and Sonny (Howard Trevor), both in their late teens or early twenties, pretend to be siblings while the ladies of the house take on the role of Mumsy (Ursula Howells) and Nanny (Pat Heywood). There is no father figure within the home. Instead, the four of them remain in a state of 24 hour pretend play.
Their games aren’t all fun as Girly uses her prowess to lure men back home. Initially, they just try to play with the men, but if they refuse to go along with it, they get put on trial and if found guilty they are killed while Sonny videotapes it. The process or rule is called being “sent to the angels.”
On a night out, Sonny and Girly come across a couple. The man (Michael Bryant) is a gigolo and his date is a paying client (Imogen Hassall). They convince the prostitute that he accidentally killed his date and then taunt him with her dead body. Sonny carries a camera around with him and films everything.
Their “New Friend” feels trapped and tries to escape but is caught. He decides in order to live he plays the game with the crazy crew. He seduces Girly who falls under his spell near instantly. He must’ve chosen the right profession, because Girly is one happy camper when he puts on the charm. She tries to play it off like she doesn’t care, but she falls deep.
He doesn’t stop with Girly and begins sexing up Mumsy too. He plans to turn everyone against one another and to make them jealous. It works and both women fall for him.
Both Sonny and Nanny get irritated with the New Friend. Sonny has figured out the majority of the man’s plan and wants to kill him. Girly doesn’t want to hear any of that as she’s fallen hard for him.
Nanny is upset that she isn’t getting any of the spice that the man freely throws to the other gals. She wants him destroyed too, but Mumsy and Girly don’t want to let him go.
In the end, all alliances are tested and the game that has destroyed so many others now destroys the participants themselves.
I love this movie. It’s filled with crazy women and I love crazy women. It’s a near complete female inhabited home with only matriarchal leads. Their sexuality and desires send them into an even more violent frenzy which is entertaining as hell to watch.
It’s creepy, crazy, funny and dark. The acting is great, the cast is wonderful and the film is fantastically bizarre. It’s not the best of its genre, but it certainly offers something uniquely cool.
Currently, it’s on YOUTUBE so grab it before the Piracy Police wander by.
Scared Stiff Rating: 6/10
