Andy Warhol presents HEAT (Trailer included)
March 29th 2010 01:08
Joe Dalleasandro in Paul Morrissey's Heat
Paul Morrissey was a writer/director who worked from the 70’s through to the 90’s making mainly, obscure and lesser known film’s. Many of his movies were produced by Andy Warhol, which were generally the ones that received the most attention. Morrissey’s most well known films are the two B-grader’s ‘Blood For Dracula’ and ‘Flesh For Frankenstein’. Some of his other films included the truly horrible, ‘Madam Wang’s’ and the equally woeful, ‘Women In Revolt’.
HOWEVER – there was a trilogy he wrote and directed in the early 70’s, these three were each bestowed with the Cannes Film Festival Heritage Award and they all starred Joe Dallesandro (The Limey, The Cotton Club, Cry Baby). These films were significantly groundbreaking and would inspire a generation of staunchly independent film makers (Harmony Korine, John Waters etc) and would also have a big influence on Gay Cinema (Gregg Araki, Todd Haynes etc) and lets be honest, probably on a whole lot of porn as well. These three films included the experimental voyeurism of ‘Flesh’, the campy collection of freaks in ‘Heat’ and the utterly brilliant and confronting ‘Trash’, which is truly one of the greatest, most iconoclastic, independent films ever made.
But today I’m going to be writing about ‘Heat’.
‘Heat’ perfectly captures the milieu of 70’s California, game show contestants, former child stars, street hustlers in flip-flops, pregnant seductresses - the fringe dwellers of Los Angeles, who would crawl out of the crevices of their highway motel rooms to lie in the sun. The story centres around Joey Davis (Joe Dallesandro), a former child star who stops off at a motel occupied by scatter brained and depraved misfits. Greeted by his monstrous land lady (Pat Ast) who assures him of her legitimate scene while onlookers by the pool touch them selves and have freak outs. The land lady spots some momentary horseplay around the pool and apologizes for how disgusting everyone is, she’s sure he’ll have a good time here if he behaves himself. She offers him a hamburger and a chance to lower his rent, which shall be the beginning of Joey’s bed hopping attempts to climb back up the star food chain in this completely left of centre satire on returning to the limelight.
Some of the other neighbours he meets include the whacked out and hysterical, for the meantime lesbian, single mother played by Andrea Feldman, who can be sometimes terrifying to watch just have a conversation. She invites Joey over to her place for some fried avocadoes and artichokes. The humour in the film is definitely an acquired taste but if you’re a fan of the bizarre and different, then this will be right up your alley. She then introduces him to her mother (Sylvia Miles from ‘Midnight Cowboy’) who was the producer of the show that made him a star as a child, this is naturally followed by him jumping in the sack with her. Everyone else in the motel, male and female offers this one time star sex on a plate as word gets around that this ‘big T.V. star’ is now living in their building.
Joe Dallesandro’s hazy, ‘I didn’t get enough sleep last night’ performance is a fantastic counterpoint to almost every other over the top actor he has a scene with. It creates a truly alluring dynamic which increases through out the film, going so far as to create a character that you’re, dare I say it, fascinated by (even if this fascination is questionable). Joe Dallesandro has a unique presence and he has the ability to create an engaging performance by doing very little.
The ghastly Pat Ast eyes 'little Joey'
This film won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, not that you can hardly call this a cup of tea. It can take a watch or two from the bravest viewer before they adapt to it’s deliriously fuzzed out frequency. Even the extraordinarily multivalent, bizarre comedy, which is a celebration of conflicting quirks and scandalous behaviour communicated through forever memorable dialogue, may cause uneasiness in viewers upon first blush. In fact, if you’re a casual film goer, you’re most likely to be completely turned off by this film in the first five minutes.
Shot on 16mm, the director’s style is just as confounding as his content. While the editing always seems more conventional, his camera (Morrissey is also the cinematographer of the film) lazily and haphazardly picks up footage. The camera wanders about between characters, without concern for framing or shot composition, moving about like it’s hoping that it’ll find something better to film. The movie has a dazed feel to it through out but none of this ever seems off the cuff, there is a method to this madness. The style, form and acting are completely in sync. The director is going far out to sea on this one, but he’s come back to shore with something utterly original. A bizarrely funny post card of 70’s, Los Angeles sub-culture.
Below is the Trailer for ‘Heat’ – if it makes you flinch, then avoid it. If it makes you laugh then track down and enjoy ‘Heat’. Available everywhere on DVD.
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Comment by Morgan Bell
Deep Pencil
Business News
Movie Train
Comment by ShaunK
Screen Adventure
Hey Morgan, thanks for the comment. no tracking need, it's available everywhere, see heat if you want more of an entertaining film, when your feeling more psyched up and in the mood to be challenged then check out Trash - my favourite. I personally was bored by Flesh (aside from it's fascinating first 15 minutes).
My review for Trash will be up in a few days, I want to review some different films inbetween those.
Comment by Jason King
Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness
Morgan - I have Flesh if you want to borrow it - I just know you will love it. Will loan it to you if u return Lost Souls the book hahahahahaha