Product Description
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This film, initially released in 1966, became popular as Topless
in phrase and craze was sweeping the country, changing the moods
and mores of people everywhere. Russ Meyer's MONDO TOPLESS
captures the basic essence of the movement, with MOVEMENT! Way
out, wild undulatory movement! Go-Go Girls in and out of their
environment. BEHOLD the Buxotics, you've only dreamed about these
kinds of women, but they're unbelievably REAL! Big Busted BABETTE
BARDOT, Super Stacked SIN LENEE, Double D DONNA X, PROTUBERANT
PAT BARRINGER, Capaciously Domed DARLA PARIS, and last, but
hardly least, DARLENE GREY,a mere slip of a girl tipping the
scales at only 112 lbs, but get this, her untoppable
gravity-defying bra-busting s have got to comprise nearly
23 lbs. of that total by themselves!
Review
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Thrown together from new and old footage as a way to revive his
finances after the box-office failure of FASTER, PUSSYCAT! KILL!
KILL! (1966), MONDO TOPLESS is a silly but enjoyable t
noteworthy mostly for Russ Meyer's zany narration and technical
polish. Those who enjoy looking at women with large s will
also be highly entertained. Ostensibly a documentary about the
topless craze that was then getting lots of media attention,
MONDO TOPLESS simply intercuts footage of different performers,
all by Meyer in his trademark style. Although various
nightclubs are mentioned (the Atlantic Palace in Copenhagen, Le
Cabaret Sexy in Nancy, France, the Crazy Horse Saloon and Place
Pigalle in Paris, and the Fair Lady Film Bar in Berlin), it's
impossible to tell if Meyer actually filmed in any of those
locations, as all of the interiors are so close that they
could easily be Hollywood soundstages. Most of the women are
filmed in the outdoor locations Meyer has always favored, which
adds to the ridiculousness of the film. Music is provided by a
steady soundtrack of surf rock, and every scene includes the
presence of a radio or tape player (Meyer's joke on the film
convention of having background music appear out of nowhere). The
soundtrack also features the dancers making comments so banal
it's as if Meyer were saying, Does anyone really care what they
think? What makes the film so amusing is Meyer's absurdly purple
narration, delivered by an unidentified narrator who sounds like
he's about to leap out of his skin at any moment. Topless, he
bellows, is, The phrase and the craze that is changing the mood
and the mores of people everywhere. He promises the viewer,
Scenes that can only be summarized as a swinging tribute to
unrestrained female anatomy. You've only dreamed there were women
like these until now, but they're real--unbelievably real! The
opening scenes, a brief travelogue of San Francisco (then known
as the home of the topless phenomenon), also provide Meyer a way
to lambaste both documentary cliches and sexual symbolism, as we
see such local landmarks as the arrogant and imposing Coit tower,
thrusting its bulk majestically to the sky, with the Broadway
tunnel offering a yawning orifice through which to enter fabled
North Beach. MONDO TOPLESS is obviously the work of a man who has
found his calling in life, and perfectly enjoyable for the craft
that it represents. --TV Guide