Cleavages large enough to lose a grenade in...
09/21/2002

Cleavages large enough to lose a grenade in, and enough guns to blow your head clean off about in Steven Grasse's exploitation satire. Imagine Buffy meeting Russ Meyer in a cafe in the Midwest and you have the ambience of Bikini Bandits, a series of bite-sized chunks that the production team deliberately makes a flimsy effort of weaving into a narrative after they broke ratings records on the broadband film channel Atom Films.

Thus the Bandits rescue a retarded Amish boy from an unwitting career as a porn star; they go to hell to do battle with Satan, sporting an enormous strap-on that fires laser bolts; they go back in time to party with a couple drunken Founding Fathers. Does any of this matter? More important are the cameos from Corey Feldman, who plays along like a trouper, and the late Dee Dee Ramone as the Pope, revealing himself to be the grand character actor we always suspected.

The film's awareness of its piecemeal make-up is evinced by the cartoon sequences of an increasingly uneasy director talking to editor Gabe Imlay about the film's (lack of) narrative structure. Things are further fragmented by the interludes for the shopping channel G-Mart, a kind of one-stop shop for the criminally insane, betraying Grasse's guerilla-advertising background. Busty host Mercedes and her buzz-cut companion Sam showcase items such as a crystal meth lab for kids (your child will learn about chemistry and economics with this kit'), devices to aid drunk-driving, and, of course, more guns. You can even check out the online outlet at www.Quaker City Mercantilemart.com

To say that all this reeks of bad taste is to impute Catholicism to the Pope. The amount of flesh on show invites ogling, but perhaps there is the hint of a critique in the way it never quite delivers on all of the male wish-fulfillment it so playfully and continually promises. However, it's probably a good bet to stay away from the cerebral, and just enjoy the ride. JK

Steven Grasse and Shyamala Joshi began their filmmaking career together with intent to create educational children's programming that was entertaining and engaging for the child as well as the parent. Finding this hard, they redirected their efforts to a series of T&A flicks full of guns, and hot rods, and shit. Contrary to rumors, Steven Grasse is not a 752-pound albino with alopecia. They appear in this production still with Pope Ramone. God bless you, Dee Dee. RIP.

Country: USA, Running Time: 60 mins, Format: Beta, Directors/Producers/Screenplay Steven Grasse, Shyamala Joshi DoP: Rhet Bear Editor: Gabe Imlay Cast: Dee Dee Ramone, Jello Biafra, Corey Feldman, Maynard James Keenan, Heather Victoria-Ray, Heather McDonnell, Betty San Luis, Cynthia Diaz, Robyn Bird Print Source Aliza Segal-Byrne Address: 38 N. 3rd, Philadelphia, PA 19106 USA T 215 923 6980 F 215 923 6981 Email: JenniferR@Quaker City Mercantileworldwide.com
Website: www.bikinibandits.com

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Cleavages large enough to lose a grenade in...