Greetings, loyal minions. Your Maximum Leader is saddened to report that an oft overlooked filmmaker of some influence has passed.

Russ Meyer has died of complications of pneumonia.

Here are some links to various obits: Yahoo! News via AP CNN’s Obit Variety’s Obit

Here is the official Russ Meyer site.

Your Maximum Leader has seen a number of Russ Meyer films. Once upon a time the wonderful (and your Maximum Leader believes now defunct) Biograph Cinema had various film-fests. If your Maximum Leader remembers correctly, he once saw a “Sick and Twisted Animation Film-Fest” at the Biograph with the Poet Laureate. Another time he saw a Russ Meyer film-fest/tribute at the Biograph. Among the films shown were “Beyond the Valley of the Dolls” and “Supervixens.”

Meyer’s films were all formulaic. Put a bunch of heavy-chested women in some strange situation, make sure they become topless, and score it all with funky music. Of course, that is also their appeal and charm. We all know the formula, but just can’t look away.

But your Maximum Leader has a special memory of “Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill!” He remembers seeing FPKK at a friends house on what was, presumably, a pirated Betamax tape. In those days your Maximum Leader was a raging ball of hormones (as all young boys are) and although the story was insipid the pendulous breasts and provocative dancing - basically the soft-core porn aspects of the film - were utterly hypnotic.

As the good Smallholder has observed (but not observed on this blog), your Maximum Leader does like his women to be somewhat endowed. Perhaps there is some influence from Russ Meyer in tis. (Although your Maximum Leader, unlike Russ Meyer, does believe that there can be too much of a good thing. If you catch his meaning…)

Of course, your Maximum Leader’s prefered female form was likely formed more by Kathryn Morrison (Playboy - Miss May 1978) than any one else. But that is old news, as your Maximum Leader has blogged a little on that subject already. And speaking of Kathryn Morrison… This site gets, on average 5 unique visitors per month who are searching the term “Kathryn Morrison Playboy.” It is hard to believe that after 26 years she is still sought after…

Anyhoo…

Rest in peace, Mr. Meyer. You gave your Maximum Leader (and countless other men) hours of enjoyment through the medium of film.

Carry on.