Saturday, October 22, 2022

The Curious Case of Love Me Deadly


'A young socialite struggling to control her necrophiliac urges is torn between her affection for a kind businessman and the mortician who supplies her with bodies.'


So, when I first heard about this film while researching actor Christopher Stone I really couldn't believe it was actually real.  I'm not sure how mainstream this film was at the time, but I'm guessing there was a bit of shock.  I couldn't find out much about the film's initial release, but on the films wiki page it does say that the film was released in several Atlanta, Georgia drive-in theaters, paired with other obviously horror flicks


It's especially interesting as the male lead in the film was Lyle Waggoner, best known for his roles in Wonder Woman and on The Carol Burnett Show.  I wasn't alive in 1971, but I'm curious how audiences accepted Waggoner in this film.  According to his IMDB page, Waggoner was right in the middle of his stint on The Carol Burnett Show, so there would have had to have been some publicity.  


I'm guess his name would have been used in the films promotion given he seems to have been the biggest name in the cast at the time.  Maybe it wasn't a big deal, Waggoner did seem to be the 'man-candy' on the variety show and he also appeared (although not showing much) a couple of years later in 1973.  Waggoner does have a 'sort of' nude scene in the film, but all we get to see a flash of sexy tan line during a scene. 


Waggoner, along with Christopher Stone, both play men who can't satisfy the films leading lady when they're alive.  Spoiler alert, Waggoner appears to seal the deal once he's dead...



Another interesting scene occurs near the beginning of the film, mortician Fred McSweeney (Timothy Scott) is on the hunt for new blood for his club to enjoy and picks up a male prostitute, (William Quinn) who's agreeable to go back to his work place for a mere $25.  


It's dark when they arrive and Fred claims they're at his job at a vet clinic.  The hustler Billy Jo soon figures out that's not true when he's strapped to the table and Fred begins removing his blood to prepare for the next step.


It's interesting that although the club is made up of both men and women, every victim in the film is male.  Given the 'challenges' of necrophilia, I'm not sure exactly how organism is reached, but I'm guessing it's more about the situation than any specific act in itself. 


Although there is a camp element to this scene, and to the film, it's also a bit disturbing, especially when Fred sticks needles into poor Billy Jo to obtain his blood.  If you're interested in seeing the scene for yourself, I did uploaded it to SendSapce HERE:

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