Films Outside the LoopJeanne Chappé |
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I say in a hushed voice that this is the movie that Bill Maher wishes he had never made. It is a dirty little secret that he would like swept under the carpet. It is a movie that reveals his true character. I am not quite sure whether this movie molded Bill Maher's character or that he was actually cast because of his character and personality. If you watch "Politically Incorrect", you will probably know what I mean. This is probably a question that Bill will carry to his grave.Dr. Margo Hunt (Shannon Tweed) is a feminist professor and Bunny (Karen Mistal) idolizes her (although Bunny's dream is to be a housewife and mother). National Security approaches Dr. Hunt because "California is the last secure supply of avocados in the free world." The tribe of the Piranha women is supposedly preventing the harvest of avocados and the government wants Dr. Hunt to go into the avocado jungle and negotiate with them. There are also a bunch of marines who are missing in action. Only their dog tags were found. The government wants to relocate the Piranha Women to condos in Malibu. Have you got the plot so far?
A little background on the Piranha Women. They are an ancient commune of feminists who eat their men. No kidding! They tear them into strips (like beef jerky) and eat them with guacamole. By the way, this movie is brought to you by Guacamole Films. Bunny (always dressed in skin-tight pink) asks Dr. Hunt..."Do a lot of feminists eat men?" Dr. Hunt is a bit ambivalent in her answer.
Dr. Hunt and Bunny take off to San Bernadino to find a mercenary to lead them through the avocado jungle to the tribe of Piranha women. All of the mercenaries apparently hang out in the same bar. The mercenary auditions are hilarious. This is where Jim (Bill Maher) swaggers into the movie. And swagger, he does! He is an ex-lover of Dr. Hunt and becomes their guide by default. Think a couple of notches down from Harrison Ford!
This movie takes campy to an entirely new level! The three of them stop their jeep and then start strolling through avocado groves where the trees are neatly planted in rows. At other places, there is neatly mown grass. There is a leopard in a corn field and there are the deadly Palm Springs hippos in the narrow river! This is definitely a dangerous journey.
While creeping down the river in a leaky boat, the group is attacked with potholders by the Donahues! The Donahues are a group of men who have banded together in the avocado jungle. They crochet and cook. Jim pretty much converts the Donahues back to 'real men' by plying them with beer! As 'real men', they attempt to gang rape Bunny.
A feminist writer, Francine Kurtz, was driven to insanity by the horror of the David Letterman show. Dr. Kurtz (Adrienne Barbeau) now leads the Piranha women. The Piranha women are at war with the Barracuda women because the Barracuda women believe that men should be eaten with clam sauce and not guacamole. Women fight about the most trivial things.
It boils down to the battle of the sexes and this is one of the funniest movies that I have ever seen! It really made me hungry for a fresh, ripe avocado and some jerky.
Runtime: 1:25
This film is available on DVD, VHS, cable or satellite.
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