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''Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!'' is a 1965 American
exploitation film An exploitation film is a film that tries to succeed financially by exploiting current trends, niche genres, or lurid content. Exploitation films are generally low-quality "B movies", though some set trends, attract critical attention, become hi ...
directed by
Russ Meyer Russell Albion Meyer (March 21, 1922 – September 18, 2004) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, cinematographer, and editor. He is known primarily for writing and directing a series of successful sexploitation films that fea ...
and co-written by Meyer and Jack Moran. It follows three
go-go dancers Go-go dancers are dancers who are employed to entertain crowds at nightclubs or other venues where music is played. Go-go dancing originated in the early 1960s at the French bar Whisky a Gogo located in Juan-les-Pins. The bar's name was taken ...
who embark on a spree of kidnapping and murder in the
California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
desert. The film is known for its violence, provocative gender roles, and eminently quotable "dialogue to shame
Raymond Chandler Raymond Thornton Chandler (July 23, 1888 – March 26, 1959) was an American-British novelist and screenwriter. In 1932, at the age of forty-four, Chandler became a detective fiction writer after losing his job as an oil company executive durin ...
". It is also remembered for the performance of star
Tura Satana Tura Satana (July 10, 1938Some sources give her birth year as 1935, i.e. Dave Itzkoff"Tura Satana, Cult Actress, Is Dead" ''New York Times'', February 5, 2011; accessed January 8, 2014. – February 4, 2011) was a Japanese American actress, v ...
, whose character
Richard Corliss Richard Nelson Corliss (March 6, 1944 – April 23, 2015) was an American film critic and magazine editor for ''Time''. He focused on movies, with occasional articles on other subjects. He was the former editor-in-chief of '' Film Commen ...
called "the most honest, maybe the one honest, portrayal in the Meyer canon". ''Faster, Pussycat!'' was a commercial and critical failure upon its initial release, but it has since become widely regarded as an important and influential film.


Plot

Three wild, uninhibited
go-go dancers Go-go dancers are dancers who are employed to entertain crowds at nightclubs or other venues where music is played. Go-go dancing originated in the early 1960s at the French bar Whisky a Gogo located in Juan-les-Pins. The bar's name was taken ...
— Billie, Rosie, and Varla — dance at a club before racing their sports cars across the California desert. They play a high-speed game of
chicken The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated junglefowl species, with attributes of wild species such as the grey and the Ceylon junglefowl that are originally from Southeastern Asia. Rooster or cock is a term for an adult m ...
on the
salt flats Salt flats, Salt flat, Salt Flats, or Salt Flat may refer to: Geology *Salt pan (geology), a flat expanse of ground covered with salt and other minerals * Dry lake, an ephemeral lakebed that consists of fine-grained sediments infused with alkali sal ...
and encounter a young couple, Tommy and Linda, out to run a
time trial In many racing sports, an athlete (or occasionally a team of athletes) will compete in a time trial against the clock to secure the fastest time. The format of a time trial can vary, but usually follow a format where each athlete or team sets off at ...
. After breaking Tommy's neck in a fight, Varla kidnaps and drugs Linda. In a small desert town, they stop at a gas station where they see a wheelchair-using old man and his muscular, dim-witted son. The gas station attendant tells the women that the old man was disabled in a railway accident, "going nuts" as a result, and that he received a large settlement of money that is hidden somewhere around his decrepit house in the desert. Intrigued, Varla hatches a scheme to rob the old man, and the three women follow him back to the ranch, with their captive in tow. At the ranch they encounter the old man, his younger son (who they learn is called "The Vegetable" due to his feeblemindedness) and his elder son, Kirk. The group all have lunch together, and Billie taunts Rosie when Varla leaves with Kirk, hoping to seduce him into revealing the location of the money. Linda subsequently escapes the drunken Billie and runs away into the desert. The old man and the younger son pursue in their truck. The younger son catches Linda and seems about to assault her, but he collapses in tears as Varla and Kirk arrive. Kirk finally acknowledges his father's lecherous nature and the old man's hold over his younger brother, and he vows to have his younger brother institutionalized. He tries to take the hysterical Linda into town in the truck, but the old man says that he has thrown away the keys, and Kirk and Linda set out across the desert on foot. Varla drives back to the house and tells Billie and Rosie that they should kill the men and the girl to cover up Linda's kidnapping and the murder of her boyfriend. Billie refuses, but as she walks away, Varla throws a knife into her back just as the old man and his younger son arrive. Rosie and Varla hit the old man with their car, killing him and knocking over his wheelchair to reveal the money hidden inside. Rosie is stabbed and killed by the younger son while trying to retrieve the knife from Billie's body. Varla tries to ram him into a wall with her car, injuring him. She drives off in the truck and overtakes Kirk and Linda, chasing them into a
gully A gully is a landform created by running water, mass movement, or commonly a combination of both eroding sharply into soil or other relatively erodible material, typically on a hillside or in river floodplains or terraces. Gullies resemble lar ...
. Varla and Kirk fight
hand-to-hand Hand-to-hand combat (sometimes abbreviated as HTH or H2H) is a physical confrontation between two or more persons at short range (grappling distance or within the physical reach of a handheld weapon) that does not involve the use of weapons.Huns ...
. She gets the better of him until Linda hits her with the truck, and she dies. Kirk and Linda drive off together in the truck.


Cast

*
Tura Satana Tura Satana (July 10, 1938Some sources give her birth year as 1935, i.e. Dave Itzkoff"Tura Satana, Cult Actress, Is Dead" ''New York Times'', February 5, 2011; accessed January 8, 2014. – February 4, 2011) was a Japanese American actress, v ...
as Varla *
Haji Hajji ( ar, الحجّي; sometimes spelled Hadji, Haji, Alhaji, Al-Hadj, Al-Haj or El-Hajj) is an honorific title which is given to a Muslim who has successfully completed the Hajj to Mecca. It is also often used to refer to an elder, since it ...
as Rosie * Lori Williams as Billie * Susan Bernard as Linda * Stuart Lancaster as the Old Man *
Paul Trinka Paul Francis Trinka (January 26, 1932 – December 28, 1973) was an American film and television actor. He was known for playing Patterson in the American science fiction television series ''Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea''. Life and career ...
as Kirk * Dennis Busch as the Vegetable * Ray Barlow as Tommy * Mickey Foxx as the Gas Station Attendant * John Furlong as the Narrator


Production


Development

The film was a follow up to an earlier Meyer movie. "'We had just done a film called ''Motorpsycho'', which was about three bad boys, and it had gone through the roof. So I said, 'Well, let's do one with three bad girls'." The screenplay is credited to Jack Moran from an original story by Russ Meyer. The first draft was titled ''The Leather Girls'' and was written over a brief four-day period by Moran, who also collaborated with Meyer on ''
Common Law Cabin ''Common Law Cabin'' (original title ''How Much Loving Does a Normal Couple Need?'') is a 1967 exploitation film directed by Russ Meyer. The movie features Alaina Capri and Meyer regulars Babette Bardot and Jack Moran. Plot Dewey Hoople (Jack ...
'' and '' Good Morning and... Goodbye!'' The screenplay went through a second working title—''The Mankillers''—and had already begun production when the sound editor, Richard S. Brummer, came up with the now-immortal final title. Although neither Moran nor Meyer overtly cited any prior works as inspiration, the plot has been called a "loose remake of '' The Desperate Hours'', or possibly ''
The Virgin Spring ''The Virgin Spring'' ( sv, Jungfrukällan) is a 1960 Swedish rape and revenge film directed by Ingmar Bergman. Set in medieval Sweden, it is a tale about a father's merciless response to the rape and murder of his young daughter. The story was ...
''" by one prominent film critic and a " pop-art setting of
Aeschylus Aeschylus (, ; grc-gre, Αἰσχύλος ; c. 525/524 – c. 456/455 BC) was an ancient Greek tragedian, and is often described as the father of tragedy. Academic knowledge of the genre begins with his work, and understanding of earlier Greek ...
's '' Eumenides''" by one classical scholar.


Casting

Haji had worked with Meyer on ''
Motorpsycho Motorpsycho may refer to: * Motorpsycho (band), a Norwegian rock band * ''Motorpsycho'' (film), a 1965 film by Russ Meyer * ''Motorpsycho Presents The International Tussler Society'', a 2004 album by The International Tussler Society * "Motorpsych ...
''. She recommended Tura Satana to him. Lori Williams later said "Russ didn't want to hire me because he didn't think I had a big enough bust! I said I could use pushups in my bra, which I did. He didn't know whether it would work, but then in rehearsals he finally said okay. I kind of did my part like a cartoon, like the rest of the film, bigger than life."


Filming

''Faster, Pussycat!'' had a modest budget of about $45,000 and was shot in
black and white Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white in a continuous spectrum, producing a range of shades of grey. Media The history of various visual media began with black and white, and as technology improved, altered to color. ...
in order to save money. The film began shooting at the Pussycat Club, a
strip club A strip club is a venue where strippers provide adult entertainment, predominantly in the form of striptease or other Erotic dancing, erotic or exotic dances. Strip clubs typically adopt a nightclub or Bar (establishment), bar style, and can also ...
in
Van Nuys Van Nuys () is a neighborhood in the central San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. Home to Van Nuys Airport and the Valley Municipal Building, it is the most populous neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley. History In 1909, t ...
, before moving on to the California desert later that night. The film's early racing scene was shot on the dry
salt flats Salt flats, Salt flat, Salt Flats, or Salt Flat may refer to: Geology *Salt pan (geology), a flat expanse of ground covered with salt and other minerals * Dry lake, an ephemeral lakebed that consists of fine-grained sediments infused with alkali sal ...
of
Cuddeback Lake Cuddeback Lake is a dry lake in the Mojave Desert of San Bernardino County, California, northeast of Edwards Air Force Base. The lake is approximately long and at its widest point. It is also the site of the Cuddeback Lake Air Force Gunnery ...
, the gas station scene was filmed in the town of Randsburg, and the scenes at the Old Man's house at Ollie Peche's Musical Wells Ranch outside the town of Mojave. During principal photography, the cast and crew stayed at the Adobe Motel in
Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Demo ...
. Meyer, who got his start making movies while serving in the
US Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
's 166th Signal Photographic Company during
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, had a reputation for running strictly regimented film shoots with a small crew composed largely of former Army buddies. Actor Charles Napier, who appeared in five of Meyer's films, said that "Working with Russ Meyer was like being in the first wave landing in Normandy during World War II." Meyer considered the ''Faster, Pussycat!'' shoot no different, saying "It was the usual thing with me. It's like being in the military. Everybody has to get up and do their jobs to get things together, and that's it." Meyer's directorial style and the rules he imposed upon cast and crew caused clashes with his equally strong-willed star, Tura Satana. There was also friction between Susan Bernard and her director and co-stars, much of which they attributed to the presence of her mother on the set (necessitated by Bernard's being a sixteen-year-old
minor Minor may refer to: * Minor (law), a person under the age of certain legal activities. ** A person who has not reached the age of majority * Academic minor, a secondary field of study in undergraduate education Music theory *Minor chord ** Barb ...
at the time). Bernard has said in interviews that she was truly scared of Satana, and some have thought that this contributed to her performance as a frightened kidnapping victim. According to Satana,


Music

The film's title song, "Faster Pussycat!", was performed by California band, the Bostweeds. The lyrics were written by Rick Jarrard and the music was written and sung by Lynn Ready, who formed the Bostweeds and sang leads. The track was never released commercially, but it did appear in February 1966 as a promotional-only 45 single without a
B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...
.


Reception and influence


Box office

''Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!'' premiered in
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
on August 6, 1965. Atypically for a Meyer film, it was a box office failure upon its initial release. "When it first came out, it was not successful", said Meyer. "At the time, people didn't understand that women could have a relationship with other women."


Critical

It was generally dismissed as an exploitative "skin flick" by the few critics who took any note of it at all.
John L. Wasserman John L. Wasserman (August 13, 1938 – February 25, 1979) was an American entertainment critic for the San Francisco Chronicle from 1964 until the time of his death in 1979. Known more for humor and originality than in-depth analysis, he's best k ...
of the ''
San Francisco Chronicle The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and M. H. de Young, Michael H. de ...
'', for example, reviewed a double bill of ''Faster, Pussycat!'' and ''
Mudhoney Mudhoney is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1988, following the demise of Green River. Its members are singer and rhythm guitarist Mark Arm, lead guitarist Steve Turner, bassist Guy Maddison and drummer Dan Peters. Orig ...
'' in April 1966, saying that "''Pussycat'' has the worst script ever written, and ''Mudhoney'' is the worst movie ever made."


Cult status

In the years since, the film has been regarded more favorably, gaining in both commercial and critical stature. As of August 2020 it holds a "fresh" rating on film review aggregator site
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
, with 73% (22 of 30) critic reviews positive. In his review of the film's 1995 re-release,
Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prize () is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and musical composition within the United States. It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made h ...
-winning critic
Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...
gave the film three out of four stars. Noted
feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...
film critic
B. Ruby Rich B. Ruby Rich is an American scholar; critic of independent, Latin American, documentary, feminist, and queer films; and a professor emerita of Film & Digital Media and Social Documentation at UC Santa Cruz. Among her many contributions, she is ...
said that when she first saw ''Faster, Pussycat!'' in the 1970s she "was absolutely outraged that he hadbeen forced to watch this
misogynist Misogyny () is hatred of, contempt for, or prejudice against women. It is a form of sexism that is used to keep women at a lower social status than men, thus maintaining the societal roles of patriarchy. Misogyny has been widely practiced fo ...
film that objectified women and that was really just short of soft-core porn." Upon viewing it again in the early 1990s, however, she "just loved it" and wrote a piece in ''
The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the crea ...
'' reappraising the film and discussing her change in opinion. ''Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!'' is currently number 674 on the tenth edition of the often-referenced "1,000 Greatest Films" list and 377th on the ''Sight & Sound'' "Greatest Films Poll". It is frequently mentioned on lists of the best
B movie A B movie or B film is a low-budget commercial motion picture. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified films intended for distribution as the less-publicized bottom half of a double feature ...
s and
cult movies A cult film or cult movie, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a cult following. Cult films are known for their dedicated, passionate fanbase which forms an elaborate subculture, members of which engage ...
of all time. The film has also been influential on other filmmakers. Writer-director
John Waters John Samuel Waters Jr. (born April 22, 1946) is an American filmmaker, writer, actor, and artist. He rose to fame in the early 1970s for his Cinema of Transgression, transgressive cult films, including ''Multiple Maniacs'' (1970), ''Pink Flamin ...
stated in his book ''Shock Value'' that "''Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!'' is, beyond a doubt, the best movie ever made. It is possibly better than any film that will be made in the future." He later said on its re-release that "it ages like fine wine." Music video director Keir McFarlane acknowledged that a scene in the video for the
Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...
song "
You Want This "You Want This" is a song by American singer Janet Jackson from her fifth studio album, ''Janet'' (1993). Released as the album's seventh single (sixth and final in the U.S.) in October 1994, the track was written and produced by Jackson and Ji ...
" was a direct homage to ''Faster, Pussycat!'', showing the
Porsche Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, usually shortened to Porsche (; see #Pronunciation, below), is a German automobile manufacturer specializing in high-performance sports cars, SUVs and sedans, headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany ...
-driving singer and her female companions driving circles around two men in the desert. Filmmaker
Quentin Tarantino Quentin Jerome Tarantino (; born March 27, 1963) is an American film director, writer, producer, and actor. His films are characterized by stylized violence, extended dialogue, profanity, Black comedy, dark humor, Nonlinear narrative, non-lin ...
referenced the movie and thanked Meyer in the credits of his film ''
Death Proof ''Death Proof'' is a 2007 American action-thriller film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It stars Kurt Russell as a stuntman who murders young women with modified cars he purports to be "death-proof". Rosario Dawson, Vanessa Ferlito ...
'', and it was reported in ''
Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' in 2008 that Tarantino was interested in remaking ''Faster, Pussycat!''


Television adaptation

In May 2021, it was reported that a television series adaptation of film is in development from bigbaldhead Productions, the production company run by
Norman Reedus Norman Mark Reedus (born January 6, 1969) is an American actor best known for starring as Daryl Dixon in the AMC (TV channel), AMC horror drama series ''The Walking Dead (TV series), The Walking Dead'' (2010–2022). He also starred as Murphy Mac ...
, and
AMC Studios AMC Networks Inc. is an American entertainment company headquartered in 11 Penn Plaza, New York. AMC Networks owns and operates the eponymous cable channel and its siblings, IFC, We TV, and Sundance TV; the art house movie theater IFC Cente ...
.


In popular culture

* American
glam metal Glam metal (also known as hair metal or pop metal) is a subgenre of heavy metal that features pop-influenced hooks and guitar riffs, upbeat rock anthems, and slow power ballads. It borrows heavily from the fashion and image of 1970s glam r ...
band
Faster Pussycat Faster Pussycat is an American hard rock/glam metal band from Los Angeles, formed in 1985 by vocalist Taime Downe, guitarists Brent Muscat and Greg Steele and bassist Kelly Nickels. The group has since gone through numerous lineup changes lea ...
took their name from the film. * American punk rock band Frightwig named their second album "Faster, Frightwig, Kill! Kill! * Audio samples from the film are featured in four songs by
metal A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typicall ...
band White Zombie on their third album, '' La Sexorcisto: Devil Music, Vol. 1''. The dialogue "You're all shook up, aren't you, baby?" and "I never try anything, I just do it. Wanna try me?" are used in the song "
Thunder Kiss '65 "Thunder Kiss '65" is a song by American Heavy metal music, heavy metal band White Zombie (band), White Zombie, released in 1992 from the band's third studio album, ''La Sexorcisto: Devil Music Volume One'' (1992). The song was released as a singl ...
". "You're all shook up, aren't you, baby?" is also used in the song "Cosmic Monsters, Inc." and the line "Now let's move, but let's take the back door" in the song "Welcome to Planet Motherfucker/Psychoholic Slag". Another line, "I work on this baby the same way, trying to get maximum performance", is used in "
Black Sunshine "Black Sunshine" is a song initially featured on the album '' La Sexorcisto: Devil Music Volume One'' by White Zombie which was used as a promo single in 1992 and 1993. The song can also be found on Rob Zombie's '' Past, Present & Future'' and th ...
". * The title of
Daniel Clowes Daniel Gillespie Clowes (; born April 14, 1961) is an American cartoonist, graphic novelist, illustrator, and screenwriter. Most of Clowes's work first appeared in '' Eightball'', a solo anthology comic book series. An ''Eightball'' issue typical ...
's graphic novel ''
Like a Velvet Glove Cast in Iron ''Like a Velvet Glove Cast in Iron'' is a graphic novel by American cartoonist Daniel Clowes. The book follows a fantastic and paranoid plot, differing in tone from the stark realism of Clowes' later more widely known '' Ghost World''. It contains ...
'' is taken from a line in the film describing Varla.Shiner, Lewis
"The Role of Compassion in Daniel Clowes' ''Like a Velvet Glove Cast in Iron''"
, ''Sitcom'' (1995). Retrieved 24 April 2015.
* The film's title song, "Faster Pussycat!", has been
covered Cover or covers may refer to: Packaging * Another name for a lid * Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package * Album cover, the front of the packaging * Book cover or magazine cover ** Book design ** Back cover copy, part of co ...
several times, most notably by American
punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...
band
The Cramps The Cramps were an American rock band formed in 1976 and active until 2006. Their lineup rotated frequently during their existence, with the husband-and-wife duo of singer Lux Interior and guitarist Poison Ivy the only ever-present members. T ...
on their 1983 live mini-album '' Smell of Female''. * The music video for the
Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...
song "
You Want This "You Want This" is a song by American singer Janet Jackson from her fifth studio album, ''Janet'' (1993). Released as the album's seventh single (sixth and final in the U.S.) in October 1994, the track was written and produced by Jackson and Ji ...
" from her self-titled 1993 album ''
Janet Janet may refer to: Names * Janet (given name) * Janet (French singer) (1939–2011) Surname * Charles Janet (1849–1932), French engineer, inventor and biologist, known for the Left Step periodic table * Jules Janet (1861–1945), French psych ...
'' pays homage to the film and centers around Jackson as a female gang leader, with the singer and her friends encountering two men in a desert setting. * The music video for the
Spice Girls The Spice Girls are a British girl group formed in 1994, consisting of Melanie Brown, also known as Mel B ("Scary Spice"); Melanie Chisholm, or Melanie C ("Sporty Spice"); Emma Bunton ("Baby Spice"); Geri Halliwell ("Ginger Spice"); and Vict ...
song "
Say You'll Be There "Say You'll Be There" is a song recorded by the English girl group Spice Girls for their debut studio album ''Spice (album), Spice'' (1996). The Spice Girls co-wrote the song with Eliot Kennedy after the group left Heart Management in 1995. La ...
" was inspired by the ''Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!'' film (and ''
Pulp Fiction ''Pulp Fiction'' is a 1994 American crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, who conceived it with Roger Avary.See, e.g., King (2002), pp. 185–7; ; Starring John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis, Tim Roth, Ving Rhame ...
''). The music video features the group members as female techno-warriors who use martial arts and ninja-influenced weapons to capture a hapless male, much like the film. * In
Quentin Tarantino Quentin Jerome Tarantino (; born March 27, 1963) is an American film director, writer, producer, and actor. His films are characterized by stylized violence, extended dialogue, profanity, Black comedy, dark humor, Nonlinear narrative, non-lin ...
's 2007 film ''
Death Proof ''Death Proof'' is a 2007 American action-thriller film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It stars Kurt Russell as a stuntman who murders young women with modified cars he purports to be "death-proof". Rosario Dawson, Vanessa Ferlito ...
'', the character Shanna is wearing a T-shirt featuring Tura Satana's character Varla with the words "BADASS CINEMA" underneath it. Meyer is also one of the directors Tarantino thanks in the end credits. * Reference is made to a poster of the film in
Amy Vincent Amy Vincent (born 1959) is an American cinematographer who has been a member of the A.S.C. since 2002. She won the Excellence in Cinematography award at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival for her work on '' Hustle and Flow''. Life and career Amy ...
's 2008 teen novel (under the pen name Claudia Grey) ''Evernight'' (at page 134) on the dorm room door of one of the supporting characters. * The three main antagonist characters in
John Lee John Lee may refer to: Academia * John Lee (astronomer) (1783–1866), president of the Royal Astronomical Society * John Lee (university principal) (1779–1859), University of Edinburgh principal * John Lee (pathologist) (born 1961), English ...
's 2016 movie ''
Pee-wee's Big Holiday ''Pee-wee's Big Holiday'' is a 2016 American adventure comedy film directed by John Lee and written by Paul Reubens and Paul Rust. The film stars Reubens as Pee-wee Herman and Joe Manganiello as himself. The film was released on March 18, 2016, ...
'' were inspired by the film. * The film's over-the-top title has become iconic and is frequently referenced or played upon in other popular culture: ** The 2008 song "
Funplex ''Funplex'' is the seventh studio album (eighth overall) by The B-52s, recorded during 2006 and 2007. The album was released on March 25, 2008, by Astralwerks Records. It was the first album of new material the group had released since ''Good ...
" by
The B-52's The B-52's, also styled as The B-52s, are an American new wave band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1976. The original lineup consisted of Fred Schneider (vocals, percussion), Kate Pierson (vocals, keyboards, synth bass), Cindy Wilson (vocals, p ...
features the lyrics "Faster pussycat, thrill thrill", an allusion to the film's title. ** In the ''
Buffy the Vampire Slayer ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' is an American supernatural fiction, supernatural drama television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon. It is based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer (film), 1992 film of the same name, also written by W ...
'' episode " Passion",
Xander Harris Alexander Lavelle Harris is a fictional character created for the action-horror/fantasy television series '' Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' (1997–2003). He was developed by Joss Whedon and portrayed throughout the television series by Nicholas Bre ...
encourages Buffy and the others to go after the vampire
Angelus The Angelus (; Latin for "angel") is a Catholic devotion commemorating the Incarnation of Christ. As with many Catholic prayers, the name ''Angelus'' is derived from its incipit—the first few words of the text: ("The Angel of the Lord ...
, saying "If Giles wants to go after the, uh, fiend that murdered his girlfriend, I say, 'Faster, pussycat, kill, kill'." ** An ''
Itchy & Scratchy ''The Itchy & Scratchy Show'' (often shortened as ''Itchy & Scratchy'') is a Story within a story, fictional animated television series featured on ''The Simpsons''. Description The show depicts a blue mouse named Itchy who repeatedly and violen ...
'' short entitled "Foster Pussycat! Kill! Kill!" is shown in the ''
Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, a ...
'' episode "
Home Sweet Homediddly-Dum-Doodily "Home Sweet Homediddly-Dum-Doodily" is the third episode of the The Simpsons (season 7), seventh season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox network in the United Stat ...
". ** The title of the hit 2006 single "
Faster Kill Pussycat "Faster Kill Pussycat" is the first single from British producer Oakenfold's second studio album, '' A Lively Mind'' (2006). The song features American actress Brittany Murphy's vocals and was co-written by singer-songwriter Kelli Ali (former v ...
" by
Paul Oakenfold Paul Mark Oakenfold (born 30 August 1963), formerly known mononymously as Oakenfold, is an English record producer, remixer and trance DJ. He has provided over 100 remixes for over 100 artists including U2, Moby, Madonna, Britney Spears, Mass ...
featuring
Brittany Murphy Brittany Anne Murphy-Monjack (; November 10, 1977 – December 20, 2009) was an American actress and singer. Born in Atlanta, Murphy moved to Los Angeles as a teenager and pursued a career in acting. Her breakthrough role was as Tai Fras ...
is a play on the title of the film. ** The Boston band Human Sexual Response used the title as the last line in their song, "Blow Up", from the album ''In a Roman Mood''. ** In the game '' Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars'', there is a mission titled "Faster Pusher Man! Sell! Sell!" wherein the protagonist is tasked with peddling cocaine for motorcycle club "The Angels of Death". ** The sixth episode of
the CW ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
2017 series '' Riverdale'', "Faster Pussycats Kill Kill", is titled after the film, the plural variation in reference to the series' characters and band,
Josie and the Pussycats Josie and the Pussycats (sometimes simply known as The Pussycats) are a fictional girl group A girl group is a music act featuring several female singers who generally harmonize together. The term "girl group" is also used in a narrower sense i ...
. ** The fifth episode of the Netflix animated series ''
Disenchantment In social science, disenchantment (german: Entzauberung) is the cultural rationalization and devaluation of religion apparent in modern society. The term was borrowed from Friedrich Schiller by Max Weber to describe the character of a modern ...
'', "Faster, Princess! Kill! Kill!", is titled after the film. ** In the
Futurama ''Futurama'' is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of the professional slacker Philip J. Fry, who is cryogenically preserved for 1000 years a ...
episode "
The Thief of Baghead "The Thief of Baghead" is the fourth episode of the seventh season of the animated sitcom '' Futurama''. It originally aired on Comedy Central on July 4, 2012. The episode was written by series co-producer Dan Vebber and directed by Edmund Fong. ...
",
Zoidberg Dr. John A. Zoidberg, often referred to only by his last name, is a fictional character from the animated series ''Futurama''. He is a Decapodian, a crustacean-like species of alien, who works as the staff doctor for ''Planet Express'', despite hi ...
exclaims "Faster,
professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who pr ...
! Kill! Kill!", a reference to the title. * ''Operation: Pussycat'', a Japanese remake of the film directed by Ryûichi Honda, was released in 2005. *The film ''
Bitch Slap ''Bitch Slap'' (alternate title: ''Before Me We Say I Do'') is a 2009 American action film directed by Rick Jacobson and starring Julia Voth, Erin Cummings, America Olivo and Michael Hurst, with cameos by Lucy Lawless, Kevin Sorbo, and Renee ...
'' was inspired by the films of Russ Meyer, especially ''Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!'' Much like this film, it follows three female characters who travel to a desert location to find a treasure. The film's opening and closing credits even have clips from ''Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!'' in a montage of clips from other B movies. *'' Halloween Pussy Trap Kill! Kill!'' (2017) was named as a homage to ''Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!''


See also

*
List of American films of 1965 A list of American films released in 1965. ''The Sound of Music'' won the Academy Award for Best Picture. A–D E–I J–R S–Z See also * 1965 in the United States Notes References * External links *1965 filmsat the Interne ...


References


Bibliography

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Further reading

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External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Faster Pussycat Kill Kill 1965 films 1965 independent films 1960s English-language films 1960s action films 1960s erotic films 1965 LGBT-related films American auto racing films American action comedy films American road movies American sexploitation films American independent films American LGBT-related films American black-and-white films Films about kidnapping Films directed by Russ Meyer Films shot in California Lesbian-related films Films with screenplays by Russ Meyer Films scored by Paul Sawtell Films set in California 1960s exploitation films American exploitation films 1960s American films