Slam Dunce Torrent
Hercules Montero
We screamed along to PAs blasting distorted, indecipherable lyrics about clean living, distrusting the government, and animal rights. We slammed into one another, dodging haymaker fists and stomping boots. Spinning circles in some manic ballet, we were on an island of our own creation, and that independent spirit was the fuel that powered my rebellious little engine. Drenched in sweat and drained of frustration, we retreated from the battle in some state of earned euphoria, grateful to have survived another night in the trenches.
David Bowie circa early 1970s, in glorious starman costume and shot by Gloria Stevens, standing in front of an orange curtain in a hotel room, young and alien. Henry Rollins, Greg Ginn and the rest of Black Flag, caught by L.A. punk chronicler Ed Culver in 1980 causing a slam-dance frenzy during an early show. There was Janis Joplin in the late 60s, caught beautifully by Los Angeles chronicler Henry Diltz; and the four Ramones leaning against a brick wall, shot by Roberta Bayley and one of the great portraits in rock.
It's a shame when a movie casts the boobalicious Virginia Madsen only to kill her off in the beginning. But Slam Dance (1987) has some surprising moves to keep things interesting. In Wayne Wang's first movie that didn't center around people of Asian heritage, a Gary Larson-esque cartoonist named C.C. Drood (Tom Hulce) just may have taken a turn to the darkside, since the married family man is the prime suspect in the murder of a high priced hooker named Yolanda (Virginia Madsen). With tough cop Smiley (Harry Dean Stanton) hot on his tail, Drood flees the law but also finds himself being tracked by Bobby (Millie Perkins) and Buddy (Don Keith Opper), Yolanda's former lesbian lover and the hitman she hired. Why are they so desperate to turn Mr. Drood into dust? C.C. thinks he's been framed as some part of a conspiracy they were involved in, but things might end up even crazier than that! Why's it called "Slam Dance?" It ends up C.C. and Yolanda meet at a weird, gritty dance club where the patrons aggressively bump into each other. Critics slammed this one as desperate to be like David Lynch's stuff, but nowhere near as good, which means they must have missed all the good nudity. Where the flick really gets freaky is with the appearance of Lisa Niemi. She's a tight bodied blonde who poses naked for one of his cartoons, then offers him some poon as she seduces him completely naked. We'll sketch a doodle if it gets girls like that all over our naughty noodle! Lisa struts her sexy stuff showing all three B's, before Drood goes crazy, convinced she's part of the conspiracy against him. But C.C. isn't into her, he's obsessed with Yolanda, the girl he dance bumped into before bumping uglies with. Virginia is intensely erotic throughout, but only has a quick nip slip while she gets out of bed. We couldn't get her out of our head, either. When it comes to hot blondes baring boobs, Slam Dance is a slam dunk!
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