Lipstick (1976)

In LIPSTICK, Chris McCormick (Margaux Hemingway), a high fashion and cosmetics model is brutally raped by her younger sister’s music teacher, Gordon Stuart (Sarandon). After pleading not guilty to the crime and being found innocent by a jury, Stuart finds a new victim in Chris’s younger sister and his own student, Kathy (Mariel Hemingway). Now even more enraged by the recent turn of events, Chris takes matters into her own hands as she seeks revenge for the crimes committed against both herself and her sister.

UNINTENTIONAL HILARITY ABOUNDS IN THIS EXPLOITATION TRASH DISGUISED AS A LIFETIME MESSAGE MOVIE.

You haven't lived until you've witnessed stuporous fashion mannequin Margaux Hemingway race away from a Francesco Scavullo fashion shoot in a slinky red dress and heels, grab a rifle from her car, and blast the bejesus out of her psycho rapist Chris Sarandon. This knock-down-drag-out-funny thriller was designed by no less than superagent-producer Freddie Fields to present the world the movie debut of stunning (that is, stunningly untalented) Margaux. It became obvious during production that it was another Hemingway, little sister Mariel, who was stealing the show and would be heard from again.

Mariel invites her creepy music teacher, Sarandon, to come to one of Margaux's nude photo sessions -- posing for lipstick ads -- because though Mariel has a crush on him, he's got a crush on Margaux. He turns up at their apartment, plays Margaux his shrieking avant-garde music, gets positively nutsy when she tries to blow him off, then attacks her. Growling about her lipstick, "I want it on me," Sarandon ties Margaux to her bed, beats her, and subjects her to rough sex of every possible persuasion, then cutting her loose, advises, "Listen, don't do this with anyone else."

Hemingway gets a lawyer (an embarrassed-looking Anne Bancroft) and decides to prosecute Sarandon. "You hard-sell her all over this country," bellows Bancroft to Perry King, Margaux's photographer boyfriend. "We're allowed to look and we're allowed to buy, but don't touch!" She's trying to warn Margaux that she'll "be abused again in court." provoking a response from Margaux about her rapist: "He wanted to kill me . . . with his c--k! I hate him!"

The jury aquits Sarandon, which so rattles the victim that she and Mariel decide to escape to a rural life. "We'll be the first sister team," jokes Margaux, "to make a living by starving." After a ridiculously prolonged chase sequence through L.A.'s Pacific Design Center, Sarandon assaults Mariel, prompting hot revenge from big sis Margaux, who literally blows him away. "Crime is expected since humans are never perfect," Bancroft says, addressing the jury on Hemingway's behalf, "but the failures of justice may be more damaging to society than crime itself." Still, there is justice; after this big debut, Hemingway next starred, four years later, in KILLER FISH. Later still, she changed the spelling of her first name to "Margot," but honey, you didn't fool us.
August 18, 2008

RAPE and REVENGE goes HOLLYWOOD!!!

With the HUGE drive-in success of LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT everybody and I do mean EVERYBODY will try to cash in on a running cash cow from independent
to foreign and now mainstream. Paramount pictures tried to throw in some class with the sleaze by adding a court case(normally in these films the woman is judge-jury & executioner) but when the system shows favor to her assailant she(actress Mariel Hemingway) does what we all pay to see. Dressed in high heels and with a double barrel shotgun she is a ONE WOMAN ARMY!!! This also stars Chris(Princess Bride/Child's Play Fright Night) Sarandon who is good as the SCUMBAG and Mrs.Mel Brooks Anne Bancroft as the lawyer looking for justice. A must have for L.H.O.T.L. and THRILLER collectors. August 4, 2008

Margaux...beautiful - the movie....AWFUL!

I remember going to see this movie in the 70's because, at that time, I thought Margaux was so stunning - she had to be officially, the first SUPERMODEL - I thought she was breathtaking. Anyway, I left this movie so dejected at what I had watched, I just thought it was so awful.... January 18, 2008

Thought it would be better

This cult classic film really didn't impress me much. It is basically a trashy revenge movie. What sets it apart from stuff like "I Spit on Your Grave", is the quality of actors and a decent director. There are a lot of faces you will recognize. The movie basically has very little set up to get to know the characters before you get into a long rape scene. Then it becomes a short court room drama and then moves on to the revenge part. If you like pictures like that, then this one is probably one of the better made girl revenge pictures, but as a movie it is left wanting in many places. For fans only. August 14, 2007

Make yourself a favor, resist any temptation to watch it!

A thrashed portrait about a model who is molested by a composer. I can still remember it as one of the worst films I have watched in my life. Terrible edition, predictable script and infamous performances. This was the worst film in which Anne Bancroft appeared ever.

Do not waste your time watching it as I did it; one of my youth's sins.
June 14, 2006

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