The Naked Kiss [1964 film]

I love the way that Fuller early in the movie not only has Constance Towers walk past a movie marquee showing his film "Shock Corridor" but also has her sitting on a park bench reading his novel "The Dark Page". And that's where she has a consequential conversation with an asshole cop who tries to make her life miserable for almost the rest of the movie. Oh sure, she's a prostitute, but she's trying to reform, as the lines on her not that old face will tell you. And look how well she plays and sings with children! All along, we know something bad is going to happen, but I must admit the twist took me by surprise when it occurred. As usual for Fuller, the narrative is a bit off kilter, and the characters, even the minor ones are show more fascinating. Well worth watching, but no masterpiece. show less

Very pulpy bashing of republican small town America, riddled with sex, blackmail, paedophilia etc which seems to have been developed primarily to shock. Some of the characters, particularly Griff, swing about all over the place, seemingly incapable of listening to Kelly, which just doesn't make sense and her love interest, played by Michael Dante, seems an exceptionally weird character, ill suited to our heroine. That said, Samuel Fuller is a talented film maker and some of the scenes, when it's not being over the top, are impressively pulled together plus Towers is not bad in the lead. A product of its time, it all seems just too contrived.