Cultpix Radio unearths Sweden's own version of cult classic The Room, we look at a brilliant exploitation director career cut short and discuss the latest films on Cultpix, plus new music.
Cultpix's little elves have been busy transferring films from Digibeta that were never released as DVDs, so that they are soon available to stream on Cultpix. And one of these is a guaranteed future cult classic. Director Torbjörn Lindqvist only directed two feature films ten years apart, but kept busy doing documentaries, running a cinema named after a Bergman film (Wild Strawberries) and more.
His second film Grossisten/Djävulens vita guld (The Devil’s White Gold, 1980) never had a theatrical release and a VHS self-release that even video collectors have been unable to trace. But the tale of drug lords in Amsterdam and Malmö has thick dialects, stilted dialogue, terrible 80s outfits and hairdos, It is a future quote-along classic for midnight screenings. A Swedish The Room! A must-see!
Arne Ragneborn was the original Bad Boy of Swedish cinema. He started out as a teenage actor inBergman films before directing his first Farlig frihet/The Vicious Breed (1955) at the age of 30. But his candid depiction of crime, drugs, alcoholism, prostitution, violence and sex earned him the wrath of Swedish critics and censors. Det händer i natt/Babes and Hoodlums (1956) became the first domestic Swedish film to be totally banned since 1917! He re-edited it and released it as a comedy the following year, with both versions available to watch on Cutpix. Although he only directed these 4/5 films in the span of two years, he continued acting, even after his directorial career was cut short.
We then look at eXXXport versions of Swedish films where hardcore inserts (quite literally!) were added to make the films more appealing to foreign audiences who had come to expect more organs in motion from exports by neighbouring Denmark. Compare and contrast the differences of:
Nyckelhålet vs My Teenage Daughter (1974)
Starring major Swedish centerfold Marie Ekorre. They dubbed it in English and added hardcore porn scenes. But even the original hade some action…
Both on Cultpix.
Baksmälla vs Lovelier Than Love (1973)
The director Jörn Donner called himself Björn Thunder, for the export version, when the UK producer Bashoo Sen thought the film wasn’t ”sexy enough”, and had the director/star add a handful of more nude actresses for the international market, and dubbed it in English.
Both on Cultpix.
Inkräktarna/The Intruders vs Hungry Young Women (1974)
Starring: Stellan Skarsgård, Chris Chittell, who had his birthday last week! Hardcore actors mixed with serious Swedish actors.
Both on Cultpix.
Sams vs They Like Sex (1974)
About a hippie commune in the archipelago. Calvin Floyd’s French-co-producer thought the film was too tame, and added more sex, allegedly directed (but uncredited) byt Torgny Wickman!
Soon on Cultpix
We discuss new additions on Cultpix: Drive-In Massacre (1975), Mask of Murder (1988), The Cape Town Affair (1967) and I Eat Your Skin (1971).
Last but not least some music as The Hays Office - Smut Pedler's own band - plays Psychedelic Sex Kicks.