Viva (II) (2007)Two suburban couples experiment with sex, drugs and bohemia in early 1970's Los Angeles. Director:Anna BillerWriter:Anna Biller |
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Viva (II) (2007)Two suburban couples experiment with sex, drugs and bohemia in early 1970's Los Angeles. Director:Anna BillerWriter:Anna Biller |
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| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
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Anna Biller | ... | |
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Jared Sanford | ... |
Mark
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| Bridget Brno | ... |
Sheila
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Chad England | ... |
Rick
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| Marcus DeAnda | ... |
Clyde
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| John Klemantaski | ... |
Arthur
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Paolo Davanzo | ... |
Elmer
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Barry Morse | ... |
Sherman
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| Cole Chipman | ... |
Reeves
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| Robbin Ryan | ... |
Agnes
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Carole Balkan | ... |
Mrs. James
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Andrea Lain | ... |
Kelly
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Johnny Holiday | ... |
Mr. Carlisle
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| Veronica Alicino | ... |
Miss Marker
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| Sam Bologna | ... |
Mr. Humphrey
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VIVA is about a bored housewife in 1972 who gets sucked into the sexual revolution. Abandoned by her husband, Barbi is dragged into trouble by her girlfriend, who spouts women's lib as she gets Barbi to discard her bra and go out on the town. Barbi becomes a Red Riding Hood in a sea of wolves, and quickly learns a lot more than she wanted to about nudist camps, the hippie scene, orgies, bisexuality, sadism, drugs, and bohemia. Saturated to the hilt with vibrant color and exquisite period detail, and full of the kind of innocent nude romps you see before censorship codes lifted, VIVA looks like a lost film from the late '60's, and is a tribute to the best of exploitation cinema, from Herschell Gordon Lewis' Suburban Roulette to Radley Metzger's Camille 2000. Written by Anonymous
Anna Biller's 'Viva' is two silly hours of campy,good fun. It attempts to satire late 1960's,early 1970's soft core pre-porn films (when they had wall to wall female nudity,but no actual graphic/explicit sexual intercourse depicted on screen). The acting seems to be lifted from early John Waters' films (Pink Flamingo's & even before). The set design,with it's use of pastel colours (as well as primary colours,as well)are a treat for the eye, as they seem to be lifted from period photo shoots of classic late 60's Playboy,as well as record sleeve covers from the late 1950's (especially the Martin Denny covers,with it's beautiful women & it's over saturated use of colour). Anna Biller,in addition to acting as the film's central female lead,Barbi,also wore several hats in the production of this campy period piece (she wrote,directed & edited the film,in addition to set design & even supervising a brief animation sequence,where Barbi is experiencing her first real orgasm, while on some kind of psychedelic drug).The plot concerns a young,suburban housewife who's loutish husband ignores,and eventually abandons her,only to leave her to experimenting with her new found sexual self,including swingers,hippies,etc. I guess if I have any real beef with this film, is the fact that it has several song & dance numbers that do little more than pad the film out to it's two hour (somewhat over long) running time. The song & dance numbers for me,could have been left on the cutting room floor which would have not hurt the film's integrity,one bit). Aside from that,don't go to this film expecting a dead serious Dogme like existential rant on how empty & shallow the human existence is. Just go & have some good clean (dirty)fun. No MPAA rating here,but has scads of both female & male full frontal nudity,sexual situations (both hetrosexual,as well as gay),and other adult material that would have landed this film it's dreaded 'X' rating back in the day,but would pull down little more than a R, these days.