2008; color

Directed by Winkytiki

Starring: Smoking Mary Jane, Mika Tan, Marie Luv, Bianca Dagger, Paige Richards & Pinky Lee

Following in the footsteps of Rebelle Rousers and Man's Ruin comes the latest in what I personally hope to be a long line of films from director, photographer and all around cutie-pie, Octavio WinkyTiki. I think my affection for the WinkyTiki has previously been established in these pages but, in case not, I love the WinkyTiki. He can inspect my bikini any day! Well, not today. Probably not tomorrow or the day after that either, as I'm still married to and enjoying monogamous sex with Mr. c14, but if I were a single gal who knows. Anywhoo, I'm pretty sure I said in my Rebelle Rousers review that was the most c14-est porn film to date. Similarly, Bad Luck Betties might be the most B-Movie Buffet-est porn film to date. (Which makes a lot of sense because during our interview last issue I learned we share a similar love for B grade cinema and enjoy a lot of the same directors and films.) In many ways I think some of the people who made the type of grindhouse / exploitation films we write about over at the Buffet wish they had the balls, or ability, to make a full on B-Movie with full-on hardcore sex but, for the most part, they didn't. And when they did, it wasn't all that successful. Porn has come a long way since the sleazy '70s though and in this modern internet age the Eon McKai's of the world (well... there's only one of those, Vivid-Alt head honcho Eon McKai) have made it possible for a new batch of directors, male and female, to ply their film filth. And of course I use the word filth as a compliment. Octavio is definitely the most "artsy" of the alt-porn crowd, which isn't limited to Vivid Alt, they just seem to be the only company that understands and likes the magazine. For those who haven't seen any of his other films, suffice it to say, you can expect something different from more "typical" adult fare. An example of more typical adult fare being Vivid releases without the Alt suffix. You'd likely figure this out for yourself once you start watching Bad Luck Betties though because the first sex scene isn't until like 15 minutes in, after a lot of great shots of the Betties - Smoking Mary Jane, Mika Tan, Marie Luv, and Bianca Dagger - primping, posing, smoking, riding motorcycles and generally standing around looking ridiculously hot. (I love the motorcycle riding parts by the way; so funny! Also of note, Kimberly Kane makes a brief appearance in the first set-up scene, kind of reprising her role from Rebelle Rousers as the lingerie dealer. Really she's just there to say a few lines that set-up the plot to follow, and look good sitting in a cool car, but I thought that was a nice touch.) After all the innocent eye candy, which kinda reminds me of an extended Cramps video, we move on to the plot establishment. If you're curious as to why you would need plot establishment in a dirty movie, this is a dirty movie with a plot. (And a script; you can even see the cast getting together for a cold read in the making of featurette on the second disc in the set.) Not the kind of plot that can be summarized in a sentence either. This review is getting long already though and I haven't gotten to the fucking or mentioned Tommy Pistol's sideburns yet so I'll try. When the Bad Luck Betties, an all-girl gang made up of ladies well versed in the seedy ways of the seedy entertainment industry, find their turf about to be permanently invaded by the completion of a previously abandoned freeway project, they set out to protect their property and get a little revenge on LA's newly appointed mayor, whose previous job just so happened to include the aforementioned seedy entertainment industry. Along the way, sex happens; as do a series of trippy sequences in between the story and the sex I won't attempt to explain or understand. The fucking is pretty easy to explain and understand though featuring somewhat expected groupings - in order of appearance girl-boy; girl-girl; girl-sideburns; girl-boy-boy; another girl-boy - each delivered with the trademark WinkyTiki style & wink. (For example, as an amusing "bonus" at the end of the sex scenes involving men, each fella is dispatched with a bit of violence at the hand of the Bettie they just screwed.) Just for the record, no one actually has sex with Tommy Pistol's sideburns. However if there's any one thing I've learned from watching dirty movies he's in, I like sideburns. If I theoretically found Tommy Pistol alone in a bathroom jerking off to nudie pics I would totally kick him in the balls and break a fake bottle over his head. Then let him fuck me for a while; then verbally abuse him in a Liz Lixx (of Thee Minks) fashion. Just for kicks. I wouldn't have come up with this concept on my own probably, but that's what Bianca Dagger does with him in her scene & it looked like fun. (I'll have to remember to ask around as to why Pistol is looking so Wolverine-esque lately. Is someone making an x-rated X-Men parody? Or is he working towards auditioning to play a young Glenn Danzig? I'm sure he'd perfect for either role. In retrospect it also would have been really funny if, at some point during one of his scenes, Octavio had him yell out "Stellaaaaa"; white wife beaters tucked into jeans and hair grease are sooo Stanley Kowalski.) One other side note that may only be amusing to me - when Pinky Lee lifted up her dress during the "photo shoot" portion of her sex scene with the mayor I learned we have the same panties! I also have an all black pair. They're really comfy actually and they make the butt look cute; hers and mine. I highly recommend them. And this movie. But you already knew that. Other bonus material, aside from the previously mentioned featurette, is a collection of inspirational (to the director and the film) archival footage from the Prelinger collection, a photo gallery and a soundtrack CD. Normally those last two things wouldn't be that much of a bonus but Octavio is a brilliant photographer and the soundtrack was surprisingly great. (Not just great for a porn soundtrack either.) Bottom line: if you liked his other movies you'll probably like this one too.
—Bunny