Cinderella (1977)

Such a frustrating disappointment

So much average

Did you people see the same film I saw?

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

Sweet fair maiden Cinderella (a radiant and winning performance by lovely drive-in cinema starlet Cheryl "Rainbeaux" Smith), blessed with a certain special snapping distaff endowment, strikes the fancy of a jaded prince (a nicely smarmy Brett Smiley) after doing the deed with him at the royal ball.Director Michael Pataki, working from a blithely bawdy script by Frank Ray Perilli, keeps the enjoyable story moving along at a quick pace, astutely evokes the easy'n'breezy carefree anything-goes vibe of the happy'n'hedonistic 70's, milks plenty of laughs from the merry raunchy humor, and delivers oodles of tasty distaff nudity and sizzling soft-core sex. Moreover, it's acted with tremendous gusto by an enthusiastic cast: Sy Richardson contributes an outrageously campy portrayal of a jive hipster kleptomaniac Fairy Godmother, Kirk Scott has a field day as the bumbling Lord Chamberlain, Pamela Stonebrook really sinks her teeth into her juicy role as the evil emasculating queen, and Yana Nirvana and Marilyn Corwin gleefully ham it up as Cinderella's homely'n'horny stepsisters. Andrew Belling's funky score hits the get-down groovy spot while the discoid songs are quite bouncy, catchy, and funny. Joseph Mangine's sunny cinematography provides a pleasing bright look. Best of all, the gals featured herein are stone foxes, the simulated sex scenes are red hot stuff, there's a gloriously bizarre dream sequence, and the whole thing is way too giddy and loopy to even be remotely offensive. An absolute hoot.

As others have previously commented here, this version of Cinderella is a true gem. A campy, near-porno retelling of the classic tale, b-movie goddess Cheryl "Rainbeaux" Smith takes the lead in what is perhaps her greatest screen performance. In fact, it's Smith who makes the film work. The renowned nympho somehow managed to convey such innocence and conviction as the lead that it's a shame she never snagged a leading role in a Hollywood production (the girl had some real acting chops and could've gone far had her situation been different). Cinderella herself is played totally straight while the rest of the cast ham it up. Even though she practically begins the film topless (singing with her corset flying in the breeze), one can still see this character as virginal – a true testament to Smith's acting abilities.Kirk Scott (best remembered as Christian Slater's psychotic father in "Heathers") devours the scenery whole in nearly every scene he appears in. An equal mix of bumbling, inept and commanding, Scott was perfectly cast as the hunky Lord Chamberlain. Character actor Sy Richardson is also particularly memorable as the Cinderella's "fairy godmother" (emphasis on the word "fairy"), a petty thief who stumbles into the cottage seeking refuge and winds up befriending our heroine. Boris Morris was also outstanding as the giddy King, and Pamela Stonebrook gave an appropriately campy performance as the horny Queen. Both the King and Queen seem so utterly familiar to me that I'm certain their names must have been aliases. Yana Nirvana and Marilyn Corwin are also deliciously campy as the bisexual step-sisters who pleasure each other with spinning-wheel powered… Well, you have to see it to believe it. Evil stepmother Jennifer Doyle is okay, though she feels like she stepped straight out of Robert Altman's "Popeye" (which was filmed three years later). Brett Smiley was either miscast as the Prince, or simply badly written – you never really have sympathy (or a fondness) for the prince after his initial appearance/song.The comedy is hit-and-miss (most of it is a bull's-eye) and the songs have a tendency to get stuck on a loop in your brain. The mere uttering of the line, "Ooooh, a snapper," is instantly familiar to anyone who's sat through this film. The songs are catchy and delightfully dirty in lyric without ever being profane. If this were made today, they'd have certainly shoved in the f-word at every chance, but the word never surfaces once… The only real shortcoming of the film is the sex scenes. Meant only to titillate, not excite, the sex is a little too hard for an R-rating, but a little too soft for triple-X. If they had been shooting for an R-rating, it would have been so much better – the film grinds to a halt each time the characters stop to get it on (or watch others get it on). If they'd shot for a triple-X, the scenes that halted the film might've felt worthwhile. How titillating the scenes are is a matter of taste (I'm gay and being that there's only 3 or 4 brief glimpses of penis, they don't do much for me), but all of the people that I've made sit through the film through the years have griped that the Buttgammon scene goes on far too long. The only sex scenes that really work are a dream sequence (perhaps the only filmed sex scene ever to involve popcorn!), a royal ball attendant's seduction of her husband and the "happily ever after" ending. Much of the nudity is for comical effect of one sort or another, and that seems to be where the film works best. This gripe aside, they certainly blended the sex and story better than any other film in the genre ("Alice in Wonderland," "Beach Blanket Bango," etc.).The film greatly benefits from unusual angles and some innovative camera-work, which, at times, make you forget that the film is as low budget as it was. Many of the songs play with few cuts (the Prince's "My Kingdom Won't Cum" features no cuts – just one continuous, wandering shot) and thankfully the cast did very well, lipsynching to their pre-recorded tracks (major props to Kirk Scott and Pamela Stonebrook for their lipsynching abilities). There are many elements that elevate this beyond that standard sexploitation film, not the least of which is the cinematography.With Smith's cult fanbase and so many truly awful old films receiving lavish DVD releases these days, it astounds me that there's yet to be an official DVD release. The net's overrun with bad bootlegs with abysmal picture/sound quality. I've introduced the film to tons of people since I first saw it 15 years ago, and whether they were straight or gay, male or female, I've yet to find anyone that didn't like it (though I tend to surround myself with friends who are equally bent). I'd love to see this get the widescreen release with remixed audio that it so desperately deserves, so future generations can experience this '70s sleazefest for what it is – a true gem. If the aspect ratio listed here is correct (2:35-1), more than half of the picture is cropped on the TV/Video prints…. Come on, Charles Band, and get a DVD distributor for this gem!

You have to be in the mood for this movie. (maybe a brewski and no dress if in Ohio). If you know what to expect, you will like this.This movie is a living adult comic book, and as such all of the actors except Cheryl Smith (Cinderella), play their roles predictably and very campy. They got it...don't take this seriously and overact. Pretend you are in a High School play. Cy Richardson reprises his role from "Faery Tales", and fits in just fine here. The film I viewed was from cable many years ago, and it shows obvious choppy editing which removed, I presume, some X stuff. Probably these cuts improved the film (such as was claimed by the reviewers of "Alice in Wonderland). The direction is right on target for a sophomoric film. The Chamberlain dismounts his horse and falls screaming down an unseen cliff. He bumps his head while seriously speaking in a farmer's hut. He has an episode with a knife and his finger, ala three stooges minus two (see also Jerry Lewis). This fits if you are really in the mood for this type of film. Doooooooooooooo, Dooooooooooooooo, Dooooooooooooo enjoy.Cheryl Smith stands out in this film because she acts her part seriously and seems to miss the juvenile theme of this movie. Her acting makes this movie work. Intentional or not, her acting evokes the demanded sympathy toward her character. She is really outstanding here, either by design or because she really thought this was a serious film. Without her it would be junk. Good mindless fun to watch. I liked it.

I saw this movie, uncut, in a x rated movie house in Little Rock Arkansas in the 1970's. I've seen it since, on some of the premium channels, on cable, in the r rated vcr format. You lose the "in and out" portions of the film, but it makes it a funnier movie. And everyone has seen this film and remembers it by the line, "It's a snapper!"