Latest news with #BobGuccione
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
12 Sleazy '70s Movies That Don't Care About Your Respect
These 12 sleazy 1970s movies don't care about respect — they care about entertainment. We aren't talking about movies with an X rating, which are their own category. And we aren't talking about movies like Serpico, The French Connection and Mean Streets that depict sleaze but are, you know, classy about it. We're talking about movies that ruthlessly shock and pander for the sake of good clean — or not so clean — thrills. So here we go. When Penthouse founder Bob Guccione set out to make a mainstream movie, the result was Caligula — a story of the indulgent Roman emperor with big names attached. Led by rather fearless Clockwork Orange veteran Malcolm McDowell, the film stars Teresa Ann Savoy (above), as well as Helen Mirren and Peter O'Toole. But what it's best known for is its over-the-top sex scenes. It was written by the very respected Gore Vidal, who disavowed it after director Tinto Brass substantially altered his script. A gloriously shameless movie (starting with that title) that uses ickiness to its great advantage. It's one of the most effective and captivating horror movies ever made thanks to its hardcore atmosphere, oozing with sex and violence. Filled with the sounds of animals and buzzing flies, the Texas Chainsaw Massacre makes clear from the start that it has no limits, even before we hear the first rev of Leatherface's chainsaw. lsa, She Wolf of the S.S. affects high-minded ideals with a ridiculous opening card (see above), but it's all just an excuse to tell the story of Ilsa, an evil Nazi warden who wants to prove women are better at suffering than men, and should therefore be allowed to fight for Hitler. Of course, she proves this through a series of "experiments" on women who are scantily clad, at best. Let's all say it together now: "They couldn't make this today." A Canadian film by director Don Edmonds, it managed to get reviewed by Gene Siskel, who called it "the most degenerate picture I have seen to play downtown." We can't tell if that's a thumbs up or thumbs down. Abel Ferrara has made some straight-up classics — including King of New York and Bad Lieutenant — but the Bronx-born director cut his teeth with The Driller Killer. (His debut was an adult motion picture in which he also performed.) Ferrara also appeared in The Driller Killer (above) about a New York City artist who deals with his urban angst by going on a killing spree with a power tool. The film made it onto the United Kingdom's list of "video nasties" criticized for their extreme content. Look, we love Dolemite, but when the hero of the movie is a pimp, you're watching a sleazy movie. Rudy Ray Moore's endlessly entertaining Blaxploitation icon sprang from his filthy standup comedy routines: He passed on stories of a streetwise hustler named Dolemite who explained, "Dolemite is my name and f---ing up motherf---ers is my game." Dolemite was also a triumph of DIY, indie moviemaking — as spelled out in the recent Dolemite Is My Name, starring Eddie Murphy. Widely regarded as one of the best exploitation movies ever made, this Swedish film by director Bo Arne Vibenius stars Christina Lindberg as as a mute woman who endures a series of unbelievable traumas — which Vibenius isn't shy about showing onscreen. She eventually finds herself a double-barrel shotgun and goes on a revenge mission that she — and her targets — very much deserve. We hate this movie, because it's so incredible effective. One of the most shameless 1970s movies of all, it has a handmade quality that makes it violence and cruelty feel all the more real. Director Wes Craven made his debut with Last House on the Left — a story of abduction, brutality and vengeance, scored by eerie hippie music — before going on to create the classic Nightmare on Elm Street and Scream horror franchises. With all due respect to those films, they aren't remotely as scary as Last House on the Left. Inspired by the writings of Marquis de Sade, this film by Pier Paolo Pasolini is about a group of fascists who round up a group of adolescents and do horrible things to them for 120 days. Just make a list of things that gross you out, and we promise they're in Salo. Interestingly, Abel Ferrara, who you may remember from our Driller Killer entry, made a movie about Pasolini in 2014 about his life around the time he was making Salo. It stars the great Willem Dafoe, a good friend and frequent collaborator of Ferrara's. You probably remember the disco, but not the desperation. Saturday Night Fever is a nuanced and gritty character study of Tony Manero (John Travolta, above) that unflinchingly depicts racism and sexual violence. Tony is deeply flawed, and no hero by today's standards, but the movie tries to win back our affection for him by the end. For such a successful film, it's a very sleazy movie and a rough watch — but the dancing is fantastic, at least. One of many killer-animals movies rushed to the screen after the blockbuster success of Jaws, Piranha — unlike, say, Orca, to use one example — made no pretense of respectability. And we respect that. A Roger Corman production through and through, this movie existed to show swimmers get attacked by toothy fish, and we love that. It's the epitome of a B movie. But it was also important to the careers of some great filmmakers, including Corman: Six years after Piranha, Joe Dante went on to direct the massive hit Gremlins. And Piranha co-writer John Sayles would go on to make films including Eight Men Out and The Secret of Roan Inish. A movie we both love and respect, The Kentucky Fried Movie is a sendup of grindhouse and sleaze that is also, itself, pretty sleazy — but in a good way. It leaves no joke unturned, and parody-movie sendups go waaay further than necessary to satirize the things they're satirizing. The Kentucky Fried Movie is one of funniest of all sleazy movies, and it led to more mainstream, less sleazy success for director John Landis and writers David Zucker, Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker, who would later go on to make Airplane. If you liked this, you might also like our list of Gen X Movie Stars Gone Too Soon. And you might also like this behind the scenes look at The Kentucky Fried Movie. Main image: The Kentucky Fried Movie. United Film Distribution Company Related Headlines 12 Fathers Day Movies About Dads Saving Daughters Ari Aster and John Waters on the Art of Not Compromising 12 Shameful Movies That Glamorize the Devil
Scottish Sun
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Inside abandoned ‘Haven of Hedonism' hotel left to rot once owned by US porn baron & frequented by Saddam Hussein
Guests tucked away hundreds of kilos of lobster and guzzled gallons of champagne every day PORN KING'S PALACE Inside abandoned 'Haven of Hedonism' hotel left to rot once owned by US porn baron & frequented by Saddam Hussein Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE Haludovo Hotel is one of many abandoned buildings along the Croatia's glittering Adriatic coast - but this one has a particularly scandalous past. Amongst all the casinos and party hotels, the Haludovo was notorious for being the haven of hedonism. 11 American porn baron Bob Guccione, here in 1994, founded the decadent Haludovo Hotel Credit: Rex 11 The sprawling complex was the pinnacle of luxury 11 The grand building now lies in a state of decay Credit: Getty 11 Sadam Hussein would visit the hotel and stay in the master suite Credit: AFP - Getty The opulent estate had 17 tennis courts, a mini football pitch and mini-golf, as well as waterski, paragliding and diving centres. One of America's most notorious porn barons, Bob Guccione, dreamt up and funded the hotel throughout its 1970s heyday - when it was known as the palace of "Peace and Porn". He brought in corset-clad hostesses, which he called "Penthouse Pets", who would walk the halls and serve guests champagne. Many rich and famous names indulged in the glamour, even including Sadam Hussein - Iraq's violent dictator of 24 years. Hussein enjoyed gold-standard service when he came walked through the doors of the Haludovo, and would always stay in the master suite. The once-plush pad is now a graffiti-coated ruin, with crumbling walls and smashed windows. Many curious tourists still visit the site on the island of Krk to photograph the deteriorating shell and wonder at the things that went on between the walls. Guccione founded the Penthouse Magazine, which was the first American publication to feature full-frontal nudity. He dreamed of building a lavish resort in Malinska, Krk, filled with luxury hotels and a grand casino, to attract a wealthy American pleasure-seekers. He opened it up in 1972 in socialist Yugoslavia - which was largely ignored by the States. The perfect Haven holiday park for a kid-friendly break - with direct beach access, indoor waterpark and neighbouring seaside theme park This was a savvy business move, because casinos were untaxed. Locals were banned from gambling in them, so they existed only to serve foreign tourists. Guccione hoped that wealthy American tourists would flock to Krk to gamble away their money at his hotel. He also planned to hire only locals so that he could avoid American employment regulations. 11 Hostesses at the hotel worse corsets and kept gusts topped up with champagne 11 Bob Guccione surrounded by glamorous ladies in the 1980s Credit: Alamy 11 Wealthy Americans would visit and gamble away in the hotel's casino In a 1972 interview with Radio Free Europe, Guccione vowed his resort would be the "real formula in the struggle against the cold war". He claimed it would help relations to have Americans visiting the socialist country and enjoying themselves. The porn king invested a whopping $45million, £296m in today's currency, into the development of the property and the casino. One of Croatia's most celebrated architects, Boris Magaš, was drafted in to design the complex. The building's style was strikingly modern, and is now considered a classic example of brutalism. 11 The main entrance to the abandoned hotel Credit: Alamy 11 The swimming pool is long dried up and littered with debris Credit: Getty 11 Curious travellers still visit the hotel to explore the abandoned building Credit: Getty 11 The hotel has been left to rot on the island of Krk Credit: Alamy It took four years to build, and The Haludovo Palace Hotel and Penthouse Adriatic Club Casino opened in 1972 to great fanfare. A 1972 ad for Haludovo in Penthouse magazine described the resort as a "mile-long Xanadu of glittering buildings [that] will become for international cognoscenti a premier playground for summer and winter seasons alike". Guests gobbled 100kg of lobster, 5kg of caviar and hundreds of bottles of champagne each day of its lively first year. The resort bloomed into a hub for global dictators and politicians, American weekend gamblers, the Yugoslav music scene, and ordinary citizens.
The Sun
02-05-2025
- The Sun
Inside abandoned ‘Haven of Hedonism' hotel left to rot once owned by US porn baron & frequented by Saddam Hussein
THE Haludovo Hotel is one of many abandoned buildings along the Croatia's glittering Adriatic coast - but this one has a particularly scandalous past. Amongst all the casinos and party hotels, the Haludovo was notorious for being the haven of hedonism. 11 11 11 11 The opulent estate had 17 tennis courts, a mini football pitch and mini-golf, as well as waterski, paragliding and diving centres. One of America's most notorious porn barons, Bob Guccione, dreamt up and funded the hotel throughout its 1970s heyday - when it was known as the palace of "Peace and Porn". He brought in corset-clad hostesses, which he called "Penthouse Pets", who would walk the halls and serve guests champagne. Many rich and famous names indulged in the glamour, even including Sadam Hussein - Iraq's violent dictator of 24 years. Hussein enjoyed gold-standard service when he came walked through the doors of the Haludovo, and would always stay in the master suite. The once-plush pad is now a graffiti-coated ruin, with crumbling walls and smashed windows. Many curious tourists still visit the site on the island of Krk to photograph the deteriorating shell and wonder at the things that went on between the walls. Guccione founded the Penthouse Magazine, which was the first American publication to feature full-frontal nudity. He dreamed of building a lavish resort in Malinska, Krk, filled with luxury hotels and a grand casino, to attract a wealthy American pleasure-seekers. He opened it up in 1972 in socialist Yugoslavia - which was largely ignored by the States. This was a savvy business move, because casinos were untaxed. Locals were banned from gambling in them, so they existed only to serve foreign tourists. Guccione hoped that wealthy American tourists would flock to Krk to gamble away their money at his hotel. He also planned to hire only locals so that he could avoid American employment regulations. 11 11 In a 1972 interview with Radio Free Europe, Guccione vowed his resort would be the "real formula in the struggle against the cold war". He claimed it would help relations to have Americans visiting the socialist country and enjoying themselves. The porn king invested a whopping $45million, £296m in today's currency, into the development of the property and the casino. One of Croatia 's most celebrated architects, Boris Magaš, was drafted in to design the complex. The building's style was strikingly modern, and is now considered a classic example of brutalism. 11 11 11 11 It took four years to build, and The Haludovo Palace Hotel and Penthouse Adriatic Club Casino opened in 1972 to great fanfare. A 1972 ad for Haludovo in Penthouse magazine described the resort as a "mile-long Xanadu of glittering buildings [that] will become for international cognoscenti a premier playground for summer and winter seasons alike". Guests gobbled 100kg of lobster, 5kg of caviar and hundreds of bottles of champagne each day of its lively first year. The resort bloomed into a hub for global dictators and politicians, American weekend gamblers, the Yugoslav music scene, and ordinary citizens. Who was Bob Guccione? BOB Guccione was one of America's most famous porn publishers. He founded Penthouse magazine, which was the first publication in the US to feature photographs of full-frontal nudity. Guccione considered himself an artist and took many of the photos for Penthouse himself. The trademark of his brand of soft porn was to picture the naked model looking away from the camera - which Guccione described as the "philosophy of voyeurism". Founded in Britain in 1965, Penthouse made headlines across the Atlantic two decades later when it published unauthorised nude photos of Vanessa Williams, the first black Miss America. The controversy forced her to give up her crown, but the issue sold nearly six million copies and helped make Guccione one of America's wealthiest men. Guccione went on to squander a $400m fortune on unwise investments in the gambling and film industries. He died in 2010 from cancer aged 79.
The Irish Sun
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Inside abandoned ‘Haven of Hedonism' hotel left to rot once owned by US porn baron & frequented by Saddam Hussein
THE Haludovo Hotel is one of many abandoned buildings along the Croatia's glittering Adriatic coast - but this one has a particularly scandalous past. Amongst all the casinos and party hotels , the Haludovo was notorious for being the haven of hedonism. 11 American porn baron Bob Guccione, here in 1994, founded the decadent Haludovo Hotel Credit: Rex 11 The sprawling complex was the pinnacle of luxury 11 The grand building now lies in a state of decay Credit: Getty 11 Sadam Hussein would visit the hotel and stay in the master suite Credit: AFP - Getty The opulent estate had 17 tennis courts , a mini football pitch and mini-golf, as well as waterski, paragliding and diving centres. One of America's most notorious porn barons, Bob Guccione, dreamt up and funded the hotel throughout its 1970s heyday - when it was known as the palace of "Peace and Porn". He brought in corset-clad hostesses, which he called "Penthouse Pets", who would walk the halls and serve guests champagne. Many rich and famous names indulged in the glamour, even including Sadam Hussein - Iraq's violent dictator of 24 years. read more in world news Hussein enjoyed gold-standard service when he came walked through the doors of the Haludovo, and would always stay in the master suite. The once-plush pad is now a graffiti-coated ruin, with crumbling walls and smashed windows. Many curious tourists still visit the site on the island of Krk to photograph the deteriorating shell and wonder at the things that went on between the walls. Guccione founded the Penthouse Magazine, which was the first American publication to feature full-frontal nudity. Most read in The Sun He dreamed of building a lavish resort in Malinska, Krk, filled with luxury hotels and a grand casino, to attract a wealthy American pleasure-seekers. He opened it up in 1972 in socialist Yugoslavia - which was largely ignored by the States. The perfect Haven holiday park for a kid-friendly break - with direct beach access, indoor waterpark and neighbouring seaside theme park This was a savvy business move, because casinos were untaxed. Locals were banned from gambling in them, so they existed only to serve foreign tourists. Guccione hoped that wealthy American tourists would flock to Krk to gamble away their money at his hotel. He also planned to hire only locals so that he could avoid American employment regulations. 11 Hostesses at the hotel worse corsets and kept gusts topped up with champagne 11 Bob Guccione surrounded by glamorous ladies in the 1980s Credit: Alamy 11 Wealthy Americans would visit and gamble away in the hotel's casino In a 1972 interview with Radio Free Europe , Guccione vowed his resort would be the "real formula in the struggle against the cold war". He claimed it would help relations to have Americans visiting the socialist country and enjoying themselves. The porn king invested a whopping $45million, £296m in today's currency, into the development of the property and the casino. One of The building's style was strikingly modern, and is now considered a classic example of brutalism. 11 The main entrance to the abandoned hotel Credit: Alamy 11 The swimming pool is long dried up and littered with debris Credit: Getty 11 Curious travellers still visit the hotel to explore the abandoned building Credit: Getty 11 The hotel has been left to rot on the island of Krk Credit: Alamy It took four years to build, and The Haludovo Palace Hotel and Penthouse Adriatic Club Casino opened in 1972 to great fanfare. A 1972 ad for Haludovo in Penthouse magazine described the resort as a "mile-long Xanadu of glittering buildings [that] will become for international cognoscenti a premier playground for summer and winter seasons alike". Guests gobbled 100kg of lobster, 5kg of caviar and hundreds of bottles of champagne each day of its lively first year. The resort bloomed into a hub for global dictators and politicians, American weekend gamblers, the Yugoslav music scene, and ordinary citizens. Who was Bob Guccione? BOB Guccione was one of America's most famous porn publishers . He founded Penthouse magazine, which was the first publication in the US to feature photographs of full-frontal nudity. Guccione considered himself an artist and took many of the photos for Penthouse himself. The trademark of his brand of soft porn was to picture the naked model looking away from the camera - which Guccione described as the "philosophy of voyeurism". Founded in Britain in 1965, Penthouse made headlines across the Atlantic two decades later when it published unauthorised nude photos of Vanessa Williams, the first black Miss America. The controversy forced her to give up her crown, but the issue sold nearly six million copies and helped make Guccione one of America's wealthiest men. Guccione went on to squander a $400m fortune on unwise investments in the gambling and film industries. He died in 2010 from cancer aged 79.
