The Goal Of This Blog


THE GOAL OF THIS BLOG

The internet provides mankind with an abundance of information. Though the quality and accuracy may leave much to be desired, when used properly you may end up with pretty interesting stuff.
So my hopes weren't very high when searching for any information regarding actress Ulrike Butz, in my humble opinion the undisputed queen of German sexploitation. Yet, even with such low expectations, what I did find was utterly disappointing: an almost blank profile on IMDb (save a filmography) and a couple of small pictures from the films she starred in. That's it. No date or place of birth, no biographical information of any kind, no interviews, no candid pictures, no film reviews elaborating on her career or personal life.
I extended my search and was able to buy some more films, movie memorabilia and more interestingly, a few magazines that included unique pictures and interviews. Although I wouldn't exactly describe nudie- and tabloid magazines as trustworthy sources.

So this is my last resort. This blog is purely intended as a communication platform that will hopefully lead to more information.
Should you, dear reader, be in possession of any bit of information regarding Ulrike, I would greatly appreciate you sharing it with me, and with that the whole world, so I can ultimately change this blog's title to something along the lines of "The Ultimate And Only Source On The Net For All Things Ulrike". Together, maybe we can fill a huge overlooked hole in the world wide web.
To increase the chance at any kind of success with this obvious long shot, I will post whatever I already DO know, along with pictures and anything else that may trigger someone else's memory or interest.

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

"Muschimaus" review

Following my previous entry about the upcoming "Muschimaus mag's grad heraus" DVD, here is a preview of what to expect.

The Story

Frivolous Senta (Ulrike Butz) is thrown out of her residence for a reason we will later find out.  Owning just a suitcase and the clothes on her back (a raincoat) she decides to hitch a ride.  To help achieve her goal she flashes her naked body to an unsuspecting driver, who crashes his car in disbelieve - yes, she's thát gorgeous!
This little stunt lands her in court, but since she has no money to pay for the damages and her shrewd 'double nip-slip' can't sway the conservative judge, she is sentenced to...
...write down her memoirs!
Inspired by classic erotic literature, Senta's writings predominantly feature her past sexual encounters - presented as flashbacks - up to the point which led her into court.

The soon to be famous 'double nipple slip'
















The Movie

Fans of the genre will be pleased as they are presented the usual German sex-romp ingredients: men sitting in trees (for whatever reason), uncomfortable sexual positions, a ton of nudity, sped up slapstick gags and the omnipresent Italian immigrant (not played by Rinaldo Talamonti this time).
However, it's apparent that director Hubert Frank was an in ambitious mood because he eagerly attempts to push this cinematic experience to a higher level.
His camera angles and framing are slightly atypical yet always intentional, with a fine eye for composition.  Many shots contain loads of deep space and depth, sometimes achieved by the use of mirrors, which vastly increases the production value.
 
Director Hubert Frank's ode to "Vertigo"



 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
High angles = high production value
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Deep space at low cost
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 



Sophomoric symbolism can be found throughout in tower bells, fire hoses and a shot of simulated fellatio followed by a man blowing a trumpet.  More clever and amusing is a scene where Senta is eating a banana with a brown ripe spot on it, which is mirrored by her boyfriend burning his erection on a candle.
Director Frank even lets Ulrike break the 4th wall by deliberately having her stare and talk right into the camera for a split second.

A composite of the burnt banana(s) gag





 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Inconspicuously breaking the 4th wall
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


The sex scenes also tend to go a bit further than usual with plenty of full frontal male nudity and a rather explicit masturbation scene only topped by a giant close-up of Ulrike's 'muschi'.
If you haven't figured it out by now: "Muschimaus mag's grad heraus" is without a doubt one of the better efforts to come out of the 'Aufklärungsfilme' sub-genre era.

Ulrike Butz

Ulrike portrays Senta as a flirtatious free spirit, ostensibly naïve, always sticking up for herself and landing on her feet.  While at first glance she's casually exploring life, sexuality and their boundaries, deep inside she's yearning for true love.  Sounds like a huge cliché, but Ulrike's stunning presence, contagious enthusiasm and fine thespian skills make you actually care for her and secretly wish you'd met someone equally enchanting on your way to adolescence.
She's practically in every scene and carries the movie effortlessly.  Everything combined, "Muschimaus mag's grad heraus" is definitely one of my personal favorites within the Butz canon.

How many 'bells' do you count?


 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Technical Mumbo-Jumbo

The film is presented in its correct aspect ratio of 1:1,85.  The print used for this transfer sports some minor scratches and blemishes (mostly during reel change sections) but the colors are vibrant and the image is sharp.
Overall, the quality is much better than to be expected for a film this old and rare.  It's highly watchable and the few minor flaws never distract or take away from viewing pleasure.
The audio is pretty clean with its German (dubbed) dialogue comprehensible throughout.
In addition to a few missing frames (the source is a used positive print) it seems the title card is m.i.a. as well.  To fill in this gap we are shown a still taken from the "Jagdzeit für Naschkatzen" poster followed by a still containing the "Muschimaus mag's grad heraus" title.  It must be noted though, that things like this are subject to change before the actual DVD release.
The rest of the credits are original and complete, superimposed over the first scene.

 
NOTE:
At the time of writing, a specific release date hasn't been announced yet, but I will let you know the moment it's official.
 
Many thanks go to Michael Rüdel and Walter Potganski from moviemax GmbH München.