Private Parts (1972) User Reviews

Intriguing in the weirdest way

[GroovyDoom · 7/10 · 21 November 2006]

In the 1970s there was a genre I like to refer to as the "70s doom" film. I'm not sure if "Private Parts" qualifies, as it's much wilder than most of the ones I hold most dear (like "The Pyx" and "Don't Look In The Basement"). But it's definitely got the aesthetics down pat, and if it seems a little too deliberate or *too* well made to be authentic, it's at least an unforgettable experience.

Groovy 70s chick Cheryl (pronounced "CHAIR-ul") is on the run with her friend Judy, who freaks out on her when Cheryl spies on her having sex with a groovy L.A. hunk. Cheryl packs her suitcase and takes off, along with Judy's wallet, and heads out into the sleaziest part of L.A. looking for her long-lost Aunt Martha's hotel. Unfortunately for Cheryl, she finds it, and Aunt Martha takes her in.

Aunt Martha is a stout, homely woman with no tolerance for worldly ways. She insists that Cheryl wash "that paint" off before joining her for dinner, and lectures her on the evils of sex. Cheryl plays along for a place to stay, but she soon finds out that the hotel is full of loonies of all types. There's a gay priest who has a thing for male bodybuilders, a drunk guy who doesn't do anything except pass out in his room, and an old lady who wanders around looking for a girl named "Alice". Oh, and don't forget the reclusive photographer, George, who shows his affection for Cheryl by spying on her through cracks in the wall, leaving her pornographic reading material in her room, and offering her fetish gear to wear for his amusement. Cheryl craves the attention, but she's not aware that people are being murdered in the hotel, or that someone may cut her head off with a machete one of these days. Is that what really happened to "Alice", anyway?

Not all aspects of the movie work. I wasn't a big fan of the music, although others have raved about it and found it reminiscent of Bernard Hermann (!). It seemed too grandiose for this film, and I longed for the cheesy thriller cues from "Don't Look In The Basement". I also found the movie overall to be a little too polished. Paul Bartel has a great eye for detail here, many of which don't really mean much except to add an otherworldly quality to the movie, but it's almost too calculated. It also comes apart too soon at the conclusion, when outside authority figures come to the hotel and reveal themselves to be as weird as the residents there. It detracts from the notion of the hotel as being a microcosm of insanity.

But there is a lot to love about it. Some of the strongest images in the film come as a shock to the first-time viewer, so make sure you don't watch the trailer included on the DVD (it's one of those that reveal all the twists in the film, including who lives, who dies, and who's doing all the machete chopping), but this movie will not make anybody jump out of their seat. Instead, it gets under your skin, particularly a see-through vinyl blow-up sex doll that George likes to dress as Cheryl, complete with an enlarged photograph of her face attached to it. George fills it with water, and never has vinyl looked so disturbing and bizarre as it does here while the doll slowly unravels, snake-like, taking human form gradually while still looking completely alien. It's a low-key chill, but something that I've never seen in a film before this one. What a shock some of this must have been back in 1972.

Even today it's still bizarre. It's the kind of movie that infuriates some people for being too vague and meandering (and thus boring), while other people will read into it and find it fascinating. I'm one of the latter.

Sex,... Lies,... and Blowup Dolls.....

[merklekranz · 7/10 · 29 October 2008]

Paul Bartel's vision of perversity in a seedy L.A. hotel has more entertainment value than most of today's re-hashed, redundant, repulsive, wannabe exploitation flicks. The acting alone is uncommonly good for this type, with Ann Ruymen as the not so innocent Cheryl, and Lucille Benson as the proprietor of the unforgettable King Edward Hotel, absolute standouts. The quirky residents are both believable and intriguing. Murder, fetishism, voyeurism, what more could you ask for from this wonderful mixture of bizarre characters? Great photography, great character development, great script, great dark comedy. Highly recommended. - MERK

"Welcome to Aunt Martha's King Edward Hotel"

[brefane · 7/10 · 9 May 2006]

This bizarre and entertaining cult film was Paul Bartel's first feature, and it's probably his most interesting film. Good use of seedy LA locations and an effective score by Hugo Friedhofer create a genuinely creepy atmosphere. Well cast and acted. Lucille Benson, who could easily be Norman Bates' mother,is a standout as Aunt Martha.

"Too nosy for her own good", runaway Cheryl Stratton investigates the various characters and rooms in her aunt's hotel, while a resident photographer spies on her; ultimately, with her knowledge and participation. Like so many films, Private Parts owes a debt to Psycho. Though the film becomes somewhat silly with the arrival of the 2 policemen near the end, it is original and compelling, and Bartel displays admirable restraint throughout. The film ends with a good last shot:Cheryl checked-in a girl, and checks-out a vicariously experienced woman.

When the film opened in New York, at the now defunct First Avenue Screening Room, The New York Times' reviewed it favorably. Happily, it has finally been released on DVD with the trailer. Definitely worth checking out. "Follow Cheryl as she leads you through the darkest corridors of your mind", you'll be glad you did.

"Call Me Aunt Martha..Everybody Does"

[BaronBl00d · 19 August 2001]

A teenaged girl out to discover womanhood early takes refuge from home and friends in her aunt's dilapidated, poverty row hotel. The hotel houses a bizarre assortment of characters including a photographer wearing nothing but black leather and never saying much, a drunk who leaves bottles out in the hallway, a reverend who has tons of homo-erotic art and photographs pasted on his walls, a handicapped woman constantly crying for her Alice to return, and, of course, Aunt Martha, the proprietor. Aunt Martha is a heavy-set woman who preaches about the way things used to be and how her hotel is a place for respectable people not tramps and the like. Lucille Benson plays Martha and does an incredible job with what is really a difficult role. Martha is a complex character of old-fashioned values being fused with strong sexual repression. She is in many ways a man trapped in a woman's body. Think about that when you finish the film. Benson has a grand presence on screen and such a distinctive voice. The rest of the acting is generally good as well. Stanley Livingston(Chip from My Three Sons) has a small role. Director Paul Bartel does a fine job capturing the perverse nature of the inhabitants of the hotel. Each seems to have some seedy perversion. The hotel sets the mood perfectly as it is grand in stature and just as filthy in reality. Bartel uses genuine horror and some really dark humour together. In one scene a boy's head is lopped off quickly. A rat is pushed down a garbage disposal. Bartel also uses some nifty lines like when an elderly woman cries for her Alice, someone says, "Alice doesn't live here anymore." A weird, quirky film whose atmosphere, direction, and a real creepy performance by Lucille Benson carry it beyond the ordinary and into the area of cult classic.

A truly off-the-wall sex comedy

[NORDIC-2 · 7/10 · 13 June 2014]

Gay cult actor/director/writer Paul Bartel (1938-2000) began his film-making career in 1968 with a 28-minute black comedy entitled 'The Secret Cinema', a movie about a woman who discovers that her life is being secretly filmed and shown in installments at a local art house cinema (an intriguing idea more elaborately developed in Peter Weir's 1998 film, 'The Truman Show'). For his first full-length feature, 'Private Parts', Bartel naturally gravitated toward a script by Philip Kearney and Les Rendelstein that took the themes broached in 'The Secret Cinema'—voyeurism, invasion of privacy, vicarious experience—and combined them with kinky eroticism and serial homicide to come up with a truly strange movie. Ayn Ruymen plays Cheryl Stratton, a naive but inquisitive 16-year-old runaway from Ohio who rooms with her best friend, Judy (Ann Gibbs)—until Judy angrily ejects her for spying during a lovemaking session. Cheryl subsequently moves into the King Edward, a skid row L.A. hotel run by her morbidly pious Aunt Martha (Lucille Benson). Despite Martha's pretensions toward respectability, the ominously seedy King Edward harbors all kinds of weirdos and sexual deviants, e.g., Reverend Moon (Laurie Main) a gay cleric with a fetish for bodybuilders; Mrs. Quigley (Dorothy Neumann), a dotty, deaf spinster constantly searching for a girl named Alice; Artie (Patrick Strong), a hardcore alcoholic who regularly passes out in his room; George (John Vantatonio), an effeminate photographer/voyeur who photographs couples making love in the park and sells the photos as pornography. After stealing a set of master keys, Cheryl launches a private, voyeuristic investigation into the rooms and lives of her fellow tenants, all the while being spied upon by lecherous George (cf. Norman Bates in Hitchcock's 'Psycho'), who acts out his crush on Cheryl with an inflatable sex doll. The plot thickens when Cheryl stumbles upon the remains of the aforementioned Alice, a teen fashion model recently gone missing. When Cheryl's friend, Judy, and her boyfriend Mike (Len Travis) come to the hotel looking for her, they also end up dead and dismembered before the (gender) identity of the killer is revealed in a surprise ending. A tension-inducing score by Hugo Friedhofer ('Ace in the Hole') adds a spurious gravitas to the proceedings. Subversive even by the more relaxed standards of the early Seventies, 'Private Parts' offended public sensibilities; some newspapers actually refused to print the title, "Private Parts," in ads for the movie, substituting "Private Arts" or "Private Party." Likewise, the movie embarrassed M-G-M, the studio famed for such estimable classics as 'The Wizard of Oz', 'Quo Vadis', and 'Dr. Zhivago'. Though it was hemorrhaging money at the time, M-G-M sheepishly relegated Bartel's unclassifiable opus to a dummy label (Premier Pictures) and made no effort to market it. Not surprisingly, 'Private Parts' fell flat. VHS (1991) and DVD (2005).

Artsy and Bizarre!

[PredragReviews · 7/10 · 24 October 2016]

"Private Parts" tells the story of the runaway teen Cheryl Stratton (Ayn Ruymen) and her stay in her aunt's shady San Francisco hotel. Cheryl's story is not one of those pleasant coming of age films knee deep in moral values or road movies that enlightens the viewer about the importance of the journey. No, director Paul Bartel, in his first feature, has something completely different in mind, as he presents an extraordinarily bizarre tale of voyeurism, sexuality, and passionate murder. The voyeuristically loaded opening credits apply camera flashes and exposed body parts, which cue the audience in the direction of the story's sexual nature. The subsequent scene presents the sexual nature of the film in a much more tangible manner, as Cheryl sneaks a look at her friend and her boyfriend. However, Cheryl finds herself caught peeping. It places her in an awkward situation, which she avoids by leaving after she has stolen her friend's money. Here "Private Parts" pays homage to "Psycho (1960)" with similarities such as having a girl with stolen money seeking room and board at a hotel. Additional parallels to "Psycho" emerge as the film unfolds; for example, there is an intriguing bathroom scene.

This was a very odd movie, and I really enjoyed it. The story may not be all that unique, but it's told with flair, originality, and a dark, comic undertone that kept me interested throughout (the seediness and squalor of the characters quickly overshadows that of the hotel and its surroundings). The really interesting aspect for me was how, as the movie started, it just seemed a series of loosely connected events and strange details not really leading anywhere, but later on I began to realize this wasn't the case, as there was a sly subtly in the hinting of the material in terms of the various relationships and past occurrences with the hotel and its residents. Bartel made a number of films, some of them not so great, but when he's working with material that suits him, as is the case here, wonderfully tacky things ensue.

Overall rating: 7 out of 10.

Endless corridors

[J Lane · 7/10 · 13 May 2002]

One night in 1996 I switched on Turner Network Europe at about midnight, I expected to see either the 'WCW' or an old US government information film from the 40's. If it had been the former I would have gone to bed. But it was the latter. Which was then closely followed by a trailer for the feature at midnight. I was intrigued and stayed up to watch. 'Private Parts' isn't a easy film to watch at 3 am, though it is a great film. The photography and the mood created is impeccable. From the nod to Hitchcock in the bathroom scene to the oddly familiar corridors of the hotel. But to be honest I forgot about this film for a few years. Though something jogged my memory and I had to seek it out again.

I was not disappointed. The second time not hampered by fatigue I could see what a great film this is. Defiantly a forgotten gem. Turner Classic Film's has been known to show this film in the UK and it is well worth a look. Sadly they no longer show old info film. So I can no longer use the ten point test to see if my co worker is a Soviet Spy...

It's OK

[pesicev-macak · 5/10 · 18 May 2011]

Unusual movie, not quite horror but also not quite black comedy either. As another reviewer said, it resembles Psycho or Peeping Tom with it's focus on psychology and even relentless presence of camera - but those themes aren't explored further, they're there just to add another touch of weirdness. On the other hand, film is also one part exploitation, with some nude scenes to oogle here and there. Psychology is the most interesting part: Cheryl is written well as a needy but neglected teenager who is creeped out by the neighbor photographer, but too flattered to resist - and what little glimpses of Aunt Martha and George we have, are interesting. Sadly, acting is below average, except for Lucille Benson who is quite good, leading actress Ayn Ruymen in particular speaks her lines as if she hears them for the first time (which adds to the exploitation feel). The ending is at the same time great and unsatisfying. The scene is cut away in the middle of final fight, and next ten minutes we are left wondering what happened next, while director taunts us with daylit scenes of two cops searching the premises - very effective way to present aftermath. On the other hand, a lot is left half-explained, and this film in particular doesn't benefit from that. The final appearance of Cheryl is a pretty cliché final twist, one that you see coming, but hope that director will have more imagination. It's an unusual and quirky film that many will find interesting, but don't expect a masterpiece.

Entirely original and relentlessly odd

[fertilecelluloid · 8/10 · 16 December 2005]

Bizarre, delightfully weird drama from Paul Bartel, the director of "Eating Raoul", "Lust in the Dust" and "Death Race 2000". These are all interesting films, but "Private Parts" is better -- it's fascinating, too.

Little Cheryl, the cute Ayn Ruymen, turns up at her aunt's hotel, The King Edward, and discovers she's entered an urban catacomb of weirdos. Everybody is either a pervert or a raving nutcase. One character, George (John Ventantanio), a porno photographer, is both, and is central to the film's final revelation.

The script is filled with intriguing ideas. For example, because George can't have a real woman, he fills a plastic one with water and makes love to her. When he's finished, just before he climaxes, he injects his own blood into her belly and watches it spread through her body.

The film captures an authentic, skid-row ambiance that was LA in the early 70's. Ayn Ruymen's curious, naive, adventurous runaway from Cleveland even reminded me of Naomi Watts' character in Lynch's "Mulholland Drive". In fact, "Private Parts" is quite a Lynchian piece and may have been one of the director's cinematic influences.

Lucille Benson's Aunt Martha is a wonderful creation, a fussing, fanatical, Shelley Winters type who brings enormous authority to her role and wears the very familiar skin of a typical Los Angeles native of the period.

Bartel invents something unique in every scene and packs his story with wonderful and bizarre elements. A sudden beheading is a lovely, macabre surprise and the generous nudity is much appreciated.

Entirely original and relentlessly odd. I loved it.

Creepy hotel hosts creeps

[djderka · 7/10 · 16 September 2012]

I would have liked to check into this creepy hotel (which seems a lot like the Chelsea Hotel in NYC - but West Coast version and somewhat cleaner), but not with he total innocence of Cheryl (Ann Ruymen). She is a perfect "Candy" trying to find her identity and discover her sexual longings, which were thwarted by her evil sister hogging all boys to herself and excluding Cheryl.

Paul Bartel is a gentleman's John Waters and he deals with his own California assortment of oddballs as did Waters on the East Coast.

Ruymen is perfect as the girl seeking a sexual connection and someone finally treating her as a "woman". She seeks and flirts with he oddest of characters and is really, really convincing and is perfect for the part. She befriends the weird George, the "priest", the handyman and an assortment of oddballs that are much more friendly than her narcissist sister.

I can't believe it is Paul's first film, as it is really well paced, with stylized music, great characters, even direction, a nice discovery for me in the 2 for $1 rental store. I will buy a copy if I ever find one. I really enjoyed this film and I hope you enjoy it also.

Easting Raul is a classic and was shown on college campuses as a cult favorite.

Unfamiliar exploration into sexual anxieties

[Polaris_DiB · 4/10 · 30 September 2008]

This is a bizarre one. Somewhere in here is a very disturbing, very good movie. The traces of it are so strong, it must have just left the room, and it's almost as though if we hurried we could catch it. But we got distracted in this room full of perversities that we're stuck here only with a sickening sensation deep in our stomach. In other words, I can't really tell if this movie was successful at what it was trying to do or not. The back of the DVD box promised "camp", but there's something different going on here.

Basically, this movie fits smack-dab in the middle of Psycho and Peeping Tom conceptually. A sexually frustrated young woman, escaping from her abusive roommate, goes to stay in her aunt's hotel. This hotel is filled with various unsettling characters, including a gay priest, a half-dead alcoholic, and a obsessed photographer. It's a Wonderland without an Alice--and quite literally, a character named Alice is alluded to, a woman who inhabited the hotel but is already dead. Without Alice we're given Cheryl as our protagonist, but herein lies a problem: Cheryl is just about as insane and perverse as the other people in the hotel are, meaning there's very little real sanity to be gleaned from this movie.

Now, there's this whole theory about storytelling that says you can only have a sane person in insane situations or insane person in sane situations, but not both. I'm not too sure I really agree with that philosophy, but this movie makes a good case-study for comparison. The thing is, Cheryl is a believable character by all means--remember that one woman who married the stalker who almost killed her? These things do happen. But she's NOT relatable, and so its hard to really understand what we're supposed to get from this movie. Her relationship with George is disturbing, sure, but to what purpose? And I'm not really getting the point of the transgendered twist.

I think the filmmakers had watched precisely those movies Psycho and Peeping Tom, along with other sexploitation and horror movies of the time, and decided to make their own exploration into sexual anxiety. However, I'm not entirely sure what they were to have discovered and revealed, here. There is, however, the lingering sensation that they were attempting SOMETHING. At any rate, neither am I too sure I want to know what that is, either.

--PolarisDiB

''Cheryl is a lovely girl...."

[phillindholm · 8/10 · 12 July 2005]

"Private Parts", the directorial debut of Paul Bartel, is a wild and thoroughly engaging black comedy. Ayn Ruymen plays Cheryl, a young but not so innocent girl, who runs away from home and eventually ends up at the hotel of her Aunt Martha (Lucille Benson)in the skid row section of downtown Los Angeles. Although warned by her puritanical aunt to stay put, Cheryl explores the old place at every opportunity,soon becoming involved with George, a mysterious photographer. He is only one of the odd tenants in the establishment, but he's the one who fascinates her the most. With its lurid plot, beautiful color photography and great, brooding score, "Private Parts" is not to be missed! This October, Warner Home Video will release it in a widescreen DVD featuring the original trailer! It's not likely to be in print long, so grab it while you can!

Lucille Benson makes the movie

[bregund · 7/10 · 10 December 2017]

Like all character actors, you don't know her name but you've seen her face a million times, and here she shines as the owner of a seedy hotel filled with an assortment of weirdos. I found myself wishing that the film were funnier or edgier like a true black comedy, but it is Paul Bartel's first film and overall it's pretty effective. I kind of wanted Cheryl and George to get together, so it's a letdown when you learn that it's just not going to happen, for reasons that are too bizarre to write down; just watch the film, you'll see what I mean. As far as the rest of the film is concerned, there are some details that are so specific that they must have come from someone's real-life experiences, so in that respect there is a lot of authenticity here; Bartel manages to build a fully-functioning world, not as effectively as John Waters, but it's here nonetheless. It's an entertaining ride, and predictable in parts, but it's a step up from a B movie.

Alright, but not that great.

[[e-mail] · 5/10 · 23 February 2006]

This is an early film from filmmaker/actor Paul Bartel. Corman fans should know Bartel from such films such as "Cannonball" and "Death Race 2000." Bartel made this before making "Eating Rauol," which was an excellent dark comedy. For some reason, this film didn't really grab me or entertain as much as some of the other b-fare that Bartel directed or starred in.

The plot is that Cheryl is a girl who ran away from home and ends up living at a hotel managed by her aunt. The hotel is kind of spooky and there is a lot going on behind closed doors that Cheryl begins to get wind of as the movie progresses. There is a big mystery surrounding the disappearance of a young model named Alice, which happened some time before Cheryl arrived at the hotel.

All in all, there is some suspense and mystery in the movie, but it is built up too much. There's a fine line between being un-suspenseful and making things way too suspenseful. This film seems to err on the side of being over the top in the suspense department. The result is that the movie is mundane in points because the suspense was built up too much. In addition, and without giving away the ending, there is no explanation of why the murders are taking place or what the back ground story is. I realize that some things are better left to the imagination, but really. There were some things that were explained, but not enough. I wouldn't say that the film was a total waste though. It did have some interesting moments and it does keep you guessing as to exactly what is going on.

Bewildering, ingenious sexual madness

[EyeAskance · 7 November 2003]

A runaway bad-girl touches ground at an urban hellhole...a residence hotel owned and operated by her kindly, but captious and set-in-her-ways Aunt Martha. The tenants of the hotel are a curious bunch, among them a senile old bat, a gay transvestite priest, and a handsome, mysterious photographer with a secret that's darker than pitch. An unidentified psychotic killer is active among them, as well...before long, Aunt Martha's hotel has several unexpected vacancies.

A steady momentum of shocks and a vague, peculiar climax help to make PRIVATE PARTS something rather special. Splendidly perverse creative gusto which could only have escaped from the bizarre mind of the sorely missed Paul Bartel...this is a very unusual picture, infused with brooding atmosphere and deftly appointed in every aspect of its poverty-line production.

8/10

Paul Bartel's first time

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 10 December 2017]

Cheryl Stratton came out to L.A. from Cleveland with Judy. The roommates have a fight and she pleads with Aunt Martha for a place to stay at her rundown downtown hotel. The hotel houses a motley group of strange personalities and a serial killer among them.

This is Paul Bartel's first full length film. It has his outlandish tastes and quite frankly his amateurish style. This is an indie black comedy horror. The lead Ayn Ruymen can be stretching too hard at times to be this wide-eye innocent. She's not the best actress. Lucille Benson who plays Martha is the best of the lot. The characters are weird but jokes are not widespread. There is a quirky indie charm about the whole enterprise. It's quirky weirdness with a water doll, Psycho peeping, and serial killings. Like many first times, it's a bit messy. It's awkward at times. Not everything works but some of this is unforgettable.

I Love Aunt Martha & Reverend Moon... I'm Moving Into The King Edward Hotel...

[P3n-E-W1s3 · 6/10 · 9 April 2020]

I have to say, this was more enjoyable than I thought it would be. I would say the reason was the incorporated element of humour, most of which was tongue in cheek.

The people who live in Aunt Martha's King Edward Hotel are not your average guests. Such as Reverend Moon who trusts in numerology, astrology, and muscular men in speedos. It's the Rev. who adds most of the humour. Aunt Martha appears to be the only sane person around... though you know what they say about appearances...

When Cheryl Stratton's best friend, Judy, fails her, it leaves her with merely one place to go. Aunt Martha's hotel. Aunty reluctantly gives her a room for a few days, stating, categorically it will only be a few days. That night Cheryl hears strange noises coming from the room adjacent to hers. When asked, Martha replies that it's just a storage closet, and one that's been unused for a while. However, when she investigates further, she finds not only the peephole into her room, but one into the bathroom. Somebody is a peeping tom. Instead of feeling abused by the infringement of privacy, it arouses her.

And so begins this sexploitation horror flick.

What Philip Kearney and Les Rendelstein give the audience is a dark and twisted story about love, beliefs, and murder. These are always interesting. However, when you place them in such a peculiar and bizarre environment they become captivating. This hotel is not a place to be held captive. I liked the twist at the end, which pushed the film into the horror field. However, I figured out the ending as soon as I saw the bodies. There's no way to even guess before this point as they don't give us any clues.

Until the twist, the film sits solidly in the Chiller genre. You know somebody is watching her. You can even hazard a guess at the beginning, and you'd be right. But it's not about the whodunnit, it's about the psychology. Why is the individual observing her? How will she react? Now, what will she do? Kearney and Rendelstein are good at making you ask the questions... and then providing the answers, which leave you with more questions. This is a nice trick to draw you into the story and the characters' lives. It worked on me. My eyes remained glued to the screen.

Thanks also to director Paul Bartel. His visual techniques not only add an eerie atmosphere but also an Earthy perception to the film. Everything has a realistic impression. This is a large hotel, and the money's not coming in to keep it impeccable. Though most of the occupied rooms are decorated well, especially the photographer and love interest, George's. His room's stylised and awesome - in an art-house kind of way. I could move right in. The hallways could do with more attention. They have plastered the lone bathroom on Cheryl's floor. Though, they've not painted it so it remains a simple plaster grey. It's clean but not pristine. This all adds to the atmosphere. We've seen places like this. Maybe we've even resided in them. Which leaves you thinking, That guy, next door to me, two years ago... I wonder what that banging really was(?) Maybe it was the Rev...

Bartel throws in some nice subdued lighting effects and varied camera angles. These help to maintain the viewers' attention and to build the atmosphere. The strongest scene is the blood injection. This is symbolic of the carnal act. Bartel films this scene superbly. Though, it's the end of this sequence that will have you ill at ease.

Lucille Benson is awesome as Aunt Martha. That soft southern accent lulls you into accepting all is fine. As we progress through the film, we realise Aunt Martha belongs in this nuthouse of a hotel. Her accent and soft nature become creepy, and you feel unease creep under your skin. Laurie Main also provides a memorable performance as Reverend Moon. He has a wonderful twinkle in his eye and delight in his voice. The rest of the cast perform well in their roles, keeping the audience involved and entertained.

This horror film is worth one look-see, yet I can see myself going back to this title a few more times before I kark it. I would recommend this wholeheartedly to all horror fans and chiller connoisseurs. Even if it turns out to not be your cup of tea then it should, at the absolute least it'll give your face a smile.

My Ratings: The Story 1.25 - Direction 1.25 - Pace 1 - Acting 1.25 - Enjoyment 1.25 - TOTAL 6/10

Runaway to my Killer Thriller Chillers and Absolute Horrors lists and learn where this Aunty ranks.

Take Care and Stay Well.

cheesy but fun

[ksf-2 · 6/10 · 10 October 2019]

This was Ayn Ruymen's first role.. as Cheryl. She runs off after stealing her friend's wallet, and finds her aunt Martha. She gets a room in Martha's hotel, where each and every guest is a strange, mysterious character. she starts poking around the other guest rooms, which she will probably regret. her friend Judy (Ann Gibbs) comes looking for her, and that's just the beginning of things hitting the fan. she makes friends with Jeff (Stan Livingston)... you'll recognize him from My Three Sons, and Ozzie and Harriet. Lots of creepy, mysterious music. Co-stars the prim, upright, Lucille Benson. what family secrets will be unveiled at this goofy hotel ? when Cheryl meets George, things start to get even more strange. John Ventantonio only had five roles, and disappeared after that. it's all pretty goofy, and mostly slow.. suspense... some violence, some sexual content. Directed by Paul Bartel. this was one of his first directing roles; he was probably best known for "Eating Raoul", ten years later.

Sexual Awakening In Venice, California

[boblipton · 5/10 · 23 September 2019]

It's Venice (the California variety) in the 1970s. Ayn Ruymen, a runaway, moves into the King Edward Hotel. It's owned by her aunt, Lucille Benson, and is pretty run down. There are also a great many creepy individuals at the residential hotel, including Laurie Main as a purported priest who likes to go cruising, and John Ventantonio, a photographer.

It's Paul Bartel's first feature and combines the sexual freak-show he was fond of as an auteur, with a script that's derivative of PSYCHO, NIGHT OF THE HUNTER, and Michael Powell's PEEPING TOM. Perhaps it was because it was the early 1970s, and theatrical movies were thought to be on their last legs; sex had always sold, but the low-key horror of this flick, and its au courant dialogue from the younger cast members was probably seen as just the thing to sell a few more tickets at the nabes before they shut down for good.

Easily Paul Bartel's masterpiece

[udar55 · 10/10 · 15 October 2006]

Young Cheryl (Ayn Ruymen) moves into her Aunt Martha's (Lucille Benson) rundown hotel in L.A. Unfortunately the hotel offers a bevy of senile old folks, weirdos and creeps. She immediately starts to receive anonymous messages from someone peeping at her through the walls. But the attention seems to turn Cheryl on and, after uncovering the stalker's identity, she begins to become obsessed with him. What a sick and twisted little masterpiece from Paul Bartel. I've only seen three of his films (DEATH RACE 2000, EATING RAOUL, SCENES FROM...) before this and this rocketed to no. 1 on my list. I'm not saying the others are bad by any means but this movie is so unique in its quirky personality. It is hard to believe it was made in 1972. The film also has a unique and surprising twist that must have been quite groundbreaking back in the day (and - spoilers - beat THE CRYING GAME by over 20 years). Ayn Ruymen is quite the hottie as well. Definitely check it out.

Odd film that will leave most viewers cold

[rwint · 6/10 · 23 June 2001]

A young runaway stays at a seedy hotel and becomes both repulsed and intrigued by the voyeuristic tendancies of her neighbor. Has some VERY unusual scenes including a long drawn out one featuring a inflatible doll. Yet fans of Bartels later works will be dissapointed as it has little of his trademark black humor. A really odd film that will probably leave most viewers cold.

one of the best of it's genre...

[sanjr1 · 10/10 · 7 October 2005]

I don't want to spoil this film for anyone so I'm just gonna state that it does everything right. From the script to the direction to the acting & especially the production design it is pretty damn perfect. A low budget gem with a wicked double twist ending that still knocks my socks off today. Be reminded there is very little nudity, bloodshed or harsh language here but you'll think it was full of it when the movie is over. That to me is the mark of a great thriller & that's what this is. It was ignored upon it's original release & is just being released this week on DVD. Do not miss this opportunity to watch a genre classic. I don't think it's gonna be available too long & those who know about it have more than likely pre-ordered it already. Don't wait!! This movie rocks....HARD!!!

Solid film

[zeelu-89550 · 7/10 · 24 June 2023]

"Private Parts" (1972) is an intriguing and audacious film that pushes the boundaries of storytelling. With a solid rating of 7 out of 10 stars, it manages to captivate and challenge the audience. The movie delves into the complex world of intimacy and human desires, presenting a raw and unapologetic exploration. The performances are commendable, especially considering the controversial subject matter. While it may not be everyone's cup of tea, "Private Parts" dares to be bold and leaves a lasting impression with its provocative narrative and thought-provoking themes. A solid 70's Horror/Thriller I recommend a watch.

My favorite Paul Bartel film

[runamokprods · 2 November 2011]

Both an unsettling horror film, and a very dark comedy, this is my favorite Paul Bartel film.

Avoiding the sometimes too overt self-congratulatory humor of "Eating Raoul", this story of a "nice" young girl who comes to stay at her aunt"s creepy hotel, only to be surrounded by all sorts of disturbingly depraved types frequently leaves you both laughing and cringing (in a good way) at the same time.

Only the less than stellar (in fact sometimes near porn film level) acting keeps this from being a classic of disquieting, semi-surreal cinema.

But there are scenes and images that stick with me, and Bartel creates a lot of atmosphere with his use of music, compositions, and light.

Low-key sly masterpiece

[dfranzen70 · 7/10 · 13 June 2019]

Not the Howard Stern biopic but a raunchy, raw, offbeat thriller from cult fave Paul Bartel. A teen runaway shows up at her estranged aunt's weird hotel to stay and finds herself a voyeur who also happens to have a thing for latex dolls, onto which he attaches blown-up photos of various women. Oh, and someone's hacking off people's heads with a machete. The two might be related. I enjoyed the writing - particularly the twist at the end, which is nebulous and yet still quite plausible - and the performances of Ayn Ruymen (as Chair-yl the teen) and Lucille Benson (as creepy Aunt Martha), which are both top notch. If you want a psychological thriller that makes you uneasy, well! Here you go. There's a reason it's an underground hit.