Up! is quite the fascinating Russ Meyer film, as he transitioned into the late 70s/early 80s. The year 1976 found American exploitation cinema at a crossroads. While the majors chased blockbuster dollars with shark attacks and space operas, independent filmmakers pushed boundaries in ways that would make modern audiences reach for their smelling salts. Enter Russ Meyer, the auteur of audacity, with “Up!” – a film that opens with Adolf Hitler getting murdered by piranha fish and somehow gets more unhinged from there. This isn’t your average murder mystery, folks. It’s a sex-blasted fever dream that throws everything from Shakespearean soliloquies to sapphic encounters into a Northern California blender and hits puree.

Meyer’s penultimate feature represents both a return to form after commercial misfires and a bold artistic statement about American excess. Co-written with Pulitzer Prize winner Roger Ebert (yes, that Roger Ebert), “Up!” arrives courtesy of Severin Films in a lovingly restored Blu-ray edition that finally gives this notorious cult classic the treatment it deserves. For those unfamiliar with Meyer’s singular vision, imagine if Tennessee Williams wrote softcore pornography while high on amphetamines and you’re halfway there.

When Grindhouse Meets the Bard: A Plot That Defies Description

The story, such as it exists, centers around the violent demise of Adolf Schwartz (Edward Schaaf), a perverted Nazi exile living in a Bavarian castle in northern California. After indulging in various acts of debauchery with multiple partners, including the intimidating Paul (Robert McLane), Schwartz meets his maker via aquatic predator. The murder coincides with the arrival of mysterious hitchhiker Margo Winchester (Raven De La Croix), whose presence in the small logging town of Miranda sets off a chain reaction of lust, violence, and general mayhem.

De La Croix, whom Entertainment Weekly’s Owen Gleiberman called “Meyer’s most spectacular siren,” commands the screen with otherworldly magnetism. Born Lynn Christie Martin in Manhattan to a poor family, De La Croix worked as a licensed nurse before being discovered at Joe Allen’s restaurant in West Hollywood. Her lack of acting experience matters little; Meyer specialized in finding performers whose natural charisma transcended traditional training. De La Croix possesses an almost supernatural screen presence that makes every male character in the film behave like cartoon wolves with their eyes popping out.

The supporting cast includes Meyer regular Candy Samples as The Headsperson, Su Ling as the enigmatic Limehouse, and Janet Wood (familiar from “The Centerfold Girls”) as Alice, wife to the aforementioned Paul. Each character exists in Meyer’s heightened reality where dialogue sounds like it was translated from German expressionist poetry and everyone speaks in sexual innuendos that would make Mae West blush.

But the film’s secret weapon is Kitten Natividad as The Greek Chorus, a nude narrator who appears between scenes to provide plot exposition while perched in trees or lounging on rocks. Natividad, born Francesca Isabel Natividad in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, made her Meyer debut here after being introduced to the director by fellow dancer Shari Eubank. Meyer was so impressed he paid for voice lessons to eliminate her accent and cast her in several subsequent films. Tragically, Natividad passed away in 2022, but her work in “Up!” remains a testament to her unique screen presence and willingness to embrace Meyer’s bizarre artistic vision.

Breaking Down Barriers (And Good Taste): The Cultural Context

“Up!” arrived during a fascinating period in American cinema when exploitation films operated as both entertainment and inadvertent social commentary. The mid-1970s saw the country grappling with post-Watergate cynicism, the end of the Vietnam War, and changing sexual mores. Meyer’s films, while often dismissed as lowbrow titillation, actually functioned as funhouse mirror reflections of American anxieties and desires.

The choice to open with Hitler’s demise wasn’t accidental. By 1976, popular culture was beginning to process World War II through increasingly satirical lenses, from “Hogan’s Heroes” to Mel Brooks’ “The Producers.” Meyer’s approach is characteristically more extreme, presenting the former Führer as a pathetic sexual deviant whose death by piranha serves as both black comedy and symbolic castration of fascist authority.

Meyer’s collaboration with Roger Ebert deserves special attention. Before becoming America’s most famous film critic, Ebert penned screenplays for Meyer including “Beyond the Valley of the Dolls” and “Beneath the Valley of the Ultra-Vixens.” Their partnership seems incongruous until you consider Ebert’s appreciation for cinema as a democratic art form capable of finding beauty and meaning in unexpected places. His dialogue for “Up!” combines his characteristic wit with Meyer’s appetite for innuendo, creating conversations that operate on multiple levels simultaneously.

The film’s treatment of sexuality reflects the complicated gender politics of its era. While Meyer’s films often featured powerful women who controlled their own sexuality, they existed within a male gaze framework that modern viewers might find problematic. However, dismissing “Up!” as simple exploitation ignores its more progressive elements, including relatively fluid gender roles and a surprisingly sex-positive attitude toward female desire.

Technical Wizardry: When Exploitation Meets Artistry

Meyer wore multiple hats on “Up!” serving as producer, director, cinematographer, and editor. This creative control allowed him to craft a uniquely personal vision that prioritizes visual impact over narrative coherence. His cinematography transforms the Northern California locations into an almost mythical landscape where every frame bursts with saturated colors and dynamic compositions.

The film’s technical approach reflects Meyer’s background in photography and his understanding of how to make low-budget filmmaking appear expensive. He employs rapid-fire editing, extreme close-ups, and dynamic camera movements that give even static scenes kinetic energy. His use of natural lighting creates an almost documentary-like quality that grounds the surreal proceedings in physical reality.

Sound design plays a crucial role in establishing the film’s off-kilter tone. Meyer layers environmental audio with exaggerated sound effects and his trademark percussive score, creating an audio landscape that feels both naturalistic and heightened. The dialogue delivery, while occasionally stilted, maintains a theatrical quality that suits the film’s quasi-Shakespearean pretensions.

The production design deserves special mention for creating believable environments on a minimal budget. The Bavarian castle where Schwartz meets his end feels appropriately decadent and isolated, while the small-town locations capture the sleepy atmosphere of rural California. Costume design ranges from period-appropriate casual wear to the more exotic outfits that accentuate each performer’s physical attributes.

Character Studies: Larger Than Life in Every Sense

Raven De La Croix’s Margo Winchester serves as the film’s emotional and visual center. De La Croix, who is three-quarters Cherokee and French Indian, brings an earthy sensuality to the role that transcends the material’s exploitation elements. Her performance suggests depths beneath the surface sexuality, hinting at a woman who understands her power and wields it strategically. The character’s name itself plays on Winchester firearms, suggesting she’s armed with more than just physical beauty.

Kitten Natividad’s Greek Chorus represents one of cinema’s most unusual narrative devices. Appearing nude except for black boots, she quotes poetry from H.D. while providing exposition and moral commentary. The choice to have a Mexican-American performer serve as the film’s philosophical voice adds unexpected cultural layers to Meyer’s typically Anglo-centric universe. Natividad’s delivery combines natural sensuality with intellectual gravitas, creating a character who exists outside the main narrative while commenting on its moral implications.

Edward Schaaf’s Adolf Schwartz appears briefly but memorably as the film’s catalyst. Schaaf plays the character as both pathetic and menacing, a fallen dictator reduced to sexual gratification in exile. His murder becomes the film’s MacGuffin, but his presence haunts the subsequent proceedings as a reminder of historical evil’s capacity to hide in plain sight.

Robert McLane’s Paul represents Meyer’s archetypal conflicted masculine figure. Physically imposing but emotionally vulnerable, Paul embodies the director’s complex relationship with traditional masculinity. McLane, who appeared in several Meyer productions, understands how to navigate the director’s heightened reality while maintaining genuine emotional connections with his scene partners.

The supporting cast includes several Meyer regulars who understand the director’s unique requirements. Candy Samples, Su Ling, and Janet Wood each contribute distinct energy to their roles while maintaining the film’s overall comedic tone. Their performances exist in the space between naturalism and camp, creating characters who feel both believable and larger than life.

Visual Feast: Severin’s Restoration Brings New Life to Meyer’s Vision

Severin Films’ Blu-ray presentation represents a quantum leap forward for “Up!” on home video. Scanned in 4K from the original negative by Severin Films with new and archival Special Features curated in association with The Russ Meyer Trust, this restoration honors Meyer’s obsession with visual perfection while presenting the film in better quality than many viewers have ever experienced.

The 1.85:1 aspect ratio presentation showcases Meyer’s compositional skills and his talent for filling every inch of the frame with meaningful visual information. Colors appear vibrant and naturalistic, with particular attention paid to the Northern California locations’ lush greens and warm earth tones. Skin tones reproduce accurately, crucial for a film that features extensive nudity and relies heavily on the performers’ physical presence.

Grain structure remains organic and film-like throughout, avoiding the waxy digital appearance that plagues some restoration efforts. The transfer maintains excellent detail levels, allowing viewers to appreciate Meyer’s cinematographic techniques and the production design’s attention to period-appropriate details. Black levels stay consistent and deep, important for the film’s various interior sequences and nighttime scenes.

The English Mono audio track preserves the film’s original sonic character while cleaning up age-related deterioration. Dialogue remains clear and intelligible throughout, crucial for appreciating Ebert’s wordplay and the performers’ delivery styles. Environmental sounds and Meyer’s percussive score maintain proper balance without overwhelming the vocal tracks.

Technical specifications include region-free encoding, making this release accessible to international collectors. The 80-minute runtime reflects the film’s original theatrical cut, ensuring viewers experience Meyer’s intended version without censorship or editorial interference.

Bonus Features: Diving Deeper into Meyer’s Madness

Severin’s special features package provides valuable context for understanding “Up!” within Meyer’s broader filmography and the exploitation cinema landscape of the 1970s. The Blu-ray includes an Audio Commentary With Film Historian Elizabeth Purchell, offering scholarly perspective on the film’s production, cultural significance, and place within American independent cinema.

Purchell’s commentary tracks provide essential historical context while avoiding academic jargon that might alienate casual viewers. Her discussion covers Meyer’s working methods, the challenges of producing independent films in the 1970s, and the cultural factors that influenced the film’s creation and reception. She also addresses the complicated legacy of exploitation cinema and its relationship to broader social movements of the era.

The “No Fairy Tale…This!” interview with actress Raven De La Croix offers rare insight into the film’s production from a performer’s perspective. De La Croix, who has worked as an actress, stripper, writer, and psychic since her film career, provides candid reflections on working with Meyer and the unique challenges of performing in his heightened reality. Her interview reveals the professional dedication required to navigate Meyer’s demanding directorial style while maintaining authentic emotional connections to the material.

The inclusion of radio promotional materials provides fascinating glimpses into how exploitation films were marketed to their target audiences. These period advertisements capture the sensationalistic approach that drive-in theaters and grindhouse venues used to attract viewers, while also revealing the cultural attitudes that shaped public reception of such controversial material.

These supplementary materials transform what could have been a simple nostalgia release into an educational experience that helps contemporary viewers understand both the film’s artistic merits and its historical significance. They demonstrate Severin’s commitment to treating exploitation cinema with the same scholarly rigor typically reserved for more respectable genres.

Legacy and Influence: Meyer’s Mark on Modern Cinema

“Up!” represents a crucial entry in Meyer’s filmography, arriving after the commercial disappointments of “The Seven Minutes” (1971) and “Black Snake” (1973) forced him to return to his sexploitation roots. The film’s success helped reestablish Meyer’s commercial viability while demonstrating his continued ability to push boundaries and challenge audience expectations.

The collaboration with Roger Ebert deserves special recognition for elevating the material beyond simple titillation. Ebert’s involvement lent intellectual credibility to Meyer’s vision while contributing dialogue that operates on multiple levels simultaneously. Their partnership influenced subsequent collaborations and helped establish a template for how mainstream critics might engage with exploitation cinema.

Modern filmmakers continue drawing inspiration from Meyer’s aesthetic approach and his willingness to blend high and low cultural elements. Directors like Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez, and Ti West have acknowledged Meyer’s influence on their work, particularly his ability to find beauty and meaning in supposedly disreputable material. “Up!” specifically anticipated later films’ approach to mixing genres and tones within single narratives.

The film’s treatment of sexuality and gender dynamics, while products of their time, helped establish conversations about representation and agency that continue influencing contemporary cinema. Meyer’s female characters, despite existing within male gaze frameworks, often possessed agency and power that mainstream Hollywood rarely allowed women of the era.

Final Verdict: A Cult Classic Deserving Rediscovery

Severin Films’ restoration of “Up!” succeeds in presenting this notorious cult classic in optimal technical conditions while providing educational context that helps contemporary viewers understand its cultural significance. This release proves that exploitation cinema deserves the same preservation efforts and scholarly attention typically reserved for more respectable genres.

For Meyer enthusiasts, this Blu-ray represents an essential addition to any collection, offering the film in better quality than previously available while including supplementary materials that deepen appreciation for the director’s unique artistic vision. The restoration work demonstrates genuine respect for Meyer’s cinematographic achievements and his contributions to American independent cinema.

Newcomers to Meyer’s work will find “Up!” an ideal introduction to his distinctive style and thematic preoccupations. While the film’s content certainly isn’t for everyone, viewers willing to engage with its particular blend of sexuality, violence, and dark comedy will discover a genuinely original artistic voice that influenced subsequent generations of filmmakers.

The disc serves as both entertainment and historical document, preserving an important chapter in American cinema history while making it accessible to contemporary audiences. Severin’s commitment to quality restoration and comprehensive supplementary materials makes this release a model for how exploitation cinema should be treated in the digital era.

“Up!” may not be for the faint of heart, but for those willing to embrace its particular brand of madness, Severin’s Blu-ray offers the definitive way to experience Russ Meyer’s singular vision. In an era when independent cinema often feels sanitized and focus-grouped, Meyer’s uncompromising artistic voice serves as a reminder of what becomes possible when filmmakers prioritize personal expression over commercial considerations.

Whether you’re a longtime Meyer devotee or a curious newcomer to exploitation cinema, this restoration provides an excellent opportunity to engage with a truly unique artistic achievement. “Up!” stands as testament to the power of independent filmmaking and the importance of preserving cinema’s more controversial chapters for future generations to discover and debate.

Up! is now available on Blu-ray from Severin Films