Most of my GRINDHOUSE ERA AD posts are short, but this one is special.
FEMALE ANIMAL stars Arlene Farber, and was directed by Jerry Gross ( 1940 – 2002 ).
It is NOT a European film. It's from the U.S.A., and filmed in Puerto Rico.
FEMALE ANIMAL is more soap opera than sleaze-fest, but that's ok. I like it even more because of it.
As a kid, I always looked forward to watching Ms. Farber. It didn't matter if it was on television or at the theater.
Let me say the obvious, even without makeup, Arlene Farber was absolutely beautiful.
Arlene Farber in FEMALE ANIMAL
She was extremely photogenic, and there always seemed to be a lot going on behind those mesmerizing eyes.
How many times have you seen something that was filmed underwater, and it was so dark and muddy that you couldn't see what the hell was going on?!
You will NOT experience that while watching this movie. The underwater scenes in FEMALE ANIMAL are incredibly clear.
Arlene Farber and Jerry Gross in FEMALE ANIMAL
There seems to be some mystery surrounding both Arlene Farber and Jerry Gross.
He was an influential, and incredibly underappreciated person in the indie film world.
The GRINDHOUSE / DRIVE-IN era wouldn't have been the same without him.
As for Ms. Farber, I found a website that seems to be run by her, but there's no proof that it's really Arlene Farber. Do I need to remind you folks about all the PHONIES masquerading as other folks?
As I write this - January 2013 - the website does NOT seem to have been updated in years.
Anyway, a few of the photo galleries contain pictures of a woman that appears to be her. There are also photos taken by her ( I think she's a professional photographer ).
Plus, a gallery is devoted to the late Jerry Gross with comments about him.
CLICK below for Arlene Farber's website ( NOT verified )
ARLENE FARBER WEBSITE
CLICK below for Jerry Gross page
JERRY GROSS ( at ARLENE FARBER's website )
Tony Lo Bianco and Arlene Farber in THE FRENCH CONNECTION
Arlene Farber in KUNG FU
Arlene Farber in ALL THE KIND STRANGERS
Arlene Farber in TWO GIRLS FOR A MADMAN
Arlene Farber and Jerry Gross in TEENAGE MOTHER
I have no idea if FEMALE ANIMAL was ever released on legit VHS.
However, you can find FEMALE ANIMAL on region one DVD by ALTERNATIVE CINEMA. It's paired with another Arlene Farber and Jerry Gross flick called TEENAGE MOTHER.
Both movies share a single sided disc.
FEMALE ANIMAL is presented in WIDEscreen, while TEENAGE MOTHER is FULLscreen.
The extras are as follows...
Audio commentary on FEMALE ANIMAL by Sam Sherman
Six trailers
A two sided insert card featuring poster art for both FEMALE ANIMAL and TEENAGE MOTHER.
I went to high school with Arlene. The last any of us heard from her was several years ago and she may no longer be with us. Arlene was a professional photographer and you have found her work
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