The Defilers

Two young men of privilege turn out to be sexual deviants no longer satisfied with voluntary sex, as beach babes where they live freely offer themselves, and take the next step by kidnapping an unwilling victim, holding her hostage, taking advantage of her over a prolonged time.

***/*****

I was watching the film again with the always marvelous audio commentary between producer David Friedman and Something Weird Video's extremely knowledgeable Mike Vraney (both of them are deceased, which robs us of so much more B-movie independent history; such a loss to us buffs who can't get enough of that stuff), and I liked this 60s roughie even more this time than when I watched it a few years ago, reviewing it for my imdb alter ego, Scarecrow 88 account (back in 2009). I gave it 5/10, but after this viewing I'd bump it up to probably 7/10. It isn't that The Defilers is some sort of great film in relation to others I might give 7/10, but I think it is a key example of a quality roughie about female degradation thanks to a couple of bored suburban males with nothing better to do (they certainly don't contribute to society in any way) since most of their daily activities involve hanging out around a pool, bedding local beauties more than willing to pop their tops and get naked and sexually involved with them, and taking long walks on the beach while also rolling around in the sand, making out. This is an "extension" of the "nutie cutie", except the "roughie" involves sex and violence, and the subject matter often is far darker. The Defilers is a key example of  the dark side of the wealthy elite, and their need to satiate dark desires, seeking to embellish a certain kind of kinky thrill.

I disagree with myself regarding this piece of my review:

I can't say I was head-over-heels for THE DEFILERS because it's essentially a series of make-out sessions with tops removed showing bare breasts. It was okay at first, because the curvy gals were attractive, but the whole ordeal becomes rather repetitive and tedious. And, before the film really ever gets underway, the opening shows a group of young people, girlfriends accompanying Carl and Jameison to Malibu Beach, which seems little more than filler, as does Jane's arrival to Hollywood where the filmmakers basically show a travelogue of the city's memorable sights.

Although I might have felt that way at the time, I think both the opening and the arrival to Hollywood are not just "filler" but necessary items to the story. Sure seeing the characters making out was a "device" (as Vraney would refer to the "items necessary in a Friedman flick" in the audio commentary) to lure the desired audience, but this is also a necessary aspect to introduce us to two guys named Carl and Jameison (Byron Mabe and Jerome Eden) and how female conquests in Hollywood come easy to them. But sex itself starts to lose that extra thrill both crave, so kidnapping someone not within their social circle--a foreign lovely named Jane (Mai Jansson) newly arrived to Hollywood (hence, the importance of the allure of those "travelogue sights" appeal to someone new to the city)--and holding her prisoner as a hostage and eventual sex slave, seems to fulfill what is missing to them. I'm willing to admit that initial responses to what you see a first time can change upon re-evaluation. That is the case with The Defilers to me.

Peeping Toms

There's a scene I totally forgot that really left an impression, too. Jane has been held captive for a number of days, fed on occasion, left to lay in a bed in just white panties and bra because her only clothes (a dress) were ripped by Carl when immediately imprisoned, slowly becomes more and more numb and psychologically damaged the longer she's violated by them, and attempts to escape are to no avail. The scene I speak of comes near the end when Jameison goes down on Jane, and a close shot of just her face reveals a single tear that falls while she has this fixed expression that holds back the utter devastation behind it. Mai Jansson might not have made films on a regular basis, but this was quite a moment for her. When she moves about, the film shows us the trashy, uncouth confines they keep her trapped in. This scene is a brief examination of her prison, and these creeps going on with their partying ways while she remains stuck in her cell would later be seen in lots of horror movies about horrifying human monsters committing their captives to extreme, unsavory tombs.

The fight at the end, while exciting and energetically shot and performed, shows how "fun times" eventually sour and there's a realization by one (Jameison) that his partner-in-crime (Carl) has become too deviant and cruel in the treatment of Jane. One dies in this fight while Jane appears to be either unconscious (from a belt whipping and possibly malnourishment) or dead. The long-lasting shot from a distance unveils the results of two thrill-seekers who went too far, leaving a crime scene behind.

Sure there's plenty of nudity and deviancy, but The Defilers introduces some vital ingredients that have remained key staples in exploitation and horror. I think the Something Weird Video release of The Defilers and Scum of the Earth is one of their very best. I was reminded of a double feature of "Satanist" low budget 70s flicks, William Girdler's Asylum of Satan and the little known Satan's Children. Obviously, Scum of the Earth was the film of the SWV set put forth to get the most attention while The Defilers was a nice little addition. However, The Defilers turned out to be more than just an addition, with a few purchasers actually seeing both films as equals (some even preferring The Defilers in the end). Like the demented eventual cult item, Satan's Children (which I far preferred to the relentlessly dull Asylum of Satan), The Defilers soon had its own cult fandom. I imagine that will continue. Little films like The Defilers are ripe for re-evaluation and certain to earn their own reputation.