Customer Reviews

Lipstick

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

The late Margaux Hemingway saw her movie career take a nosedive after the release of this film, while her co-star and little sister Mariel became the toast of the town. But to many cinephiles, she'll always be remembered as the woman in red holding one mean rifle. Margaux plays Chris McCormick, a top fashion model (no stretch at all, here, since she really was a top model at the time) who ends up regretting her decision of having innocently invited her sibling's music teacher (Chris Sarandon of "Fright Night" fame) to her apartment. While she cries rape (with the help of Academy award winner Anne Bancroft as her attorney) the judicial system, however, sees it differently. LIPSTICK is the ultimate B-movie extravaganza. Raw to the bone, it is avant-garde cinema with a glossy exterior. David Rayfeil's script spares no details in degrading his star via an ultra-violent scene (à la "The Accused") and a misogynistic message regarding men and feminine beauty. But as a whole--and not too taken seriously--LIPSTICK is 90 minutes of pure fun. The film has a Russ Myer feel to it, a sort of cinema verite of the late 60's (the ones who lured mostly the male clientele). Margaux Hemingway gives all she's got and comes up almost rosy despite her limited range. She may not be Meryl Streep, but, contrary to popular opinion, her performance is believable. Of course, then-12 year old Mariel do steal the show with her quiet but strong delivery. Every nuance of her emotional face shows the making of a great actress, and she did become one for awhile, while her older sister stumbled and stumbled in forgettable Z flicks. LIPSTICK was indeed the apogee of Margaux's career. Far from being Academy award worthy, it is definitely a fave among lovers of cult movies, and with good reasons. Now all it needs is a deluxe DVD edition with all the extra goodies.-----Martin Boucher

This was a 1976 drama that probably killed Margaux Hemingway's career as an actress and model, but oddly enough launched her younger sister Muriel into the spotlight! It's a rape drama about a victim (Margaux) who's rapist goes free (Chris Sarandon), and then attacks her younger sister (Muriel) and then all hell breaks loose!

The movie itself is a guilty pleasure - a potboiler melodrama done quite stlyishly, but somehow offensive and not well acted. Would fit in well with a double bill with EYES OF LAURA MARS! The fashion sequences are unique, and also the modern dance is neat to watch. And Margaux running in heels and a red sequin dress with a hunting rifle is a sight to see! I put it on my list of bad movies that I love. It has a SHOWGIRLS sensibility! Tried hard to be artsy and meaningful, but in the end was just too over the top to be anything but camp.

The DVD has a great transfer, but NO special features at all. Not even a trailer! Pity because Margaux died mysteriously, and this is her biggest movie. Memories of her would be welcome as well as why the movie was made. Credits show that a former DA of LA was an advisor, so somebody was trying to say something!

It's far from being the best film ever made, but LIPSTICK has some special quality about it. Let's first look at the exceptional performances from the cast:

Chris Sarandon - plays the school teacher of the younger sister (Mariel Hemingway) who rapes the older sister first and then the younger sister after being acquitted of the first crime. He really comes across as the creep he is intended to. You grow to hate him, which is the point.

Mariel Hemingway - her acting debut in which she shines. A great performance.

Ann Bancroft - plays the lawyer convincingly. An all round great actress.

Margaux Hemingway - the lead actress, and real-life sister of Mariel (unfortunately died tragically in mid 90's). Not a great actress by any means but she had her moments in the film. Pity about her voice. She was actually a model in real life then, rather than an actress.

The film bombed upon release in 1976 possibly because audiences couldn't accept Margaux trying to switch to acting. These days, such a movie would go straight to TV.

It is worth seeing at least once - The younger sister's performance is that good.

DVD SUMMARY - a bare bones release saved by an impressive transfer (and widescreen anamorphic too!). No trailer included.

This is one of my favourites from the 70's and it's great to see it finally appear on dvd. This is a hypnotic combination of cheesy exploitation and hard hitting drama that keeps you hooked right up to the explosive finale.
Margaux Hemingway is fantastic as the model who receives the unwelcome attentions of psychotic music teacher Chris Sarandon. Sarandon's character has to be one of the most loathsome ever put on film.
Mariel hemingway delivers a curiously affecting performance as the glamour model's younger sister.
After having only seen this before on UK tv in a cut version this nicely presented disc is a welcome addition to my collection.

...and boy am I glad it's finally on DVD. Can't wait to get my copy!

Oh how I love this film! Margaux is divine as a high fashion model who is raped by her teen sister's school music teacher! Well she is not just raped, she is completely brutalised! I swear some of those scenes looked a bit too realistic. Chris Sarandon is absolutely devilish in the role of the sadistic rapist. He doesn't just physically overpower Margaux, he also attacks her mentally. After the deed is done he slyly begs of her to "not do this with anyone else." During the trial he also torments her with late night calls playing selections of his Phillip Glass inspired music. While the subject matter is serious the film is also high camp & truely hilarious! In an emotional (or as emotional as Margaux can get) courtroom scene she shouts out "he tried to kill me with his c**k!" Let us also not forget lil sis Mariel who gets attacked at the end of the film...after a high speed chase through the Pasadena Design Center! This pushes Margaux over the edge so she grabs a shotgun and goes after Sarandon with a vengeance! After pumping him full of bullets she just keeps pulling the trigger...it is AMAZING! Francesco Scavullo must be so proud.

Even though I liked this movie very much, it bombed back in 1976 when it came out. I never expected it to come out on DVD so I didn't really look for it. But yesterday I saw it and grabbed it instantly. This movie is NOT bad, and I don't know why critics panned Margaux because I thought she did very well. I have been a fan for years. I'm sure if you're reading this you know what the movie is about so I won't go into that, I just wanted to say I don't understand why people have such disdain for this for this classic. True, the rape scene is not delightful, but it's not suppose to be. This movie proves to be powerful, just read the last review and what it "did" to that person! If a movie makes you feel passionately no matter what your argument, it must be good. And I cheered too, when Margaux took justice into her own hands at the end! That doesn't make her "just as bad", obviously anyone else wasn't going to do anything! And she looked HOT in that red dress!

I saw this film for thne first time in 2001. Somebody I know bought this because they were interested to see it again after all of these years have passed. I watched it with them ... I still can't believe it today!

The acting is decent as a whole ... the Hemingway sisters, Chris Sarandon, Perry King & the great Anne Bancroft did a very good job giving what they had to do here. This movie upset so much after it was over & I still haven't quit thinking about it.

What this movie made women in this situation look like is ridiculous ... it makes all rape victims look like they are absolutely helpless & that he then went and raped Margaux's sister after he got off for the first rape (sickening) really did something to me. The music drove me crazy because it made the rape look & sound ever the worse for whatever reason.

And then to see Margaux's version of "justice" being served at the end ... what went wrong there? I read the previous review whan somebody said they stood up & cheered after this ... ? This makes her unfortunately just about as bad as her attacker.

You really will never get over seeing this movie. Please do both yourself & I a favor and don't EVER watch this. There are lots of great movies on this subject (The Accused comes to mind) that won't have this kind of effect on anybody.

My only question here ... were the writers, producers & director here trying to put a point across, trying to accomplish something, or what? It didn't work; all this managed to do was upset me and make you really think about lots of BAD things. :(

A disappointing film about rape which undercut the career of Margaux Hemingway before it began. A beautiful model, played my Margaux is raped by a shy music teacher - after the rapist goes free and attacks her younger sister, she arms herself with a rifle and seeks revenge. The only good thing about this movie was Mariel Hemingway, who was 14 when this was made and plays Margaux's sister in the film. Mariel gives a surprisingly impressive performance considering the material she was working with.

I watched Lipstick on cable TV one night when I was a kid, a cousin was visiting from out of state so we let her stay in my room and I was to sleep on the sofa bed in the den but wound up saying up all night because the lumpy sofa bed was so uncomfortable and I wasn't used to sleeping anywhere but my own room so I wound up watching movies all night and one of them was Lipstick and I feel that the professional critics were right in giving this movie awful reviews and saying that it was one of the worst movie they ever had too watch and I definitely have to say that it was one of the worst movies I ever watched and I also agree with the profesional critics that an adorable young Mariel Hemingway in her first movie was quite impressive, I am not sure how old Mariel was when she made this movie but she looked like she was about 12 years old but even her very good acting couldn't save this turkey and I also think Chris Sarandon who is a very good actor and Mariel's sister Margaux Heminway who isn't as bad an actress as the critics claimed had their acting talents wasted in this drek too!