Also see H.G. Lewis Goreography
While an unabashed return to gore, Herschell Gordon Lewis winces during the wacky opening scene, which became necessary when the film ran too short. This is the story of The Little Wig Shop and its proprietor Mrs. Pringle (Elizabeth Davis), her demented son (Chris Martel) and their beloved stuffed bobcat, Napoleon. It seems the local gals are crazy for wigs and Mrs. Pringle has the best in town. But they come at a ghastly price. Pringle lures girls into her shop, shoves them into a storage room, where Rodney chases them around before relieving them of their HAIR during truly gruesome and P-R-O-T-R-A-C-T-E-D scalping scenes. Audiences could close their eyes, but whenever they peeked — Yuck! Kathy Barker (Gretchen Welles) is a student who can’t seem to mind her own business, or stop making odd faces. She’s full of theories on her missing friends’ whereabouts. Much to the chagrin of her perpetually horny boyfriend. Ultimately, Ms. Davis’ eccentric performance propels the movie, and her big scene with Martel makes the Sawyer family of Texas Chainsaw Massacre seem slightly less original.
Notables: No breasts. Three corpses. Gratuitous shower scene. Face stuffing. Gratuitous Longfellow quotation. Beach frolicking. Machete to the gut.
Quotables: Kathy’s boyfriend isn’t happy, "How’d I ever get mixed up with a female James Bond?!" Wig shop patron admires the merchandise, "These are lovely, almost human." Kathy is well-meaning, but dim, "If we don’t follow every possible clue, why we could all end up dead, or worse." She’s also pretty naive when it comes to drive-ins, "Do you ever wonder what all these people, in all these cars are doing?"
Time codes: Bizarre four-minute conversation between Styrofoam heads (:00). Meet Napoleon (5:40). Coeds boogie atop beds while scarfing Kentucky Fried Chicken (13:30). A disturbing moment between mother and son (32:44). The ol’ hairpin to the eye socket trick (1:08:50).