ScoobyWell Great visuals, story delivers no surprises

Nicole I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

Scotty Burke It is interesting even when nothing much happens, which is for most of its 3-hour running time. Read full review

Staci Frederick Blistering performances.

Red-Barracuda Lorna signalled an important change of direction for director Russ Meyer. While it remained within the overall bracket that could be termed sexploitation it was quite a significant departure from the nudie cuties which had hitherto constituted his filmography. Unlike those, Lorna was shot in black and white but upgraded to 35mm. Even more significantly it also was his first feature to have synchronised sound, which allowed him to better engage the viewer and allowed him to tell an actual story with proper, interesting characters. With these ingredients it was the first of his films that truly showcased what he was all about and gave far more of an indication of his overall sensibilities, beyond his obvious love of large breasts.Like most Meyer films this one is as much a showcase for his lead actress as it is anything else. In this instance it is the buxom Lorna Maitland who takes centre stage. She plays a young woman who is bored with married life in a rural area. Her pathetic husband cannot satisfy her sexually and spends all his time working in a salt mine while taking verbal abuse from his two slovenly co-workers; one of which is a mean-spirited misogynist who we first see forcing his way into the home of a young woman only to then violently knock her about. While Lorna's husband is away on one of these details, she is raped by an escaped convict whose attack excites her, leading her to invite him home for an afternoon of further lust. Of course, this is not set to end well.I guess it should be said from the outset that the idea of Lorna being so receptive to being raped is a pretty outrageous and offensive one. It's certainly at best 'of its time'. Although I reckon if you see a few Meyer movies you begin to realise that his cinematic universe operates by its own hyper-real rules and content that would be somewhat dubious in other hands seems quite normal is his world of strong women and dumb men constantly at war with each other. Lorna was the first of his four black and white 'roughies' which culminated with his classic Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (1965). Like a few of his films it takes the form of a melodrama, although unlike most it has little in the way of his soon-to-be typical distinctive comedy, in fact it's possibly the least humorous film he ever made. This may well be because it was written by James Griffith – who plays the part of a hell and brimstone preacher who appears periodically to commentate on the sins of the players – who also wrote the screenplay for the later Motorpsycho! (1965) which was another Meyer film with a decidedly darker tone.It is, however, as visually accomplished as films by Meyer would go on to become known for. Having said that, at this stage in his career he was more restrained in his visual approach and had not developed the manic fast editing style that would typify his later, more over-the-top efforts. This one is more indebted to noir than his others and the presentation is consequently a little more downbeat. Almost all of the lighter moments involve Lorna Maitland in a state of undress; the best of these is a scene where she takes a dip in a river. It's shot beautifully and is one of the most iconic moments of 60's cinematic erotica. Historically, the film itself was prosecuted for obscenity in some American states but cashed in big-time on the drive-in circuit and even played some art-houses. It's not surprising that it had this varying effect, as Lorna is simultaneously a pioneering and daring sexploitation classic which was certainly pushing the envelope at the time for what was permissible, yet at the same time it's very well made and certainly has artistic merit and ambition beyond its voluptuous leading ladies most prominent assets.

morrison-dylan-fan After finding co- Writer/director/cinematography/editor/co-producer auteur Russ Meyer's fake "Mondo" doc Europe In The Raw to be a painfully slow movie to watch,I started to have serious regrets about having picked up a boxset of Meyer's films in the Christmas sales.Thankfully,a few days ago two fellow IMDb'ers started to tell me that I had something very special to look forward to in Meyer's next movie,which lead to me,initially half-heartedly,decide to take a special visit and meet Russ Meyer's Lorna.The plot:Trying to create a romantic mood on the night before their first wedding anniversary,Lorna asks her husband Jim if he can put his study books down,and instead get into bed with her.Putting the book down,Jim gets into bed and starts to tell Lorna about what he is expecting tomorrow to be like,when he goes back to work in the salt mines.Feeling that Jim is completely missing her hints,Lorna pushes him for some romance,which ends up making her feel more depressed then ever,due to the "action" only lasting 5 minutes!!.Waving goodbye to Jim as he sets off to work with two friends,Lorna decides to go for a calming walk in the woods,where she is suddenly grabbed by a stranger who slams her on the ground,and starts to pull her clothes off.Initially shocked with what is taking place,Lorna soon finds herself getting very excited due to the stranger showing her more passion than Jim has done all year.Feeling extremely lustful,Lorna takes the stranger to her house so that they can continue their passions there,whilst,after getting endlessly teased over how he is not having any "sleepless nights" from his two work buddies,Jim decides to finish work early,so that he can give the wife who he deeply loves an anniversary that she will never forget.View on the film:Shooting the film in crisp black & white,Russ Meyer unveils an astonishing new confidence and sense of pace which had only been previously hinted at,in his earlier silent films.Soaking the movie in a deep Film Noir atmosphere,Meyer uses Jim's salt mine workplace to create a feeling that the entire town is based in the middle of an isolated desert,whilst also using a number of well handled,long pov tracking shots to put the viewer right into the quick sand that all of the characters find themselves unwittingly trapped.Teaming up with another writer for the first time since his debut film,co-writer James Griffth (who also composed the movie's great rumbling score and plays the spooky "Man of God") creates a winning partnership with Meyer in striking an excellent balance between sharp Comedy moments,and murky Film Noir.Banned from being seen in the UK from 1965 until 1998,Meyer and James delightfully make almost every single character be entirely unlikeable,from Jim's two workmates attempting to get a girl agree to a "fun time",to Lorna being an icy dame who loves the feel of being near something dangerous and deadly.Whilst Meyer and James do treat,what is initially an assault on Lorna on a non-comedic way,the writers smartly use the ribbing that Jim gets from his work mates to give the movie some fine Comedy moments,whilst also unexpectedly using the comedic scenes as a way to really hit their brilliantly down beat ending at full force.Backed by a rugged performance from Mark Bradley as the stranger and a real "aw shucks" performance from James Rucker,the vivacious and sultry voiced Lorna Maitland gives a splendid performance as Femme Fatale Lorna.Looking beautiful naked against Meyer's B&W cinematography,Maitland shows herself to be far more than just a pretty face,by giving the character a reckless Film Noir edge,that goes from Lorna's eyes being lit up over doing something dangerous,to screaming in shock,as Lorna discovers that living on the wild side of Film Noir does not come without a deep cost.

xnet95 After seeing Faster Pussycat a couple years ago, I was so impressed that I decided to hunt down and watch all of Russ Meyer's movies. Well, it's been quite a disappointing quest, and Lorna is just more of the same.First of all, the script is very amateurish. You can tell Mr. Meyer is still groping his way as he tries to tell an effective and engaging story. The characters are one dimensional. They're almost caricatures of themselves. The only time one of them seems real is when Luther apologizes to Lorna near the end. Also, the rape scene is totally unbelievable. Lorna tries to fight this guy off for a few minutes, and then gets turned on by having this guy force himself on her? It just doesn't happen that way. Talk to any woman and see what they say about it. Plus, this guy had been on the run, and brushing his teeth would've been the last thing on his mind. I seriously doubt anyone would want to suck face with him!Second, is unlikable characters. NOBODY in this film is likable, and most are detestable. Luther sounds like Russ Meyer's alter ego - a sexist, over-sexed, low class loser. The preacher is just annoying, and it doesn't make sense why he's even in this film. Jim, the husband, is completely useless. Lorna is an unappreciative, stupid jerk. The convict was a completely heartless, murdering, raping smack-off. Maybe Mr. Meyer was trying to convey something with their unlikableness, but I haven't figured it out yet and I don't really care at this point.Third, is Lorna Maitland. This woman has nothing going for her except HUGE hooters. I love boobs, but hers look kind of strange. You can tell Mr. Meyer was trying to turn her into the next Marilyn Monroe or Jane Mansfield, but she just didn't have what it takes. Her face was definitely not attractive. The extreme close-ups of her face were scary. And her acting skills weren't very good or believable. It's just another case of Russ Meyer's obsession with giant breasts clouding his judgement (kind of like Vixen).Last, is the ending. When Lorna dies at the end, Jim runs over to her and falls to his knees begging her to "Forgive me. Forgive me." Forgive him for what!?! He was out working in the salt mines all day, while she was at home screwing some dirtball on their one year anniversary. Lorna was a miserable bitch. I don't understand why Jim would want her to forgive him.All-in-all, this movie doesn't have anything going for it in 2012. There's not much nudity, Lorna isn't very attractive, and the story isn't very interesting. To be fair, this was made a couple years before "Faster Pussycat". I guess Russ Meyer just needed more time to hone his craft.

gloovins Meyer is at his beginning's of film-making (esp for what was to come) when Lorna came out. An earlier commentator remarked it has a very (since it's shot in B&W) film noir quality to it. I agree but it's more like American film noir say -- for the bold rape scenes are over the top. However, if gritty fiction with this type of scenes depicted you like, this movie may be for you -- it's that '60's camp feel that really doesn't let most viewers take it too seriously, I think. An 8 was fair because anything Meyer does I am partial to because of his unique style, independent spirit and sense of creating something different in a time when people were jailed, or at least critically blasted as "pornographers". Meyer was not this though. He was always more interested in telling a coherent, fast-paced story & filming what was going on above the waist -- but spicing it up with (real) buxom women who mostly held the "power" over men (esp in later Meyer films) was his real signature style that will hold Meyer up as the best B-grade movie maker of all time. KING LEER - R.I.P. in that big bosom in the sky!