Vixen – Severin Films (4k UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 1968
Director: Russ Meyer
Writers: Robert Rudelson, Russ Meyer, Anthony-James Ryan
Cast: Erica Gavin, Garth Pillsbury, Harrison Page, Jon Evans, Vincene Wallace, Robert Aiken, Michael Donovan O'Donnell, Peter Carpenter, John Furlong, Jackie Illman, Russ Meyer, Vic Perrin

Release Date: January 28th, 2025
Approximate Running Time: 71 Minutes 1 Second
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / HDR10+
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $59.95

"Amid the cultural chaos of 1968 and armed with a budget of only $70,000, producer/director/cinematographer Russ Meyer transcended sexploitation by crafting this “bosomacious melodrama” (Time Magazine) about racism, communism, bush pilots, draft dodgers and a ferociously free-spirited wife named Vixen (the incredible Erica Gavin of Beyond the Valley of the Dolls and Caged Heat)." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5 (4K UHD), 4.5/5 (Blu-ray)

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Vixen is now scanned in 4K from the original negative restored by The Museum of Modern Art".

Vixen comes on a 66 GB dual layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 52.2 GB

Feature: 51.1 GB

The source is in excellent shape; it is vastly superior to all of this film’s previous home media releases. Colors are nicely saturated, flesh tones look healthy, and image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid. Also, grain remains intact, and the image always retains an organic look.

Vixen comes on a 50 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 28.8 GB

Feature: 20.5 GB

This Blu-ray uses the same master that is used for the 4K UHD disc.

Audio: 4.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in English with removable English SDH. Like the video, Severin has done a fantastic job with the audio. The audio is in excellent shape; there are no sibilance issues, dialog always comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced. Range-wise ambient sounds are well-represented, and the score sounds appropriately robust. That said, not only does the audio sound better than ever, it is difficult to imagine it sounding any better.

Extras:

Extras on the 4K UHD disc include a theatrical trailer (1 minute 24 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with actress Erica Gavin, moderated by David Gregory, and an archival audio commentary with co-writer/producer/cinematographer/co-editor/director Russ Meyer.

Extras on the Blu-ray disc include a theatrical trailer (1 minute 24 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles),1981 censor prologue for Vixen;s theatrical re-release (1 minute 38 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an archival featurette with Erica Gavin and actor Harrison Page titled Woman... or Animal? (20 minutes 4 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival extra titled David Del Valle's The Sinister Image With Guests Russ Meyer And Yvette Vickers (21 minutes 27 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with Marc Edward Heuck titled Entertainment... or Obscenity?, he discusses Vixen’s historic Cincinnati censorship battles (13 minutes 34 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with Erica Gavin and David David Gregory, and an archival audio commentary with Russ Meyer.

Other extras include a slipcover.

Summary:

In the wilderness of Northwest Canada are a husband and wife who operate a retreat for those wanting to get in touch with nature. While her husband is busy working, the wife is a nympho who has sex with everyone she comes into contact with except her brother's friend.

Unless you have lived a very sheltered life, Russ Meyer is a name that is instantly recognizable to fans of 1960s/70s softcore films. He is most known for Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!. He financed all of his films, except Beyond the Valley of the Dolls and The Seven Minutes, both of which were studio films he made for 20th Century Fox. That said, he was more than just a director; he also wrote, edited, and photographed most of his films.

Vixen was the first film that the MPAA gave an X rating. Also, it was not the first or last time that a Russ Meyer film faced censorship issues. Though the sheer amount of nudity and the incest subplot played a role in Vixen receiving an X rating, the way in which Russ Meyer uses these things is never vulgar. When it comes to nudity and sex, there is always a playfulness to them in Russ Meyer films. And when it comes to controversial subject matter, Russ Meyer’s subversive humor always shines through.

All of Russ Meyer’s most celebrated films are known for their leading ladies, and Vixen stars Erica Gavin in the role of the protagonist. She delivers a pitch-perfect portrayal of a character with an insatiable sex drive who's not interested in a deeper connection. Another strength of her performance is how Russ Meyer never wastes an opportunity to show off her ample assets.

Though Vixen has all the elements that one expects from an exploitation film, it is also a film that very effectively uses social commentary on issues like racism and communism. Vixen is blunt in its exploration of racism; the dialog is filled with racist remarks, many of which are rooted in stereotypes. When it comes to communism and some of the other issues, Vixen takes these ones with a tongue firmly in cheek.

Though the narrative is well-crafted, and it does a great job building momentum, it is the visuals that drive things. The most memorable moments are a scene where the protagonist dances with a fish and puts it between her breasts and a scene where the protagonist sleeps with her brother after showering with him. Where the protagonist's other sexual encounters are full of passion, her encounter with her brother is animalistic.

Russ Meyer’s career went through stages; he started in nudie cuties, then shifted into a gothic period, and made a few melodramas. From Vixen onward, Russ Meyer finally had his template: films with subversive humor, an ample amount of nudity, and busty women. Ultimately, Erica Gavin's phenomenal performance greatly aids Vixen, a highly entertaining mix of sex, satire, and social commentary.

Vixen gets a definitive release from Severin Films, highly recommended.

Note about the 4K screenshots: It is not possible to make Dolby Vision or HDR10 screenshots that faithfully match the experience of watching a film in motion on a TV. Instead of not having any screenshots, all of the 4K screenshots are m2ts taken with a MPC-HC player and lossless PNGs.

Written by Michael Den Boer