FORMAT: VHS (REWATCH)
ORIGINAL REVIEW:
(As posted on July 17th, 2007)
In many ways, this is director Doris (Deadly Weapons) Wishman’s ultimate movie. It’s a crazy, anything-goes pseudo-documentary about sex changes and transvestites. It would make a perfect double feature with Glen or Glenda. While it doesn’t match that film’s fever dream WTF? power, it comes pretty close. It also delivers what Glen or Glenda promised and couldn’t show: actual footage of a sex change operation performed in graphic detail.
Wishman intercuts an interview with “Leslie” (“A year ago, I was a man!”) a real transgendered Puerto Rican with footage of a real doctor, Leo Wolman (who relies heavily on cue cards) who introduces us to several real transvestites and transsexuals. He refers to their plight as a “monstrous biological joke”. There are even sex scenes with said transsexuals and some simulated scenes with porn vets Harry Reems and Vanessa Del Rio. The craziest part (if you don’t count the operation scenes) is Wolman’s story of a man who wanted to become a woman so much he cut off his own penis using a chisel and a hammer! This incident is lovingly recreated in graphic detail for your viewing pleasure. If that doesn’t make you squirm in your seat, I don’t know what will.
This is one of the craziest movies ever made and only the strongest of stomachs need apply. If you loved Glen or Glenda (or maybe even Faces of Death) then what are you waiting for? Wishman started filming this as early as 1971 (as Adam or Eve) but later added the interview footage and released it in ’77.
AKA: Man or Woman?
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