Charlie (James R. Sweeney) is a successful lawyer who wants his wife Amy (Jan Mitchell) to join a swingers’ club. She resists at first, but after a thoroughly unsatisfying night in bed with her hubby, she finally relents. When the couple attend a swingers’ party, Charlie is unable to get it up for the ladies. Amy on the other hand really wows the guys in the bedroom. Enraged by the wives’ taunting and infuriated by the husbands’ lust for Amy, Charlie snaps and sets out to murder the swingers one by one.
Swingers Massacre offers up an interesting way to do a revenge thriller. Instead of avenging his wife’s honor, Charlie is taking out his sexual frustrations on his victims. Because of that, we aren’t rooting for him, and our sympathies lie with the victims. That little wrinkle also makes it play a bit like a proto-slasher movie.
Despite the title and the premise, the film isn’t quite as sleazy as you may anticipate. I’m not saying it’s a masterclass in restraint, but there is a modicum of craft here. That said, I could understand if some walked away from this one feeling a tad disappointed. I liked it okay though as it had just enough T & A and murder to keep me entertained.
There was no reason why it needed to be over a hundred minutes long though. The subplot with the two cops also eats up a lot of screen time in the third act. These scenes could’ve easily been devoted to more swingers being massacred, but it doesn’t completely derail the movie.
Even if you don’t groove on its wavelength, you have to admit, Swingers Massacre functions nicely as a time capsule. We get heavy doses of ‘70s aesthetic here from the font in the opening credits to the swinging score (no pun intended) that’s full of jazz flute solos. The cast of ‘70s favorites like Al Adamson regular Gary Kent, and ‘70s sex starlets Rene Bond, Marsha Jordan, and Uschi Digard also help immensely.
Oh, and it took me a while to recognize Sweeney, but I finally placed him as the priest from Nightmare Sisters! (MST3K fans will also remember him as the security guard in Hobgoblins.) He does a fine job as the tortured husband as he essays a fine transformation from horny asshole to impotent basket case.
AKA: Inside Amy. AKA: Super Swinging Playmates.
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