We open with Adolf Hitler somewhere in rural nothern California being tortured and sodomized for pleasure by a guy in a pilgrim hat, fittingly called The Pilgrim, after which Hitler is eaten by piranhas in his bathtub. We cut to a woman named Margo (Raven de la Croix) picked up hitchhiking by a not-so-friendly fella who proceeds to knock her unconscious and rape her viciously. Margo manages to break away from him and kills him, leaving him dead in a creek. What follows is a cavalcade of violence, perversions and the most comically over-the-top sequences Russ Meyer possibly ever put on film, all narrated by our lusty and nude personal Greek chorus, Kitten Natividad. Meanwhile the investigation into Adolf’s death continues!

Up! finds Russ Meyer at his most unhinged and horny, cartoonish and mean in equal measure. Opening with Hitler’s S&M dungeon is definitely a way to get one’s attention, even if Meyer doesn’t really do much with that plot. The real anchor to the film is the electric Raven de la Croix though. She has a certain hard-edged sultriness that makes what could be a deeply unpleasant film with its multiple rape scenes and violence against women into something a lot more propulsive and fun. As Film Historian Elizabeth Purcell mentions in the audio commentary, this is probably the closest Meyer got to hardcore pornography without actually going off the deep end (funny that this is one of Meyer’s films co-written by lauded film critic Roger Ebert). As such, the movie is wall-to-wall sex and nudity. For those who come to Meyer films looking for Russ’ trademark women with “generous assets”, you will not be disappointed. Meyer uses his crackerjack editing techniques to create a film that moves along at such a relentless pace that it barely gives you time to breathe or wonder what’s even happening in the overarching plot (it has something to do with Hitler’s and Eva Braun’s daughter, a corrupt cop and that aforementioned “Pilgrim” among other things) which I can’t stress enough barely even matters amidst all the fun and games. While Up! may be a little too over-the-top to be the quintessential Russ Meyer film, it’s still a hell of a good time and essential for fans of Meyer.

The new transfer of Up! according to Severin at the opening of the film is “scanned from the 35mm original camera negative at Illuminate Studios Hollywood, with color and restoration work by Severin Films“, and it looks terrific. The grain levels and color saturation are handled very well, resulting in a vibrant image that really pops with color. This may be the best-looking of the recent Russ Meyer releases actually. The mono audio track was taken from various 35mm elements and pieced together, and while it isn’t going to blow you away necessarily, it’s very clean and clear with little to no significant distortion. For extras, we have the aforementioned audio commentary featuring film historian Elizabeth Purcell, which is chock full of useful information about the movie and Meyer. We also get an interview with Raven de la Croix discussing her first film experience and what it was like to make the movie and work with Russ.

While Up! isn’t necessarily one of Meyer’s greatest films, it’s manic pacing, lovely “scenery” and wacky shenanigans still make it lots of fun to watch, and Severin has produced an excellent transfer to show off Meyer’s vibrant insanity.