Before presenting you with the conclusion of my interview with former Playboy Playmate and actress Victoria Vetri, I'd like to take a moment to tell you about Bill George,author of EROTICISM IN THE FANTASY CINEMA,that oily,insincere liar of the lowest common denominator. Now,there are some of you out there thinking," Joe must really enjoy writing about Bill George because of the things he's said about him in previous posts".
Well, not really. But since George has screwed me over a number of times I think he deserves to be singled out and shown to all as the smarmy,unctuous asshole that he is. In the case of EROTICISM IN THE FANTASY CINEMA I got the shit end of the stick in two ways:
My interview with Victoria Vetri was published without a byline;in other words my name was not featured next to the interview. Instead, I was dumped in acknowledgement section along with those who had provided George with a graphic or a press release. He claimed that the publishers did this without his knowledge,but being far too familiar with his penchant for lying I didn't believe him. He went so far as to offer to sign my copy of the book with an inscription praising me for the work I did. I felt like he was offering to autograph it for me! The nerve of that ego dripping turd!
Then came the other gratuitous kick in the ass when I noticed that in the interview all references to me were expunged. Yet whenever George's interviews were featured,his name was always front and center. When I complained about this, George said," I did that so that the reader would feel as if she were speaking to them." Nah. Un uh. No way. He edited out all references to me because The King of Selfish wanted the limelight all to himself. It was the Bill George Show and I was playing a small,insignificant part. And to this very day he probably scratches his balding head wondering why I don't want to have anything to do with him anymore. As the saying goes: He who is self serving ends up with himself.
JV: Do you feel that horror films exploit women in a negative fashion? I mean, relating to the ones you've been in?
VV: Well, let me think now. I mean, we're all victims. I think I've mentioned this before,but somebody has to play the role. It depends on the film really.
JV: For example,in INVASION OF THE BEE GIRLS didn't you think that the attempted rape scene was a bit gratuitous?
VV: Yes,I thought they could've done without that. But,they write the attempted rape scene and I do it. This is funny,I guess I don't feel exploited because it's just acting to me. I mean,I've seen a million dramas where women are being exploited and they aren't horror movies. Women have been in that role for years. Just because all of the sudden the Eighties come and women are going to start being independent doesn't mean they're going to change the rules.Because we are the weaker sex and there's nothing you can do about that, really. I don't care how much iron you can pump or how macho you are.
JV: Do you think the Women's Movement has a right to complain about these issues and say to the movie producers," Hey, you shouldn't show this because it's not a very positive image?" A lot of them are also afraid that some strange guy is going to see this kind of film and get ideas.
VV: But, guys get ideas from everywhere,not from film. There's influences even in soap commercials for God's sake. The Women's Movement bugs me, I guess. Let 'em move. The big BM. I guess I'm just not on that side. Most of my friends are men. I get along better with men. I feel sorry for women. Now, I'm going to sound like a female chauvinist. I 'm not into the Women's Movement. They can complain about this,complain about that, but people are going to be influenced no matter what. To me,it's just an acting job. And if I really felt like I was endangering the female species by doing scenes that I do in films, then I would not do them.I mean, it's a fantasy,it's a trip. People take film so seriously, I can't believe it.
JV: After you did the Playboy spread and became Playmate of The Year, what was the reaction of your family and friends?
VV: My family wasn't too upset about it. My father being from Sicily and kind of old fashioned, was still an ass pincher.So he was kind of proud of it.He had different parts of the magazine that he framed and put in his restaurant.You know,head shots and all. He'd say," Hey, that's my daughter. Say anything about it and I'll kill you." My mom did pinups when she was in Rome.She was quite a sexy dish and also an actress. She told me she did calendars in her day and that if I did it modestly,she explained to me that it's like the face is a diamond and the body's a setting and,"You've got a good setting so show it off,girl. Go for it".(laughter) So I did. My parents weren't upset about it or prudish,no.
JV: Do you find that Hollywood,located in the Los Angeles area,has a more lenient attitude towards this type of thing than if you lived somewhwere else?
VV: Of course. The Midwest,let's face it,that could never happen there.I think it's the weather here. I really do. (laughs) The warm,hot climate hits the sun, makes us all crazed and then we have to drink beer and stuff to cool off. It's a very perverse place, Hollywood. But, I was born and raised here and I love it and it's my town. There's perversity all over, just more people hide it in the closet. They don't display it all. Here we let it all hang out.
JV: Knowing what you know now,after all of the things you've gone through,if you could go back, what would you change?
VV: Nothing. I would do it all again. The highs,the lows,the ups, the downs and believe me there's been a few lulls in my life, too. But right now I'm up and I wouldn't change a thing. I know that sounds very egotisical. I used to complain about Playboy. If you had asked me that a couple of years ago I would've said," I wouldn't do Playboy. That's the one thing I wouldn't do again." But now I've changed my whole attitude about that. So now I've narrowed it down to nothing.
