LILA - Frank A. Coe - "Mantis In Lace" (1968)

"Lila", "Mantis In Lace" or whatever you want to call it, is essentially a very low budget soft-core Killer-Diller-Thriller with probably a good third of the film taken up with footage of various strippers shaking and shimmying to some killer music by Frank A. Coe, who sometimes worked using the name Fattie Beltbuckle! If you like boobs, you'll love this movie! The film takes place in New York, not San Francisco, but I'm sure they've got some good polka bands there too!!

I guess I wasn't paying real close attention but I'm pretty sure this is Vic Lance as Tiger, "The Hippie!" You can tell he's a hippie because as the police so astutely point out, he's wearing an earring!! East Coast hippie for sure, Vic also wrote the "Lila" theme song that was sung by Lynn Harper!!

This is either Janu Wine, Judith Crane, or Cheryl Trepton! All real strippers, none of these gals were ever in any other films, so it's a little tricky finding any real hard info! I think this is Cheryl, what do you think? Or, maybe it's Mary Lou "who took the key to my Cadillac car, jumped in the kitty and drove afar!"

Acid gobblin' predator Susan Stewart as "Lila" herself, had a couple more roles as a hooker or prostitute, did five episodes of "Hawaii Five-O" and went on to sell real estate!!

Rags to riches cinematographer László Kovács works the wonder of his magic eye in these crazy psychedelic love scenes!!

Uh, Oh! Flashbacks!!!

Bummer, Man! Bad trip!!

Time to call in the befuddled cops! Here we have Steve Vincent as Sergeant Collins on the left, and M.K. Evans as Lieutenant Ryan on the right. M.K. was done with acting after this flick! Aka Steve Stunning, (Sounds like a Wrassler) Steve Vincent went on to do some fine cheap sex flicks with titles like "Thar She Blows" and "The Secret Sex Lifes of Romeo And Juliet!"

Stuart Lancaster, sometimes known as 'Studs' Lancaster, was also in the same listed films as Steve Vincent, and also had a stunning career in Cult Films!

Stu had many performances in flicks like "Godmonster of Indian Flats," Russ Meyer's "Supervixens," "Captain Milkshake," and "Mistress Of The Apes" before landing some small parts in big films like "Edward Scissorhands" and "Batman Returns!"

But to Lila, he is just another sad case in need of disposal!!

My favorite line, "Did you get a make on the box??"

At some point, you can kinda understand Lila's feelings! Personally, I would have killed to have been able to go to this show! Procol Harum in a small club setting, with The Youngbloods opening, get out of town!!!! Can you even begin to imagine Banana and Robin Trower jamming together?

If you're a guy, after about 43 minutes into this film, you might start questioning your sexuality, because the cops become more interesting than the strippers!!!

And also, now all you guys realize this is what it takes for those girls to get out there and perform for you!! Stoned out of their ever livin' minds!!!

Composer Frank Coe had a varied career in sound and music, and worked on a bevy of films that would fill a psychotronic scrapbook, with titles like "Monsters Crash The Pajama Party," "Lemon Grove Kids Meet The Monsters," "The Wizard Of Mars" and "Blood Shack!"

Aw Shit! Not out of victims yet! Okay Bill, I think we're starting to get the point!!

Still feeling a little gay, it's time for the guys to go into action one more time!!

The last victim gets a little different treatment!!! "Don't you know that's against the law?"

"My law says groove baby, stay up and don't come down!"

And, in the end, in theory, Lila gets her just rewards!!

Check it out! I've added a new cut to the jukebox from this film, a manic surf and stripper number that rumbles down the alley like cheap booze! Yeah, I don't like the look of the new player either, but at least it works! Enjoy yourself!!