Monica Liljistrand emerged in the early 1960s, making her mark in the world of cult cinema with her roles in House on Bare Mountain (1962) and Heavenly Bodies! (1963). In House on Bare Mountain, she brings a playful energy to the film's blend of comedy and exploitation, while in Heavenly Bodies!, her performance contributes to the film's exploration of the surreal and the absurd. Liljistrand's work encapsulates the spirit of the era, making her a notable figure in the realm of grindhouse and cult films.
Heavenly Bodies!
Part of the charm of Heavenly Bodies is seeing the camaraderie of director Meyer and his war buddies who he frequently enlisted to help him over the years with his various film projects. There is one scene in particular where Russ takes his fellow 166th Signal Corps photographers on a photo field trip to the woods to shoot two buxom models (Althea Currier and Monica Liljistrand) amidst the lush scenery. Whilst the models are putting on their make-up and doing their hair, all of the director’s buddies are setting up and cleaning their cameras and lenses. Eventually they find a nice spot to shoot pictures of the two girls, all whilst fighting each other over taking turns and getting the best angles. It’s quite sweet to see them almost worshipping the pretty models knowing that they must have come across some really challenging stuff between them when working out in the field during World War II. It’s not going to be to all Meyer fans taste, no doubt a large number of people will find it very boring, but for Meyer completists and photographers Heavenly Bodies is an interesting little snapshot into two different but very similar work practices that took over Russ Meyers life. If you’re going to bother watching his early films, you best include this in your viewing as its one of the more significant in the batch that have finally been released.
