Miss Nymphet's Zap-In (1970)

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Miss Nymphet's Zap-In (1970)

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Among the "lost" films of HERSCHELL GORDON LEWIS, probably no title has been more sought after or aroused more curiosity than the oddity known as Miss Nymphet’s Zap-In. Well, the search is over as Something Weird Video has finally unearthed a super-rare 35mm release print of the elusive Miss N. And what exactly is Miss Nymphet’s Zap-In? Incredibly, it’s an H.G. Lewis-style X-rated version of Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-ln! On NBC from 1968 to - 1973, Laugh-in was a rapid-fire blend of skits, gags, and punchlines that made Goldie Hawn a star and popularized such national catch phrases as "Sock it to me." Zap-ln, on the other hand, is a rapid-fire blend of skits, gags, and punchlines featuring naked girls and dirty jokes.

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Miss Nymphet's Zap-In (1970)

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"My name is Miss Nympho…uh, Miss Nymphet. And we have a lot of exciting and unusual things to show you," says the titular Miss N by way of introduction. A gal wearing a bra with three cups walks past her. Miss Nymphet giggles: "That’s nothing. You ought to see what she has two of!" Yup, folks, them’s the jokes.

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Miss Nymphet's Zap-In (1970)

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And rapid-fire dirty jokes are, quite simply, also the entire plot. Dirty jokes about doctors, psychiatrists, cheating wives. Great White Hunters, French restaurants, peepshow loops, crabs, and gays. Cheap jokes on cheap sets and punctuated by two hilariously mismatched topless go-go dancers, as well as the entire cast periodically screaming "Zap!" as they freeze in wacky positions, all of which is accompanied by a typical Lewis garage-band soundtrack from his son, ROBERT LEWIS, and The Zaps."

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Miss Nymphet's Zap-In (1970)

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Is it funny? Does it matter? Hell, this is Herschell High Concept! This isn’t about comedy, it’s about sex! It’s Exploitation Film in extremis! It doesn’t have to be funny! (Significantly, the opening credits list the producer as "Francis X. Ploitation," and there’s no screenplay credit, fake or otherwise.) Naturally, those who have never seen Laugh-In might be at a loss. On the other hand, those who have seen Laugh-In will still be at a loss since a movie mutant like this — which, by the way, predates such sex spoofs of TV as The Groove Tube and Tunnel Vision — is why Herschell Gordon Lewis should be on a U.S. postage stamp.

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Miss Nymphet's Zap-In (1970)

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Though Zap-ln’s X-rating was self-applied, the MPAA probably would’ve given it an X anyway. While the nudity doesn’t include full-frontal, it’s nevertheless wall-to-wall. But a word of caution to the purists: Though digitally remastered from 35mm,our print is not only well worn but has tons of emulsion scratches running through it. Of course, considering this is the only print that’s surfaced in upwards of thirty years — and there probably weren’t more than ten prints struck in the first place — we’re not holding our breath waiting for a perfect one to pop up tomorrow. Instead, think of it as a very special, one-of-a-kind antique from the Seventies.

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Miss Nymphet's Zap-In (1970)

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But let Miss Nymphet herself have the last word: "For you students of sociology or anthropology or political science or even English literature, I have an important observation for you: Isn’t watching this a heck of a lot nicer than studying?"

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Miss Nymphet's Zap-In (1970)

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Miss Nymphet's Zap-In (1970)

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