Vroom, vroom, voom! (1995)

Directed by: Melvin Van Peebles | 29 minutes | short film, fantasy | Actors: Richard Barboza, Dewar Zazee, Laura Lane, Kim Smith, William ‘Spaceman’ Patterson, Ted Hayes, Asha Jenkins, Reggie Osse

Leroy is a somewhat dorky teenager, played by an actor who is older than his character. Dressed in dungarees with a strap hanging untidyly loose, he is clearly out of place in the group of hip, attractive young people who are having a great time at a garden party. There is dancing and laughing and Leroy watches it all amused from a distance. Nowhere does it appear that he would like to participate, for that reason Richard Barboza, who takes on the role of Leroy, lacks talent. He begs for a while if he can go to the lake, where the group goes ‘skinny dipping’, but they make it clear to him that his company is not wanted.

Moments later, Leroy is home, and is reprimanded by his father. “What pimples you have, boy! It’s about time you got a girlfriend, because then at least they’ll go away. And learn to dress yourself a little better!” The latter is comical, because his father is wearing exactly the same as his son. When Leroy pushes an old lady off the road just before she’s about to be run over by his “friends”, his life changes. The female appears to have magical powers and Leroy can make a wish (due to budget cuts, the number has been reduced from three to one). He doesn’t have to tell it what his dearest wish is, because “I was young myself, I know very well what you want”, according to the female.

And indeed, that evening when Leroy makes his way to the appointed place, a shiny brand new motorcycle is waiting there. Leroy takes the thing for a ride and is amazed when half way through the journey the bike starts to turn into a woman! Leroy can’t believe his luck, the two wishes he had have merged into one wish! Too bad he can’t talk to anyone about it…

Disappointing episode from the ‘Tales of Erotica’ collection. The beginning is still promising in the scene with the cheerful and sensual dancing young people. Unfortunately, Leroy is not a sympathetic character, he doesn’t even know how to arouse pity. The scenes in which he rides the woman/motorcycle are so obviously fake that they don’t give any stimulation, at most irritation. In addition, the sound track does not seem to have been recorded simultaneously, creating an unnatural whole. The cries of pleasure uttered by Leroy and his partner are just laughable.