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Bad
Georgia Road
Starring
Carol Lynley, Gary Lockwood, Royal Dano, Mary Woronov &
Buck Flowers. Directed by John C. Broderick.
In an era where even the mention of the
words "white trash" gets one back-handed in "correct"
society, BAD GEORGIA ROAD plays like a
primer on all things to be avoided in popular cinema.
That is, these up-tight, left vs. right daze!
But back in the
freewheelin' 70's, the South was known for more than breedin'
rednecks posin' as powerful Senators, and
when Burt was still King of the Box Office and Ronnie Howard
was screaming like a motormaniac "Eat my dust!,"
flix like BAD GEORGIA ROAD were popular
 cinema
in every "sin"se of the word: naughty wimmen,
horny studs, shine, string music and John Law, all a feudin'
n' a fightin' (when they're not a fornicatin'!).
The
plot has Lynley returning to the Deep South after a stint
in New York City as a fashion designer. Uptight and undersexed,
she slowly "cottons" to Lockwood, a moonshine
runner of local ill repute who gives back to the needy with
anonymous money drops in the dead of night. Basically a
womanizer at heart, Lockwood enjoys the growing jealousy
Lynley experiences,  especially
since he lives in the guest shack of her property and he
can easily taunt her with his bevy of slutty 'girlfriends.'
Lynley grows so sexually frustrated that the tension is
unbearable for either, with Lynley peeling away her clothing
almost as fast as Lockwood is stealing hot and bothered
glances at her lovely figure. Something, or someone, has
to 'give.'
Not exactly what you expect from the genre, is it? It's
part screwball comedy, part this, part that; a strange but
entertaining blending of Robert Mitchum's classic THUNDER
ROAD,  mixed
with light touches of SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT and (no joke)
Kazan's version of A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, the latter
especially noticeable in the manner in which the first seduction
scene between Lynley and Lockwood is, er, "fulfilled."
Lynley wears a slip like Blanche DuBois, and hunky Lockwood
is dressed exactly like Brando, even "aping" Marlon's
ape-like physicality in DESIRE. Whether inspired by Kazan
or coincidence, this is among the flick's best sequences,
and has the same erotic tension as DESIRE albeit toned down
for the broader farce which is the setting for BAD
GEORGIA ROAD.
The
casting is exceptionally good for such a low budget picture.
Carol Lynley is today perhaps best remembered by cult fans
for either THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE and/or t.v.'s THE NIGHT
STALKER (she starred in the pilot). She could equally thrill
cult fans with other flix on her resume, however: roles
in BUNNY LAKE IS MISSING, SON OF BLOB, and Radley Metzger's
THE CAT AND THE CANARY, just to drop a few. Her cult endures
for a reason: beauty, brains and acting talent don't often
collide in a  package
this formidable. Also on hand is Gary Lockwood, who will
be remembered if for nothing else (and that would be a shame!)
as astronaut Frank Poole in 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, though
he too has an incredible amount of genre work to his long
list of credits, including THE MAGIC SWORD, STAR TREK's
original pilot episode (not 'The Menagerie' but the actual
series), and EARTH II,  Roddenberry's
later less than starry trek. Filling out the cast is Royal
Dano, Mary Woronov and even long-time John Carpenter fave
George 'Buck' Flowers.
Talented d.p. Tak Fujimoto was just getting his real chops
when he lensed this part actioner/part erotica backroads
blacktopper. The way he turns what is obviously California
wine country into a credible, rural-looking Georgia demonstrates
why he would later go on to greater fame for THE SILENCE
OF THE LAMBS and THE SIXTH SENSE. Director Broderick also
produced and directed THE SWORD AND THE SORCERESS,
as well as acted as supervising editor (under the aka Jordan
Leondopoulos) of both THE EXORCIST and THE EXORCIST: THE
VERSION YOU NEVER SAW (unless, of course, you saw the latter,
in which case it would be THE VERSION YOU HAD NEVER SEEN!).
He passed away not long ago from kidney disease.
BAD GEORGIA ROAD is a real 'forgotten find'
in the sense that
it succeeds on its own modest level beyond any realistic
viewer expectations. If you like 'em hot, humid and humming,
we recommend ya'll 'lay' down some pedal on this bumpy but
fun ride.
-- Notes by Barkeep; Bijou Tip o' the Hat to Eugene
in FL for his Request
Flick Winner
suggestion of this title!
 What
Critics Say:
"Makin'
Bacon Time!... call this film a grand exercise in DEVO-lution!
Funny film also contains some decent car
chases, as well as a goofy theme song." -- Son of Cathode,
IMBD.com
"Plenty of car chases, banjo music and broad humor."
-- Marty McKee, MOBIUS HOME VIDEO FORUM
"Action-packed adventure." -- VIDEOLOG
"Backwoods beauties take on revenuers in a whiz-bang
action film of moonshine, fast cars and laugh-filled action."
-- MOVIES UNLIMITED
 Features:
DVD-R. Region One. Full Frame. Color. Stereo.
86 mins. EZ
Nav Menu. Previews. Collectors Grade Cover Art. Slipcase. WARNING:
ADULTS ONLY!
DVD
Price: $14.95.
Like this flick? See also: DYNAMITE
CHICKEN |
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Bamboo
Saucer
aka
Collision Course.
Directed by Frank Telford.
Here's
a very precise plot description of BAMBOO SAUCER
(1968) taken from IMDB.com user DCorr123: "A team of
American scientists, under the leadership of a military
man, go to Red China to investigate the report of a downed
flying saucer. They encounter a similar Russian team with
the same object. The two are forced into an uncomfortable
alliance to avoid the Chinese army. They find the saucer
in the ruins of a church; the local villagers hate the government
for killing the priest. They work together to figure out
how the saucer works. In the end, as most of the expedition
dies fighting off Chinese troops, three of them make their
escape in the saucer. In keeping with the "lets end
the cold war" spirit of the film, they agree to take
the saucer to a neutral site, Switzerland. The script and
the acting are rather wooden but the movie makes an honest
attempt at believable science fiction."
 The
film stars Dan Duryea in his last theatrical credit. Though
in the decline of his thirty-year long career, it is all
too easy to forget Mr. Duryea started out working with the
likes of Fritz Lang, Howard Howards and Anthony Mann, some
of the greatest
directors in the narrative medium's history. And then there's
the venerable Bernard Fox, who has the notable distinction
of appearing in not one but two different versions of the
Titanic tragedy when rendered and they're the two very best:
A NIGHT TO REMEMBER and Cameron's TITANC! Behind the scenes
talent is no less impressive. For example, noted Hollywood
efx legend John Fulton -- the guy who played the part of
God and helped Moses part the Red Sea blue screen waters
in THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, no less -- is credited in part
with the storyline. Producer Jerry Fairbanks made his debut
producing the highly-influential POPULAR SCIENCE film shorts
based on the print  mag
of the namesake, which is why this flick may have such a
dry approach to the subject matter. In effect, BAMBOO
SAUCER resembles a low-budget
version of ICE STATION ZEBRA, but with a downed flying saucer
substituting for the missing satellites. Otherwise, it has
many of the same Cold War tensions.
--
Notes by Barkeep.
What
Critics Say:
"The
UFO: it looks pretty cool on both the outside and inside.
The blue glowing effect is effective at making this low
budget UFO look better than it might otherwise. Also the
ship reacting with the characters is a very nice touch.
John P. Fulton and Glen Robinson provided the film's special
effects."
-- SCIFILM
Features:
DVD-R. Region One. Full Frame. Color. Stereo. 103 mins.
EZ
Nav Menu. Previews. Collectors Grade Cover Art. Slipcase.
DVD Price: $14.95.
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Barn of the Blood Llama
Starring Kirk Hunter. Special
cameo by Clive Barker. Directed by Kevin L. West
.
At
long last, one of "the "truly good bad movies" (Skip Griffith,
SALT FOR SLUGS) BARN OF THE BLOOD LLAMA (1999)
is now available on DVD! This Special Edition of BOTBL
exclusively from BijouFlix Releasing features a "barn"-load
of extras all BARN cult fans will be 'dying'
to see fer theirselves (sic).
The storyline is heavily influenced by those great old 70's
era drive-in classics such as BLOOD
FREAK, complete with bad dubbing into English! The
wild, multi-shifting  production
formats give it a feel Oliver Stone only dreamed of achieving
in NATURAL BORN KILLERS. It's a deconstructed horror flick
that feels like a Burroughsian filmic cut-up, as if the drive-in
projectionist had somehow threaded up the wrong reels of several
different movies and yet you're so content with the retro
bliss of it all, you don't mind at all. The electric cowboy
acid soundtrack rendered by some mighty finely talented Austin
music locals is also very powerful in raw, hum-along energy.
Grab
a bag of pork  rinds and barricade
yourself behind your favorite monitor with rock star Bock,
his Bunuel shapeshifting bevy of white trash beauties, the
in-bred Woolgrow Brothers, and all the other  outrageous psycho-mutant
crackers whose constant idiocy leave you to philosophically
muse aloud: what's truly more frightening -- blood-sucking
llamas or brain dead humans?
So
wake up, ignorant rednecks everywhere, and prepare yourselves
before it is Too Late: it's all out war between genetically-enhanced
killer llamas and genetically-challenged human beings in a
rural siege for survival! With cameos by sf/fantasy writer
C.K. McFarland and Clive Barker. A final incentive is the
clarity and stunning use of color luridly saturated in  much
finer detail courtesy the digital master source from the folks
at Kirk-O-Matic.
It's like seeing BARN OF THE BLOOD LLAMA
all over for the thirtieth time! --
Notes by Hal E. Luya.
What
Critics Say:
"They
make the weirdest movies in Texas. Much like Monty Python...
a fine video party tape, even if you're not from Texas. P-Factor:
blood; heads roll; psycho doctor; kung fu; rabid killer llamas;
mad lab; explosion; dung-gun fu; p-star Barker." --  Michael
Weldon, PSYCHOTRONIC
"This home grown messterpiece hails from Austin, Texas
and is the brain damaged love child of filmmaker Kevin West.
Shot
on over a half a dozen different kinds of film stock and dubbed
in english, BARN OF THE BLOOD LLAMA is one
those rare examples of planned ineptitude that is actually
funny and entertaining. The bizarre, almost undescribable
plot revolves around a wacky bunch of characters that include;
a washed up rock star hitchhiker, cheap fast food tramps,
inbred moronic crippled Texas hillbillies, a bestiality lovin'
animal doctor, a dyke- like bowling team, a pretty young heroine
and of course, blood thirsty cud spitting llamas. Are you
ready to run out and rent this damn  thing
yet?" -- SECRET SCROLL DIGEST
"This movie gave me a headache, blurred my vision, and
confused me to the brink of sobbing. I loved every minute.
Viva la BLOOD LLAMA! 5 (out of 5)."
-- Brother Fistula, BROTHERHOOD REVIEWS
"The most insane, strange, unfollowable, gibberatic piece
of film that I've EVER heard of, let alone seen... despite
this, the movie has changed my entire perspective of reality.
Wow. Just to make sure you know, I'm giving this movie a 5
(out
of 5)." -- Brother Ferox,  BROTHERHOOD
REVIEWS
"This movie rules... I love this movie. David Lynch couldn't
follow the plot. My hat is off to the men and women who have
made this... 5 (out of 5) all the way." -- Brother Ragnarok,
BROTHERHOOD
REVIEWS
Features:
DVD-R. Region One. Full Frame. Color/B&W. Stereo. 80 mins.
Dubbed in English. EZ
Nav Menu. Previews. Collectors Grade Cover Art. Slipcase.
Bonus
Footage, Stills and Previews of BARN and West's upcoming flick
NIGHT OF THE KILLER PINATAS. WARNING:
ADULTS
ONLY!DVD Price: $14.95. |
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Beat
Girl
Directed
by Edmond T. Gréville.
Banned for many years in its native England, BEAT
GIRL (1960) is an interesting example of the exploitation
movie turning mainstream. That is, it has the elements of
classic 'exploitation' films-- a good girl gone bad, moralizing,
implied venality, violence, etc. Yet, despite its relatively
low budget, the production values and intellectual energy
are far above those of the average 'sploiter. BEAT
GIRL is a stylishly shot, carefully
crafted depiction of the emerging youth rebellion in  Britain,
subverting middle class mores and values, yet clear on the
dangers towards which that path leads.
The film stars Adam Faith, a big deal rock star back then,
and also the absolutely luscious Bardoesque Gillian Hills,
who would later appear in BLOW UP. To class the fare up a
bit, Christopher Lee plays the
sleazy strip club owner (oh, yeah, did we mention that BEAT
GIRL's
'mom' was once a French stripper, and that Beat herself gets
down to her undies in public to get back at Mom and Dad?)
and we also get an early appearance by Oliver Reed. Final
note: the film's composer, John Barry, would later pen the
James Bond theme!
-- Notes by J.L. Bate.
 What
Critics Say:
"Terrific
British juvenile delinquent trash, filmed with a grimy, tough-as-nails
energy
that puts comparable U.S. teen angst flicks to shame. This
rebellious gem perfectly captures the swinging Beat milieu.
Without question, one of the coolest, dingiest flicks ever
made about the London scene." -- Steve Puchalski, SHOCK
CINEMA
"A hot British teen movie with beatniks, strippers, murder,
and music."-- PSYCHOTRONIC
Features:
DVD-R.
Region One. Full Frame. B&W. Stereo. 83 mins. EZ
Nav Menu. Previews. Collectors Grade Cover Art. Slipcase.
WARNING:
ADULTS ONLY!
DVD Price: $14.95.
Like this flick? See also:
GROUPIE
GIRL;
THE WILD, WILD
WORLD OF JAYNE MANSFIELD.
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Big
Gundown, The
Starring Lee Van Cleef, Tomas Milan & Walter Barnes.
Directed by Sergio Sellima.
 Lee
Van Cleef stars in this vastly underrated spaghetti
western. As a mysterious bounty hunter named Corbett,
he is on a one-man crusade seeking revenge even as he
mows down the various scum of the Earth killers that
stand in the way of his mission. And even if his mission
is not exactly pure in motive for professional and personal
reasons, so what? The earth is littered with nothing
but scum anyway, right? Or... is there a deeper force
at work as well?
Shot in breathtaking widescreen with compositions equal
of Leone (no kidding!), THE BIG GUNDOWN is a thoughtful,
complex character study and never short on amazing action
and set pieces that one comes to expect from this genre.
As an entry (or is that entree?) to the spaghetti western
genre, for
overall impact, pacing and storyline, THE BIG
GUNDOWN  ranks
high in the list of 'best of' for spaghettis and no
self-respecting fan should miss this gorgeous example
of revisionist Western at its finest.
And to make it totally a 'must have' in status? The
score is terrific and by none other than Leone's famous
musical maestro himself Ennio Morricone! --
Notes by Barkeep.
Features:
DVD-R.
Region 1. Letterbox. English Dub w/ Some Spanish &
English SubTitles. Color. Stereo. 107 Mins. Cover Art.
EZ Nav Menu. Previews. Price:
$14.95
Like this flick? See also:
CREATURE
FROM BLACK LAKE;
ATOM AGE VAMPIRE;
HORROR
EXPRESS
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 Big
Switch, The
Starring Sebastian Breaks & Virginia Wetherell.
Written & Directed by Pete Walker.
 British
director Pete Walker is most notably rememerbered
for his output of shock sleaze epics in the
1970's with such luridly terrific titles as
HOUSE OF WHIPCORD, DIE SCREAMING MARRIANE, SCHIZO
and HOUSE OF MORTAL SIN. But this earlier work
made
before Walker delved into horror as modus
operandi is very amusing in a wry, Austin
Powers kind of way. In fact, THE BIG
SWITCH (1969) is the serious flick
that the later Mike Meyers movies are so deftly
parodying (though one could argue the director
is accomplishing the same task herein, albeit
not as on-the-nose).
Our 'hero' is one John Carter -- not the Warlord
of Mars but the Studgod of London -- who is
played with a condescending sneer for each easy
"chickie" he beds by the insufferably
snide Sebastian Breaks. There is no woman who
can resist his cheapjack cockiness and handsomely
cruel features. When we first meet John, in
fact, he's  cruising
a late-night disco in search of a quick one
before heading home for the evening. When the
cocktail waitress offers to introduce him to
a newbie whose just "made the scene"
in a hot mini-dress, Carter glares at her and
sneers, "You must be joking!"
That's Carter's philosophy in a nutshell. To
him, everything is a joke. The hippies, the
psychedelic lights, the music... all just a
pretext to bed some younger quim, in his
lingo. He's only there to take and not give.
In this sense, he's like the British cousin
of Mike Hammer's Mickey Spillane, especially
as portrayed by Ralph Meeker in the classic
KISS ME DEADLY -- self-interested, narcissitic
and a careless 'user' of people for his own
gain and amusement. Instead of running a private
eye racket, Carter takes pantily-clad pictures
of models for products and producers willing
to 'push' the edge to sell their wares. It's
a scummy way to make a living and Carter knows
it. He doesn't pretend it's art; rather, he
shamelessly calls it as it is, a way to pay
his slimy lifestyle's large bills  (it
ain't cheap being a cad in an imported sportscar,
evidently).
Soon enough, however, Carter finds himself in
a jam he can't sleaze his way out of with lies
and hush money. Caught up in a web of murder
in which he's a natural suspect, Carter is forced
to play along at his own game of photography
when blackmailers force him and a party girl
to pose for pictures to be used in an extortion
scheme. The particulars aren't important; rather,
the sense of overwhelming dread that hangs over
the picture is what makes it 'work' for its
duration.
If
you're into anti-heroes and film noir, you owe
it to yourself to take a THE BIG SWITCH
for a test drive. Complete with fast women,
psycho villains, sadistic beatings ala RESERVOIR
DOGS in long, squeamish takes, and choice European
locales, THE BIG SWITCH is
a welcome 'switch' from the overly slick noirs
of today. Underproduced in comparison to modern
fare, it nonetheless succeeds because it defies
the formula in the  short
run while always staying true to it in the long.
There is nothing new in the plot or characters,
in short, but like the later THE LONG GOOD FRIDAY,
this flick gives a 'kitchen sink' realism feel
to what would otherwise be standard material.
In the process, THE BIG SWITCH
entertains even if it occassionally plods.
While Walker would go one to the aforementioned
horror projects for better reknown as a cult
director, it's also worth noting he was the
director for the incomplete Sex Pistols documentary
entitled A STAR IS DEAD. Aptly if precognitively
titled, the flick was abandoned after the Pistols
broke up and with the o.d. of Sid Vicious, still
sitting on Malcolm McLaren's shelf somewhere..?
--
Notes by Sir Ian Hogge.
 What
Critics Say:
"His
films often featured sadistic authority figures,
such as priests or judges, punishing anyone
(usually young women) who doesn't conform to
their strict personal moral codes. He has denied
there being any political subtext to his films.
However, HOUSE OF WHIPCORD was dedicated to
'...those who are disturbed by today's lax moral
codes and who eagerly await the return of corporal
and capital punishment,' suggesting Walker isn't
entirely unsympathetic towards his villains."
-- WIKIPEDIA
Features:
DVD-R.
Region 1. Full Frame. Color. Stereo. 68 Mins.
Exclusive Cover Art. EZ Nav Menu. Previews.
Amray
Plastic Case. Price: $14.95
Like this flick? See also:
GROUPIE
GIRL;
JUDEX;
HORROR
EXPRESS
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Starring
Grover Krantz. Directed by Lawrence Crowley.
When
one peers back into the crystal ball of the early 70's cinema,
the results are so staggering for sheer quantity and quality
of output as opposed to today's less than visionary efforts
it makes one wonder if there is indeed any future in a medium
now over a century old (save for admittedly well-off profiteers).
Thankfully, there are flix like BIGFOOT MANY OR
BEAST? (1971) to remind you that in every so-called
"golden era," there are still a plethora of lesser
nuggets that pan out to be nothing more than shiny pieces
of fool's gold. And if ever a metaphor applied, then BIGFOOT
MAN OR BEAST? is a literal motherload of golden
pyrite.
The "cast" (excuse the pun) of BIGFOOT
MAN OR BEAST? is perhaps the most impressive ever
 assembled
for a Bigfoot doc. There are not only the resident experts
on hand like John Green,
Rene Dahinden
and Dr. Grover Krantz, but also bona fide rare clips of
mythic figures who actually encountered Bigfoot and lived
to tell about it. These are not just tales from
the dark side of the trailer, they're also priceless and
in many cases the only footage of key Sasquatch "Early
Encountees," many of whom literally introduced the
term "Bigfoot" and "Sasquatch" to the
American public in the 1950's in such sensational men's
mags as ARGOSY, not to mention headlines shared with flying
saucer sightings. See and hear the folks who told the tales
of abduction that made later R. Crumb parody comix like
Female Sasquatch possible!
There's a lot to like and dislike in BIGFOOT MAN
OR BEAST? That is of course it's enduring charm.
But if you are 'into' Squatch or just want to see a prime
example of the kind of flick you used to rush to see as
a child of the 70's, then this is a 'must see' for fond
memories recalled.  For
me, the entire experience was worthwhile for the opening
logo of the "American National Enterprises" opening,
in which an Eagle swoops down into a menacing close-up as
the stirring music plays beneath -- no wimpy white letters
on black b.g. here! Like that opening, BIGFOOT MAN
OR BEAST? is never really serious at being skeptical
(note the issue in the title is not whether or not the critter
is real, but whether or not it is a man, per se, or a beast,
both of which exist). But why on earth would you want to
watch a Squatch flick from this era that wasn't wholeheartedly
"True"? ;) --
Notes by Harry Derriere.
 What
Critics Say:
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.....
DVD's:
B
/ Shopping
/ DVD's:
B 
