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Rat Fink (1965)
A psychotic folk-rocker takes a trip to oblivion
There just aren't many films about psychotic folk-rockers, but this long thought-lost 1965 psychodrama blazes that trail. Schuyler Hayden portrays a mentally disturbed young musician who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. The film is a low-budget affair, but director James "THE SADIST" Landis and the soon-to-be-famous cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond have crafted an edgy portrait of narcissism run rampant.
Aside from the expressionistic B&W cinematography, Ronald Stein's pulsating rock 'n' roll score contributes nervous energy to the events on screen. The music is somewhat reminiscent of the great "orchestral rockabilly" score that accompanied the car chases in Robert Mitchum's THUNDER ROAD.
Like 1960's PRIVATE PROPERTY (which also disappeared from the marketplace in the mid-1960's), RAT FINK has been unearthed more than 50 years after its final drive-in theater engagement. It's great to have these long-unseen films resurface on Blu-ray.
A Swingin' Summer (1965)
Raquel Welch appeared in person!
This is a fun-enough teenage romp. I'd love to see this in widescreen, along with another release from United Screen Arts, ONE WAY WAHINE.
When the picture opened at two Seattle drive-in theaters, Raquel Welch appeared in person at both theaters one Saturday night. Of course, she was pretty unknown at that time. About a year later, ONE MILLION YEARS BC would thrust her onto the map forever. I wish I had attended one of those drive-in shows.
Like Father, Like Son (1961)
ahead-of-its-time sexuality
By most accounts, the film was shot as early as 1959. Given that, the film seems quite ahead of its time in the depiction of "teenage" sexuality. Stefanie Powers plays the standard "good girl" role, but there is a bit of dialog that suggests that she, too has already had sex. The Tom Laughlin character is sexually assaulted by a girl who is described as being only 17 or 18 (two characters differ as to her age). I'm old enough to have attended the various "teen" films from the late 1950's and early-mid 1960's, and this material is comparatively far ahead of its time. No Disney or Robert Radnitz films of the era dealt with youthful sexuality with such frankness. I found THE YOUNG SINNER to be quite interesting in that regard.
The Tom Laughlin character seems to be a bit of a template for the later Billy Jack persona.
The Weavers: Wasn't That a Time (1981)
Brilliant film finally available on DVD from PBS
Others here have sung the praises of this great, spiritually uplifting film, so I can't add too much. I'm moved to write because the film has finally been released on DVD, via PBS. Right now, it's only available as a pledge "gift" (meaning one needs to make a substantial donation to PBS). Hopefully in the future, the disc will be available as a mail-order item from PBS and will appear in their retail store locations.
The film is a great documentary about the Weavers staging one last concert at Carnegie Hall. It's a wonderful portrait of show business and of aging with grace. Not only is it the best documentary I have ever seen, it's one of my ten favorite movies of all time, from any category.
Misty (1961)
New widescreen version is the one to see!
The Koch DVD label has just released MISTY on DVD, and they have gone the extra mile by presenting the film in its original widescreen aspect ratio (2:35-1). In widescreen, much of the Chincoteague scenery is quite breathtaking, with wide green vistas, etc. The movie is still the same charming family film that it was back in 1961. Many people have no idea how popular that film was, back in its day. I believe it was one of the highest grossing (non-Disney) family films of the year. It was produced by Robert Radnitz, who specialized in excellent quality family programming (ISLAND OF THE BLUE DOLPHINS, WHERE THE LILIES BLOOM, MY SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN, and SOUNDER)
The Angry Breed (1968)
Wonderful, lost trash classic
Yes, this is a really trashy flick. Bikers, neo-Nazis, scumbag movie producers, Hollywood wanna-bes, go-go chicks, etc. It was written by Rex Carlton, whose script is so uneven that character motivations change, not only between scenes but sometimes WITHIN scenes! William Windom plays the sleazeball movie producer who indulges his sexy daughter's lust for a young Vietnam vet who's an aspiring Hollywood screenwriter. Unfortunately, the writer gets on the bad side of James MacArthur, a supporting actor who leads a biker pack of neo-Nazis between acting assignments. The non-stop exploitation elements offer delirious fun, if you're in the mood for a trash wallow. The cast includes MacArthur, Windom, Jan Sterling, Melody "F TROOP" Patterson, Lori "CAPE FEAR" Martin, and comedian Jan Murray, who earlier took a dramatic walk on the wild side in 1965's WHO KILLED TEDDY BEAR (another nearly lost sleaze masterpiece). There's some cool California rock and roll on the soundtrack, and a great freak-out party sequence that may well have inspired the climax of Russ Meyer's BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS. Some DVD label should rescue this film from obscurity.
The Young Graduates (1971)
A wonderfully entertaining period piece
Although THE YOUNG GRADUATES was apparently filmed in 1971, it didn't play theatrically in Seattle until 1973, when it was shown as the co-feature with CLASS OF '44. It is a picaresque story of two cute teenage girls who have just graduated from high school. Patricia Wymer stars as Mindy, a precocious and beautiful blonde who's ripe for adventure. The film follows her many counter-culture activities as she enjoys an affair with a slightly older teacher while still hanging out with bikers, hippies, dopers, etc. The two girls themselves don't do drugs, other than sharing a spiked birthday cake with some hippies.
The film presents some young talent who later became famous, such as Bruno Kirby and Dennis Christopher. A special shout out must be added for the great girl group Pat Russell's The Spare Change, who are seen playing rock and roll in some high school dance scenes. They were one of the first girl groups to play their own instruments, although there are a couple of male sidemen as well. One of the film's cinematographers was John Toll, who later won Oscars for BRAVEHEART and THE THIN RED LINE.
Although a bit corny now, the film remains as a wonderful period piece that reflects the early 1970s youth culture. Although there is a bit of nudity, the film is surprisingly non-exploitative and non-judgmental about its subject matter. THE YOUNG GRADUATES was released on DVD on January 6th, 2009, as part of the BCI box set DRIVE-IN CULT CLASSICS VOL. 4 (available through Amazon.com, and Best Buy's website as well).
Didn't You Hear? (1970)
The film was first released in 1970
The film was theatrically released in December of 1970, but may have only played Seattle. The filmmakers were young professional filmmakers based in Seattle. They "four-walled" a local theater, the Rainier Cinema in Columbia City, to launch the premiere engagement. Unfortunately, there was an atypical Seattle snowstorm that kept most patrons away. I drove through the snow to attend, and I think that there were maybe two other people in the entire theater.
The first ten or fifteen minutes were projected without sound, ironic given the film's title. The movie was so experimental that we weren't initially certain if there was supposed to be sound, or not.
There was a soundtrack album released on a very small label, but local stores didn't stock it. You pretty much "had to know someone" in order to acquire a copy of the LP. The score was promoted as being the first film score to be completely composed on a Moog Synthesizer. There was one vocal song, entitled "Didn't You Hear?", that was played once or twice during the film.
Gary Busey and Dennis Christopher went on to bigger things, as did female lead Cheryl Waters, who starred in MACON COUNTY LINE (1974). She acted as recently as 1998.
Light Fantastic (1964)
Light Fantastic is indeed a good film
I don't know that I have much to say that hasn't been said here already. I used to have a pressbook for it, which said that star Dolores McDougal was actually the wife of either the producer or the director of LIGHT FANTASTIC. I don't recall seeing her in any other films. Barry Bartle, who played the dance instructor, did show up as a guest star on some sitcom in the late eighties, I think it was. I presume that he was primarily a stage actor, because that one sitcom is the only other appearance of him on film that I know of. The Jean Shepherd who plays the older dance instructor is the same man who wrote the beloved A Christmas STORY and other humorist writings.
I used to have this film on a home-recorded VHS from a local TV telecast in the early 1980s, but that tape has probably been lost to the ravages of time. The film was telecast locally as part of a TV syndication package entitled "Young Adult Theater."
Roller Derby Girl (1949)
Good look at female Roller Derby skaters
This film was part of the Paramount Pacemakers series, a group of short films that displayed Americans in the workplace, living their lives. It was nominated for best one-reel short film for the year 1949.
"New" skater Jean Porter, a beautiful young woman of Native American descent, decides to join the Roller Derby. She goes through the rigorous training and eventually (in the space of ten minutes!) tries out for a professional Roller Derby team. The famous Brooklyn Red Devil veteran villainess Midge "Toughie" Brasuhn really shows her how tough the sport can be, but Porter survives on grit and determination.
ROLLER DERBY GIRL was briefly syndicated to independent TV stations in the 1980s as part of a Republic Pictures movie package, banishing fears that it was a "lost" film.
The Glass Menagerie (1987)
Superb acting and directing
I'll say upfront that I haven't read Tennessee Williams' play, so I can't comment on the film as an adaptation. I have seen various film and stage productions of it over the years, and this is the best presentation that I've seen yet. The acting is superb, particularly John Malkovich and Karen Allen. Malkovich gives a definitive portrayal of the budding writer, a performance that would please Tennessee Williams himself, in my opinion. Director Paul Newman contributes the same sensitive approach that he brought to his earlier, vaguely similar film THE EFFECT OF GAMMA RAYS ON MAN-IN-THE-MOON MARIGOLDS. This is a superb effort, one that should be on DVD with commentary from the cast.
Savage Messiah (2002)
Outstanding drama about a Manson-like cult
This excellent drama is one of the best films about a cult that I have seen since the early eighties (SPLIT IMAGE and TICKET TO HEAVEN spring to mind from that era). The supporting performance by Quebecois actress Isabelle Blais is Oscar-worthy. Her portrayal of a brainwashed woman who finally sees the light is the film's most memorable aspect, but all of the performances are top notch.
The Babysitter (1969)
Surprisingly hard-edged Patricia Wymer cult film
This familiar story of an older man/younger woman is surprisingly hard-edged. Bikers, hippies, free love and jail bait mix surprisingly well in this forgotten black-and-white indie effort. Lead actress Patricia Wymer, as the titular "Candy," gives the finest performance of her career (spanning all of 3 drive-in epics). Wymer was precocious and fetching in THE YOUNG GRADUATES (1971), but gives a more serious performance in THE BABYSITTER. The occasional violence and periodic nudity are somewhat surprising, but well-handled by the director. Leads Wymer and George E. Carey sell the May/December romance believably. There are enough similarities between THE BABYSITTER and THE YOUNG GRADUATES to make one wonder if the same director helmed the latter film as well. Patricia Wymer, where are you?
Hailing from Seattle, WA, Miss Wymer had appeared as a dancer on the TV rock and roll show MALIBU U, before gracing the cover (as well as appearing in an eight-page spread) of the August, 1968 issue of "Best For Men," a tasteful adults-only magazine. She also appeared as a coven witch in the popular 1969 cult drive-in shocker THE WITCHMAKER.
THE BABYSITTER has finally made its home video debut, as part of the eight-film BCI box set DRIVE-IN CULT CLASSICS vol. 3, which is available from Amazon.com and some retail stores such as Best Buy.
Late 2011 update: the original camera negatives for THE BABYSITTER were found! Code Red released a far superior DVD of the film, mastered from the uncut negatives. It was available via direct mail order with Code Red, and occasionally on Amazon.com.
The Yellow Teddy Bears (1963)
aka THE YELLOW TEDDY BEARS
THE YELLOW TEDDY BEARS is available on VHS in England. The print is quite good, but it's the censored domestic version. There was also a "Continental" version that added nudity (however, the nudity was provided by adults, not the "schoolgirls"). It is dated now, but it's fun to see films that were once shocking.
The Glass Cage (1964)
Marvelous experimental thriller
This is one of those little-known but marvelous low-budget wonders that occasionally surfaces. The shoestring budget doesn't detract from the experimental camera work and story telling. Even if you predict the surprise ending, you're in for a great ride as the police detectives investigate an unusually troubled young woman and her older sister. The film boasts some of the most experimental set pieces attempted in the early sixties.
Out of It (1969)
Offbeat, low-budget youth flick
This is a nearly forgotten youth-oriented flick from the late sixties, done in a style reminiscent of John Cassavetes, with lots of closeups and long takes. It's not a great film, but it captures the bittersweet problems of teenage dating in non-stereotypical fashion.
The Pornographer (1999)
A breath of fresh air in today's indie cinema
With the current procession of post-Tarantino body count epics and Tom Green-styled "comedies," it's a real pleasure to discover a new indie film that is derived from genuine ideas. The casting of little-known actors is remarkable, and one can easily discern that the crew provided a positive creative atmosphere, given the admitted low budget. The project feels like a labor of love for all concerned; even the producer/director's pets give credible performances. In the "old days," I'd have referred to this film as a sleeper. That term may no longer be relevant, but THE PORNOGRAPHER remains as an inspiration in an era when "indie cinema" is too often confused with extended MTV-style videos. This is a real film.