God Told Me To (1976)

“IT WILL GIVE YOU NIGHTMARES FOREVER” [1]. New York police detective Peter Nicholas (Tony LoBianco) is investigating a series of killings in New with the only consistency between them is that they all say that the reason they did it was because “god told me to.”

This was essentially a precursor to the X-files series, with many of the same elements that appear in the show-alien abductions, religion, the cop that believes and won’t let go of a case, the superiors who don’t believe him, powerful elements, and unexpected and bizarre twists.

Written and directed by Larry Cohen, who is known for several other cult films including Bone, Black Caesar, Hell Up in Harlem, It’s Alive, and The Stuff. Cohen has been able to create a rich and complex world consisting of vivid characters, realistic dialogue and situations, a weird story, all in vibrant New York City locations. Cohen typically looks at social situations and dilemma’s affecting the characters, similar to the way that Alfred Hitchcock did [2]. The film borrows from Hitchcock in many ways, using motifs and recreating some scenes but using them in an unfamiliar way in order to explore new and unfamiliar territory [2].

All of the actors are great and very believable, even ones with very minor parts which is not typical for most low budget movies. LoBianco stands out in his lead performance. He has had a long career and is still an active actor, but this has to be one of his best performances. He also appeared in The French Connection, and the cult film The Honeymoon Killers. There are many great and interesting shots with rapid editing. The score is incredibly done and is reminiscent of old Hitchcock films, most notably Psycho. Bernard Hermann was supposed to score the film; he had done most of Hitchcock’s films, but died before completion of the film. Frank Cordell completed the score with some help from the notes that Hermann had left behind.

Andy Kaufman makes his first appearance in this film as the cop that goes on a shooting rampage at the parade. Kaufman is a comedian mostly known for his appearances on the early seasons of Saturday Night Live, and as Latka on the television show Taxi. TimeOut conducted a poll with various horror experts in the horror genre to vote for the top horror films; this included notable authors of the genre, directors, actors, and critics [3]. This film ended up being ranked 94^th on that list [3].

The film is notable for its early Kaufman appearance, excellent New York location, and unusual X-file like story. If you like the X-Files, or the horror genre, then you may enjoy this.

Works Cited

[1]	"IMDB," IMDB, 24 2 2016. [Online]. Available: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075930/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1. [Accessed 24 2 2016].
[2]	T. Williams, Larry Cohen: The Radical Allegories of an Independent Filmmaker, rev. ed., Jefferson: McFarland & Company, inv, 2014.
[3]	"Timeout," Timeout, 14 4 2016. [Online]. Available: http://www.timeout.com/london/film/best-horror-films. [Accessed 14 4 2016].

 

 

 

 

Straight to Hell (1987)

“A story of blood, money, guns, coffee, and sexual tension” [1]. A surreal spaghetti western spoof directed by Alex Cox (Repo Man) that was meant to be a modern adaptation of the Italian spaghetti western Django, Kill (1967). A trio of hitmen and a pregnant woman end up stranded in a strange desert town and encounter even stranger groups of people that have an addiction to coffee.

The main reason that the film has a cult status is because of the cast, consisting largely of Alex Cox regulars, some directors, and various members of punk rock bands. The cast includes Sy Richardson, Joe Strummer (lead singer of The Clash), Dick Rude, Courtney Love, Dennis Hopper, director Jim Jarmusch, Elvis Costello, and members of The Pogues, Amazulu, and The Circle Jerks. There wasn’t even supposed to be a movie, all of these musicians in this were supposed to do a concert tour in Nicaragua that was going to be filmed [2]. So they quickly decided to make a motion picture in Spain, with the script being written in a few days and the shoot taking only four weeks [2].

It received mostly negative reviews when it initially came and made some lists of the worst films of that year [1]. Director Alex Cox had built a pretty strong reputation as an up and coming independent director, with Repo Man and Sid and Nancy. This movie and his next film Walker pretty much destroyed that image and hurt his career, despite that he has continued to make movies but they fall somewhat under the radar. He actually turned down directing Three Amigos to make Straight to Hell.

This is viewed as a precursor to the Tarantino violence infused criminal worlds of Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction, with the Norwood character being very similar to Samuel L. Jackson’s character in Pulp Fiction. The over the top gore and violence depicted in this represents both the future crime films that would come around in the 1990’s and the earlier bloody spaghetti westerns from the 1960’s and 1970’s.

It received an updated director’s cut version in 2010, titled Straight to Hell Returns. The new version has been digitally restored; it was color corrected, has better audio, and has five minutes of new footage added to it, along with the addition of digitally added blood to the violent sequences [3].

There really is no middle ground on this film, you’ll either love it or totally hate it.

Works Cited

[1]	"IMDB," IMDB, 24 3 2016. [Online]. Available: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094048/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1. [Accessed 24 3 2016].
[2]	"latimes," latimes, 14 4 2016. [Online]. Available: http://articles.latimes.com/2010/nov/15/entertainment/la-et-alex-cox-20101115. [Accessed 14 4 2016].
[3]	"dvdtalk," dvdtalk, 14 4 2016. [Online]. Available: http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/46591/straight-to-hell-returns/. [Accessed 14 4 2016].

 

 

 

Freaks (1932)

 

“The Strangest... The Most Startling Human Story Ever Screened... Are You Afraid To Believe What Your Eyes See?” [1]. It isn’t the first cult film, but it is the one most likely to be associated with cult cinema. It is a story set in the world of the circus and sideshow performers and features love, betrayal, loyalty, and revenge. The bulk of the story deals with a female trapeze artist and a midget performer. Their world is an unusual one, as it involves sideshow performers that are paid because they have physical abnormalities.

There is so much to say about this one that whole books could be solely devoted to it. It is the first movie to show actual sideshow performers, people that were physically different than everyone else. They are shown not as freaks, but as normal people doing everyday routine things [2]. The connotation of them being labeled as freaks or monsters is not necessarily because of their appearance, as opposed to how they react to situations in the picture. There are so many themes going on; what defines a monster, the idea of a code of loyalty, and the role of violence in society [3].

The movie was an attempt by MGM to compete with Universal Studios and the popularity of its monster films such as Frankenstein [4]. Director Todd Browning had a background in the sideshow circus and he had previously done some motion pictures about physical deformities with the legendary horror actor Lon Chaney [4]. Circus stories were “going out of vogue” and horror was doing well in the film industry, so Browning thought he could merge both of the worlds together [2]. The Great Depression and the effects of the war also made it an easier idea to show abnormalities, as there were more physically disabled people visible and it was viewed more as a “medical problem” [2].

Producer Irving Thalberg also had an interest in the unusual, so they wanted Browning to come up with something that would top Dracula and everything else before it and create the most horrifying film yet [4]. Harry Earles had pitched the short story Spurs, which is what the movie is based on, because it was hard for little people to get much work [4]. Originally it was meant for Lon Chaney, but he died in 1930 [4].

The critical reception was mostly bad and the box office numbers were mixed, there were a lot of theaters that would refuse to even show the picture [3]. Add to that complaints from various organizations and it was pulled by MGM and pretty much locked away for thirty years [4]. Despite being released before the Hayes code and stricter ratings, its graphic “depictions of physical abnormalities, sex, violence and perceived exploitation” led to it being pulled from theaters and being banned [5]. Its revival came during the 1960’s with the avant-garde art scene and exploitation drive in shows [3].

 

The acting may appear weak, but the story and direction are very strong. Browning had spent most of his career making horror films and provides us with a dreadfully thrilling movie that doesn’t involve one of the standard Universal monsters. Many of the current issues are the quality of the surviving prints. The picture quality is substandard and the audio is poor and scratchy, making it difficult to understand Earles high pitched voice at times.

The film has its importance even if there may be some flaws. Never before had there been so many world class sideshow performers assembled into one act as there was for this movie, not in Ringling Brothers or any other circus. It was also very unusual for a group of little people to be cast as actual main characters with a lot of dialogue. If you are a cult film fan then this is essential viewing.

 

 

 

Works Cited

[1]	"IMDB," IMDB, 26 1 2016. [Online]. Available: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022913/taglines?ref_=tt_stry_tg. [Accessed 26 1 2016].
[2]	I. R. Hark, American Cinema of the 1930s, New Brunswick: Rutgers, 2007.
[3]	J. Hawkins, Cutting Edge, Minneapolis: Regents, 2000.
[4]	Freaks Anniversary Documentary. [Film]. TCM.
[5]	S. Mccarthy, Cult Movies in 60 Seconds, London: Fusion Press, 2003.

 

 

 

 

 

Rolling Thunder (1977)

This is a motion picture that deals with the effects that war has on a person, here specifically it is focusing on the Vietnam War. William Devane and Tommy Lee Jones star as Vietnam vets that return home to Texas and have things happen to them that require doling out some personal vengeance. It was written by Taxi Driver writer Paul Schrader from an original story, and “this film is more explicit in its post-Vietnam malaise than” his earlier script [1]. There is some very serious subject matter covered here; including the alienation of war vets, PTSD, a violent America, violent revenge, and brotherhood and loyalty.

Devane and Jones are both excellent in their roles, with Devane most likely having the best performance of his career. His character goes through so much and he makes it all so believable. This was one of Jones first major film performances and he delivers, showing subtle pain at moments and making us believe how he feels for his friend played by Devane. The movie was directed by John Flynn, who was a somewhat underrated filmmaker who also directed Defiance, The Outfit, Best Seller, and Lock Up.

It is both powerful and disturbing and features many strong scenes, with some extremely violent moments. The overall final sequence is very intense and one to remember, bearing similarities to a western shoot out. The whole film feels like a modern western tale, it helps that it takes place in dusty Texas.

The shoot took place over 31 days in San Antonio, Texas. The producer told them to go all with certain scenes of violence. When they submitted it to be rated, they expected it to get cut. But instead, the MPAA gave it an R rating and “passed uncut one of the most violent movies in film history” [2]. The picture was owned by Fox and they “wanted to cut out all [of] the violence out, so they got American International Pictures to purchase it and they released it virtually untouched [2].

It didn’t do quite well at the box office because of the dark and violent nature of the story, but it got some positive reviews and became a cult favorite. Quentin Tarantino is a fan of the film, naming his distribution company after it and listing it in his top twenty five films [1]. It has been released on Blu-ray by Shout! Factory in the U.S.

This is a must see for fans of revenge dramas, modern western style tales, or fans of the cast and crew.

 

Works Cited

[1]	M. P. Nochimson, A Companion to Wong Kar-wai, West Sussex: John Wiley & Sons, 2009.
[2]	"wayback machine," wayback machine, 14 4 2016. [Online]. Available: https://web.archive.org/web/20150216145445/http://www.focorevistadecinema.com.br/FOCO2/chartrand-johneng.htm. [Accessed 4 4 2016].

 

 

 

Cruising (1980)

“Al Pacino is Cruising for a killer” [1]. New York City police detective Steve Burns goes undercover in order to catch a serial killer that is targeting gay men, mostly in an area consisting of gay S&M and leather bars in what is known as the Meatpacking District.

The film was directed and co-written by William Friedkin, who is probably best known for directing The Exorcist, To Live and Die in L.A. and The French Connection. The film was based upon the book Cruising by Gerald Walker, as well as a series of killings and mysterious deaths in the New York City gay community [2]. It was also based on accounts from a real police officer that went undercover in the gay community and what he went through [2]. They filmed in actual gay bars in New York City and the screen extras were the frequenters of those bars, they got paid as extras but they were doing acts that they normally would perform [2]. It shows a society that hadn’t been seen on the screen before, full of leather, guys half naked wearing jock straps, kissing and other sexual acts, and a scene involving someone being anally fisted.

The film had modest success earning around $19 million but received a backlash from the gay community and critics gave “tepid receptions upon [its] release” [2]. It was a controversial film when it came out because it involved the gay community and because of all of the real sexual acts taking place on camera. Friedkin also had to cut 40 minutes of the film in order to get an R rating, he said in an interview that the “sexuality was actual. It was not simulated. I took the film back to the ratings board 50 times before they would give it an ‘R.’ I know because it cost us $50,000—a thousand dollars a day—to work with the consultant from the ratings board whom we’d worked with in the past when we were faced with other films that had to be resubmitted for a mainstream rating” [2].

Despite its controversy at the time, it has had a cult following and has been reexamined after a length of time and is considered a very good piece of filmmaking. Pacino’s performance is on par with similar characters that he played in Serpico and Sea of Love, but didn’t receive any recognition because of the controversial subject matter. Paul Sorvino and Karen Allen both give great performances in the time that they appear on screen. Allen is best known for appearing in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Sorvino is best known for appearing in Goodfellas. There are also small appearances from Ed O’Neil, James Remar and Powers Boothe.

Give this one a chance. It has a lot to offer. It captures an era and lifestyle that was real and it is an authentic view of it, from the point of view of both the gay community and the police. It deals with police procedural rules and the problems that hinder being able to open an investigation. It deals with police corruption and police brutality during questioning. It shows the psychological effects that happen to someone that has to go undercover and must conform to the new surroundings, isolated from what they once new. It also has a strong performance from Pacino, which is on par with his other great performances.

Works Cited

[1]	"IMDB," IMDB, 24 2 2016. [Online]. Available: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080569/?ref_=nv_sr_1. [Accessed 24 2 2016].
[2]	"thehollywoodinterview," thehollywoodinterview, 24 2 2016. [Online]. Available: http://thehollywoodinterview.blogspot.com/2008/01/cruising-with-billy.html. [Accessed 24 2 2016].

 

 

 

Bad Timing (1980) Review

“A Terrifying Love Story” [1]. This a British produced thriller, neo-noir that involves a young American woman’s overdose in Vienna and the investigation by Inspector Netusil (Harvey Keitel) into whether it was a suicide attempt, or if there was some type of foul play from her older American lover professor Alex Lindon (Art Garfunkel).

The inspector completes the triangle of dark and seedy characters that are typical for a noir film; in this one he is trying to solve the investigation. Netusil and Lindon’s characters are mirror image reflections of each other; they have similar dress and mannerisms but are “on opposite sides of the mirror” [2]. The director said that for the Netusil, “his demon was leading him somewhere else. I don’t know where he’d go, but I know he was in a lot of pain in the end” [2].

While the basic premise of the movie is the investigation of what may end up being a murder, it is more about the main characters and their obsessions and perversions and their effects on themselves and the world around them. Each of the main actors gives good performances. There have been complaints about Garfunkel’s performance as being too wooden, but that may have been the intent because of his role as a professor in psychoanalytics. The direction and filmmaking is excellent from director Nicholas Roeg, who has become known for keeping the story out of chronological order. He is known for a series of movies that may be considered cult films, including Performance, Walkabout, Don’t Look Now, The Man Who Fell to Earth, Eureka, and Insignificance. The director has a reputation for taking non acting musicians and placing them in lead roles, like he did with David Bowie in The Man Who Fell to Earth.

The motion picture was controversial because it received an X rating for its sexual sequences, and was even described by its UK distribution company as "a sick film made by sick people for sick people” [3]. Despite this controversy, or even partly because of it, this film has gained a cult following. There are also fans of the director and the cast involved, and those that believe it’s a great film that just had some bad timing. The DVD distribution company Criterion has felt this way, releasing a DVD version of the film in their Criterion Collection which is "dedicated to gathering the greatest films from around the world and publishing them in editions of the highest technical quality" [4]. The title of the film was used by musician Jim O’Rourke as the title for an album he released in 1997. He also used some of Roeg’s other films as album titles. The film was also an inspiration for the band The Glove’s album called Blue Sunshine in 1983, which was a side project of The Cure’s Robert Smith and Siouxsie & the Banshees’ Steve Severin.

So if you’re a fan of the director, the cast and crew, or character dramas then you may enjoy this.

Works Cited

[1]	"IMDB," IMDB, 22 2 2016. [Online]. Available: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080408/?ref_=nv_sr_1. [Accessed 22 2 2016].
[2]	"Criterion," Criterion, 22 2 2016. [Online]. Available: https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/385-bad-timing-the-men-who-didn-t-know-something. [Accessed 22 2 2016].
[3]	"theguardian," theguardian, 22 2 2016. [Online]. Available: http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2000/aug/15/artsfeatures.edinburghfilmfestival. [Accessed 22 2 2016].
[4]	"Criterion," Criterion, 22 2 2016. [Online]. Available: https://www.criterion.com/library. [Accessed 22 2 2016].