Praise be to Severin Films for finding and releasing two of Andy Milligan’s lost films! Believe you me, I was freaking out over this discovery and was constantly checking Severin so I could pre-order ASAP! It was a rare Friday off for me and I just got home from a sloppy joe lunch with my sister. I immediately checked and BAM, there was my dream come true! “This is really happening!” I chanted to my cats as I placed my order, only half-aware I was quoting ROSEMARY’S BABY.
You can imagine how over the moon I was when my order arrived. I watched the two lost films right away and the other films over the weekend. To be honest, I was under the weather for my initial viewings, so subsequent viewings were required, as if I needed an excuse for rewatching!
I was originally planning on doing one post covering all of “GUTTER AUTEUR” The Lost Legacy of Andy Milligan, but I ended up writing a longer review for THE DEGENERATES than I expected. In other words, the following review is just the first in a potential series of reviews…
THE DEGENERATES (1967)
My first thought on my initial viewing was, This movie is daring viewers to hate it. It was loud with screeching performances and was sometimes hard to follow, especially keeping track of which character was which. In other words, THE DEGENERATES was an Andy Milligan film through and through, and I enjoyed it even if I was confused. My confusion may have been due to being ill at the time.
Frank, Jim and GoGo on the go.
THE DEGENERATES is Andy Milligan’s post-apocalyptic, sci-fi epic! Well, sort of. After an offscreen nuclear war has decimated the world, three men (Jim, Frank and GoGo) are sent out to find other survivors. The trio stumble upon a house of women named after flowers or flowering plants. Violet may physically look like a slim bit of nothing with a cute pixie cut bob, but she is in charge and rules with an iron fist. Rose exudes a sweet, understanding motherly vibe. Iris and Daisy are ready to find out what they’ve been missing when the men arrive. Lily is young, sweet and innocent and always wears a hairband. Ivy, the youngest, lives away from her sisters, having lost her mind when she saw their father burn to death in the family car.
What does Ivy know?
Jim has an injured leg and Violet agrees to let the men stay for a couple of days. She assigns Iris to take care of Jim, who gets the luxury of a bedroom, and orders Frank and GoGo to sleep in the shed. Iris and Jim begin forming a bond, while Daisy sneaks out to spend time with GoGo, no matter how ridiculous his name is. Meanwhile, Frank is out to claim innocent Lily for himself. All of this sex ignites a boiling rage in Violet as she believes her sisters are slipping away from her and she will be left alone. Violence soon erupts, with death not far behind. It’s interesting to note that Milligan did not use “swirl camera” to represent chaos in THE DEGENERATES, which makes for a more visceral viewing, in my opinion.
Violet prepares to punish Daisy.
Will Violet’s love and rage go too far? Will Lily be saved from Frank’s manipulative ways? Will Ivy speak the truth about their father’s death? Will Daisy & GoGo and Iris & Jim live happily ever after in a post-apocalyptic world? Well, this is an Andy Milligan film, so the odds are stacked against them.
Iris and Jim are happy for a moment.
The bombastic visuals and dialogue that had bombarded me at first became a filmic drug with my second viewing of THE DEGENERATES. I was able to follow everything going on and was mesmerized. I couldn’t take my half-blind eyes off the screen as Violet descends into absolute madness. Played to severe perfection by Bryarly Lee, who also starred in the still lost Milligan film THE NAKED WITCH, Violet seems to be an unstoppable force. Then there is Hope Stansbury, who wrote Milligan’s first film VAPORS and starred as Dracula’s daughter in BLOOD. In THE DEGENERATES, Hope plays youngest sister Ivy, the one who lives apart from the others. Hope gives the mostly silent Ivy a soul and finds her strength when she finally speaks a long-held secret. The rest of the cast gives it their all, but this film belongs to Bryarly Lee and Hope Stansbury.
Violet demands to be loved!
THE DEGENERATES was written by friends and sometimes lovers, Gerald Jacuzzo and Andy Milligan. They were definitely on the same page because it all feels like Milligan or maybe that’s because of his directorial style. One moment that definitely came from Andy is the crucifixion scene. One character’s right hand is nailed to a wall while the other hand is pinned using a pitchfork, which is a Milligan trademark instrument of torture.
Violet pitchforks Frank.
Speaking of torture (not his acting), writer Gerald Jacuzzo also appeared in some of Andy’s films, most memorably TORTURE DUNGEON, which I have shamefully not reviewed…yet! He was also in VAPORS and appears briefly in the other recently found lost Milligan film, KISS ME, KISS ME, KISS ME! (1968) and is easily one of the best actors Andy utilized.
In conclusion… Despite my confusing but enjoyable first viewing, THE DEGENERATES is quickly rising up the ranks in my favorite Andy Milligan films. It won’t bump FLESHPOT, NIGHTBIRDS or SEEDS from the top spots, but it is giving other favorites a run for their low-budget money! If you haven’t experienced an Andy Milligan film, don’t start here. I recommend beginning with GURU THE MAD MONK and branching out from there. However, if you’re a burgeoning fan or a maladjusted, obsessive Milligan freak like me, THE DEGENERATES must be seen!
My obsession is now a fashion statement!
Freak Out, JLH
P.S. Click TRICKS OF THE TRADE for a look at the script for another one of Andy Milligan’s lost films! ~~~~~~~~~~~~ My books are tragically nothing like a Milligan film, but you can still find a degenerate character or two within their pages.
Burning like a neon sun Radiating like an atomic missile Duck and cover As I detonate Fulminating in verbal fire Billowing blazing words Scorching my world Venting the pent-up Fractured frustrations From biting a tongue Gnawing it pulpy raw Rivulets of crimson Pouring down my chin Drowning my body Until I can’t take it Insides ablaze Burning like a neon sun
Every so often I look back at the crazy films and trashy novels I’ve experienced over the last few years and check to see how readily available they are for others to find. When I recently did a search for the book ABNORMALS ANONYMOUS by Stella Gray, I noticed there were a couple of copies floating around out there. I also noticed an audio CD with the same provocative title and cover.
My first thought was, “Is it an audiobook?” Then I noticed “by Congo Norvell” and knew I was wrong. So, I investigated and discovered the CD is an album of music released in 1997 through the New York City-based Jetset Records. Further investigation turned up only a few tracks posted on YouTube. I listened to “Johnny in the Boudoir” and immediately ordered a copy from eBay.
The music thrusts you into a seedy dive-bar on the outskirts of town, populated by the night people, the kind of folk inhabiting the fringes of so-called acceptable society. They will lead you through a den of lurid sex and sex-drenched violence, where obsession and lust reign hand-in-hand with loneliness and heartache. In other words, this is the perfect soundtrack to trashy pulp novels.
The liner notes list a few people as vocals, but this is Sally Norvell’s show. Her voice shifts from torch song lounge singer to a sultry, smoky-voiced temptress to an alt-pop diva. Wherever the music styles take her, Sally is ready to follow.
My 3 favorite tracks, in no particular order…
“Candy” An experienced woman is looking for young fresh meat to “go under, down in the gutter and taste the seawater.” I enjoy the uncomfortable desires pulsating underneath, just like the tone of a trashy novel.
“She’s Like Heroin to Me.” There’s a woman at the top of the stairs who gets under your skin and “cannot miss a vein,” no matter your gender. A slow lusty burn of crippling obsession at its pulpy best!
“Johnny in the Boudoir” The title says it all. A man named Johnny meets up for an illicit tryst, but his lover has other plans. “She was only playin' a part. Just a step away from the straightjacket today. Angora sweater, naughty-clean. Felt like killing, felt like sixteen.” Johnny’s dead and the mention of an Angora sweater must be a knowing wink to Edward D. Wood, Jr.Was Johnny’s lover a cross-dressing assassin right out of one of Wood’s novels? It’s up for the listener to decide, but I think so. In conclusion… Moody, intriguing, and slyly amusing, this album isn’t for everyone, but it is for anyone with an open mind. I think I would’ve enjoyed the songs if I had experienced them back in 1997, but I probably appreciate them more now. So, if you like a little tawdry in your tunes, then ABNORMALS ANONYMOUS by Congo Norvell may be the seedy CD for you!
Freak Out, JLH
P.S. click the pic for my thoughts on the novel of the same name…
I love horror films, from classic to modern and everything in between. So, when I stumbled upon IT CAME FROM THE CLOSET on Audible, I knew I was going to listen. I didn’t check out the synopsis, so I assumed it was about the rare horror films with LGBTQ+ characters. I was pleasantly surprised to be mostly wrong.
IT CAME FROM THE CLOSET is a collection of essays from LGBTQ+ writers on how they found connections and even themselves in horror films. It’s refreshing to hear a variety of queer voices telling their stories in conjunction with a genre that has a history of either demonizing or outright ignoring the LGBTQ+ community. Each writer weaves a personal story, relating his/her/their life experiences with a favorite horror film. One truly surprising aspect is the wide array of horror films mentioned. Sure, FRIDAY THE 13TH and HALLOWEEN are there, but never in my wildest imagination would I’ve expected to hear people personally relating to the original GODZILLA or the 1980’s remake of THE BLOB. All of these essays got me thinking about my connection with a horror film from my youth and a real life experience.
Even when others stated it was the worst in the film series or complained the male protagonist screamed like a girl, I enjoyed the 1985 sequel A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET PART 2: FREDDY’S REVENGE. I was around 13 years old when I first saw this much maligned entry in the Elm Street franchise on HBO. While I didn’t love it as much as the first film, I was drawn to Part 2 for reasons I may not have fully understood at the time.
In the opening scene, we see Jesse Walsh surrounded by peers in a school bus, but still he seems isolated, alone. I knew that feeling all too well. The relating increased as we see Jesse being tormented by his gym teacher and dealing with something inside of himself. Much like Jesse struggling with nightmares of Freddy Krueger trying to take over his body, I knew I had to stay silent about the queer thoughts inside me. Jesse is ultimately saved from Freddy by the love of a woman. Though, in the end, Freddy is still there, clawing his way out.
The most memorable scene for me in A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET PART 2: FREDDY’S REVENGE is when Jesse, who may or may not be having a nightmare, visits what is referred to as a queer S&M joint in the film. Once inside, Jesse is confronted by his leather-clad gym teacher. Nothing sexual happens between the two, but the scene intrigued my 13-year-old self. It felt dangerous and alluring. Dangerous in the sense that my ultra-conservative, ultra-religious hometown would implode at the idea of such a place. Alluring in the sense that it looked like a place for outsiders like me.
Maybe that scene is why, at around 13, when I was washing my hands in the restroom at a Wendy’s Restaurant, I stared at the man using the urinal near the sink. There was a small privacy wall, but I could see he was wearing black jeans, a black leather jacket and a pair of dark sunglasses. His dark blond hair was slicked back and he looked dangerous and alluring, like he could’ve stepped out of that queer S&M joint. He must’ve sensed my eyes fixated on him because he looked at me and then asked, “Do you like girls?”
I recall his voice sounding deep, but neither gruff nor accusing. Even at 13, I understood what he was really asking, but I didn’t feel threatened. I just felt overwhelmingly nervous at being seen. So, I answered, “Yes,” and quickly finished washing my hands. Nothing more was said and I didn’t look at him as I left the restroom to rejoin my family in the dining area. However, once seated, I watched the bathroom door and the man had an amused smile on his face as he left the restaurant.
I never told anyone about this Wendy’s Restaurant encounter, probably because I knew people would freak out, even though nothing happened. It was just an intense moment where my love of horror films and my queer life intersected. At least, unlike Jesse and his gym teacher, my experience didn’t end in bloodshed. Though it might have if I had answered his question differently.
In conclusion… Just like any collection, there are stories you’ll like better than others, but all are fascinating and powerful in their own ways. The final essay about SLEEPAWAY CAMP is one of my favorites. So, if you love horror and you’re on the LGBTQ+ 🌈 spectrum, or you’re an ally, then IT CAME FROM THE CLOSET might be the book for you!
An inkling A feeling A knowing Of the end On their final day A day of last things Last meal Last word Last breath Did they know When they awoke That this would be it They would soon be gone Become a memory A whispered name From another’s voice The dead won’t answer My shrouded queries Holding their secrets Tight in folded arms Understanding The only way to know Is to wait Wait for my turn To gaze deeply Into the abyss Lifeless eyes Forthcoming nothing To those next in line ~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2026, John L. Harmon
Freak Out, JLH ~~~~~~~~~~~~ A reading list for 2026… 📚
Thanks to my damaged eyes, I don’t read text messages. My phone reads them to me and this can sometimes result in confusion. A friend texted me about the plot of EMBRYO, and in the same message, asked me if I had seen it, starring Roddy McDowell. I assumed she was asking me if I had seen EMBRYO, even though saying Roddy starred in it seemed an exaggeration. I mean, he makes a memorable appearance in it, but EMBRYO is Rock Hudson’s film through and through. My friend then responded to my thoughts on that film, but concluded her message by once again asking me if I had seen it. I felt like I was losing my mind, so I slipped on my Mad Scientist Glasses and took a screenshot. After zooming in on her question, I realized she wasn’t asking me if I had seen EMBRYO. She was asking if I had seen a film I had shockingly never heard of before. IT! is a 1967 film from the UK that is like THE GOLEM and PSYCHO were stuffed together in a blender.
Is that a cone on its head or is it just happy to see us?
After a fire destroys a storage building containing artifacts from Prague, museum curator Mr. Grove and his assistant, Mr. Pimm, search the rubble for anything salvageable. The only thing left is a towering statue. Grove reads part of an inscription and mysteriously dies. Pimm doesn’t witness this, but uses it for his personal gain. He is now acting curator and expects to spend more time with Grove’s grown daughter Ellen. As an added bonus, being the museum curator makes it easier for Pimm to “borrow” jewelry from display cases to bring home for his dead mother to wear for a day or two. Yes, dead mother. Her skeletal remains sit in a rocking chair in Pimm’s flat. This ghastly twist is revealed early on and shows Pimm’s disturbed mental state.
Mother just wants to look fabulous!
It’s no surprise then when Pimm, after it’s revealed the statue is a Golem, uses the statue to kill and to impress Ellen by bragging he has the power to destroy a bridge. However, Ellen only has eyes for Jim Perkins, a man from New York sent to authenticate the Golem. Mr. Perkins is going to take the statue and Ellen to New York, which causes Pimm and the plot to go completely off the rails!
We all go a little mad sometimes!
Pimm steals a hearse, kidnaps Ellen, and along with his dead mother and the Golem, holes up in a little castle. He also holds castle caretaker Miss Swanson hostage and forces her to have tea with his dead mother and the Golem, but tragically, we never see this potentially hilarious and uncomfortable gathering. Meanwhile, Mr. Perkins has figured out everything and now the British Army is trying to save Ellen and stop Pimm and the Golem. What will happen? Will Ellen be saved? Will the army detonate a small nuclear warhead to stop Pimm and the Golem or will Miss Swanson be forced into another macabre tea? You’ll have to watch to find out!
Only the bust knows!
Roddy McDowall is perfectly Roddy McDowall as Arthur Pimm. The rest of the cast is fine but this is McDowall’s film. Writer/director Herbert J. Leder keeps viewers confused by showing some things, but not others. Revealing Pimm is harboring his mother’s corpse so early causes a strange vibe to run through the plot. Uneven is the best way to describe IT! but it is crazy fun, at least in the last 20 minutes.
In conclusion… IT! is a slow burn and only gets really bonkers when Pimm takes everyone to the castle. Unlike some of the films I’ve reviewed for Rebecca of Taking Up Room’s SO BAD IT’S GOOD BLOGATHON over the years, I freely call IT! a bad film. It’s a bit tedious at times, but the craziness makes it fun to watch. So, if you’re a Roddy McDowall fan or you crave some low-key delirious storytelling, IT! might be the film for you!
There will be Prizes, Refreshments and a chance to add some great (autographed) Books to your collection! 📚 
See you there! 
