freakboy on film: SHRIEK OF THE MUTILATED (1974)

 "And remember...the heartbeat you hear may not be your own." 

screenplay by Ed Adlum & Ed Kelleher /
directed by Michael Findlay 

One thing I miss about video stores is searching for a particular title but finding a completely different, but equally entertaining film instead.  The closest I've encountered this phenomenon in the streaming world is via Amazon Prime Video.  I was recently searching for various films directed by Andy Milligan when I stumbled across this crazy, possibly offensive, low-budget excursion into furry terror.

Those meddling kids.

Keith, Karen, Lynn & Tom are college students hand-picked by Dr. Ernst Prell to join his Yeti expedition.  While suck-up Keith dines on exotic cuisine at a specialty restaurant with Dr. Prell, the others attend a super-groovy, swingin' popcorn party.  The party really starts poppin' when Spencer, a former student, arrives with a tale of mutilation.  Seven years ago, he and three other students went on a similar field trip with Dr. Prell, but the Yeti killed his friends.  This story doesn't cause Tom, Karen and Lynn to shriek because Spencer, who became a teacher, is now just a maintenance worker at the college after a nervous breakdown.  Oh, and Spencer drinks...a lot...much to the frustration of his wife. 

What to do before watching this film. 

Bright and early the next morning, with no popcorn hangovers, Dr. 

Prell and his students drive to an island owned by a colleague of his.  Dr. Karl Werner has informed Dr. Prell that a Yeti with horrible body odor has been lurking about.  He has seen and smelled the beast, but failed to take photographs of the creature or its sizable footprints.  Maybe Dr. Werner was too busy playing records with his Native American housekeeper to bother grabbing a camera. 

  Move over, Hazel.  There's a new housekeeper in town!

Laughing Crow is a burly, hairy, intimidating housekeeper.  My half-blind eyes thought he looked maybe more Italian than Native American, but the character is portrayed by an actor named Ivan Agar.  So, Laughing Crow's actual heritage may be more of a mystery than the Yeti, especially when the character's backstory is totally blown out of the water by the end.  I'll leave it for others to decide whether or not to be outraged over the character of Laughing Crow in this utterly outrageous film.

(We now interrupt this post to bring you the Broadway musical stylings of Tom...) 

The Snowman's on the prowl 

He's mean and he's ugly 

And some people say that he's downright nasty 

Yeah, he's mean and he's gruesome 

He'll make your threesome into a twosome 

Now's your chance to make a break 

Don't let a moment go to waste 

On the prowl 

Hear him howl 

Here comes the Yeti now!

The Yeti boogies to Tom's song.

The whole film is nuts, but in a surprisingly good way.  The acting and the Yeti  are perfect for a low-budget 1970's flick.  In other words, nobody is going to win any awards, but the performances and costumes will haunt you long after the credits roll.  The most shocking and impressive aspect is how the plot mostly makes sense, which shouldn't happen with this type of film.  

Dr. Werner & Dr. Prell make Yeti-hunting fashion statements.

Will they find the Yeti?  Will the mutilated shriek?  Will Lynn and Tom get it on or does she only have four eyes for Dr. Werner?  Will it be revealed that Dr. Prell uses Prell shampoo?  There is so much more I could say, but I don't want to spoil the insane surprises waiting for you! 

What to do to get a friend to watch this film.

In conclusion, there is nothing I didn't enjoy about SHRIEK OF THE MUTILATED.  I'm thankful Prime Video suggested it in lieu of what I had been searching for.  So, grab a bottle of booze (if you're of legal age), some better-looking popcorn and join this crazy hunt for the elusive Yeti! 

Seriously, this popcorn looks sketchy.

Now I have the urge to dig out a very different Yeti movie I have on DVD.  Hmmm...there may be more furry action to come! 

  

Another Yeti movie?   Pack the essentials!

Thank you for reading or listening to my half-blind words.

Freak Out, 

JLH 

P.S. A different crazy film...

http://freakboyzone.blogspot.com/2020/05/freakboy-on-film-mondo-trasho-1969.html 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In case you missed my very short film....

THERAPY SESSION 

 

freakboy on film: SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE BATHS (1975)

(screenplay by Franklin Khedouri & David Buckley / directed by David Buckley) 

Is this a porno?

I asked myself this when I first saw the DVD cover and read the title.

It was in and around 10 years ago when I received an unexpected box in the mail.  A couple from my Omaha days had performed a bit of spring cleaning on their DVD collection and sent me the purged titles.  They probably figured their freak film-lover was the perfect recipient of mostly LGBT-related films. 

There were a few films I had been wanting to see (ADAM & STEVE, for example, which caused me physical pain despite co-starring Parker Posey) but many of the titles were new to me.  Truthfully, I've passed along some of the DVD's for other friends to enjoy, including a couple of titles that were edited adult films (THE HOLE, for example, started out as an amusing parody of THE RING, but quickly focused on tiddlywinks, or whatever the cool kids are calling it nowadays.).  I kept a handful of the DVD's, including SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE BATHS, which...to my surprise...was NOT a porno!  Though there are a couple of intensely intimate scenes.

SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE BATHS is a slice of-life look at shades of sexuality and what it meant to be queer in a post-Stonewall 1970's New York City.  The film also takes a peek behind the lavender curtain at a bathhouse, the kind of establishment where Bette Midler and Barry Manilow got their starts.  A minimalistic plot and low-key acting gives this film an honest, realistic feel.  

Michael (Robert Aberdeen) is a straight-laced pianist living in New York City with his girlfriend.  Tracy (Ellen Sheppard) is a photographer and encourages Michael when he lands a gig at The Continental Baths, a gay club that is like a discotheque, vaudeville stage and bathhouse rolled into one.  Scotti (Don Scotti) is the manager of The Continental, and opens a different perspective to the straight man.  The question is, what will Michael ultimately see in himself? 

SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE BATHS doesn't give you easy answers, which is one of the reasons I enjoy this film.  The story dares you to draw your own conclusions and take a look at yourself as the three main characters struggle with and celebrate life and love.  There is also plenty of humor, along with some knockout performances at The Continental, for a nice balance with the underlying drama.

In conclusion, I urge you to see this important LGBT film.  It's low-budget, but it's amazing that such a film with frank and honest dialogue concerning homosexuality could be made in 1975.  Especially when you consider how gay characters and themes would be treated in the 1980's.  SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE BATHS is a cinematic record of us being there, being queer and being human...and we still are. 

(As of this writing, SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE BATHS is available to stream on Amazon Prime) 

Thank you for reading or listening to my half-blind words. 

Freak Out, 

JLH 

P.S.  A different review of a different queer-themed film...

https://freakboyzone.blogspot.com/2019/01/freakboy-on-film-butcher-baker.html 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

My books & blogs...

http://thejlhcollective.blogspot.com/2018/03/the-collective.html  

channel freakboy: DARK SHADOWS ("Door to the Infinite" Edition)

My sister and I have been watching DARK SHADOWS, the classic gothic daytime soap opera which ran on ABC from 1966-1971.  She had seen all of it before and I had seen most of it.  We are a little over halfway done with the approximately 1,245 episodes and have been seriously enjoying the atmospheric visit to Collinsport, Maine.  It all started with a young woman arriving to be a governess to a disturbed boy at  Collinwood mansion, but it wasn't long before supernatural elements began to manifest.  The most notable of these, of course, is the vampire Barnabas Collins.

For the record, we are not watching for the series' allegedly camp qualities.  My sister and I are so emotionally absorbed in the characters and storylines, that we don't see the so-called cheap special effects.  It also helps that we keep in mind that TV studios didn't allocate a huge budget to daytime dramas, and still don't.  From Josette's first spectral appearance to Laura Collins' flammable Phoenix exit to Barnabas standing at the door to the Infinite, DARK SHADOWS has managed to create effective, edge of your seat moments within its limited budget.  The latter is why I'm writing this. 

It's early 1969 and the Collins clan has abandoned Collinwood due to the extremely malevolent spirit of Quentin Collins, who has possessed young David.  The family takes refuge at the Old House, which was their original ancestral home and is also where Barnabas is residing.  Barnabas, who is currently not a vampire (long story), decides to confront the spirit of Quentin and save David by using the ancient Chinese divination practice of I Ching.  In a trance, Barnabas' spirit must pass through the Door to the Infinite to face Quentin on an equal astral plane.  Fate has other plans for Barnabas because the door leads him to 1897, where he essentially Quantum Leaps into his vampire body.  This is where an extended time travel storyline begins and so far the events are thrilling! 

However, it is that moment when Barnabas is standing before the Door to the Infinite which impressed and fascinated me.  It's such a simple scene that would probably be CGI nowadays. Back in 1969, the incredible manual  lighting trick gives the moment a beautiful and unearthly quality.  The screenshot I took appears even more beautiful and haunting because it looks like an artist's rendering of the scene.  It challenges the viewer to imagine what might wait for them beyond the Door to the Infinite.  An eye exam chair would probably be there to ensnare me.  For Barnabas Collins, a chained up coffin awaited him because, human or not, he will never fully escape the vampiric curse.  Also because that's where his vampire body could be found in 1897.  To find out how Barnabas escapes the confines of his coffin, you can watch on Amazon Prime!  

Perhaps I'll blog more about Dark Shadows when my sister and I have finished the series, which might be in March or April.  Until then...

Thank you for reading or listening to my half-blind words and have a productive 2020. 

Freak Out, 

JLH 

P.S.  My television posts were once called The TV Freak and here is one of those...

https://freakboyzone.blogspot.com/2016/12/the-tv-freak-returns-revivals.html 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

DARK EXCURSIONS is a post-modern gothic romance.

With its intriguing twists and turns, this novel is sure to entertain the soap opera fan in your life...

https://thejlhcollective.blogspot.com/2018/03/dark-excursions-complete-set.html