Showing posts with label suspense. Show all posts
Showing posts with label suspense. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 22, 2026

freakboy on film: THE DEGENERATES (1967)

🎵 They once were lost, but now they’re found! 🎵
Sitting on a Blu-ray player in front of a television is The blu-ray box set of GUTTER AUTEUR” The Lost Legacy of Andy Milligan.  the cover  shows images of a piece of film with half of Andy’s face..
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) 
Poster for The Degenerates, 1967, shows clothed couples in what appears to be in the middle of sex.  Also a photo of one woman looking uncertain.  Text reads, they always go down to the lowest depths of human sensuality!  More text reads, self-satisfied women who need no men!
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 am Gogo make their way through a post-apocalyptic world in a scene from Andy Milligan’s The Degenerates.
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. 
Ivy laughs wildly in a scene from Andy Milligan’s The Degenerates.
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 points at the shed where Daisy, cowering in fear, will face her punishment in a scene from Andy Milligan’s The Degenerates.
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 hold hands and share a rare happy moment in a scene from Andy Milligan’s The Degenerates.
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 stands transfixed in a scene from Andy Milligan’s The Degenerates.
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 stabs Frank’s hand with a pitchfork in a scene from Andy Milligan’s The Degenerates.
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!  
Me in a black t-shirt with the cover of the blu-ray box set of GUTTER AUTEUR” The Lost Legacy of Andy Milligan printed on the front.
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! 
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My books are tragically nothing like a Milligan film, but you can still find a degenerate character or two within their pages. 

Friday, February 13, 2026

freakboy on film: IT! (1967)

Movie poster for the 1967 film It shows a woman on the ground with the title in big bold letters.
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. 
Mr. Grove and Mr.  Pimm stare at a golem in a scene from It (1967).
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. 
Pimm’s dead, decaying mother wears a blond wig in a scene from It (1967).
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! 
Ellen and Miss Swanson being held hostage in a scene from It (1967), with subtitles that read, One more tea with his mother and her friend will drive me mad.
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! 
Close up of Roddy McDowall as Mr. Pimm in a scene from It (1967).
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! 
Poster for the eighth so bad it’s good blogathon, hosted by taking up room.  February 13th-15th, 2026.
Freak Out, 
JLH

P.S. click a pic for more SO BAD IT’S GOOD films…
Eve Arden tied to a chair in a scene from pandemonium

Vampira in a scene from Plan 9 from outer space

A bloody bride in a scene from carnage.
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A totally biased Reading List for 2026…null
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Monday, February 2, 2026

Hideaway (a short story)

    The door is locked, bolted, boarded up.  They won’t think of looking for me here if I keep to myself.  In this dark room, I sit alone in the corner, quiet, silent as possible.  I barely want to breathe.

    I hear them out there, beyond the door.  Moving, always moving.  Sometimes with purpose, but sometimes they just can’t stop.  If not physically, then verbally.  Always the unbearable noise.  They can’t shut up or stay still, unlike me.  

    I can stay perfectly still, as far away from the door as I can get.  As far away from them.  They taught me to be afraid of them.  In little ways at first, but then I learned how truly damaging they can be.  This is why I must lock myself away from the pain and agony that is…

…other people. 
A black and white photo of a floor and open door with a shadow on the floor
~~~~~~~~~~~~
2026, John L. Harmon 

Freak Out, 
JLH

P.S.  click a pic for another short story…

A yellow background with green shadows in the foreground.

A shirtless man stares out a window, blood splattering his upper chest and shoulder.

A man wearing sunglasses, with stubble on his face and his hair sticking up.

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A totally biased list of books and a couple of short stories you should read in 2026…
📚 

Friday, January 9, 2026

freakboy on film: THE FIREWORKS WOMAN (1975)

Have all of my favorite film directors directed porn?  Ed Wood, Jr. certainly did!  One could argue that Andy Milligan did with the uncut version of FLESHPOT ON 42nd STREET because of at least two very real sex scenes.  Even John Waters admits that one uncomfortably memorable scene in PINK FLAMINGOS is a satirical take on DEEP THROAT.  Oh, and while Roger Ebert made it abundantly clear that Russ Meyer did NOT direct porn, I argue that his manically unhinged UP! (1976) is at least porn-adjacent.  (I really need to review that piece of celluloid craziness.) 

So, I guess it’s not a surprise that before Wes Craven gave us A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET, he inverted and exploded the concept of adult cinema with THE FIREWORKS WOMAN (aka The Fireworks Man, which makes more sense as the title.) 
Blu-ray cover of the fireworks woman in front of fireworks bursting shows a sailboat sailing into the sunset and a close up of Angela looking thoughtful.
Angela is a complicated woman haunted by the past, by her incestuous feelings for her brother and by The Fireworks Man, a seemingly supernatural entity.  These three influences in her life seem to be entangled as she shows up at the church where her brother Peter is now a priest.  Angela wants to continue their taboo relationship that was consummated before Peter became a man of the cloth.  Peter swears he doesn’t want what Angela wants, but he gets her a job as a maid to one of his parishioners.  The twisted old refined lady and her kinky male cohort start Angela down a path of self-discovery, even though Peter is never far from her thoughts.  
Angela looks serious in a scene from the fireworks woman.
Does THE FIREWORKS WOMAN end with a bang or a fizzle?  It ends just like a Wes Craven film should end, leaving the viewers questioning everything they just experienced.  
The fireworks man looks amused wearing a top hat in a scene from the fireworks woman.

SPOILER ALERT
Peter gets advice from the Monseigneur and throws a church banquet.  Angela gets advice from Nicolas Burns (The Fireworks Man) and invites the congregation to an orgy at the same time as the banquet.  Guess which party the so-called faithful attend!  Nicolas then tricks Peter into coming to the orgy, forcing the priest into a decision.  Peter leaves a note for the Monseigneur and then brazenly enters the orgy, scoops up Angela and carries her to a boat.  Then brother and sister sail away, living happily ever after…or do they?  The Monseigneur rushes to the beach to stop the ungodly lovers, but it’s too late.  As he turns away, the disciple of God disappears as Nicolas Burns (the disciple of Satan?) appears, turning towards the faraway boat.  What does this mean for Angela and Peter?  Does it mean the Monseigneur and The Fireworks Man are just flip sides of the same coin?  Unfortunately, Wes Craven never publicly spoke of this film in detail, so, like the end of A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET, it’s left to interpretation.  However, according to a blu-ray bonus feature, the original script ends with the boat washing ashore somewhere without Peter and Angela on it.  Even that ending would’ve been enigmatic.  
The sailboat sails away in a scene from the fireworks woman.
THE FIREWORKS WOMAN is definitely written and directed by Wes Craven.  His mark is on the haunting visuals, the unsettling/shocking story and he even portrays Nicolas Burns.  The director, who does not appear in the sex scenes, seems very comfortable in front of the camera and appears to be having fun sowing the seeds of chaos as The Fireworks Man.  As for the other actors, they share that natural 1970’s acting vibe.  Jennifer Jordan as Angela and Eric Edwards as Peter are believable as the tormented siblings.  
SIDE NOTE: Eric Edwards is no stranger to this blog.  He appeared as the rich guy with the priceless broach and manipulative aunt in the uproarious BLONDE AMBITION (1981). 
Peter looks conflicted in a confessional in a scene from the fireworks woman.
In conclusion… 
When I noticed Melusine was offering this most obscure Wes Craven film, I didn’t think twice about it.  THE FIREWORKS WOMAN is a disturbing study of emotional trauma and forbidden love.  No, it’s not quite on par with Wes Craven’s other films, but it’s an intriguing celluloid stepping stone on his way to creating Freddy Krueger.  So, if you’re a Craven completist or a truly adventurous film freak, THE FIREWORKS WOMAN is the film for you!  Be warned though, there is a very brief scene at the orgy between a fisherman and his catch of the day that you will never unsee! 

Freak Out, 
JLH 
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Dare to enter the fantasies of my deranged mind in 2026… 
🧠 
📚 
Books by John L. Harmon available from Amazon include  the dark excursions series, the sturgeons series, vision bent half blind poems, bubbas truck a short story and Whasome’s dreck a short parody.

Friday, December 19, 2025

freakboy on film: WHO KILLED TEDDY BEAR (1965)

I stumbled upon WHO KILLED TEDDY BEAR during Vinegar Syndrome’s month-long Halloween sale.  The title alone made me want to order a discounted copy.  Then the intriguing synopsis, which made me think of the vintage paperbacks I’ve been reading, sealed the deal.  It also helped the case resembles a tawdry pulp novel and, after watching the film, I realized I was right.  WHO KILLED TEDDY BEAR is definitely cut from the same pulpy cloth.  
The front cover of the blu-ray of Who Killed Teddy Bear shows Norah on the phone and in her underwear.  The blu-ray case sits in front of a scene from the film showing Lawrence lounging in his underwear.
Norah Dain is a hostess at a discotheque in New York City.  Life is good for this metropolitan single woman, except for the obscene phone calls.  Someone is watching her and she is becoming understandably paranoid.  Is it her soft-spoken coworker Lawrence Sherman?  Is it Carlo, the allegedly verbally inpaired discotheque security guard?  Is it Lt. Dave Madden, who seems a little too obsessed with obscene callers and other degenerates he investigates?  

SPOILER ALERT (sort of)
It’s coworker Lawrence, as played by Sal Mineo, but more about him later.   

Screenplay writers Leon Tokatyan and Arnold Drake keep the story of obsession seedy, grimey and riveting.  Director Joseph Cates, father of Phoebe, includes a lot of interesting visuals, especially of 1960’s New York City, and draws out some good performances from the cast.
Norah looks stone-faced as she holds a telephone receiver to her ear in a scene from the film Who Killed Teddy Bear.
Juliet Prowse as Norah, the recipient of the obscene calls, is a mixture of strength and vulnerability.  Jan Murray as Lt. Dave Madden, the obsessive police detective, is a mixture of protector of innocence and an unbalanced potential creep.  Elaine Stritch as Marian Freeman, Norah’s boss at the discotheque, is a mixture of no-nonsense authority and a woman with needs.  Daniel J. Travanti as Carlo, the discotheque bouncer, doesn’t have much to say but is a mixture of renegade tough guy and a man with fierce loyalty. 

Then there is Sal Mineo.
Lawrence stands outside a theater in a scene from the film Who Killed Teddy Bear.
He is mesmerizing as Lawrence, the seemingly shy discotheque employee/obscene phone caller.  Between the writing and Mineo’s performance, the character is a mixture of an unhinged, troubled young man dangerously obsessing over his coworker and a sweet, sensitive young man taking care of his intellectually disabled sister.  Sal Mineo creates a complex, complicated character.  You won’t be able to take your eyes off him, especially since he is half-naked half the time. 
Lawrence wearing only tight swim trunks, showcasing his muscular chest,  with a towel over his shoulders in a scene from the film Who Killed Teddy Bear.
Unlike most exploitation films from the 1960’s, or any era really, the female figure is NOT the focus in WHO KILLED TEDDY BEAR.  Instead, the camera can’t get enough of Sal Mineo in various states of undress.  When he’s not working at the discotheque or taking his sister to the zoo, Lawrence is working out in skimpy shorts, swimming in tight trunks or lounging around in tighty-whities, sensually caressing his thigh or stomach as he makes obscene calls to Norah.  This gender exploitation role reversal adds to the unexpected vibe of this memorable film. 
The back cover of the blu-ray of Who Killed Teddy Bear shows Lt. Dave Madden looking grim and Lawrence looking desperate.  Neon signs read, Hotel.  Rubber. Bar.  Adults only.   The blu-ray case sits in front of a scene from the film showing books on display.  Titles include the true story of Jean Harlow Hollywood’s all time sex goddess.  Another book is rough trade by Lou Rand.
In conclusion…
I was immediately drawn into the lurid peek at the dark underbelly of the people you only think you know.  The black & white cinematography adds to the gritty, film noir-adjacent atmosphere simmering beneath the celluloid surface.  So, if you’re in the mood to slip into something emotionally uncomfortable, and you want to start giving your coworkers a sideways glance, WHO KILLED TEDDY BEAR may be the psychosexual low-key thriller for you! 

Oh, as for who killed Teddy Bear…you’ll have to watch to find out! 🐻 
A man holds a nearly decapitated teddy bear in a scene from the film Who Killed Teddy Bear.
Freak Out, 
JLH 

P.S. I better add the hauntingly beautiful song. 

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You may find something tawdry in my words…
The cover of Whasome’s Dreck, a short parody, by john L. Harmon with an Amazon review that reads,  Read John Harmon's Books and Stories and Discover the Meaning of Tawdry Reviewed in the United States on December 1, 2025 John Harmon is my favorite author. His works of fiction are always fun reads, filled with characters that run the gamut from virtuous to pure T trash. "Whosome's Dreck" is the perfect example of John's books, which take small town characters down (and I mean DOWN) a road littered with sex, murder, drama, and the darkest humor. I figure his books are actually somewhat biographical, but that's a whole other hair-raising scenario.

Sunday, August 24, 2025

freakboy on film: WEAPONS (2025)

⚠️WARNING⚠️ 
I’m gonna spoil the shit out of this film!
Poster for the film weapons (2025) shows children in shadows running down a street like they are pretending to be airplanes, with text that reads,  FROM THE DIRECTOR OF BARBARIANS.  LAST NIGHT AT 2:17 AM EVERY CHILD FROM MRS. GANDY'S CLASS WOKE UP GOT OUT OF BED WENT DOWNSTAIRS OPENED THE FRONT DOOR WALKED INTO THE DARK ...AND THEY NEVER CAME BACK.
written & directed by Zach Cregger 

The only things I knew about WEAPONS before catching a matinee were the title and that it was horror/suspense.  Maybe I had a vague notion of the plot centering around kids because of the shadows on the poster that I briefly glanced at without my Mad Scientist Glasses, so any text went undeciphered. 

WEAPONS is about almost all the kids in a classroom not showing up for school one morning.  Only Justine Gandy, the new teacher, and one shy student are there, followed by a town full of questions and accusations.  All that is known is the missing kids walked…well…more ran out of their homes at 2:17 AM and never came back.  Maybe they were running away from this movie?  The story unfolds from different perspectives, which I liked, culminating in an ending that goes on too long.  

Other things I liked include Amy Madigan as Aunt Gladys.  Initially, it’s like she’s channeling Katherine Helmond as Jessica Tate in the sitcom SOAP (1977-1981), but her kind, mildly ditzy personality is all a (witch)crafty ruse.  
The spectacled red haired aunt Gladys smiles in a scene from weapons.
Another thing I liked was the surprise inclusion of a same-sex couple!  LGBTQ+ representation in the horror genre has come a long way, but it’s still feels rare.  That being said, have we come far enough in rights and being accepted to have the only queer representation in WEAPONS brutally killed without having a conversation about it, especially with the current political climate?  
Marcus and his husband Terry sit in chairs with a table in between in a scene from Weapons.
This brings me to something  I didn’t like, besides the goofy scenes of kids running into the dark, the predictable jump scares, the long ending and a lack of explanation over how exactly the missing, spellbound kids loitering around a basement were going to cure an ailing old witch.  I mean, she was obviously not eating them and the kids didn’t seem to be aging if she was  siphoning their youth, but whatever.  As that ending never seemed to end, a realization dawned in my, perhaps, oversensitive mind.  All the characters who died in WEAPONS would be considered “sinners” in the self-righteous minds of right-wing religious whackjobs.  There’s an unfaithful husband, a junkie thief, a gay couple and a witch.  As the admittedly unique ending credits scrolled up at angles, I seriously pondered whether or not I just watched a piece of heteronormative, conservative Christian claptrap disguised as a horror film.  The big flaw in my borderline outrage logic is if my pondering was correct, the teacher would’ve died because she had an affair with the unfaithful husband.  History has proven time and time again that right-wing religious whackjobs would label a woman in this position a harlot or temptress and blame her for everything. 
Justine Gandy with blond curly hair and glasses looks concerned at a meeting in a scene from weapons.
So, the teacher not dying probably proves my pondering wrong, but the possibility of being correct leaves a distasteful taste in my mouth.  It doesn’t help that I reside in a conservative religious town, in a conservative religious state, in a country currently gunning for right-wing whackjob supremacy.  Can you blame me if my bigotry alert radar is set on high?  I mean, just look at the itsy-bitsy religious propaganda popping up around my already holier-than-thou town for Christ’s sake! 😏 
An itsy-bitsy statue of Jesus wears a sash that reads Jesus hearts you.
In conclusion…
If my spoilers and ponderings haven’t ruined it for you, I suppose WEAPONS isn’t the worst way to spend over two hours of your life.  (Did it need to be that long?  No.)  There is some humor and the different perspectives keep things interesting for a bit, but save some soda and popcorn for the never-ending ending.  You’re gonna need some energy to stay focused! 

Freak Out, 
JLH 

P.S.  Julia Garner as Justine Gandy in WEAPONS made me visually think of a young Parker Posey donning a bad blond wig and glasses from a different decade. 
Justine Gandy with blond curly hair and glasses looks concerned or confused in a scene from weapons.

Monday, December 23, 2024

freakboy on film: BLOOD (or how I stalked the ghost of Andy Milligan)

Do you really believe that the startling lack of Andy Milligan in this year’s posts means I’m no longer obsessively re-watching his surviving films and having fever-wet daydreams about finding his lost ones? 

WRONG!

The proof of how deep my Milligan obsession goes can be found in my New England Adventure.  When Dave of My Gay Opinion invited me to Connecticut so we could meet a beloved singer/actress at the Rhode Island Comic-Con, he suggested a visit to New York City.  I immediately said yes to The Big Apple, obvi, and started to think of things I wanted to experience there.  The second thing I thought of was visiting a film location for FLESHPOT ON 42ND STREET in Staten Island.  I simply had to see where Andy Milligan lived in the early 1970’s and check out the street corner where the ending of FLESHPOT comes out of nowhere.
I am  wearing an orange shirt, a hemp necklace and mad scientist glasses while riding  on the Staten Island ferry with the Statue of Liberty and the background.
Who cares about the Statue of Liberty when there’s Andy Milligan?
After a ferry ride to Staten Island, an Uber and some confusion over which house was which, Dave figured out the location of 149 Corson Ave.  This is where Andy Milligan lived during the production of my favorite of his films. . 
Trees and shrubs surround the three-story blue gray house where Milligan once lived.
I think this is Andy’s house.
In FLESHPOT ON 42ND STREET, Andy’s house is where Bob (Harry Reems) lived and where the up and coming lawyer was hoping to have a future with hustler Dusty Cole (Laura Cannon ).  
The corner of Corson and Westervelt Ave in Staten Island, New York
Where a porn star legend died!
Down the street, at the corner of Corson and Westervelt Ave, is where (SPOILER ALERT) Bob is hit by a car, sending Dusty to huddle in a nearby stairwell before going back to being a hustler on 42nd Street. 
I emulate dusty Cole in fleshpot on 42nd street by huddling in a stairwell on Staten Island.
Sadly, I didn’t stay in New York City to live out my 42nd Street Hustler dreams
I know I only heard of Andy Milligan 4 years ago, but it was beyond amazing to walk the same sidewalks and streets of the grindhouse auteur.  While I can’t say I felt his spirit, I did feel high on the knowledge that Andy had been there.  
A Staten Island sidewalk with many steps, a stone wall on one side and shrubbery on the other, leading  to the corner of Corson and Westervelt Ave
Did Andy Milligan traverse the treacherous Staten Island sidewalks?
He also used 149 Corson Ave. as the primary location for a film I don’t love as much as FLESHPOT, but it has its charms… 
Another slanted view of the three-story blue gray house where Milligan once lived.
I regret I didn’t trespass closer.

BLOOD (1973) 
Poster for blood 1973 shows two photos of Regina, one looking like a vampire corpse and the other looking freshly alive! Text reads, sickening horror to haunt your nightmares.  A traditional Gothic horror makes this film unsuitable for children and some scenes may be disturbing to some members of the Public. A spine chiller.  In dripping blood color.  More text reads, written and directed by Andy Milligan.  Starring, Alan Berendt, hope stansbury, Patricia gaul.
Dr. Lawrence Orlovsky has found the perfect temporary home for his seemingly sickly wife Regina and his scientific experiments until he can deal with his crooked lawyer and move back to his father’s estate, but keep an eye out for the full moon.  The Staten Island structure will also be perfect for legless servant Orlando to wheel around in, just don’t ask him to go upstairs.  Orlando’s wife Carrie assists Lawrence in his experiments, despite a bum leg, which is a result of meddling with science.  Carlotta, the third servant, performs menial tasks and donates her blood to feed the man-eating plants in the cellar.  The man-eating plants are a key ingredient in a weekly injection to keep Regina alive. 
Regina‘s decomposing vampire face before treatment in a scene from blood
Who’s a pretty vampire?
It’s an Andy Milligan horror film, so there’s over the top drama, romance of sorts, side characters and plots that come and go, multiple murders and hints of incest.  Also, in case you haven’t figured it out, Lawrence is the son of the Wolf Man and Regina is the daughter of Dracula.  This supernatural pairing almost makes BLOOD Andy Milligan’s take on DARK SHADOWS.  The story is soapy enough, but it never quite reaches the sublime gothic atmosphere of the classic daytime drama. 
Regina and Lawrence, battle as vampire and werewolf while flames grow higher in a scene from blood
Not Barnabas and Quentin.
The acting is decent enough for this kind of film, but I want to give a special shout out to Hope Stansbury.  As with her role in THE RATS ARE COMING! THE WEREWOLVES ARE HERE! (1972), Ms. Stansbury brings a memorably off-kilter screen presence as Regina Orlovsky.  You’d swear the actress is on the brink of actually snapping and murdering her costars!  Tragically, her two other Milligan appearances, THE DEGENERATES and DEPRAVED! (both 1967), are lost films.  When checking her IMDb page, it appears Hope appeared as part of an “Off Broadway Family” in FOR LOVE OF IVY (1968) starring Sidney Poitier, which I am now very curious to see.  Also of note, Ms. Stansbury wrote Andy Milligan’s first film VAPORS (1965). 
Hope Stansbury as Regina looking angry with flowers in her hair in a scene from blood.
Regina…Fashion Icon!
In conclusion… It’s funny.  As much as I love John Waters and would get a kick out of visiting Baltimore, Maryland, visiting Andy Milligan’s neighborhood in Staten Island felt more exciting and profound.  Maybe I feel a deeper connection to Andy’s often corrosively cynical celluloid views of life or maybe I’m just sick in the head.  I mean, I still find much to enjoy in BLOOD even though it’s probably one of his lesser films.  So, if you’re sick like me, fully embrace your Andy Milligan obsession and watch BLOOD while mentally planning to stalk his ghost again.  Hey, it shall be a most noble Holy Crusade to visit the church of GURU THE MAD MONK!  

Freak Out, 
JLH

P.S. The last Andy Milligan film I blogged about was his very last film…
The dvd of Andy Milligan’s surgikill.
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If you enjoy a good soap opera…
The book, dark excursions, the complete set, by John L Harmon