Crazy Mama
Director Jonathan Demme delivers another dark comedy that's a must-see. In this joyous, unrelentlessly kitschy celebration of 1950s America, three outlaw ladies head back to their hometown to take over a family farm that was lost during the Great Depression. Along the way, the ladies pick up some strange men -- each of whom has a beef with the establishment and a penchant for criminal retribution.
Member Reviews
70's Exploitation Flick with Wasted Talent - Gregg
A mid-seventies drive-in flick from producer Roger Corman that wouldn’t likely warrant much notice but for the fact it’s the second feature from director Jonathan Demme (Silence of the Lambs).
Typical story of the exploitation genre, begins decades earlier with family patriarch shot while being evicted from his farm in Arkansas. Flash forward to the 50’s and Melba (Cloris Leachman) the farmer’s daughter along with her mother (Ann Sothern) and daughter (Linda Purl) are evicted from their beauty parlor in California. Melba with family and hangers on (Stuart Whitman, Don Most) in tow decides they will return to the family farm and buy it back by initiating a cross country crime spree more in keeping with the 30’s than the 50’s.
There are elements here that hint at a talented director in the making but the budget and the material with which the film is saddled really keep this from being any more than a cheap exploitation flick intended for the drive- in’s.
The film manages some of the sex and violence that one would associate with this kind of film but strangely they are both somewhat subdued by the odd decision to make this film for a PG rating. The laughs were not forth coming for me, perhaps the low brow approach would be more effective in an accomodating theater or drive-in. Either that or its directed to a different audience than I represent or its just outdated.
The extras for such a film are surprising, again due to Demme’s subsequent career success. We get a commentary track from Demme and Corman (interesting conversation at times but the familiarity of both with the film is often lacking), a conversation between Demme and Corman, some brief text biographical information on the principles as well as trailers for both this films and other Corman films.
Member Reviews
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70's Exploitation Flick with Wasted Talent - Gregg
A mid-seventies drive-in flick from producer Roger Corman that wouldn’t likely warrant much notice but for the fact it’s the second feature from director Jonathan Demme (Silence of the Lambs).
Typical story of the exploitation genre, begins decades ...