2/25/02

American Nightmare (2001. USA. Monarch. Directed & written by Jon Keeyes. Cast: Debbie Rochon, Brandy Little, Johnny Sneed, Chris Ryan, and Brinke Stevens. Widescreen. Stereo. 91 minutes. Extras: “Making Of” featurette and music video.). When I see a movie such as American Nightmare, it makes me long for the good old days of drive-ins, when a film such as this could be screened and everyone would be so pumped they’d go to work, school, or the unemployment line and talk it up non-stop. American Nightmare is a straight forward, uncluttered story about a female serial killer--looking for kicks in Texas. The film opens as we see some kids in the woods getting butchered. A year later, a different bunch of people (although two of the girls are sisters to one of the previous victims) are together in a coffee bar listening to a pirate radio station called “American Nightmare.” The DJ has listeners call in to share their worst fears. Everyone takes a turn, but, unbeknownst to them, the killer is sitting at the next table. She hears each of their calls. Hmmmm. As can be expected, American Nightmare is a body count film--but unlike much of today’s dull, uninspired horror stories, there’s substance here. Jon Keeyes’ script has some nice twists and decent dialogue. His direction keeps things going at a brisk pace (no dull moments) and he’s able to make things very disturbing without using excessive gore. But, what makes American Nightmare worth purchasing is the performance from Debbie Rochon. She doesn’t just play the serial killer, she becomes the twisted, sicko we see on the screen. Debbie is downright frightening in this movie. It doesn’t matter if she’s spewing nasty tirades to her victims, brandishing a lengthy knife, being seductive, or just plain flipping out--she’s scary. My favorite moment in the movie is right after she buries someone alive. Over the now quiet, unmarked grave, she screams at the ground for no reason, falling to her knees as she stabs the dirt. Not dealing with a full deck here, are we? Debbie is a hard working veteran of the zero budget, indie world of filmmaking. However, I truly believe if American Nightmare had gotten a theatrical release, Debbie Rochon would be a household name today. She’s that good. With so many crappy films such as Valentine and Urban Legend making it to theaters, it’s unfortunate Jon Keeyes couldn’t convince someone to pick this up for distribution. It’s better than those aforementioned movies. Don’t miss American Nightmare DVD, I think you’ll have fun with it.

Caged Heat (1974. USA. New Concorde. Directed by Jonathan Demme. Cast: Juanita Brown, Roberta Collins, Erica Gavin, Ella Reid, Rainbeaux Smith, and Barbara Steele. Fullscreen. Mono. 79 minutes. Extras: Leonard Maltin interviews producer Roger Corman, original theatrical trailers, trailers for other New Concorde titles.). Caged Heat is an exploitation masterpiece, though I have my doubts, producer Roger Corman had that in mind when he signed the young Jonathan Demme to direct. I’m sure he wanted a set number of shower scenes, a bit of cat fighting, and lots of torture. Jonathan gave Roger that, but he also made a movie that non-fans of WIP flicks would appreciate. This has depth. Jonathan Demme’s screenplay brought in elements other WIP films would never consider. In many ways, it’s more a feminist movie than sexploitation (although seeing Roberta Collins and Rainbeaux Smith taking showers won’t disappoint the boys in the audience), and I’m sure people cheered as the beaten down prisoners took matters in their own hands. There’s a perverted doctor who wants to perform lobotomies, sadistic guards, and bad cops. Barbara Steele gives a strong performance as the wheelchaired bound warden, Rainbeaux Smith is perfect as the murdering hippie waif, and Roberta Collins does a great job as the kleptomaniac sexpot. Erica Gavin ties it all together as the girl who wouldn’t rat on her fellow drug dealing gang members so she’s doing time, while they’re free. Some wild nightmare sequences, a little bit of humor (the sexy prison show is downright funny), and lots of action. Oh, I almost forgot, John Cale’s soundtrack perfectly enhances what’s going on in the movie. Alternating between a sparse eerie viola and country blues (acoustic guitar and harp) Caged Heat’s soundtrack is superb. Caged Heat might have been Jonathan Demme’s first movie, but one would have never known that.

Cavegirl (1985). USA. Rhino. Directed by David Oliver. Cast: Cindy Ann Thompson and Daniel Roebuck. WS. Mono. 84 minutes. Extras: original trailer). Sometimes it’s absolutely amazing what turns up on DVD. Take Cave Girl for example. Even when Crown International originally shipped it to drive-ins few took it seriously. Now Rhino, as part of their Crown International series, has just released a widescreen version with a list price of only $9.98! Who would have ever thought? Daniel Roebuck is a geeky student who is constantly being picked on by the jerks at his High School. One day, while on a field trip, he’s accidently thrown back to the days of cavemen (don’t ask how this happens, it’s really not important). Now he’s faced with attacking wild animals, cannibals, and a script that’s just overflowing with cornball dialogue. Still, his life is better, thanks to cute cave girl Cindy Ann Thompson, who pops her top (not nearly enough), helps him cope with his new environment, and, oh yeah, she falls in love with him. Trust me, in her world, this nerd is cool. The special effects are weak and the story is, at best, silly. Still, Daniel Roebuck and Cindy Ann Thompson do the best they can. If pretty girls in very little clothing walking around what just might be a small town zoo sounds up your alley, check out Cavegirl.

Crater Lake Monster (1977. USA. Rhino. Directed by William R. Stromberg. Special effects by David Allen Cast: Richard Caradella and Glenn Roberts. Fullscreen. Mono. 85 minutes. Extras: original trailer). The Crater Lake Monster is another entry in Rhino’s Crown International series. One could nitpick and complain about the stilted acting, flawed script, and an ending that seem to be decided on because the producers ran out of money. For me, that’s not a problem. This is great Saturday afternoon creature feature fodder and should be immediately purchased by anyone raised by Zacharly or Dr. Shock. A crashing meteorite brings to life a dormant dinosaur. Not only is he awake, but he’s also angry and hungry. David Allen’s special effects are impressive--especially considering its budget--and some of the characters are hilarious--most notably the two dumb hillbillies. Crater Lake Monster is a hoot. With a list price of only $9.98, take a chance.

Great Texas Dynamite Chase (1976. USA. New Concorde. Directed by Michael Pressman. Cast: Claudia Jennings, Jocelyn Jones, and Johnny Crawford. Fullscreen. Mono. 90 minutes. Extras: Original theatrical trailer, biographies, and other New Concorde trailers.). Although barely remembered today (can you believe there isn’t one website dedicated to her), one time Playmate of the Year Claudia Jennings was the drive-in Queen of the seventies. With films such as Truck Stop Women, Gator Bait, and Unholy Rollers she proved one could be sexy without being stupid. Claudia Jennings’ characters liked having sex, but she wouldn’t take crap from any man. She could love, drive, and kill with the best of them. For me, Great Texas Dynamite Chase is her finest moment. She plays an escaped prisoner by the name of Candy who teams up with a recently fired bank teller, Ellie Jo, (Jocelyn Jones who was later in Tourist Trap). The two go on a bank robbing crime spree that has them using dynamite as their choice of weapons. Along the way, they pick up Slim (Johnny Crawford from the Rifleman), who aids them in their quest for knocking over every bank in existence. There’s plenty of sex (try erasing the memory of the romp in the bridal suite or seeing how Claudia paid for the dynamite!), gunfire, car chases, dumb cops, explosions, and, of course, Claudia and Jocelyn spending most of the movie in the shortest cut-off jeans in celluloid history. What makes this shine over other films of its ilk (including other Claudia Jennings’ movies) is the chemistry between the three leads. It’s unfortunate, Jocelyn Jones, Johnny Crawford, and Claudia Jennings couldn’t have done a sequel, as they worked extremely well together. VC readers looking for a true slice of 70s drive-in sex/action should immediately pick up The Great Texas Dynamite Chase. For those who might not know, The Queen of The Drive-Ins, Claudia Jennings, was killed in a head-on car collision in 1979. She was only 29 years old.

The Hearse: (1980. USA. Rhino. Directed by: Cast: Trish Van Devere. WS. Mono. 100 minutes. Extras: original theatrical trailer.). My memory must be failing me. I remember seeing this at the drive-in--but I thought it was dull, slow moving, and not very interesting. Then this week, when I popped this DVD into the player I was transfixed by its creepy quality. While not as vital as Night Tide or Carnival Of Souls, The Hearse can be lumped in with those eerie, more cerebral horror films. Trish Van Devere is a young woman who just inherited a house from her late aunt. She needs a change in her life. Her mother recently passed away and she had a complete mental breakdown. The relaxing country would be the best medicine for her. Wrong. She immediately finds nearly everyone in town despises her. They know something Trish Van Devere doesn’t--the house is haunted and her aunt is in league with the devil. She’s being followed by a hearse and nearly every character--but especially the minister, real estate agent, and her new love interest--are more than a little weird. The Hearse is perfect for sending chills down the spines of those who watch this late at night in an empty house.

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