Amazon.com Customer Reviews
 Rated 3 out of 5
American International strikes again
This is ok as a drive in movie and that is about it. I did like the beatnik atmosphere, the nerdy performance by the lead actor, and the sarcastic portrayal of this phony art crowd but the film is basically a one idea, three set movie that could only work as the second film on a double bill. When American International had a wildly exploitive script (like the superior "Wild in the streets"), they could do some interesting films but most of their output was kitsch or schlock. This is in the latter category.- Rated 3 out of 5
Beatniks trump horror
As a horror film it’’s a complete failure, but as a satire of
the beatnik area and its artistic pretensions it’’s a classic.
Too bad it wasn’’t shot in the lurid Technicolor of that era instead of b&w. Sticking Vincent Price somewhere in the movie would have been a nice touch, too. Oh, there were such possibilities here. Still, for a film that looks as if it was shot in three days ...it’’s pretty good. - Rated 3 out of 5
Cat lovers might wince at this one
The only facet of this clever, funny thriller that suggests its low-budget origins are the limited number of sets (with small exception, all the action takes place in a coffeehouse; the alley behind the coffeehouse; and Dick Miller’’s apartment). Everything else about the movie is perfectly fine, in particular Roger Corman’’s interesting direction and a script that refuses to be pigeonholed into one particular genre. If you prefer your thrillers to be a little quirky or off-center, check this one out. The MGM DVD delivers a good print-- standard format, alas, but no major cropping seems evident. Unfortunately, the promised trailer is nowhere to be found, but don’’t let that fact be a deal-breaker. After all, not many low-budget thrillers from the old days offer much entertainment beyond "schlock" value, so don’’t let a genuinely interesting entry from that era pass you by!
|
|
