FIGHTING MAD 1976

"When You Push Too far, Even A Peaceful Man Gets Fighting Mad"

   The third of three movies Jonathan Demme (SILENCE OF THE LAMBS) directed for Roger Corman, this followed CAGED HEAT (1974) and CRAZY MAMA (1975). Even though it was written by Demme (along with CAGED  HEAT), FIGHTING MAD had the most "work for hire" feel to it of all his Corman productions. Demme, even in his later work tended to be at his best when he focused on quirky characters and small-town oddballs such as in MELVIN AND HOWARD and in the underrated & unknown CITIZENS BAND. He also always seemed to favor strong female characters which one can see in CAGED HEAT and even in the sometimes silly & wacky CRAZY MAMA.

    Part of Corman's deal with 20th Century Fox which meant that Roger had a bit more money than usual for his productions that made for a slicker and bigger looking film (sometimes for the better & sometimes not), FIGHTING MAD mixes in some 70's Whole Earth Catalog ecology along with the then-popular hicksplotation (although here lacking moonshine), revenge such as WALKING TALL and BILLY JACK along with independent salt-of-the-earth folks fighting greedy corporations. 

     Stoic Tom Hunter (Peter Fonda (THE WILD ANGELS) travels back to his small Arkansas hometown with his young son. Through his monologue to his son, we learn that he's divorced and leaving "the big city" as he hated living there and his wife wouldn't leave with him. Returning to the family farm he finds his father Jeff (John Doucette PATTON) and his brother Charlie (a young Scott Glenn billed here as Scott Glen) engaged in battle with a greedy land developer Pierce Crabtree (TV actor Phillip Carey) who heads up the appropriately named Crabtree Corp. Seemingly wanting to run roughshod over the entire area Crabtree is busy throwing up shopping malls and adding strip mines while forcing the local townsfolk off their land at a fraction of its value while enlisting the help of the corrupt local law enforcement and hired strong-arm goons.

   Wasting no time in kicking things into gear Tom is back in town barely one day before his brother and sister-in-law are killed in a fiery car crash after being piled with liquor and he begins a relationship with his old flame Lorene Maddox (Lynn Lowry I DRINK YOUR BLOOD). The spineless & corrupt sheriff (Harry Northup BOXCAR BERTHA) along with Crabtree dismiss the crash as a "drunken accident" and when the shifty realtors show up at the family farm with legal paperwork and a model of the proposed shopping mall they plan to build on the families farmland Tom smashes the model and clobbers the evil realtors with a hoe. 

    With a film like this, you know what's coming and the way the plot unfolds and the character's motivation and reaction to the unfolding events that make it either work or not. Fonda was always an interesting actor and watching him balance his initial laid-back persona with his later vengeance-seeking righteous-driven character is interesting although the constant brooding and simmering anger go on too long sometimes (along with shots of earthmoving equipment & strip mines). Watching him commandeer a bulldozer to break-up a neighbors house repossession or calmy kill off the land developers in their expansive home with a bow and arrow is loads of fun. Crabtree and his posse of crooks seem to live together in a swanky ultra-modern house with interiors that look to be from a Playboy photoshoot. The bow & arrow is a bit perplexing it does reinforce the back-to-nature wronged man protecting his land and the way of life. The sequences of families being evicted by the developers and the bulldozing of their homes bring to mind the depression era and the WPA photographs of the '30s. As to be expected the action sequences and Fonda "putting it to man" are the best parts of the film. 

    The film's pacing is kind of choppy and sometimes has trouble keeping consistent pacing. Just when the action starts ramping up Fonda goes into a bar and broods for a while or stops by for a roll in the hay with Lynn Lowry. The secondary characters including Douchette and the young Scott Glenn all bring a sense of grounded realism to their characters and Carey brings an atmosphere of the slimy big businessman (and ultimately thoroughly evil) that make you want to cheer on Fonda's character even more. One of my favorite actresses Lynn Lowry has a rather thankless role here but as usual, brings a wonderful presence to the small role. She also contributes a couple of topless scenes that along with some bloody shootings barely nudge the film into an "R" rating by 1970's standards.

   The film bears a close approximation to New World's later BLACK OAK CONSPIRACY from 1977 and that film's producer and writer Jesse Vint would claim that he brought the story idea to New World and they "appropriated" it for FIGHTING MAD. They did later allow Vint to make his film and there is a sameness to the plots although FIGHTING MAD is a better film.  

    As mentioned before because this was one of Corman's films made in conjunction with Fox there's more of a feeling of "bigness" to the film including helicopter shots, a larger cast, and the use of actual Arkansas locations that work much better than the usual So. Cal. locations for New World films.  

   The schizophrenic music score by longtime Fonda friend and collaborator Bruce Langhorne is all over the map with banjo themed moments for the family and farm scenes and a jarring electronic score for the action sequences. There's also the classic plaintive harmonica the pops up every time somebody dies that we care about. 

   Not a great movie but a film that does what it's supposed to do and thanks to Fonda's performance which brings quiet simmering anger to the character rather than the over-the-top bloody revenge that's the usual hallmark of these films. 

   Available on DVD from Shout Factory with Charles S. Duplin's interesting MOVING VIOLATION which has a rare leading man and nice guy role for Stephen Mchattie and the always welcome Kay Lenz.

RACE WITH THE DEVIL 1975

"When You Race With The Devil...You'd Better Be Faster Then Hell !"

"God Help You When The Devil Wants You !"

    Combining two of the 1970's most beloved genres as in devil worshiping and the "road" movie (which in terms of 70's movie culture can both be traced back to the late 60's with ROSEMARY'S BABY and EASY RIDER from 1968 & 1969 respectively), RACE WITH THE DEVIL is almost the perfect example of what a 1970's drive-in movie should be. Everything comes together as you've got the leading man team of Peter Fonda & Warren Oates (in the second of three films they stared in together and who's real life friendship is evident here), a full speed ahead script by exploitation king Lee Frost along with his frequent collaborator Wes Bishop and direction by drive-in guru Jack Starrett. Plus you've got cinematography by Robert Jessup, a alternately buoyant/creepy score by Leonard Rosenman , AND Loretta Swit and Lara Parker (along with car & Winnebago chases along miles & miles of desolate highway, shotguns, motorcycles, R.G. Armstrong, rattlesnakes, devil worshiping, and Loretta & Lara in bathing suits !). Holy crap !

    During the 1970's the devil worshiping movie genre seems to have had a special affinity for the state of Texas (and the southwest in general with some being filmed in Mexico - particular Durango). Along with being a hotbed of low budget/exploitation film there was also the desolate eerie desert landscape along with miles & miles of lonely highway (both of which RACE WITH THE DEVIL takes full advantage of) that provided some ready made atomshere. These settings were also featured in THE DEVIL'S RAIN ("Heaven help us...when The Devil"s Rain" !), the low budget and eerie ENTER THE DEVIL from 1972 and the 1970 Dallas based MARK OF THE WITCH (which I want to do a post on someday).

    Buddies & motorcycle store co-owners Roger Marsh and Frank Stewart (Peter Fonda & Warren Oates) along with their wives Kelly and Alice (Lara Parker from DARK SHADOWS and Loretta Swit in the midst of MASH) head out from San Antonio in the Stewart's spankin' new RV (fully decked in 70's shag carpeting, wood paneling and plaid upholstery) for some skiing in Aspen. Along the way they stop at a secluded spot (with a creepy gnarly tree handily close by) for some overnight camping and later that night Roger and Frank secretly witness a satanic ritual and sacrifice under said gnarly tree which precipitates their pursuit by the satanic cult.
   Back in the local small town they look for help from the sheriff (played by R.G. Armstrong -most famous for playing religious characters of questionable sanity in Sam Peckinpah movies) and while the menfolk head out with sheriff R.G. to look for clues the wives find a note with runic symbols attached to the motor home. Continuing on their vacation the two couples are soon set upon by carloads and truckloads (along with RV parks & country/western bars !) full of belzebub followers - which seemingly comprise the entire state of Texas.
   The film beautifully sets up a premise of slowly encroaching evil combined with the growing (and justified) paranoia of the fleeing couples, such as with all the phones being out of order as the result of a "big wind up north". Although on afterthought the premise of literally everybody they come across as being part of the satanic horde seems a bit ludicrous the film moves at such a rapid pace and with such conviction that you can't help but get caught up in speeding 88 min. run time and forgive whatever shortcomings & plot holes there might be.

     The film features some pretty spectacular stunts with Peter Fonda even cambering atop the speeding RV to do battle with some pre Mad Max style highway destruction. Although the make and models of cars sometimes isn't consistent between chase & crash mode and dents seem to disappear and re-appear again these aren't notiched (unless you've seem the movie countless time like myself) as you are caught up in the gonzo crashing & burning vehicle mayhem (which comprise almost the entire last 1/3 of the film).
    Plot-wise Loretta and Lara as the wives aren't really given a whole lot to do as they only have a couple scenes together without the men such as when they discover the runic note and and later doing some research at a library, but for the most part they just attempt to cook meals in the constantly under attack RV (plus cleaning up the aftermath) and scream a whole bunch. Lara in particular really goes off the deep end after a rather gruesome scene involving a family pet and later when a couple of rattlesnakes are planted in the RV. In addition they both add some scenery for the publicity materials when they go swimming.

     Writers Frost and Bishop (who plays a deputy here) tone down their usual exploitation quota of sex (what no Uschi Digard cameo !) and violence as the pivotal sacrifice (and its attached nudity) is sorta obscured by fire and the while the violence later in the movie is startling for the most part is pretty much blood free. Available on a double feature from Shout Factory as both a DVD and bu-ray and paired with DIRTY MARY CRAZY LARRY, which also stars Peter Fonda (and Susan George !). I did a very short post on RACE WITH DEVIL earlier in this blog's history when the blu ray was announced but as I love this movie so much it felt like time to do an expanded one (and what the heck, it's my blog).

  

     
 
   
           

THE WILD ANGELS 1966

         

Their credo is violence....Their God is hate....And they call themselves "The Wild Angels" !

"We wanna be free ! We wanna be free to do what we wanna do. We wanna be free to ride. We wanna be free to ride our machines without being hassled by The Man !"

     By the mid 60’s Roger Corman was most likely getting a bit tired of Poe influenced Gothic horror (and plus saw a shrinking market with competition from Hammer) and looking to do something that didn’t involve cobwebs & crypts saw an article in Life magazine concerning outlaw motorcycle gangs. Although not the first motorcycle movie, THE WILD ANGELS was the one that kick started the genre in relation to the drive-in/exploitation market and first one to portray cyclists as truly dangerous anti-social violent criminals.

    The script was initially written by longtime A.I.P. scribe Charles B. Griffith and as presented to Corman had very little dialogue concentrating more on action whereupon Roger turned it over to Peter Bogdanovich (who also served has 2nd unit director & appears in a brief cameo) to beef up the characters a bit. Watching it today it still amazing to see what a wonderfully gritty little film it is (and filled with memorable quotes, as in Fonda’s closing epitaph – “There’s nowhere to go….”).
   Although as stars Peter Fonda and Nancy Sinatra maybe look a bit too well scrubbed and groomed (with Nancy particularly looking like a biker chick as would be cast on THE BRADY BUNCH). This is balanced out however by a scruffy performance by Bruce Dern as doomed biker “The Loser” (“Anybody got a straight cigarette…?”), a couple of off screen (although heavily implied) rapes, tons of Nazi regalia, drug use and to really get "the man" uptight – the desecration of a church (along with the minister).

    Opening with one of the more startling scenes in Corman’s career, as in tracking shot we see a child pedaling a tricycle down the sidewalks of Venice, Ca. when suddenly Peter Fonda’s motorcycle violently invades the frame and stops just short of hitting him while a young mother runs up to rescue the child. Peter as “Heavenly Blues” rides out to see “The Loser” (Dern) at his place of work in the Long Beach oil fields to inform him that his stolen chopper has been located and after getting into an altercation with his foreman (Dick Miller) Dern is fired.  Hooking up with Dern’s wife “Gaysh” (Dern’s real wife Diane Ladd), Fonda’s girlfriend Nancy Sinatra (who goes by “Mike” or “Monkey”) along the rest of the gang which is filled with familiar faces such as Michael Pollard (BONNIE & CLYDE), Gayle Hunnicutt (THE LEGEND OF HELL HOUSE) and and busy TV character actors Norman Alden & Joan Shawlee they head out to the desert town of Mecca to retrieve Dern’s bike (while catching the attention of the police and stopping along the way for some beer drinking, PG rated orgies and some sans Nancy bra & panties only carousing).

     After a run in with the police Dern steals a police motorcycle and during the ensuing chase is shot which nictitates the gang stealing his body from the hospital whereupon with medical attention he dies. The film climaxes with his funeral (complete with a Nazi flag draped coffin), which turns into a wild party complete with the widow being violently raped behind his coffin, a minister getting beaten & placed in a coffin and best of all Dern’s body hauled out his coffin and propped up with a joint in his mouth. Like most biker movies there isn’t really a whole lot going on plot-wise (the entire movie simply serves as a build-up for the climatic funeral), but thanks to Corman’s direction (which makes beautiful use of the widescreen) and some razor sharp editing by Monte Hellman THE WILD ANGELS moves along at a pretty decent clip even with the standard filler (lots of bikes tooling down desert highways & drunken carousing – but hey, that why you watch these !).

   It’s interesting to watch Fonda in this as a precursor to EASY RIDER (I swear sometimes you can see the gears turning in is his head as thinks about that future project) as he looks basically the same in both movies and its curious to think of his character in EASY RIDER as just being Heavenly Blues a few years down the road. Although Peter and Nancy are the nominal leads here it’s Bruce Dern who really shines here as “The Loser”. Always an interesting actor, his characters always seemingly to be with a tenuous grasp of their sanity, he bounced around between low budget stuff, T.V. and as a sniveling weasel in westerns (where he was usually killed by John Wayne or Clint Eastwood in the second or third reel except in THE COWBOYS where he memorably shoots Wayne in the back) before making a big impression with 1972’s SILENT RUNNING.

   As mentioned Nancy Sinatra looks a bit out of place here with her make-up, hairspray and turtlenecks, but does look cute as all heck on the back of Fonda’s cycle and was probably cast mostly on the basis of her recent chart hit These Boots Were Made For Walkin’. Plus in THE WILD ANGELS she does get to trade in on her tough chick image that was being promoted by her record label at the time. Sometimes her character seems oddly similar to Annette Funicello's in the A.I.P. beach music - the good hearted girl who just wants to settle down and get married and does truly seem like the biker mama you could take home to your real mother. 

  George Chakiris (WEST SIDE STORY) was originally suppose to play the role of Heavenly Blues but it turned out he couldn’t ride a motorcycle and insisted on a stuntman and a double so Corman bumped up Fonda (who was suppose to play the role of Loser) to the lead along with moving Dern up to a supporting role. Although the jackets in the movie are shown simply as “Angels San Pedro” Corman used actual members of the Hell’s Angels in the film, although Roger claims their participation was a bit hard to count on and later he got into a bit of a hassle with them concerning payment. Dern later said in interviews he got the crap beaten out of him on the set for wearing the official Hells Angels “colors” at one point. The Mike Curb soundtrack is preformed by Davie Allan and the Arrows (amongst a few other bands) and features the classic fuzz guitar opening theme as Fonda tolls down the interstate.