2017 WRAP UP PART 3

By the time director Phil Karlson made BEN (1972), his best work was far behind him. Although his cult classic WALKING TALL (1973), offered some redemption, Karlson's best work was in the 1950s when he made a series of tough, two-fisted films noir including KANSAS CITY CONFIDENTIAL (1952), 99 RIVER STREET (1953), TIGHT SPOT (1955), 5 AGAINST THE HOUSE (1955), and THE PHENIX CITY STORY (1955). His two Matt Helm films, THE SILENCERS (1966) and THE WRECKING CREW (1969), were smarm fests for star Dean Martin. And BEN? Lord help us, BEN was a movie about an intelligent rat. A direct sequel to the surprise hit WILLARD (1971), BEN finds the title rat befriending an uber obnoxious lonely young boy, played by Lee Montgomery. Ben and his rat friends protect young Danny from bullies and cause other mayhem in Los Angeles before finally being roasted in the sewers beneath the city by LAPD cops with flame throwers (shades of THEM! (1954)). Genre vet Kenneth Tobey has little to do, Joseph Campanella is a frustrated police detective with a smoking problem, Arthur O'Connell is a newspaper report who is never seen reporting, young Meredith Baxter is Danny's older, teenage sister and Michael Jackson sings the Academy Award nominated title song. Thumbs down.

I grew up in the sixties and seventies and I've always had a special fondness for the cycle of "blaxploitation" films that were produced in the 1970s. I was a teenager at the time and while I didn't have access to all of the films (some of which never made it to Austin area movie houses), I loved the ones I was able to see. Sure, most of them are bad but they're a fond reminder of some of the best years of my young life and I unabashedly and unashamedly admit to liking them. Even the blaxploitation horror film BLACULA, a modern day spin on Dracula with a largely black cast. William Marshall is actually quite good in the title role. He brings a commanding presence to his portrayal of a cursed African prince resurrected into 1970s Los Angeles. The women, Vonetta McGee and Denise Nicholas, are lovely, there's a square jawed hero played by Thalmus Rasulala while Gordon Pinsent (a really bad actor and the token white man among the leads) is a hapless police detective. Extra points for featuring the great character actor Elisha Cook, Jr, as a hook-handed morgue attendant, who becomes a victim of one of the vampires. With wild clothes, vintage cars, and a decent amount of "soul music" on the soundtrack, BLACULA is a first rate guilty pleasure. Thumbs up.