Roger Corman Double Feature: Crazy Mama/The Lady In Red – DVD Review

The Flicks:

Crazy Mama (1976): Roger Corman has launched countless careers, and here we get to see the beginning of a famous one: Oscar Winner Jonathan Demme. Twenty-five years before he would director The Silence Of The Lambs he directed this small gem of a road movie. Set in 1958, Cloris Leachman stars as Melba Stokes, who runs a beauty parlor with her mother Sheba (Ann Sothern) and her teenage daughter Cheryl (Linda Purl). When the shop is repossessed, Melba packs up the family and hits the road in an effort to reclaim her family home in Arkansas. Aided by Cheryl’s beleaguered boyfriend (Happy Days’ Don Most), a greaser (Brian Englund) and an old lady gambler (a scene stealing Merie Earle), they joyride through five states on a wild, hilarious crime spree.

This film is slow moving, but pleasant. Set to an excellent soundtrack of 50’s surf music, this is a perfect movie for a Sunday afternoon. Featuring a good mix of comedy and action, it also has a strong message about the importance of family and accepting that which you cannot change.

Also, it’s nice to see small glimpses of Demme’s emerging talent. An interesting camera angle here, a smart cut there really let you see why Demme became a great filmmaker. This movie proves again that Roger Corman had an eye for talent.

The Lady In Red (1979): The legend of 30’s gangster John Dillinger and his death outside The Biograph Theater has been told many times. But this film takes a refreshingly different route in telling the story. Here we see it through the eyes of Polly Franklin (Pamela Sue Martin), the “lady in red” who would be the signal for the FBI to come in firing on that fateful Chicago night. Escaping her abusive father after briefly being held hostage by bank robbers, Polly heads to Chicago to make it as a dancer. Instead, she winds up imprisoned for soliciting prostitution, left at the hands of evil female warden Tiny Alice (a menacing Nancy Anne Parsons). Striking a deal with Alice, Polly goes to work at a house of ill repute run by Anna (Oscar Winner Louise Fletcher). From there she meets and falls in love with John Dillinger. And the rest, as they say, is history.

This is a truly outstanding gangster movie. Pamela Sue Martin gives an assured lead performance as a woman who starts out a farm girl and is transformed into a classy gun moll. The film is stacked with great characters and performances including Robert Conrad as Dillinger, Christopher Lloyd (Doc Brown himself!) as slimy gangster Frognose, and Oscar Nominee Robert Forster as a smooth hit man with a soft spot for Polly. Throw in a sharp screenplay by John Sayles (Lone Star) and ace 30’s music by James Horner (Aliens) and you have a sure fire crowd pleaser.

The main thing about this movie that makes it great is the fact that it transcends its genre. It doesn’t feel like a “wink wink, nudge nudge” B-movie. It genuinely functions as compelling drama punctuated by thrilling, bloody action. It’s much more than just gunfights and sex. Something very few low budget exploitation films have ever achieved.

The DVD:

Audio/Video: Shout Factory once again provides a great transfer. They keep in all the scratches and cigarette burns, while cleaning up the picture enough to make it watchable. As for sound, the original audio is sometimes in less than great shape, but it is never too big of a problem for the viewer.

Special Features, Crazy Mama:

Commentary with Jonathan Demme and Roger Corman: A little fluffy, but Demme and Corman have a great rapport. They relate some memorable stories about the film.

Interview with Jonathan Demme and Roger Corman: Two cinema greats talk shop. A must see.

Trailers/TV Spots: Skip the standard trailers for the movie and watch the fabulously gritty trailers for Caged Heat (also directed by Demme) and The Big Bird Cage (starring Pam Grier).

Special Features, The Lady In Red:

Commentary with director Lewis Teague and actor Robert Forster: We don’t get too much from Forster, but Teague speaks frankly about shooting on a low budget. Check this one out if you want to some tips and tricks on filmmaking.

Commentary with producer Julie Corman and writer John Sayles: John Sayles is a film and history encyclopedia. Hearing him speak about how the story’s history informed his script is fascinating. Julie Corman, Roger’s wife to this day, talks about how the creative team came together to make the film for so little money.

Trailers: Check out the trailer with the films much pulpier original title Guns, Sin And Bathtub Gin.

Conclusion: A little light on features, but a must buy for genre fans and anyone who loves gangster movies. Definitely track down this double feature of under seen crime treasures.

The Flicks: Crazy Mama Rating: ,
The Lady In Red Rating:
The DVD: Rating:

Adam Fiske

More Posts