The Flesh Eaters!

What a wild little movie! I knew nothing about this movie at all until a few months ago when I chanced on the information that Arnold Drake, longtime comic book writer, was involved with its production. That made it stand out and I began to investigate ultimately finding a relatively cheap copy on Amazon. I got to view this "cult classic" a few evenings back, and I have to say I was entertained.

The movie is crisply shot, with vivid scenes and some very oddly composed ones to boot. The limited setting is maximized, and I have to say they got more angles out of their beach than any movie I've seen. The creatures are convincing, at least in the beginning. And by the time the ultimate beasts appear, you are inside the "logic" of the movie. The ending is a hoot and a half, full of pseudo-science and offbeat action. Does it make sense? Probably not, but it sure is a bravura ending to a fun show.

The acting is pretty darn good for such a small production, and the girls are very pretty. The movie gets an odd sense of realism despite its tiny budget, or maybe because of it. The moviemakers here, Drake and Jack Curtis (of voiceover fame from Speed Racer no less) get the full bang for their tiny bucks. I'm very forgiving of cheap movies, rewarding them for hard work and clever effort, and this one scores high in all categories. There are pros here making a movie, they just don't have much money for the frills.



Arnold Drake who has since passed, wrote a neat little remembrance for the dvd release I watched. He talks about his partner Curtis and how he did a lot more on the movie than he has gotten credit for. It's worth checking out.

All in all, I give The Flesh Eaters a thumbs up. It's good entertainment, even if I wasn't quite "sterilized with fear".

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Speed Racer!

I've never much cared for Speed Racer. I never saw the show when I was young, and when I caught it on TV later it always confused me.

But the other day I was trying to burn up some credit at Best Buy and looking for something of interest. Their racks were bereft of vintage material in my price range, until I stumbled across a box set of dvds with the original Speed Racer cartoons from the late 60's. Attracted by the handsome package, I rolled the dice.

And I'm glad I did. The episodes are bright, colorful, and watching them carefully, they do indeed make sense. I've learned a lot about Speed and his family in the last 24 hours, and I have to say there's a lot to recommend here. I never imagined the cartoon was a blend of Elvis in Viva Las Vegas and James Bond in Goldfinger (the Aston Martin don't you know)-- a heady brew indeed. The Mach 5 is pretty dang cool I'll have to admit. And I don't know if it's me, but the characters seem vivid and real in ways I never imagined possible. I get a Jonny Quest vibe off the cartoon. There's a contrast between an exotic homelife and adventure that twists and turns in unexpected ways.



I'm anxious to see more and learn more about Speed and his world. I'd like to get a glance at some of the original Mangas, to get a sense of where the characters roots come from. I've never been a fan of Anime, but early examples do fascinate me somewhat for the historical context they thrive in.

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