DVD Releases We Dig This Week (08.07.12)

In the past few months, we've been enamoured of the releases by Olive Films, who has been tenacious at putting out material never before seen on disk (let alone VHS). Olive has even more exciting releases down the turnpike, which will be discussed at the appropriate times. Right now, we're thrilled to report that our new favourite DVD company is releasing the 1981 horror fave, The Boogens, this week.

One of the most-requested titles for DVD or Blu-Ray release, this tale concerns some scaly monsters who are discovered in a mine during an excavation, and continue their bloodshed anew. This flick was given a positive notice by author Stephen King in his non-fiction book Danse Macabre, and similarly won the hearts of those who had seen it during the drive-in glory days. Despite that the Republic VHS is still floating around, and that it has shown a couple of times on TCM, yours truly sheepishly admits to never having seen it, especially since it features cutie pie Rebecca Balding.

Ms. Balding was a teenage crush of mine after having viewed her good work in 1980's Silent Scream, in which the pretty young starlet showed strong dramatic talent and a spunky personality. That film and The Boogens hinted that she could have had a strong career in the 1980's as a new scream queen- alas she faded from the spotlight. 

Also of interest, The Boogens was directed by James L. Conway, who helmed many of those Sunn Classics paranormal documentaries in the 1970s, including In Search of Noah's Ark and Beyond And Back. Mr. Conway and Ms. Balding (who are married) are among those featured in the feature-length audio commentary track. Usually, Olive releases are bare-bones disks (which is a minor quibble since we're fortunate to see the films at all), but the commentary track should be a welcome bonus, especially since a mystique has developed around this little picture.

Check it out!

Kiss My Grits (1982)

Despite what you might gather from the title (perhaps added to capitalize on the catch phrase from the TV show "Alice", which was still hot at the time), this isn't really a freewheeling "good old boy" romp. Made when the cycle of rural exploitation pictures was grinding to a halt, this is a surprisingly dour little epic. Bruce Davison, of all people, has the lead role as a fun-loving screw-up who is being sent back to prison for breaking his parole, but hatches a scheme with his new girlfriend, a brassy blonde (Susan George) who is a kept woman of county tycoon Tony Franciosa, to rob the latter of some money and head to Mexico. Bruno Kirby has the bizarre supporting role as his slow-witted friend.

This would be the final picture made by Jack Starrett (who died in 1989), one of the better action directors of B pictures in the 1970's. But in truth, even his biker revenge flick Run Angel Run has more levity than this morose affair. It is more character-driven than his previous films, and certainly more downbeat than any other "good old boy" movie. One really feels the desperation of these characters, and understands their desire to make a last-ditch attempt at salvaging their lives. Rebecca Balding, the scream queen from Silent Scream and The Boogens steals the film in her one scene as Davison's ex-wife, who does a poor job at raising their son- she is a verbally abusive trailer tramp. (I hadn't realized it was her until I saw the credits.) This screen moment is sad and uncomfortably real. One even sees the helplessness in the smaller characters.