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THE STRAIGHT DOPE:
Roger Corman has been responsible for a lot of movies, some more
memorable than others. While Big Bad Mama might have faded into
obscurity as the Butch Cassidy - Bonnie and Clyde rip-off
that it was, the film has maintained its status as an exploitation
classic thanks to Corman's casting of Angie Dickinson as the titular
anti-hero. The film itself, a sloppy loop of shoot-outs, strip-teases,
and car-chases, doesn't work too hard to show us anything we haven't
already seen. It's Dickinson's performance, however, that really pulls it
together. As the depression-era Wilma McClatchie, she has a toughness and
vitality that few female - or male for that matter - action characters
can approach. She'll hoist a tommy gun to her hip as sure as she'll
seduce a man to get what she needs. What can you say about a character
that sleeps with both Tom Skeritt and William Shatner within
half-an-hour of one movie?
The story itself is classic: Wilma breaks up the marriage of one of her daughters Polly (Robbie Lee) and a
poor, honest farmer-type. Looking for greener pastures she throws her other daughter Billy Jean (Susan
Sennett), Polly, and Uncle Barney (Noble Willingham) in a car and hauls ass out of town. After a gunfight
leaves poor Barney dead, Wilma tries to pick up the family bootlegging business. Once she meets Skerritt's
Fred Diller she enters the world of bank robbery. Eventually Shatner's Baxter, a small-time hustler with
big-time style, enters the picture. The group becomes a ratty, make-shift family with dueling father figures
and two uncontrollable daughters. The film manages to explore family dynamics and emotions and still have
plenty of time for gratuitous nudity and banjo-scored shootouts. What could be better?
VIDEO:
The full-frame video shows the age and damage typical of a low-budget film from a company like Corman's.
Still, it looks pretty good, all things considered, with the grainy, dusty cinematography adding to the
toughness of the film.
AUDIO:
The mono audio is decent, with most dialog clear and understandable. The frantic finger-picking on the score
is perfect.
EXTRAS:
An interview with Corman conducted by Leornard Maltin (standard for Corman's releases) is interesting. Corman
always has a bit of a twinkle in his eye when he talks about his cinematic mischief and Maltin is game.
The disc also includes a selection of Corman trailers. It's not as jam-packed as some other Corman releases like Rock n' Roll High School, but for the price it
can't be beat.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Big Bad Mama may be a camp classic but it has a heart. Angie Dickinson's outrageous performance rules the roost and, with assists from Shatner, Skerritt, and the rest of the cast, makes this film a must see for fans of the genre.
Email Gil Jawetz at buskerdog@yahoo.com |
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