THE FEMALE BUNCH

We have a plane. Do you have a plane?

As I mentioned at the show I love the dusty, greasy grime of Al Adamson's movies. They're grimy in many ways, not only visually but spiritually, but then aren't we all? Who among us is so clean that he can cast the first bar of soap at THE FEMALE BUNCH?

It's the kind of movie I never want to get away from at Weird Wednesday. I think you can learn so much more about the era from watching THE FEMALE BUNCH than from reading a dozen textbooks. It's endlessly fascinating to me, though I realize some people may have felt bored at times from the sheer slackness and repetitiveness of the narrative.

I don't know what's wrong with me but I could watch those shaky zooms, the caked on makeup, the makeshift locations, the mismatched reaction shots, the gags that fall flat - over and over again for hours. If this was sixteen hours long I would watch the whole thing - like BERLIN ALEXANDERPLATZ. In fact, I just felt a little shudder go up my spine at the imaginary possibility of a 16 hour cut of THE FEMALE BUNCH. I want to live in that world for a little while - even though I'll probably end up with a cross branded into my forehead. Worth it.

My favorite part is Lon Chaney Jr. playing an actual role at this very late stage in his life and career. The very fact that in 2008 an audience of 200 people mostly in their '20s, most with no conception of who Lon Chaney Jr. or Sr. was, lustily applauded him makes me very proud of this film series.

My buddy Gary Kent mentioned recently in an email that Al's usual producer Sam Sherman and Daniel Roebuck are working on an Al Adamson biopic. Say what? That's crazy. The story of Al's death is pretty interesting, though I'm a little tired of recounting it. Read it here.