GONE IN 60 SECONDS (1974) - Review

Gone in 60 Seconds

Action/Crime/Drama
1 hour and 38 minutes
Rated: PG

Written by: H. B. Halicki
Directed by: H. B. Halicki
Produced by: H. B. Halicki

Cast:
H. B. Halicki
Eleanor
Marion Busia
Jerry Daugirda
James McIntyre
George Cole
Ronald Halicki
Markos Kotsikos

Let the wrecking begin.

With warmer weather on the way, several of us cinephiles are beginning to experience what I always refer to as: drive-in nostalgia. Tis the season to want to spend your summer nights under the stars, behind the wheel of your, with a big bucket of buttery popcorn, enjoying some of the more obscure selections that the art of cinema has to offer. Nothing cures these moments of drive-in nostalgia like a good low-budget exploitation flick from the 1970s.

Gone in 60 Seconds may just be the most perfect car-chase film to come out of the carsploitation craze of this era in cinema. The film boasts its exploitation formula to its own benefit - keep the plot simple, the dialogue minimal but entertaining, and add in as much car chases and car crashes as humanly possible. Where else in the history of cinema are you going to find a motion-picture that gives top billing to one of its vehicles?

Obviously, this type of film making presents multiple issues, and perfection can hardly be achieved from it. The film dives right into the central plot without much in the way of introduction to any of the characters. While this is the norm, considering the focus of carsploitation movies is simply the cars, it presents an issue within the story itself. When our hero (played by writer, director, producer H. B. Halicki) is double-crossed by a friend just before the film's explosive forty-minute climax, one can't help but feel that it'd be a more effective film if we truly cared about our hero being ripped off by his close friend. Similarly, there is clearly a love connection between the hero and the character played by Marion Busia, but this too seems to be abandoned rather than explored in order to make room for car crashes. None of this is really a bad thing that negatively hurts the film. It makes it less effective, but the beauty of Gone in 60 Seconds is that it's a film that never tries to be anything more than what it is: a made for shocks, carsploitation film.

The dialogue throughout the film is actually well-written. There are very few circumstances of dialogue, but what is present either drives the main storyline forward, or presents comical situations between the main protagonists. An especially effective scene involves a stolen car full of heroin nearly being discovered by a friendly police sergeant. In another sequence, one of the film's more likable performers is nearly mauled to death by a tiger after he discovers it asleep in the back seat of a vehicle he is trying to steal (hello future reference in The Hangover?). 

What remains clearly the most astounding thing about Gone in 60 Seconds is exactly what is meant to be the most impressive thing about it: the car chases and car crashes. Prior to the climax even, the film boasts some awe inspiring moments, including a theft gone-wrong that leads to a midnight car chase. Unquestionably, though, it is the forty-minute climactic car chase that will stick with audiences in regards to this film whenever it is mentioned. With Halicki doing most of the stunt work himself, and real police cars, pedestrians, bikers, and plenty of others who were at risk - the final result may be the most spectacular car chase to ever be recorded on film. Edited together with such technical precision by the film's editor Warner Leighton, and photographed from almost every angle imaginable by cinematographer Jack Vacek, the climactic chase is bound to keep any viewer's heart rate well above its average beats per minute.

Despite a paint-by-numbers exploitation formula, Gone in 60 Seconds manages to be an incredible motion-picture due to its embracing of its simplicity, and its really going for it attitude when it comes to its carsploitation moments. And with a plot that manages to be fun and entertaining enough, the film remains a likable staple of 1970s exploitation cinema that deserves much more recognition than it has earned from just its awful Nicolas Cage remake alone.

8/10

HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES (2003) - Review

House of 1000 Corpses

Horror
1 hour and 29 minutes
Rated: R

Written by: Rob Zombie
Directed by: Rob Zombie
Produced by: Andy Gould

Cast:
Sid Haig
Bill Moseley
Matthew McGrory
Sheri Moon Zombie
Karen Black
Erin Daniels
Chris Hardwick
Jennifer Jostyn
Rainn Wilson

The most shocking tale of carnage ever seen.

The film that introduced Rob Zombie's horrific visions to horror fans everywhere. Zombie's heavy metal background led him perfectly into the world of horror - as there is quite frequently a crossover of fans from the rebellious genre of music to the equally rebellious genre of film. With White Zombie, Rob Zombie proved he could handle directing within the medium of music videos - but does that make him qualified as a director of narrative film?

House of 1000 Corpses was apparently an absolute nightmare when it came to the actual production of the film. Executives didn't have faith in their debut director, and were deeply concerned with the direction of the violence within the film. Worried that an NC-17 rating would be inevitable, the film was shelved for a few years. Luckily for Zombie, the film found a foothold with Lionsgate who at the time was making a name for themselves within the realm of horror, just like Zombie.

What seems to be the biggest issue with House of 1000 Corpses is its central identity crisis. At its core, the film is a blatant knockoff of Tobe Hooper's The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974). A group of friends traveling cross country on a road trip through 1970s America stumble upon a hitchhiker who ultimately leads them back to a house full of maniacs, sadists, killers, and, oh of course - cannibals. This generic storyline is juxtaposed to a psychedelic, kaleidoscopic world that showcases the true genius of Rob Zombie. The film is clearly the work of a heavy metal music video director. There are moments throughout the film that just seem to be placed there because Zombie enjoyed the psychedelic look they had. They serve no purpose to the story. The strongest, most creative, part of this film ends up being its hypnotic climax that occurs within an underground labyrinth. This moment, however, is unable to undo the damage done by the first seventy minute Texas Chain Saw ripoff storyline.

The cinematography - the work of Tom Richmond and Alex Poppas - is excellent. The color scheme can only be described as vibrant and kaleidoscopic, really showcasing that brilliant psychedelic feel that Zombie undoubtedly was going for. At the same time, the film feels dirty, and homegrown. A lot of the shots are handheld, and with quick editing by Kathryn Himoff, Robert K. Lambert, and Sean Lambert, the scares within the film do elicit more than one moment with the "jump factor".

Much like the story and visuals, the performances too within House seems to be very split. The then newcomers: Rainn Wilson, Chris Hardwick, and Erin Daniels give rather bland performances that don't ever make their way out of the archetypical horror film victim. Perhaps the issue is the audience isn't given enough time to get acquainted with these characters in order to really feel any sympathy for them. In fact, this is why House of 1000 Corpses fails to be a scary film. The audience identifies much more with the film's killers - who are unquestionably interesting characters - than they do its victims. Not shockingly, it is the performances of the genre legends that stand out as excellent within House. Sid Haig is clearly having fun portraying what has easily become his most idolized character of his lengthy career. It's fun to hear him deliver one great line after another. Karen Black gives what is probably the most spectacular performance of the film (and of her career). She's sinister, diabolical, and yet there's something sweet and relatable underneath all of this that really makes her character that much more real. Walton Goggins and Tom Towles are excellent, but are not given enough screen time, unfortunately. Towles shares a brilliant scene with Haig about halfway through the film. And finally, Sheri Moon Zombie comes across as just annoying and clearly inexperienced. Her scenes with Karen Black and Bill Moseley are the most painful, where her inexperience is juxtaposed to their brilliant delivery.

In the end, House of 1000 Corpses is an incredibly conflicted film that can truly be said to be a cinematic mess. It has some truly creative and brilliant moments, but these are ultimately buried by the film's paint-by-numbers horror film storyline and characters. Its saving grace is the brilliant casting of genre legends, who truly give it their all in this one and deliver some of the best performances of their careers.

5/10