As you may have picked up, I am quite fond of films that do not follow the template. That is, the big Hollywood template. I like to see films that push the boundaries and that may not be considered in the same league as the big companies’ blockbuster films. Now I spoke diplomatically. I like trash films, turkey films, quirky films and quality films. The difficult thing is to find the balance between these extremes. Anyway, I got it into my head that I would collect the Grindhouse Collection by 88 Films. I definitely like the concept that they have collected a lot of cult films that no one else would have thought of releasing.
The first in the series, because it is those beautiful numbers on the spines that almost forces you to collect the whole series, is Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death. Brilliant title for a film, perhaps not as well executed every time, but clearly entertaining. The film with the number 2 on its back – The Day Time Ended, looks to be just as entertaining if you can believe the pictures on the covers. But…
I can’t really get a grip on it. I know that John “Bud” Cardos has often been tasked with taking over a film when the previous director has been fired or something like that. However, I have no idea if that is the case with this film. I’m not saying that he has done a bad job in any way, but it is a bit too low-budget when it comes to effects, especially. Effects in 70s sci-fi can definitely be entertaining, depictions of the future can be extremely innovative. However, that is not true in this case…
Rather, it is about boringly executed stop-motion sequences without soul and heart. Camera montages are a bit too sloppily executed to be entertaining and the story itself is just… stupid! What
however, elevates films and actually makes them a bit interesting is the cast. Nothing special really but it’s fun to see Jim Davis in a role that isn’t Jock Ewing in Dallas! Small consolation for the painful film perhaps but definitely worth mentioning in the context. Then the film isn’t that long either, which is incredibly nice when it ends…
Translation of a review I wrote a few years ago in Swedish
