galacticjourney

[if you’re new to the Journey, reference this summary article to see what we’re all about.]


by Gideon Marcus

The specter of atomic destruction has been with us for more than a decade, ever since the Soviets detonated their first A-bomb in 1949. Both the US and USSR have developed vast bomber squadrons and now missile and submarine fleets rendering every place on Earth vulnerable. Not surprisingly, a new genre of fiction has been spawned – the post-apocalyptic story. Books like Alas, Babylon and movies such as On the Beach (originally a novel).



The latest example is a tiny-budgeted film by schlockhouse American Independent Pictures, Panic in Year Zero. The Young Traveler and I saw Panic at opening night, July 5. There was a big promotional event headlined by Frankie Avalon, and I understand the picture made back its budget in just the evening L.A. showings! The film has already generated some positive buzz, and I suspect it'll be the surprise hit of the summer.



(see the rest at Galactic Journey!)

The motion picture industry has been in decline for fifteen years, leaving movie houses owners pondering this humdinger:

"How do we get more folks through our doors?"

One way has been to aim for the pocketbook. Offer two movies for the price of one, the so-called "double feature." Only, it hasn't worked out so well, and the practice seems to be dying out.

The issue seems to be one of quality. What good does it do to get a second movie for free if it's not worth the time spent to endure it? Especially now that the allure of the theater is diminished by the spread of home air conditioning and television? This is why Hollywood is now turning to true spectacles to pack the seats: Ben Hur, The Ten Commandments. the upcoming Spartacus. These are epics for which the small screen just won't cut it. They may be what saves the industry.

This is not to say that B-movies, the second bananas in a double-bill, are history. In fact, my family and I just went to the cinema to watch what can only be described as a Double B feature: a pairing of The Last Woman on Earth and Little Shop of Horrors. I suppose that makes one of them a C-movie! Both are by Roger Corman, renowned for making low-budget schlock. He has a talent for squeezing the most out of a tiny purse, and much of what he produces has surprising merit.

I talked about The Last Woman on Earth in my last piece. This time around, let's look at Little Shop of Horrors.



(see the rest at Galactic Journey!)