Thursday, May 26, 2011

Poor Pretty Eddie (1975, Richard Robinson)



 Released on April 26 by Cultra/HD Cinema Classics, Poor Pretty Eddie is a long lost, backwoods horror film.  I honestly hadn't heard of this film before recently but since I love "oh crap my car broke down in the middle of nowhere and the only people around are bat shit crazy" movies, I had to see it.  The fact it was being released in a DVD/Blu Ray combo pack and featured a bunch of bonus features also helped my decision to check this one out.

Singer and Actress Leslie Uggams (The Love Boat) plays Liz Weatherly, a famous singer who goes on a road trip to have some time alone.  Unfortunately her car breaks down in the middle of nowhere and she seeks refuge at an isolated, run down set of cabins.  The owner is a washed up, ex-celebrity named Bertha (Shelley Winters) and she is accompanied by her wannabe country singin' boy toy Eddie (Michael Christian) and her servant Keno (Ted "Lurch from the Addams Family" Cassidy).  Bertha wants Liz gone asap because she is afraid Eddie will go for the younger woman.  Well folks, that is an understatement as Eddie assaults Liz and after one of the oddest court cases I've witnessed on film, he seeks to make Liz his bride.  Oh, did I mention Eddie has a thing for Rhinestone-Studded Elvis suits?


Poor Pretty Eddie is a shining example of how fun, sick and weird 70s exploitation cinema could get.  Filled with slow motion action scenes (even the actor's voices are in slow motion), some great performances by a great cast (look for Slim Pickens as the no good Sheriff) and a script that seems to go where you least expect it to - Poor Pretty Eddie is a wild rollercoaster ride.  My only real gripe with the film is that it gets a little too weird at times and loses focus (Eddie's "musical performances" for example).  Overall though, it should please any fan of backwoods horror, grindhouse, exploitation and 70's cult.  HD Cinema Classics breathes new life into this old B movie with a fantastic release.  The picture quality (especially for such a low budget film) is stunning and it includes a nice set of special features (commentary by film historian Joe Rubins and the film's cinematographer David Worth, an essay on the film, a trailer and a demonstration showing the restoration of the film for this DVD/Blu Ray release).

RATING:  7/10

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