Being a B-movie fanatic, you can imagine I’ve seen my dose of shlocks. Some were indeed dreadful, but some were well worth the effort, like this two 'barely know70s flicks. First up is the supernatural TV movie of the week GOOD AGAINST EVIL (1977) starring the late Dack Rambo and a slew of well-known faces from the big or the small screen (Kim Cattrall, Richard Lynch…). To say this one is compelling would be a lie. Unintentionally funny is more like it. From first reel to last, Rambo and co. serve up the high jinx with all sorts of stupid moves, lame brain decisions in improbable, jaw-dropping situations. The story (if there is one) is simple enough. It revolves around the child of a devil worshipper, who, now grown up and working in a San Francisco dress shop (where there are no gay co-workers in sight !), just can’t seem to keep a good man down. Two words for that problem: San Francisco. Anyway. Unbeknownst to her, she is being offered to Satan who has a thing or two up his horns. While you don’t ever see The Beast in person you do see a ton of so bad it’s so good moments that the film becomes in a way almost as lovable as our next feature.
Produced in 1973, THE SEVERED ARM is the strongest of the two. It stars a bunch of unknowns (TVs THE WALTONS John Crawford and ALICE Marvin Kaplan being the most recognizable faces) who, after being saved from a collapsed mine and having almost come to eating one of their own (hence the title), start being knocked off one by one à la FRIDAY THE 13TH. This one does not play for laughs and is relatively well-made, even though some of the kills could have been better-handled (I’m thinking of the elevator scene, mostly), but in general the outcome is rather fetching. And the climax regarding the identity of the killer, though clearly evident, is still chillingly effective. We’re dealing with pros, and it shows. Why didn’t writer director Thomas S. Alderman ever continue on making films is a mystery. But I urge you to see his flick if you dig low-budget, unknown little Grindhouse gems.
