★ 6 / 10
**_“Snakes, why did it have to be snakes?”_**
Wuchak
**_“Snakes, why did it have to be snakes?”_** A Seminole Vietnam vet lives in the remote Everglades (Chris Robinson) where his only friends are snakes. When…
**_“Snakes, why did it have to be snakes?”_**
A Seminole Vietnam vet lives in the remote Everglades (Chris Robinson) where his only friends are snakes. When people cross him, he lets them loose for what he considers justice.
“Stanley” (1972) was inspired by the surprise success of “Willard” 16 months prior, not to mention a little “Billy Jack” (including the low budget of the latter). The contemporaneous “Frogs” and “Blood Freak” had similarities and these would influence future flicks like “Blood Stalkers,” “Squirm” and “Empire of the Ants.”
Dark-haired Pamela Talus stands out on the female front as Vicky, but her part isn’t much more than a cameo. Blondish-auburn Susan Carroll has a bigger role as Susie while Marcia Knight is notable as “over the hill” belly dancer Gloria. The latter was 47 during shooting and easily had the figure of a woman half her age.
The flick is moody and takes its time (being 12 minutes longer than “Willard”). Despite its indie budget (costing $125,000, which would be equal to $1 million today), it’s spiced with insightful bits throughout; and the early 70’s milieu is entertaining, including the music (if you can stomach it). I like how the ending cleverly psychoanalyzes the protagonist (or is it antagonist?).
It runs 1 hour, 47 minutes, and was shot in the Everglades in southern Florida with town scenes done in Miami. A few animal sequences were shot in Homosassa, which is 75 miles north of Tampa.
GRADE: B-
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★ 6 / 10
Seen on Pittsburgh's Chiller Theater in 1976
kevinolzak
1971's "Stanley" is one of director Wiiliam Grefe's better known titles, others include "Sting of Death" in 1965, "Death Curse of Tartu" in 1966, "Impulse" in…
1971's "Stanley" is one of director Wiiliam Grefe's better known titles, others include "Sting of Death" in 1965, "Death Curse of Tartu" in 1966, "Impulse" in 1973 (a rare starring role for William Shatner), and "Mako: The Jaws of Death" in 1975, all of which were shot on location in Florida. I found myself captivated by the two pop songs on the soundtrack, both written and performed by Jack Vino, and produced by Steve Alaimo, who appears on screen as the villainous henchman Crail (former singer and host of WHERE THE ACTION IS). The opening credits are accompanied by the beautiful "Sparrow," which is briefly reprised during the end credits, while the other tune, "Start a New World," features late in the film, as Tim drives Susie in a boat to his swamp hideaway. Lyrically, both tracks are odes to the environment and they lend a kind of stature to a film populated with unsympathetic characters and a clichéd storyline in which Tim Ochopee (Chris Robinson), a half-breed Vietnam veteran, turns his back on his tribe and the rest of society to live in isolation with a family of rattlesnakes in the Everglades. Shortly after completing "The Godfather," Alex Rocco returns to his exploitation roots ("Blood Mania") by playing the lead villain, making belts out of reptile skins, and is also responsible for the shooting death of Tim's father. He also shows an unfatherly and creepy incestuous desire for his gorgeous blonde daughter Susie, played in her one and only film by Susan Carroll (even the distracted director calls attention to her bikini clad assets by focusing on her perfect ass from her opening scene). Television veteran Chris Robinson made his movie debut in the title role of Roger Corman's 1959 "Beast from Haunted Cave," creating the beast himself. A native of West Palm Beach, now residing in Miami, Robinson proved easily available for this rare leading role, working very well with his dangerous co-stars. The recent DVD release makes up for the numerous truncated VHS issues, none of which were intact at a full 106 minutes. "Stanley" made four appearances on Pittsburgh's Chiller Theater, on Nov 6 1976 (followed by Lugosi's original 1931 "Dracula"), and three more solo: Apr 28 1979, Dec 13 1980, and Jan 16 1982. As a footnote, I also have great fondness for another Chiller Theater classic with a terrific theme song, 1973's Texas-filmed "Horror High" aka "Twisted Brain," its song titled "Vernon's Theme," performed by Jerry Coward.
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4.6/10
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