The B List: The National Society of Film Critics on the Low-Budget Beauties, Genre-Bending Mavericks, and Cult Classics We Love

257 Pages·2008·1.067 MB·English

by  David Sterritt, Dr. John C. Anderson

W
hat kind of collection could DAVID STERRITT is chairman of
possibly fi nd common the National Society of Film
ground among The Son of Critics and a fi lm professor at
Kong, Platoon, and Pink Columbia University. He lives
Flamingos? What kind of fevered minds near Santa Barbara, California.
could conceive of such a list? What are
the unheard-of qualities that tie them JOHN ANDERSON writes regularly
all together? for Variety, the New York Times, MATHTH
The answers: This book. The and Newsday. He lives in VERE LOE N
National Society of Film Critics. And Los Angeles. ICWAT
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their lack of what the culture cops call
“good taste.”
Featuring the choicest noir, neo-
noir, science fi ction, horror, western,
ALSO AVAILABLE
midnight movies, and more—from
critics like David Ansen, Jami Bernard,
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$D1a5 .C95a p/ o£ 9P.9r9e s/ s$17.00 CAN FAI LDMa Capo Original NO& TTI DAVID STERRITEDTI T&ED JBOY HN ANDERSON
A Member of the Perseus Books Group Cover design by Georgia A. Feldman
www.dacapopress.com Cover photograph by J. R. Eyerman/Time Life Pictures/Getty Images
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T B L
H E I S T
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ALSO FROM THE NATIONAL SOCIETY OF FILM CRITICS
The A List: The National Society
of Film Critics’ 100 Essential Films
(edited by Jay Carr)
The X List: The National Society of Film Critics’
Guide to the Movies That Turn Us On
(edited by Jami Bernard)
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T B L
H E I S T
The National Society of Film Critics on the
L O W- B U D G E T B E AU T I E S ,
G E N R E - B E N D I N G M AV E R I C K S ,
A N D C U LT C L A S S I C S W E L O V E
E D I T E D B Y D A V I D S T E R R I T T
A N D J O H N A N D E R S O N
DA CAPO PRESS
A Member of the Perseus Books Group
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Copyright © 2008 by David Sterritt and John Anderson
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written
permission of the publisher. Printed in the United States of America. For infor-
mation, address Da Capo Press, 11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142.
Set in 10.5 point Berkeley Book by the Perseus Books Group
Published by Da Capo Press
A Member of the Perseus Books Group
www.dacapopress.com
Da Capo Press books are available at special discounts for bulk purchases in the
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please contact the Special Markets Department at the Perseus Books Group, 2300
Chestnut Street, Suite 200, Philadelphia, PA 19103, or call [phone], ext.
5000, or e-mail [email protected].
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
The B list : the National Society of Film Critics on the low-budget beauties,
genre-bending mavericks, and cult classics we love / edited by David Sterritt
and John Anderson.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-306-81566-9 (alk. paper)
1. Motion pictures—Reviews. I. Sterritt, David. II. Anderson, John, 1955
March 10– III. National Society of Film Critics.
PN1995.N354 2008
791.43'75—dc22
2008011055
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
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Contents
INTRODUCTION xi
PART 1: OUT OF THE SHADOWS—FILM NOIR 1
DETOUR (1945) 3
by J. Hoberman
GUN CRAZY (1950) 7
by Richard T. Jameson
OUT OF THE PAST (1947) 11
by Stephanie Zacharek
PICKUP ON SOUTH STREET (1953) 14
by Ty Burr
KISS ME DEADLY (1955) 17
by Desson Thomson
CRIME WAVE (1954) 19
by Richard Schickel
MURDER BY CONTRACT (1958) 22
by Jay Carr
THE WELL (1951) 26
by David Sterritt
PART 2: NIGHTMARES IN TECHNICOLOR—NEO-NOIR 29
RESERVOIR DOGS (1992) 31
by Jami Bernard
THE LAST SEDUCTION (1994) 35
by John Anderson
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vi • Contents
ONE FALSE MOVE (1992) 38
by Sheila Benson
POINT BLANK (1967) 41
by Charles Taylor
TO LIVE AND DIE IN L.A. (1985) 45
by Matt Zoller Seitz
CROUPIER (1998) 49
by Kenneth Turan
PART 3: FROM GRINDHOUSE TO ART HOUSE—
MADNESS AND MELODRAMA 51
GRINDHOUSE (2007) 53
by Stephanie Zacharek
PEEPING TOM (1960) 59
by Roger Ebert
THE CONVERSATION (1974) 63
by Peter Keough
THE STEPFATHER (1987) 67
by Eleanor Ringel Cater
PRETTY POISON (1968) 70
by Peter Rainer
PART 4: THE ALLURE OF THE UNKNOWN—
SCIENCE FICTIONS 73
INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS (1956) 75
by Michael Sragow
THE BROTHER FROM ANOTHER PLANET (1984) 77
by Carrie Rickey
PRIMER (2004) 79
by Amy Taubin
RED PLANET MARS (1952) 83
by J. Hoberman
THE SPACE CHILDREN (1958) 87
by Chris Fujiwara
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Contents • vii
PART 5: DARK AND DISTURBING DREAMS—
FILMS OF HORROR AND TERROR 91
TALES FROM THE CRYPT (1972) 93
by Roger Ebert
THE FLY (1958) 95
by Chris Fujiwara
THE RAGE: CARRIE 2 (1999) 99
by Stuart Klawans
THE SON OF KONG (1933) 103
by Gerald Peary
I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE (1943) 107
by Carrie Rickey
MAY (2002) 110
by Roger Ebert
PART 6: BURNING UP THE BLACKTOP—ROAD MOVIES 113
STRANGER THAN PARADISE (1984) 115
by Amy Taubin
TWO-LANE BLACKTOP (1971) 119
by Sam Adams
VANISHING POINT (1971) 122
by Stephanie Zacharek
THE BIG BUS (1976) 125
by Kevin Thomas
PART 7: GUNFIGHTER NATION—THE WILD WESTERN 127
THE NAKED SPUR AND MAN OF THE WEST (1953, 1958) 129
by Jonathan Rosenbaum
WILL PENNY (1968) 134
by David Sterritt
SEVEN MEN FROM NOW (1956) 137
by Richard T. Jameson
FORTY GUNS (1957) 140
by Peter Travers
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viii • Contents
PART 8: UP AGAINST THE WALL!—
POLITICAL PICTURES 143
PLATOON (1986) 145
by Eleanor Ringel Cater
SALVADOR (1986) 148
by John Powers
THE PRESIDENT’S ANALYST (1967) 153
by James Verniere
MAN ON A STRING (1960) 156
by David Sterritt
HEROES FOR SALE (1933) 159
by Jay Carr
PART 9: WHOLE LOTTA SHAKIN’—
ROCK, POP,AND BEYOND 163
THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY (1978) 165
by David Ansen
KING CREOLE (1958) 168
by Gerald Peary
AMERICAN HOT WAX (1978) 171
by Charles Taylor
THE GIRL CAN’T HELP IT (1956) 175
by Carrie Rickey
GREENDALE (2003) 177
by Sam Adams
PART 10: PROVOCATION AND PERVERSITY—
CULT CLASSICS 181
VIDEODROME (1983) 183
by Dennis Lim
VAMPIRE’S KISS (1989) 186
by Rob Nelson
THE CORE (2003) 189
by Charles Taylor
BEAT THE DEVIL (1953) 192
by Roger Ebert
MONA (1970) 196
by Richard Corliss
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Contents • ix
PART 11: TRANSGRESSIVE CHIC—THE WORLD
OF MIDNIGHT MOVIES 199
PINK FLAMINGOS (1972) 201
by Roger Ebert
THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (1975) 203
by Kevin Thomas
TARGETS (1968) 205
by David Sterritt
NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968) 210
by Desson Thomson
ERASERHEAD (1977) 212
by David Sterritt
NOTES ON CONTRIBUTORS 217
PERMISSIONS 225
INDEX 229