MovieChat Forums > Bloody Mama (1970) Discussion > Even For Corman

Even For Corman

posted 10 years ago by hackraytex
12 replies | jump to latest

I have just seen this movie for that first time since it came out in 1970 which makes it about 45 years. Roger Corman is in a class of his own and the first movie of his that I remember seeing is Attack Of The Crab Monsters. This indeed was one of his best although they played fast and loose with the fact but what can you expect from a Corman movie. It is best just to suspend reality and enjoy it. However, even for Corman, I think it was absurd for the last shootout scene that people showed up and plopped themselves down to watch it like we would a football game. It did not ruin the movie but that is the only thing I have issues with. All in all, worth watching again.

[–] mccoymike 10 years ago

Yes I just watched this movie and enjoyed for what it was... a two of four star yet entertaining type of movie until the ending with the ludicrous scarlet red paint for the blood effects and the "picnic crowd" which suddenly showed up in what was probably a 5 minute shootout.

Corman set up a "gangsters perspective" of the shooting cops and it showed these spectators less than 50 feet behind the cops right in the line of fire...Hilarious!

[–] dalldorfw 9 years ago

That's not really far-fetched at all; people used to show up to public-hangings as a foam of entertainment, how is it hard to believe that they'd want to watch a shootout?

[–] hackraytex 9 years ago

True However I guess none of these "spectators" gave thought to the way bullets were flying around that they could have been hit by a couple. As I said, in some Corman movies, one cannot let reality get in the way of a good story. As for public hangings, entertainment was indeed in short supply then and it was not likely that any of the spectators would get hit by stray bullets. Times have certainly changed and in this area perhaps for the better. It was not so long ago that staying alive was really a full time job.

[–] dalldorfw 9 years ago

"...in some Corman movies, one cannot let reality get in the way of a good story."

As it should be, but the climax of this movie still rings true; it's no secret that people are inherently stupid and I did hear that it has happened were authorities would have to try and clear away the spectators while engaged in a life or death struggled because people wanted to see a "real-life gunfight like in the cowboy pictures!" (not necessarily a direct quote) and never stopped to think about the possibility of getting shot.

I think you summed it up best; "Times have certainly changed and in this area perhaps for the better."

I believe public perception was different when this movie took place; in the wake of Columbine and the many other shootings that followed, people have developed a deeply seeded fear of guns and we are now more likely to run for cover like scarred rabbits at anything that can be mistaken for a gunshot, if only to record the incident on our iphones, so things haven't really changed THAT much, we've just learned to be more cautious.

Anyway, I found the scene believable.

[–] hackraytex 9 years ago

You have raised a good point that people are being conditioned to be afraid of guns. The gun cannot hurt you by itself, The time be on guard is when someone has a gun and is acting irrationally. The late Louis L'Amour, great Western writer, stated that a gun is a tool and like all tools has to be used only when absolutely necessary. When I was a child, there were guns in the house, but I was instructed time and again from the time I could understand the spoken language that I was to never to touch the guns without an adult there. When I got a b-b gun, I was very firmly instructed to not point it at anyone or anything. I got the message loud and clear and never did. Anyone with guns in the house needs to have this discussion with their children early in life and often. The world we live in now makes it necessary to be aware of our surroundings and try to look around for a place to take cover or escape if some nutcase starts shooting or acting stupid with a gun. Like the saying goes, "Guns don't kill people, bad people with guns kill people". Another one is "If you see something, say something". Sorry to get on my soapbox.

[–] dalldorfw 9 years ago

"You have raised a good point that people are being conditioned to be afraid of guns."

Thank you. I think that's really the problem people are having with the climax of the movie; sometimes one might forget that it's a period piece.

Back then we were careless, now we're paranoid. There should be a middle ground somewhere; I wonder when we'll find it...

[–] hackraytex 9 years ago

Amen! You sure nailed it. It is just the movies but how many times to we see people target practicing and there are houses or open fields behind the target. Sounds like the tech adviser was MIA.

[–] dalldorfw 9 years ago

True, but I wouldn't single out this flick, that happens in a lot of them.

[–] hackraytex 9 years ago

There are some people when they get a gun in their hand, they lose all common sense and that is as dangerous as those who want to cause harm. I have known a couple of such people that most of the trainers where I worked at would not train them and at least one trainer had to train the person alone because no one else wanted to be around this person when they had a gun in their hand.

[–] dalldorfw 9 years ago

Barker and her sons seem like those sort of people. They get something dangerous in their hands and are intoxicated with power.

[–] jmillerdp 9 years ago

"Hey, y'all, wanna go and see a bloody shootout?" "Sure! Let's pack up the fried chicken and go!"

I. Drink. Your. Milkshake! [slurp!] I DRINK IT UP! - Daniel Plainview - There Will Be Blood

[–] hackraytex 9 years ago

That was the most ridiculous part of the movie. It was hard to take the rest of it seriously but this scene took the cake.