Search - Drive-In Cult Classics 3 on DVD

Larry N. from BEALETON, VA
Reviewed on 11/3/2015...

Single Room Furnished - Jayne Mansfield's last movie before she tragically died in a car crash, is arguably her finest film. She does an outstanding job as a dramatic actress. The supporting cast is very good and the story is decent. Jayne portrays an innocent woman that grows into a troubled life. It's in color and widescreen with a very good transfer. Jayne is gorgeous in this movie and well worth the time especially if you're a Mansfield fan. IMDB only gives this a 4.8 out of 10, but I rate it a 3.5 out of 5.

The Babysitter - A married assistant district attorney is blackmailed, by the girlfriend of a man accused of murder, with photos of him having an affair with his babysitter. The script is decent, the acting fair, but would have been better had it been filmed in color instead of black & white. I rate this a 2.5 out of 5.

Weekend with the Babysitter - For the first 15 minutes I thought I watching The Babysitter all over again. The babysitter had the same name and the father was portrayed by the same actor! At least this one is widescreen and in color. In this one, while the father is having a weekend affair with the babysitter, his junkie wife is getting mixed up in a drug deal off the coast of Mexico. The story was fair, but seemed incomplete. The acting was good by about half the cast and fair by the other half. I rate this one 2.5 out of 5 as well. The picture quality was way better, but the story was weaker and the ending seemed unfinished.

Blood Mania - IMDB calls this a horror, but it doesn't become a horror movie until almost the end. It does have a fairly complex plot, though. An attractive young woman (whom can't keep her clothes on throughout the movie) is in love with her ailing father's unscrupulous, married doctor. The doctor is being blackmailed for $50,000 for illegal abortions that he performed while in medical school. To win his affection, the woman agrees to give the doctor the money he needs from her inheritance, but she thinks it's for a tax debt and so she plots to kill her father. Things don't go as she planned and her life changes and things escalate. If I tell you any more, I'll ruin the movie for you. This movie features Alex Rocco as the lawyer and October 1967 Playboy Playmate of the Month Reagan Wilson as the doctor's wife. I rate this one a surprising 4.0 out 5.

Pink Angels - This claims to be a comedy, but I didn't find much humorous about it. This "biker" movie features Dan Hagerty, but he must have been hard up for work to appear in this turkey. It's about 6 transvestite, gay biker men on their way to a gay ball/cotillion in Los Angeles. I laughed twice during the whole movie. This one is now officially the worst movie I've ever seen. I rate this one a 0.5 out of 5.

The Pom Pom Girls - I don't know how they arrived at that title, but it's mostly about "pranks" between two rival high schools. It started with a burning dummy hanging from the edge of the roof of one school (potential arson?), then escalated to vandalism, then to destruction of personal property, then to grand theft and destruction of public property. Pranks? I wouldn't call them pranks. There's also a rivalry between two students at one school over their girlfriends and cars. It's a so-so movie. It stars the younger Robert Carradine and James Gammon. I rate it 2.5 out of 5.

Malibu Beach - There's no real story or point to this movie. It's about a bunch teenagers partying, cruising, and getting laid. If it wasn't for all of the topless scenes this movie would be completely worthless. I give it a 2.0 out of 5.

Van Nuys Blvd. - This is simply a movie about cruising Van Nuys Blvd along with the usual sexual antics and side trips. Very similar to Malibu Beach, but better. If you like conversion vans of the '70's, then this movie is for you! It features February 1973 Playboy Playmate of the Month/1974 Playmate of the Year Cynthia Wood. It also features Bill Adler who appeared in Malibu Beach and The Pom Pom Girls. Lots of cool street rods and a fair amount of nudity. Not too much substance to this movie, but it's one of the better of this genre. I rate this one a 3.0 out of 5.

1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.

Michael M. (bugsyboy) from LEAWOOD, KS
Reviewed on 8/9/2011...

Another fun selection of '70s teen flicks, 8 full length movies on 4 discs. Especially notable is an excellent film with Jayne Mansfield, her last film. These are fun movies and really allow you to remember the '70s in all its glory.

Another great set from our friends at BCI.

S. Messerer | Seattle, Washington USA | 10/16/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Here is another fine collection of Crown International Pictures' drive-in movie madness. You get eight classic b-movies all lovingly restored using new film transfers (with the exception of The Babysitter, which was mastered from PAL tape). I won't go into the plots of each film (I figure anyone who is seriously looking at this page already has an appreciation for schlock cinema and can navigate his/her way to IMDb) but I can tell you that the films look great. For example, Blood Mania's crisp, wide-screen picture looks about a thousand times better than its full frame VHS release; there are no scratches or drop-outs and the sound is fantastic.



I constantly look forward to all BCI/Navarre Corporation's releases and it always amazes me that they put out such quality products at a price far less than their competitors. Right now you can order this set for $8.99 brand-new from Amazon; that's $1.13 per film!!! A great deal! Again, the quality of these films is fantastic and it genuinely seems that whoever is mastering these sets has a real love for the genre; the transfers are great and there is always the surprising extra, for example, Van Nuys Blvd has a wonderful commentary track by the film's director, William Sachs.



If you are a life-long fan of drive-in/exploitation films or are someone who wants to know what it was all about, this collection provides a nice variety (teen, biker, beach party and horror) in the spectrum of classic cult cinema at an extremely affordable price.

"

The best of the Drive in DVD Series

Tom Anderson | NJ | 11/18/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The films and picture quality were very wonderful. While the other two box sets had some real duds on them, I am happy to say that every film on this box set was watchable, and enjoyable. While the movies are by no means oscar worthy, they deliver the trashy thrill fans of this genre will love. If you bought the other two, or were holding out, this is the one to grab. Happy Viewings!"

Like An Album With A Few Good Songs You Can't Part With

St. James | Los Angeles, CA | 07/01/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"VAN NUYS BLVD.

The best of this bunch, especially if you've ever actually been to Van Nuys, and the theme song is hilarious. It's mostly just a loose collection of scenes, very few of which have anything to do with cruising or Van Nuys Boulevard. It's really more of a California fantasy lifestyle teen flick than anything else, loosely based on car culture, sex in vans, the beach, etc. Director's commentary is only occasionally interesting but at least there is one. Some lame-brain comedic scenarios, a lot of toplessness, and one scene that would be right at home in American Pie. But in spite of product claims to the contrary, Bobby does not 'get involved with topless dancers and bikers'. There is dancing, there is toplessness, there are bikers of a sort, but that's not the same thing.



THE POM POM GIRLS

A fun dumb high school flick that isn't really about the Pom Pom Girls. It's mainly about rebellious football dudes (who are remarkably non-jock types) playing outrageous pranks on each other and their rival high school. Loose, freewheeling, unencumbered by plot, but enjoyable.



THE BABYSITTER

The only black-and-white movie in this bunch and a pretty solid b-movie that balances the legitimate acting of George E. Carey against the guilty pleasures of gratuitous sex, bikers, lesbians, psychedelic bands, etc. But who wrote the synopsis on the DVD package? Were they high, or did they write it two weeks after seeing it and confuse the details? Candy does not "take a job working for the powerful district attorney" - she has an affair with a prosecutor who works for the DA. Candy also does not "step in and blackmail the D.A." - she tries to stop a biker chick from blackmailing George, the prosecutor. Get your story straight, man!



BLOOD MANIA

Another fine example of exaggerated titling and bunko synopsis writing. There are 2 murders but it's hardly blood mania. Craig, a doctor who used to perform abortions, is being blackmailed for 50 grand by a hilariously miscast 'heavy'. One of Craig's patients is a wealthy old benefactor, the daughter of whom is a crazy art chick who is in love with Craig. She decides to kill the old man to get the inheritance money to solve Craig's blackmail problem, but it doesn't work. This has a Movie of the Week feel, for the most part. But again, the synopsis on the DVD package is way off - it is not about "a scorned daughter [who] murders her abortionist/physician father to get his inheritance and help out her junkie boyfriend."



WEEKEND WITH THE BABYSITTER

Written and produced by the star, George E. Carey, who also wrote, produced, and starred in The Babysitter. Almost the same film, just updated a bit and in color this time, with a subplot about a heroin addict wife getting caught up in a botched drug deal on a boat. There's a disconcerting combination of faux hippy culture, shamelessly age-inappropriate sex, and moments of unabashed sincerity. A strange mishmash of The Trip (lite), Hawaii Five-O and Lolita. And another cul-de-sac sudden ending.



MALIBU BEACH

Very light fare, typical beach movie.



THE PINK ANGELS

A bunch of queens on bikes, not in drag, and not funny or interesting. Gave up after 30 minutes.



SINGLE ROOM FURNISHED

Painfully horrible. Within 15 minutes you're in a digression within a digression and have the sinking feeling you stumbled into a black box theater where a scene study class is taking place. A blue collar couple is on a fake firescape talking about their not-actually poignant lives. The guy can't for the life of him fake a New York accent and can't stop moving his head with every word he speaks. Gave up after 30 minutes. Two nights later I picked up where I left off. That scene thankfully ended and another couple was introduced. They were no more watchable than the first, so I gave up again."