Search - The Violent Years on DVD

EDDIE! EDDIE! EDDIE!

Gypsychick | miami, fl USA | 08/18/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Pajama parties, heavy petting, murder, mayhem, the mob, dope rings and illegitimate babies born behind bars. Ed Wood was way before his time. He was the original Jerry Springer. I am a firm believer that flicks like this must be reviewed by fans of the genre, because let's face it - who else would want to watch them? For you fans, this one is a keeper, in a hilarious "Reefer Madness" sort of way. The plot is typical Wood fare and the actors struggle bravely to keep up with the speed of the film running through the camera. Rich spoiled babes stick up gas stations, rip the clothes off good gals and force rich guys to do their bidding. I wonder which part of Ed's brain brought this premise to paper. It's one of those "do you know where your children are?" horror stories. I give this debacle four stars because despite the subject manner, lack of decent actors, script, props and...for that matter...plot...Ed Wood followed his dream. He got his films made. So you "roughie" and "thrill kitten" fans, give this a whirl. Everyone else should run quickly in the opposite direction."

A quartet of leather-jacketed delinquent devil-dolls...

Lawrance M. Bernabo | The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota | 06/21/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

""The Violent Years" is a camp classic with the emphasis on the camp. This 1956 film scripted by the legendary bad movie director Ed Wood (the film is actually directed by William Morgan) begins with four young hellions walking disdainfully by a blackboard on which the rules of propriety have been written. Meanwhile, a narrator intones: "This is a story of violence, of violence born in the uncontrolled passions of adolescent youth and fostered by this generation of parents, those who, in their own smug little world of selfish interests and confused ideas of parental supervision, refuse to believe today's glaring headlines." There is Georgia (Theresa Hancock), Geraldine (Joanne Cangi), Phyllis (Gloria Farr), and the leader of the pack, Paula Parkins (Jean Moorhead). Paula's parents are too busy to have heart to hearts with their little girl anymore and so she and the other gals start up a gang so they can rob gas stations, attacks young men at Lover's Lane, and mainly having as much fun as they can on the road to Hell.
Now, as you have come to expect with any film bearing the Ed Wood label, the dialogue is horrible, the acting is nonexistent, and the lecture the judge gives Paula's parents at the end of the film is an absolute hoot, all of which speaks to the appeal of this film. It is so bad that you keep munching on the popcorn through all the pajama parties, heavy petting, murder, mayhem, dope rings, and the baby born in jail to keep your jaw from laying on the floor. On this Rhino video the 70-minute film is sandwiched by the commentary of former teenage thrill kitten Mamie Van Doren (star of such classics as "Untamed Youth," "High School Confidential," and "Girls Town") who makes a series of lame jokes. But the theme songs for "Teenage Theater," which both starts and ends the tape, sets the stage for this camp classic and gets you in the proper mood. This is not a first tier Ed Wood film but it is still enjoyably bad and you can make up your own crude jokes and barbs even if, like me, you missed this particular turkey on "MST3K.""

Camp classic

LightJesusMaryLover | 06/08/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is my all-time fave film to laugh at. The thing is, it's NOT a comedy; it's a deadly serious "cautionary tale" about parents ignoring their children, who as a result turn to delinquency and the ramifications for everyone around. For this film alone, Ed Wood Jr (who wrote the screenplay but did not direct it) deserves to be remembered."

A Modern Classic

LightJesusMaryLover | 05/31/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Very close to Russ Meyer territory- guns, women, violence, a wimpy guy getting what he so richly deserves. Another classic from the fertile mind of Mr. Wood. If only the original casting proposal of Donna Reed and Dinah Shore as two of the girl JD's had gone through, this would have been on everybody's "100 greatest" list."