My premise (or whatever you call the reason I’m doing this): is, well, because—that’s why!
Seriously, this is just something I’d do when I was bored—there’s only so much music you can listen to before it all starts running together (this was before the internet!)
My main problem—I’ve never written movie reviews. However, I have graded plenty of music performance reviews and…that would explain why I took so long to do this. I don’t know the proper form/format (and there is one!) and even if said proper form would be necessary. All I basically want to do is play the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon game with the Three Stooges. Considering they were active from 1925 to (roughly) 1975, it should be easy enough to find both large and small connections.
In fact, one connection occurred to me at the very beginning—William Shatner! Here’s another long-timer (even longer than the Stooges at this point!) and it was incredibly easy to connect Shatner to the Stooges in only one easy (cheesy) step!
Alexander (1965 TV pilot)=William Shatner+Adam West
The Outlaws Is Coming! (1965 Three Stooges film)=Adam West+the Three Stooges.
(Also, you get a bonus of not one, but TWO young Shatner photos…I never really thought of him as handsome–I was watching him act, but damn!
“Flesh Feast” is a horror film released in 1970, directed by Brad F. Grinter and starring Veronica Lake. Set in the world of secret experiments and dark science, the movie follows a deranged scientist who is determined to resurrect Adolf Hitler and his Third Reich using a bizarre method involving maggots. You haven’t lived until you hear the whisky and smoky tinged voice of Miss Lake say “Don’t you like my little maggots?” (Then begins laughing hysterically…but to be fair, there’s a bad imitation Hitler covered with craptacular makeup, white rice, and worms [not maggots]).
The fact that the film is low budget is no surprise–you can tell as soon as the title screen and music start blasting. For the Bad Movie Fan, this can only mean something good is coming and once you see BRAD “I’M A CHAINSMOKING NUDIST THAT ALSO MADE AN X-RATED CHRISTIAN FILM ABOUT A GODDAMN WERETURKEY!!!!!” GRINTER you know you’re in good-bad hands. To say that the film is dated is like saying the sun is hot or that I can’t link this film to the Three Stooges (y’all think I forgot about that? It’s coming.) The release date says 1970 (one of my favorite years for “if it’s the last film I’m gonna do) movies, but it was filmed in 1967 and sat on the shelf for a few years. If it had stayed on the shelf any longer, the gulf between the late 1960s and 1970s would’ve been even more glaring. According to the good folks of “Good Bad or Bad Bad” it seems that some foreign films were behind the times–the films they mentioned were usually Filipino films from the 1980s that looked (and sounded) like they came from 1976. Flesh Feast isn’t that bad–the fashions of the late 60s would work until say, 1974. After that, the ties, the sideburns, the women’s fashions, etc. would’ve been too hard to ignore (and for the bad movie fan, this would’ve just added to the fun!)
While the plot is intriguing, “Flesh Feast” falls short in terms of pacing and character development. The narrative tends to meander, with some scenes feeling unnecessary or out of place, because you’ve gotta get to that magic 80+ minutes to fill out that triple bill at the drive-in! It’s a b-movie, so it’s definitely going to drag a bit, but “bad movie” folks will just breeze over all that.
Looking at the makeup effects gives rise to the question “What could Rick Baker do with this?” Would we get something similar or would we get a slightly better “The Incredible Melting Man?” The makeup and practical effects in “Flesh Feast” are impressive given the limited resources, and the scenes involving maggots are genuinely disturbing…if you’ve never seen maggots before. However, the make-up team deserves credit for their attention in creating an unsettling atmosphere.
This is where I may differ from many of the more snarky reviewers–I don’t think Dame Judi Dench could do more with this material than Miss Lake. Her performance as the brilliant but disturbed scientist is a highlight of the film–she brings a bit of the Shatnerian/Savalas (yes, I’m comparing Veronica Lake to William Shatner and Telly Savalas, but stay with me here), but doesn’t overdo it–it’s like she’s playing Ravel’s Gaspard de la Nuit and brings the correct shading for the pedalling and the crescendos (Hey, gotta put that music performance degree to use!) She brings a creepy intensity to her character, making her both captivating and unsettling to watch. For those of you that thought she was just a pretty face and a head of glorious hair, you should’ve known better from watching her previous films–this is NOT the usual swan song (Skidoo, Blazing Stewardesses, Whatever That Last Movie Steven Seagal was in), it’s actually worth watching.
Ultimately, “Flesh Feast” is a flawed but intriguing horror film from the 1970s. It may not be for everyone, but fans of cult cinema and vintage horror will find something to appreciate in its eerie atmosphere and unconventional storyline.
Rating: 6/5 Stooges.
Now, how can I link this to the Three Stooges? Welp…Veronica Lake’s first movie was This Gun For Hire, co-starring Alan Ladd. Want to know who the ALMOST lead was? According to his interview in The Star Trek Interview Book, it was one DeForest Kelley. Now, what actors also starred on that show? One William Shatner, who was in a little 1964 pilot called Alexander, which co-starred one Adam “Batman” West. Now, what links West to the Stooges? Lemme tell you about a little film with a slight ungrammatical title…
This isn’t TECHNICALLY about movie mayhem, but it IS about musical madness, and since said subject was also in the 2nd Columbia Studio swan song of the Stooges, it’s fitting that the late, great Mr. West would show up here.
Speaking of great, the gentleman who runs this site is the guy who wrote David Bowie Made Me Gay! I’d heard about this book, but didn’t put 2 and 2 together until now! Darryl Bullock is his name, and World’s Worst Records is the site. If you thought I was obsessed over terrible movies, it turns out that there’s a MUSICAL EQUIVALENT!!!! Think of that–every time I cringe about terrible singers that sing PROFESSIONALLY, there’s a Doris Wishman (or worse!) equivalent in the musical world!
Enjoy the site, listen to the music, but make sure you leave any sort of musicianship at the door! (Trust me, you’ll go insane trying to figure out how wrong the arrangements, pitches, tonal qualities, etc. are!)
Okay, I said that I was going to overhaul sixdegreesofstoogeration and turn it into a (sort of) B-movie review site (I know, ANOTHER ONE!), but then I saw this on Something Awful, and it made me laugh.
I’m sure I can connect Donald Trump to the Three Stooges…just give me a moment.
Okay…DONE!
In 1989, Trump had a cameo in a “movie” titled “Ghosts Can’t Do It.”
Said movie also starred one Julie Newmar.
Ms. Newmar was in some show called “Batman.”
The star of that show, Adam West, also starred in the Three Stooges’ last (released) feature, “The Outlaws IS Coming!” (1965)
(Why, yes, I can connect the Stooges to most anything–why do you ask?)
Whether it’s a quick drawing Richard Boone (Google that, kids!) or,
a quickly made, high grossing comeback film, I suppose you could say that being a temp worker can be defined as “Have Position? Will Travel!” It can give you a feeling of overwhelm, anxiety, joy, exhilaration, and a deep feeling of “Why didn’t I try this before? What was I thinking?”
If you have held a position at a company for more than 10 years and suddenly find yourself on the outside looking in (aka: unemployed), temping could give you the shot in the confidence arm you so sorely need. (And trust me, you’ll need it!)
Degree of Stoogeration between Richard Boone and the Stooges? Four. One of the main writers for “Have Gun, Will Travel” was Gene Roddenberry of “Star Trek” fame. The star of “Star Trek”? (One of many!) William Shatner. Shortly before becoming Captain Kirk, Shatner had a starring role in an unsold TV pilot–“Alexander.” His co-star? One Adam West, who starred in the Stooges’ Columbia swan song, 1965’s “The Outlaws IS Coming!”
sixdegreesofstoogeration.wordpress.com 