Four juvenile delinquent and drug-scare films from the ’50s and ’60s are presented by the American Genre Film Archive & Something Weird Video in Teenage Riot Video Party, now on Blu-ray via the Vinegar Syndrome partner label.
The Films
I love what the American Genre Film Archive does. AFGA, often working with Something Weird Video as they do here, does amazing work in keeping the weird and the wild, the cheap and creep films in the public eye. Or at least the eyes of people like me who like their specific curiosities of exploitation pictures, school fear flicks, and educational shorts. Here, AFGA and Something Weird present four teenage warning films about the terrors of drugs, jail, and overal delinquency, all silly to us but with overly serious narration, previously packaged separately on VHS and DVD via Something Weird but now all together.
First up is Lost, Lonely, and Vicious (1958), directed by Frank E. Myers. Running 72 minutes, it comes in teh wake of James Dean and his death. It’s got a full story and is decently put together, a story of a Dean-like actor, played by Ken Clayton, who swings from dull and draggy to surprisingly decent, who hits it big on his first go (remember, Dean only had 3 movies: Giant, Rebel Without a Cause, and East of Eden). Definitely a whole lot of people talking in cafes (as is the case in Teen Movies of the Era), but there’sa solid effort in this homegrown Alabama film about Hollywood!
Jacktown is the second feature, from 1962 and directed by William Martin is just shy of an hour. But this one has The Bad Seed herself, Patty McCormack! There’s a well-meaning earnestness to this that carries through. The plot setup is weird and a little sleazy. Listless dude spends his days wanting to be tough, hanging with some dudes. He makes out with a 14-year-old and gets hit for statutory rape (and this takes so long before the real plot of his prison time. Also weirdly uses footage of a real riot at the Michigan prison it’s based on, a bit incongruous to the story of a dude cleaning up in prison, pushing away bad influences, and endearing himself to the warden’s daughter over flowers (a bad seed grown well?). Gets rather preachy at the end, taking a bit of the fun away.
Speaking of preachy: 1956’s The Flaming Teen-age presents a set of “true stories” of druggies being saved by Jesus. Very much a PSA style, with the best (worst?) narration to drive through. It’s so on the nose it’s funny. With this, you’ll never guess what director Irvin S. Yeaworth will direct two years later… THE BLOB, also featuring “teens” who look old as hell. But that aspect is present across these films and others. Side note: people make fun of Grease for old teens, but it was specifically referencing these types of films and that thing.
Finally, what I think was my favorite: The Narcotic Story, directed by Robert Larson. From 1958, it’s from something called “Police Science” and clearly meant to educate police officers, but aspects feel like talking to teens. But like DARE, it might do more to teach people about drugs than push them away. It’s utterly hilarious in the world designed and presented here, especially in a skeezy malt shop and the reenactments from these setups. It just goes and goes, getting wilder and wilder for its full 78 minutes of DRUGS DRUG DRUGS. Think Reefer Madness in style and unintentional humor.
The Packaging
AFGA puts the whole thing on a single Blu-ray disc, with rather plain disc art with the title in black on a white background. But on the reverse, love the sleeve and slipcover art. Those, both different and have a wild design, wonderfully exploitative. It’s placed in a clear case with film images on the inside of the sleeve (the one here with a drawing of a kid’s head on a cross). A booklet is included.
The Presentation
Look, these are semi-educational films made for cheap in the 50s and 60s. They aren’t going to look good, nor do you want them to. But we do want to be able to see the image, so AFGA and Something Weird can upscale their sources enough to make it watchable while keeping the feel we want when watching exploitation films. The disc automatically starts with the Something Weird sizzle reel. Same as they’ve had for 30 years, which I still love to watch (and hear clips Rob Zombie took: USE MY BODY TO KEEP YOU ALIVE!). All features in English, with the sound pretty alright for the source. English subtitled.
The Features
Trailers and Drive-in Snipes
Trailers for other films of this sort, advertisements at the drive-in, commercials, and other ephemera of the era and style. Love watching these. (19m)
All-nite Slumber Party Mode
All four features and the above playing as one nearly 5-hour feature to get the full experience. Dig it.
Promotional Gallery
Print advertisements for the films on the program, including VHS cover scans.
Booklet
Something Weird’s Lisa Petrucci guides us through the films, providing information on the filming and methods, as well as how they’ve been distributed by Something Weird in the past.
Final Thoughts
AGFA/Something Weird/Vinegar Syndrome’s Teenage Riot Video Party isn’t a disc that’ll appeal to everyone. Like what AGFA/SW do best, they work with a specific niche of film viewers. I’m in the niche (I admit, my likes in film are very, very wide). For those who love these oddities of a specific sort, AGFA presents another great set (I love their Blood-A-Rama and trailer packs) for the weird.