Roger Corman's 1970 effort GAS-S-S-S is not a good movie, but it is so full up with kitsch, that it deserves the "cult following" it undoubtedly has out there somewhere. It also has Ben Vereen, Talia Shire and Cindy Williams of Laverne and Shirley fame. (Yes, really).GAS-S-S-S chronicles a psychedelic roadtrip through the Southwest after a mysterious gas is accidentally released by the government and kills everyone over the age of 25. (Funny to think that age was once the great American divider instead of political inclination)
Oh how you will dig the animated introduction, the trippy football/cheerleader apocalypse montage, the zany golf course turned police state, and the enigmatic Oracle. I'll let you discover arrowfeather all on your own.
Plenty of peeps deride GAS-S-S-S, but I squealed with delight at this divine mess, and waxed dreamy with nostalgia. There was also something about the shear joie-de-vivre that gave me pause. This frenetic 78 minutes exemplifies how our collective innocence has given way to self-righteous vitriol over the past 40 years. Stunning.
So get your hands on a copy of GAS-S-S-S and see what you think. In the meantime, I'm slowly working my way through a big ol'boxed set of Corman.*
*worth the price of admission for the party/dance scene with Ray Milland in X-The Man with the X-Ray Eyes.
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7 comments:
I love that movie! I'm a big Corman fan. If you're into his stuff you should totally check out "Spider Baby," it's a personal favorite.
I second the vote for "Spider Baby" if only for the animated credits with a theme song by...Lon Chaney, Jr. (I don't Roger Corman was involved in the film in any way, though).
And GAS-S-S-S was a gas. I tuned in without knowing anything about it and I could swear somebody drugged my tuna sandwich.
Love it. I hope you have Attack of the Crab Monsters in that box set !
Vote number three for Spider Baby. (I think Corman and Hill worked together on a few films)
Well, back then most people over 25 were likely right wing, those under were likely left....so the age/political lines were similar. Don't blame me, I was too young to vote at the time. :)
God how I love B-movies! I don't care how awful they are! I haven't seen this one, but I might get a hold of it at the public library and team it up with some rum and coke for the perfect evening's entertainment.
Roger Corman has a new one in production right now for Sci-fi channel called "Sharktopus" - sounds like his best work yet!
This was actually available through Comcast On-demand several months ago. I began watching it one night but was too tired to deal with it. We've since lost a job and cancelled cable. :(
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