Sadly the times when independent film makers could create some amazing films on a near non-existent budget have gone by the wayside. The market for these films started as fodder for the drive-in theater and grindhouse locations and then went into the home video market. With those locations drying up and disappearing there wasn’t a place for those movies to be exhibited any longer. Not only that, major studios began creating boutique labels to gather up many independent films made with larger budgets.
Those days may be gone but the movies made by those pioneer film makers are still out there. Fortunately there are several disc distributors who realize there is a market for these films and have saved them from obscurity. One of the major distributors out there for this type of product is Arrow Video which I’ve talked about before. They were the ones behind the box set for Florida film maker William Grefe. Now they’ve focused on another regional film maker who produced films far from Hollywood. These are the films of Bill Rebane of Wisconsin.
One of the common items that run through the films of these independent film makers is the fact that their budgets prevented them from bringing in name stars or using the best of the line equipment and facilities when they were making their films. But this didn’t stop them from making some of the most original films ever made. The stories they told had they been given the millions studios poured into some of the bad movies that were made would have resulted in their films being huge money makers. Rebane’s films prove that.
This box set contains 6 of the films that Rebane made. The first is MONSTER A-GO-GO, a movie he doesn’t claim to have directed. That’s because he sold what he had to director H.G. Lewis who added more footage and re-edited the film then giving it this title. The story involves an astronaut whose capsule lands back on Earth but his time in space has altered him and not for the better.
Next up in INVASION INNNER EARTH. This one seems kind of prophetic since it involves a group stranded at a remote mountain cabin when a contagion is unleashed on the rest of the planet. The same sort of tale is there in the third movie, THE ALPHA INCIDENT. When a germ attached to a rock that came from Mars is accidentally opened on the train transporting it to safety, a small group is left to find out the effects while I cure is sought at the lab it came from. This is one of the best films of the bunch relying on the interactions among the cast members to create a tension that you can feel while watching.
THE DEMONS OF LUDLOW presents us with a haunted harpsichord donated to a town from the family that was once one of the founders of Ludlow. The film has a lot in common with John Carpenter’s THE FOG in that it’s a coastal town beset by pirate ghosts from the past with their main target being the local pastor. Rebane wasn’t fond of this film since the producers kept insisting he add more blood to it, something he didn’t think was necessary.
THE GAME has a group of nine people gathered together by three millionaires, bored and looking for something to entertain themselves. They propose a game where each of the people must confront their most dreaded fears. If they can do so they receive $1 million. And lastly we have TWISTER’S REVENGE, Rebane’s attempt at an all-out comedy involving three goofball characters and monster trucks. He had hoped this would lead to a series of films involving the characters but illness prevented that from happening.
Something special about these box sets that makes them worthwhile is the extras. The fourth disc of this set includes a documentary about Rebane and his life making these films and others he was known for including THE GIANT SPIDER INVASION (not a part of this box set). All sorts of other goodies are on hand as well including a 60 page collector’s booklet by author Stephen Thrower.
The movies are not Hollywood glossy type films. But they are original and enjoyable. The best way to view them is to pop some popcorn, turn out the lights, snuggle on the couch like you did in the bench seat of the old Chevy and watch them like you would have at the drive-in. Rebane might not be a common household name but he should be. Give these films a watch and you’ll see why.
No comments:
Post a Comment