Andy Milligan film The Degenerates fascinates as dysfunctional, chaotic science fiction cult

 

Review by Doug Gibson

If you're an Andy Milligan fan, or just a fan of the exploitation film genre of the 60s and early 70s, the "holy grail" arrived last year when two long-lost Andy Milligan films turned up. "The Degenerates" and "Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me!" Both premiered at Tribeca and have screened a few times since.

Most of us had to wait until this month when Severin shipped the Blu-Ray set, packed with lots of extras, including a new Milligan documentary, "The Degenerate: The Life and Films of Andy Milligan," and versions of the existing but obscure "Compass Rose" and "House of the Seven Belles." In a few days I have devoured this set and will fill this year with posts on Plan9Crunch.

THE DEGENERATES, 1967

Let's get right to the first review. This is one of the lost Milligan films I most wanted to see. A science fiction adult exploitation flick, "The Degenerates" was filmed in the future New York Woodstock area. I think in spirit this film is close to Milligan's "Seeds." The raw family dysfunction bleeds on the screen and gets more chaotic and violent with a strong finale. And "The Degenerates" provides a stronger backstory to its drama than "Seeds" did. This version is 64 minutes. It omits 10 minutes of nudity and soft-core sexual situations. Those scenes are still lost.

The film begins with three soldiers on patrol in the eastern United States. Nuclear wars have killed most of civilization. The soldiers discover a woman frolicking in the wilds. Surprised to see any humans, they chase her to a dilapidated, large farmhouse with battered sheds and a junked vehicle.

The soldiers encounter five sisters, Violet, (Bryarly Lee), Daisy, (Anne Linden), Lily, (Laura Cunningham, as Laura Weiss), Iris, (Marcia Haufrecht, as Marcia Howard), and Rose (Susan Howard). Later the soldiers will discover a sixth sister, Ivy, (Hope Stansbury), who is traumatized and lives a near-feral existence outside. 

Violet, the leader of the sisters, is very hostile to the soldiers but allows them to stay. One soldier is nursing a broken foot. Initially, all three soldiers appear accommodating. However, one will reveal himself to be violent and a rapist. However, even before that escalation Violet's hostility toward her sisters will lead to vicious attacks on two of her siblings and eventually violent deaths to some of the characters.

Lee was an accomplished stage actor and gives the best performance in the film. Her Violet is an authority figure who quickly loses her self-control and sanity when the soldiers and three of her sisters initiate intimate relationships. Something has triggered Violet into acts of sadism. She savagely beats Daisy and burns Lily's hand on a stove. Watching Lee reminds viewers of family matriarch Maggie Rogers' savage, screaming performance in the later Milligan film "Seeds." Lee's Violet seems a younger version of Rogers' character but not yet the hard shell.

There's a suffering vulnerability in Violet. She's clearly been traumatized and wants to be relieved of it. She's closest to her sibling Rose (Susan Howard). Clearly triggered by the men and the ensuing intimacy she can't snuff out, Violet attempts incest with Rose. In what is a patented compelling but deeply uncomfortable Milligan sequence, Rose is repulsed by her seduction attempt, and screaming ensues.

Lee is superb. She may soon become a favored Milligan actress if "The Naked Witch," another lost Milligan film, is discovered. According to a commentary from Milligan historian Alex DiSanto, Lee was notable for her extreme focus on her work during the shoot.

In one scene involving Lee, she commits a Milligan-esque killing with what seems deliberate religious symbolism. Or maybe I'm overanalyzing? Readers can let me know.

Hope Stansbury is iconic within the Milligan genre for her willowy beauty. She gives the second-best performance as the mentally ill Ivy. She and Violet have a savage hatred for each other, which is revealed in the climax. A strong scene for Stansbury is when Ivy shows her soft heart by visiting the beaten Daisy, laying in pain in a shed. Ivy feeds her and tries to tend to her wounds. She also helps further Daisy's romance.

Linden as Daisy gives a good performance as a vulnerable, scared sibling wanting love. She's in several Milligan films, including "The Ghastly Ones." Haurfrecht as Ivy is still active in films today, with an impressive career. She's perhaps the strongest weaker sibling, standing up to Violet's violent control tactics. She's romanced by actor Robert Burgos, who plays the soldier, Jim. He's the best actor of the three men cast and has enjoyed a distinguished acting career. The other soldiers were Vernon Newman and David Blaine.

Laura Weiss as Lily was 18 and plucked off a college campus by a Milligan talent scout (Hal Sherwood?). It's her only film and she does herself proud. Weiss is interviewed on the Blu-Ray set. She's written a couple of memoirs including one on the film's shoot. Not much is known about Susan Howard as Rose but she's effective on screen. Her expressive eyes when she realizes Violet wants to make love to her is a highlight.

The film is photographed in pure Milligan Auricon 16-MM style. Closely framed shots, the actors usually bunched together to hide small sets. Despite the battered print, you can see the dirt, the tired faces, the tattered burlap Milligan-sown tank top-like middies worn by the women, the sweat and blemishes on the faces. The dialogue sound is loud, you can hear the Auricon whirring. The house is more than rustic. It must have been a chore for the actors to survive the shoot. DiSanto in his commentary says it was reputedly haunted. DiSanto recalls a love scene shot inside a filthy outside building having to be re-shot the next day due to a lighting mishap. 

In interviews though, actors recollect the experience fondly. Even Milligan seems to have been even-tempered overall. The only remembrance of frustrations for Milligan was with the novice Weiss.

The film cost $11,000. It was shot in about a week. It was not produced by William Mishkin but was part of an ill-fated three-film effort with three investors who went bankrupt, distributor Jerry Balsam, and Milligan. Sam Sherman was lightly involved. He apparently came up with the title. It was shot as Sin Sisters. The film was profitable, but Milligan was squeezed out. He later sued and collected a few thousand dollars for all three films, a poor return for him.

Weiss recalls standing much later outside a building where Milligan was inside shouting for the $200 she had been promised. It worked. She was paid. In 1966, $200 was slightly more than $2,000 today.

I love this film. It met my expectations as a Milligan cult fan. It has the "Gutter Auteur"'s signature uniqueness that is splashed all over the 20-plus films he directed in his most-active several years. We're not done with the Blu-Ray set. Next, we'll review and provide observations on the re-discovered "Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me!"

One more tidbit. Yes, the swirl camera and pitchfork are in "The Degenerates."

Andy Milligan's 'Blood' is grindhouse auteur's monsterama

 

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Review by Doug Gibson

Stephen King, in his book Danse Macabre, trashed grindhouse filmmaker Andy Milligan. Writing of his film, "The Ghastly Ones," King said something about it being the result of morons with cameras. 

King's comments lend credence to the maxim that even one of our greatest writers can be a total ass when pontificating on other subjects. Crude "The Ghastly Ones" may be, but Milligan cobbled it together on a budget of roughly $10,000, perhaps a little bit more. He also created something unique, with his signature stamp of family dysfunction leading to chaotic, deadly horror.

Ironically, Stephen King later directed a film, "Maximum Overdrive." King later accurately labeled it "a moron movie." It cost $9 million and was a derivative mess. (I wasted $5 or so watching it in a theater). Since it grossed $7.5 million, King's film ended up losing -- on a conservative guess -- about $10 million.

"The Ghastly Ones" made likely a tidy fortune for Milligan's tight-fisted producer, William Mishkin. It played drive ins and grindhouses for years. It's probable Milligan saw none of those profits. I've read rumors that Mishkin gave Milligan about $20,000 to make a film, and Milligan only spent half so he would see a healthy paycheck for himself.

With this preamble over, this post is a review of the 1974 Andy Milligan film, "Blood." For a long time it was hard to find, and then a murky, ragged 57-minute or so print was located. You can see it on YouTube. Tubi has a ragged 69-minute version. There's a complete, roughly 73-minute Blu-Ray version of the film on Severin's Andy Milligan "Dungeon" box set. 

Milligan was ending his association with Mishkin around the time of "Blood." It was funded by backers of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and even "Deep Throat!" The budget is significantly bigger than for a film like "The Ghastly Ones." I'd say, maybe $30,000 was provided. Even so, "Blood" was not a high-priority project. It was meant to be a co-feature to a film called "Legacy of Satan," -- also on Tubi -- helmed by "Deep Throat" director Gerard Damiano.

Like most Milligan films, "Blood" improves upon repeat viewings. It's a Universal Studios-style monsterama, with "Day of the Triffids" thrown in. There's this wildly imaginative plot, with an added spice of deep family dysfunctions and secrets, with rage directed at sleazy lawyers, nosy real estate agents, and the requisite old crone, who haunts a creepy cemetery. 

Imagine if Andy Milligan had directed Universal's "House of Dracula." It might have resembled this: Lawrence Orlovsky (Allan Berendt) rents a house in 19th century (Staten Island?). He lives with his wife, Regina (Hope Stansbury). Weird experiments are going on in the house. Also residing are research associates, Carrie, her husband Orlando, and Carlotta. Orlovsky is overseeing a host of dangerous plants, who have already mutilated the servants. Orlando is legless; Carrie has a rapidly deteriorating infection on her leg, and Carlotta has become a disabled, moronic hulk due to blood being taken from her to supply the plants. The house furniture and fixtures resemble the 1970s but that is pure Milligan.

The plants are designed to keep Regina healthy. As it turns out, she's a vampire, and needs the sustenance. One of the few terrifying moments is where we discover what Regina looks like prior to a plant infusion. After the plant treatment, she has a dark, pale beauty, but she's obviously mad as a hatter. Also, we learn that Lawrence is really the son of the Wolf Man, Lawrence Talbot. This is likely the only film in which the daughter of Dracula is married to the son of the Wolf Man. And yes, the son also suffers from dad's curse.

It's apparent very soon that there's no love between these two. He stoically endures her. She pleads for affection, but is obviously too insane to provide affection. Hope Stansbury, involved in several Milligan productions, is at her best in "Blood." She is a whiny, bitchy, angry, jealous killer, unable to feel any emotion that fails to feed her need for blood. Berendt, who only made one film, is good as the harried Wolf Man, who eventually allows his romantic eye to wander to the comely secretary of his crooked lawyer. The actor sort of resembles "Puddy" in the series "Seinfeld."

Typical Milliganisms include Carrie's long-lost brother, a globe-trotting sailor, surprising her with a visit. Their joyful greeting soon includes passionate kissing and caresses, insinuations of past incest. He's very concerned with Carrie's limp and wounded leg. Before he can leave, Regina, unbeknownst to Carrie, coaxes him downstairs on an errand, and kills him. Regina also kills the nosy real estate agent, the hag at the cemetery, and even a quivering defenseless mouse (I hope that scene was not real.) Her lycanthropic husband is also after the corrupt lawyer, who cheated him of much of his estate. His vampire wife, for her part, is lusting for revenge on the comely secretary of the lawyer, who has turned hubby's Wolf Man heart. And the plants are getting bigger, bolder and more deadly.

It's all very much in the Milligan style, with cramped settings, lots of arguments, and long talky scenes punctuated with bursts of horror and violence. There's a short but pretty good end-scene battle royale, and a witty final "bookend" scene.

If your a Milligan fan you'll enjoy "Blood" more each time you view it. If this is your introduction to Milligan, you may be pleasantly surprised, but I'd recommend watching a few of his earlier films to better get more flavor of this "gutter" auteur.

Andy Milligan's 'Vapors' a fascinating pre-Stonewall gay short

By Doug Gibson

Vapors is a fascinating pre-Stonewall era short film that portrays the gay lifestyle of that era in neutral, and even positive story-telling. The 32-minute black and white film was shot by Andy Milligan, the late cult gay filmmaker who would later make a string micro-budget gutter horror films unique enough to garner cult status.

Vapors may be Milligan’s best film, although “Fleshpot on 42^nd Street” is a strong contender. The film takes place in a bathhouse of that era in NYC, it’s meant to be the St. Marks bathhouse (exteriors are shot there, and towels from that establishment are used in the film. Interiors, which are quite realistic, were shot near Milligan’s apartment in NYC. A gay young man, played by Gerry Jacuzzo, who would become a Milligan troupe actor, arrives at the bathhouse. He, Thomas, enters a room and awaits male companionship. An older man, Mr. Jaffe, played by Cino Café director Bob Dadah, enters and the two begin a conversation. Sex is never mentioned but the chat is intimate; much of this is due to Jacuzzo’s performance, which is Oscar quality. He maintains eye and hand contact with Mr. Jaffe and makes an effort to understand this interesting man.

Dadah is very good too as a repressed homosexual, married, and making his first trip to a bathhouse. It becomes apparent soon that he’s looking for someone to talk to, about his dissatisfaction with his wife and his grief over his son’s death. During the conversation, Mr. Jaffe, played well by Dadah, asks to touch Thomas’ skin. The caress is tender. The conversation has turned to Mr. Jaffe’s dead son, and Thomas seems to be a surrogate, a chance for a grieving father to caress a child once again.

Although no sex occurs between these two, their conversation is more intimate than intercourse.

Also in the movie are various “queens,” frequent, ubiquitous frequenters of St. Mark’s that move in and out of the action. Usually grouped together, they serve as a Shakespearian choir, updating the audience about life in the bathhouse and the culture of frequent, anonymous homosexual sex.

This was filmed almost 20 years before the AIDS virus struck. It’s a time capsule of a movie. Watching the lives of quiet and extrovert desperation, one understands how unfair it was that those who desired same-sex companionship were forced into the dysfunctional, seedy world of St. Mark’s and other locations. As Milligan biographer Jimmy McDonough has published, Milligan was a frequent participant in the life of frequent anonymous sexual encounters with men in sticky locations, from bathhouses to flophouses to 42^nd Street theaters. He died of AIDS, as did many of his contemporaries.

The film was written by Hope Stansbury, a Milligan actress. It is at times a corny victim of its era. The queens, the best acting is by another Milligan actor, Hal Borske, are stereotypical and might be considered bigoted today. Dadah’s complaints of his wife’s cold cream, ugly feet and bunions are juvenile. But it all works, largely due to Jacuzzo’s sensitive, intense performance.

The last scene has Thomas, alone, asking a man to come in his room. The man drops his St. Mark’s bathrobe. In the original film release, it focuses on the visitor’s penis. That caused police raids in its time. The Something Weird folks, who rescued the film from oblivion, have a print that does a sketchy job of blocking the penis. Vapors, which deserves more notice, is an extra on SW’s DVD of another Milligan film, The Body Beneath; its trailer is also included. It is also in a SW compilation of gay films of that era.

THE RATS ARE COMING, THE WEREWOLVES ARE HERE! Curse of The Mooney Family

By Steve D. Stones

Animal rights activists would certainly have a difficult time viewing this film. There is an unsettling scene of a spray painted white rat being tortured with candle wax, stabbed, then nailed to a board. I found this scene very hard to stomach. Director Andy Milligan even named two of the rats in the film Ben and Willard to cash in on the box office success of the 1972 Willard film. However, the rat scenes must have been filmed three years later, since the film officially began production in 1969. Producer William Mishkin was said to have imposed the rat subplot on the film to connect it to Willard.

Originally entitled The Curse of The Full Moon, The Rats Are Coming, The Werewolves Are Here follows at the end of a series of period piece films that Milligan directed in England. The film concerns a dying, eccentric old man and his family, the Mooneys, living in a desolate section of 19th century England. The Mooney’s harbor many dark secrets, including the fact that they are all werewolves.

The film opens with a pair of bullies beating Malcolm Mooney, played by Milligan regular Berwick Kaler. Malcolm is dowsed in gasoline, and then set on fire. The scene is shot with a kinetic sense of chaos typical of Milligan’s shooting style. Malcolm is the most dangerous of the Mooney family, and is chained to a cell day and night. Somehow he managed to get free of his chains.

The film also has a unique cameo appearance by Milligan as a local gunsmith. Diana Mooney, played by Jackie Skarvellis, the youngest daughter and, goes to buy a pistol from the gunsmith. She also asks him to melt down a crucifix and make it into several silver bullets to protect herself from her werewolf family members.

Father Mooney claims to be 180 years old and is kept alive with a series of injections. Monica, played by Hope Stansbury, is jealous of her younger sister Diana because she is married to Gerald and is a successful medical student. This is why father Mooney asks for her aide. He wants her to continue his bizarre medical experiments after his death. Diana does not share the shame mother as her older brothers and sisters, which may be another reason why Monica hates her so much. Gerald and Diana also reveal that they will be having a baby soon.

The Rats Are Coming, The Werewolves Are Here is said to be Milligan’s weakest and most uneventful films in a series of several he created in England. Although I disagree with this assessment of the film, critics may feel this way because the film runs a bit longer than any of his other films made in England, and the script is padded with much more dialogue between characters.

I recommend that you rent or buy the VideoKart DVD version of The Rats Are Coming, The Werewolves Are Here because it also contains Milligan’s Bloodthirsty Butchers. The two films make an excellent double feature on a Saturday night. Some of the library music used in the film can be heard in the 1950s TV show Rocky Jones Space Ranger and the cult classic The Brain That Wouldn’t Die. Enjoy.