Original subtitles

♪

-♪ Hey, everybody, have you heard the news? ♪

♪ Joe Bob is back in town ♪

♪ He's over at the drive-in, hanging around ♪

♪ Watching crazy movies, so come on down ♪

♪ To Joe Bob's "Last Drive-In" show ♪

♪ Blood, beasties, boobies, and more ♪

♪ Joe Bob's "Last Drive-In" show ♪

♪ It's a spooky good time with monsters and ghosts ♪

♪ Crazy, kooky fun with the world's greatest host ♪

♪ Joe Bob's "Last Drive-In" show ♪

♪ It's gonna be legendary ♪

♪ Joe Bob's "Last Drive-In" show ♪

♪ Joe Bob's "Last Drive-In" show ♪

♪ Let's go! ♪

♪

[Static hisses]

-Well, as Candice DeLong has told us,

crazy women are a lot of fun -- until they're suddenly not.

-[Laughs]

-Are you a Candice DeLong fan?

-The host of "Deadly Women"? -Yeah.

The FBI profiler with an attitude,

our guide into the dark,

labyrinthine mind of the female killer.

The whole premise of that show

is that women have this hellcat gene.

-I feel like that's not actually the premise of the show.

-Yeah, she's always pointing out how male killers

might be stupid sociopaths,

but female killers might be stupid sociopaths

with an emotional overlay that turns them into wild hellcats.

The only reason I'm bringing this up

is that it's psycho shrew night on "The Last Drive-In."

I need you to be our Candice DeLong

and guide us through the rear lobes

of the female criminal brain.

Can you do that?

-I will do my best to profile the cast.

-Okay. Darcy the Mail Girl, ladies and gentlemen!

[Men cheer] -You guys.

-And she is here to field your comments, your blog entries,

your e-mails, your tweets,

your tin-can-connected- by-string messages,

your Western Union telegrams.

Darcy, you have become so famous as the mail girl

that sometimes people don't even bother writing to me.

It's just, "Hey, Darcy, tell me what's up."

-[Chuckles] That's because people trust me

to know what's going on around here.

-Yeah. And do you?

-Sometimes. -Well, share that.

You know, a personality disorder is just a clinical term

for bent and twisted.

-What are you talking about?

-That's a Candice DeLong quote. -Oh, okay.

-So, all Candice DeLong quotes are turned into internet memes.

Um, she didn't want to just sleep with gangsters.

She wanted to be a gangster. -Nice.

Got it, I got it. [Laughter]

-And what happens to people when they feel trapped?

Nothing good. [Laughter]

She has this way of pausing for dramatic effect, you know.

You hurt my little girl... so now I have to kill you.

[Laughter]

-Okay.

-That's my money... in your wallet.

-Okay, so you're obviously a fan of "Deadly Women."

-Yeah. -Got it.

-It's one of those shows. It's so simple,

you can watch eight hours in a row.

You know, they're like three murders per show.

60-minute shows,

themes like greed, and all three murders will be about money,

or fatal attraction,

and all three murders will be about relationships.

And, really, if you watch enough of it,

you eventually go, "You know, wow,

I'm surprised there are enough female murderers

to supply this show with content,"

because the popular view is that

women don't kill as often as men.

-They don't. -Well, so I'm surprised

Discovery ID doesn't get flack for doing a show

that's only about the female murderer, you know?

And the Oxygen channel has one, too.

It's called "Snapped,"

and it's never the male who snaps -- it's the female.

You know, at least sometimes they try to square it up

on that show.

They'll have somebody say,

"If it wasn't for that bad boyfriend,

she would be a free woman today."

-But it's facts. Men do 90% of all murders.

-And, actually, I just thought of another.

There's another show like that, "For My Man."

Have you seen that?

I think it's on TV One. -No.

-It's specifically about women who go to prison,

but the implication is that the only real criminal

is the boyfriend or the husband or the pimp,

like they only committed the crimes out of love.

-Definitely not always. -I know,

but I'm sure they stretch it a little bit to fit the format.

But I think they do shows like this

because women murder in more interesting ways.

Like, women enjoy poisoning. -"Enjoy"?

-Well, I mean, we know this from "Game of Thrones."

They talk about -- [Laughter]

They talk about poison being the woman's murder weapon.

-That's because they don't have guns on "Game of Thrones."

-Well, yeah, you're probably right.

But you would think a poisoner

that would be an organized person,

you know, good at details.

No muss, no fuss. Easier to not get caught.

But then the other murder method favored by women is knives --

the messiest of all murder techniques.

And in fact, Discovery ID had a series

called "Wives with Knives."

And yes, they had enough murders to sustain that theme.

But I think I figured out the knife thing.

Because it's all there in the title.

"Wives with Knives." Okay.

Domestic violence, up close and personal,

but it's got to happen where?

In the house.

So, what are these stories about?

Knife fight inside the marital dwelling.

But why wouldn't the male have a built-in advantage

inside his own house with hand-to-hand combat?

He's probably bigger. He's probably stronger.

A knife requires a lot of strength

because it's a stabbing that's not pre-planned,

and you're just reaching for the available knife.

So, the male might be good with knives.

Maybe he has a TAC knife, you know,

some kind of wicked serrated blade on it

that he used in the Marines.

But where is that knife when the domestic dispute starts?

It's not in the living room

where he's watching the Super Bowl, you know.

Or maybe he has a hunting knife.

A hunting knife is designed to rip flesh.

It can slice to the bone on animals

10 times more dense than a human.

But where's that hunting knife?

That knife is out in the garage where he cleans the deer.

So, either party using a knife in the knife fight

is going to use the available knife.

So, it's obvious the woman is going to end up

with the bigger knife in a knife fight.

-Why is that obvious?

-Because the available knives

are in those wooden things in the kitchen,

those knife holder things and those wood-block knife sets.

And when the knives are all in those wooden blocks,

they all look the same size.

You can't see the blades.

All you can see is the handles.

But the wife uses those knives all the time,

so she knows which one is a wicked 11-inch cleaver.

The guy is just guessing, so he pulls out the paring knife.

He pulls out the one you use to peel apples

or the cheese grater.

She's pulling out the Jason knife, you know,

so she gets a few puncture wounds in the shoulder.

He goes to Cedars-Sinai, dead on arrival.

-I feel like you've thought about this a lot.

-Yeah, well, yeah, because these shows,

they force you to ask the question,

"Why do women kill?"

Other crime shows never ask, "Why do men kill?"

We assume men kill. That's a given.

-Because most murderers are male.

-Well, I guess the male stories are boring, you know?

"You disrespected me." Bam. [Laughter]

You know, that's a male story.

But what they should really do a show on

is why do men kill and women don't kill so much?

-Is this what you think this movie is about?

-Sort of. Sort of.

I mean, the movie is about how --

it's that thing I've talked about before,

where if a man walks into a bar

and the most gorgeous woman in the bar walks up to him

and tells him how handsome he is

and how she wants sex with him right now, what should he do?

What's the logical thing for that man to do?

-Say thank you very much and change the subject.

-Exactly. He should run for his life.

But what does he do? -He has sex with her.

-Yeah, and so, it's about that.

But it's also about how there are a lot of girls and women

out there on the street who have been tossed out of their homes

or they're runaways,

or they've been in cults

or they're addicted to drugs.

And so, because they're alone

and they have to figure out some way to survive,

they cultivate that hellcat gene.

-I wouldn't say it exactly like that, but I get it.

-So, the movie is "Death Game." -Thank you. Yes.

-How many politically incorrect things did I just say?

-Whew, there's some in there, but fewer than usual.

-Okay, I'll take that.

"Death Game" is a movie about the patriarchy, I think.

Would you say it's a feminist movie?

-I would say it's a good movie.

-And, uh, we not only have "Death Game"

in a beautifully restored print,

but we have one of the stars of "Death Game,"

the versatile, talented actor/producer Colleen Camp.

-Yay! I love her. -[Whistles]

-But first, let's get things started.

What we have here is the sensitive story of jazz-loving,

middle-aged businessman George Manning,

who's home alone in his San Francisco mansion

while his wife and kids are away.

He takes pity on two attractive, rain-drenched girls

who show up at his door and ask to use his phone.

And before you can say, "Dear 'Penthouse,'"

they are aardvarking in the Jacuzzi.

Unfortunately for George,

these girls' definition of a good time

turns out to involve never leaving.

Sure, we've seen it before,

but have we seen it with a fish tank coffee table

used as a murder weapon? I think not.

So, let's take a look at those drive-in totals and get started.

We have three dead bodies, eight breasts, one dead cat,

one hot-tub orgy with wocka-wocka '70s soundtrack,

gross table manners,

one suggestive use of a banana,

negligee cosplay,

one suggestive use of a telephone antenna,

homeowner hog-tying,

creative Goth makeup application,

Bacchanalian food tossing,

grocery delivery violence, one kangaroo court,

cat flinging,

extended ketchup bottle symbolism,

home-wrecking in both the literal

and the metaphorical sense,

gratuitous repeated ironic use of the song, "Dear Old Dad,"

gratuitous croquet, gratuitous Golden Gate Bridge,

double flower-vase fu,

fireplace poker fu, fish tank fu,

SPCA truck fu, kink fu,

"Drive-In" Academy Award nominations

for Seymour Cassel as the victim

for saying, "You have the manners of an alley cat."

Sondra Locke for informing George too late

that "We're jail bait."

Colleen Camp as Donna

for displaying her two enormous talents as she says,

"I only wanted to love you, Daddy"

and David Worth, the cinematographer and editor,

for stripping down naked

and jumping into that hot tub with the actors

while carrying a 35-millimeter Panaflex on his shoulder

with a thousand-foot magazine attached to the back of it,

and living to tell the tale.

Four stars. Joe Bob says, "Check it out."

I love me some '70s sleaze. -Oh, I know you do.

-Like "The Baby,"

where they kept the guy in diapers

and a crib his whole life.

And like, "Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker,"

violent incest with a gay undercurrent.

And "Magic," the one about the ventriloquist

whose mind is taken over by his dummy.

And you had these scripts in the '70s

that were just "How twisted can we be?"

And they weren't exactly horror. I mean, they are horror,

but there's no supernatural element.

It's just, "How crazy can people be?"

-I like those a lot more than the supernatural ones.

-Yeah, and talk about strong female characters, too.

Why do people say there aren't strong female characters

in the movies of the past?

In many ways,

these were the strongest female characters ever written.

-Yeah, but most of them were crazy.

-Yeah, but they were crazy

because they got destroyed by the patriarchy.

That's sort of the undertone in these things.

So, victims decide to fight back.

-The two in "The Baby" are just crazy-crazy.

-Yeah, but when the entire cast is crazy,

it tends to cancel out the crazy factor.

-Does it? -Yeah.

If everybody's crazy, like in that movie,

then the least crazy one is normal.

-Alright, well, I feel like you need to make

a "level of crazy" chart so that we can all follow along.

-Oh, don't encourage me to do something like --

you know I'll do that.

-I know. -So,

and what are these things, by the way?

-Oh! -What are we doing here?

-Yes, there is a drinking game associated with this movie.

-A drinking game? What is it?

-Every time someone says, "George," you take a shot.

-Oh, my God. -[Chuckles] I know.

-I'm not playing that.

I have to be coherent.

-Okay, that's fair, but the crew wants to play.

-Darcy, the camera has to be in focus, also.

-It's just that one word, "George."

-I've seen the movie. Okay?

Please suppress your hellcat gene right now.

[Laughter] -We're playing.

The mutant fam is playing.

I've been talking to everyone on social all day,

and I'm hyped for it. -I have no control anymore.

-He thought he wanted a mail girl...

until he didn't.

-Oh, good Candice DeLong.

[Laughter]

♪

[Static hisses]

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪ Who's the man who made me what I am today? ♪

♪ Who's the man who taught me what to do ♪

♪ And what to say? ♪

♪ Who gave me the things in life ♪

♪ That he never had? ♪

♪ My good old dad ♪

♪ Who make sure the doors are locked ♪

♪ And bolted tight ♪

♪ Then comes to my room to hug and kiss me nighty-night? ♪

♪ Who is it that cheers me up when I'm feeling sad? ♪

♪ My good old dad ♪

♪ Always strong and always right ♪

♪ And always so true ♪

♪ Dad, I hope when I grow up ♪

♪ I'll be just like you ♪

♪

♪ Who make sure I wash my ears and take a bath? ♪

♪ Who wants me to walk along the straight and narrow path? ♪

♪ Who's the best there is ♪

♪ The greatest friend I ever had? ♪

♪ My good old da-a-a-a-d ♪

♪ Who taught me to say excuse me, when I sneeze? ♪

♪ Who taught me my table manners ♪

♪ And the birds and bees? ♪

♪ Who taught me to never wear a plait with a plat? ♪

♪ My good old dad ♪

♪ Always kind and always humble ♪

♪ Always so calm ♪

♪ Always true and also always stay for too long, long ♪

♪

♪ Who taught me that beggars never ever cry? ♪

♪ Who told me a gentleman should always wear a tie? ♪

♪ Who make sure I get a job when I'm a college grad? ♪

♪ My good old da-a-a-a-d ♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪ He bought me a dog, a kitty cat, and some fish ♪

♪ I'm his favorite, so he'll grant my tiniest wish-ish ♪

♪

♪ Who taught me that virtue was its own reward? ♪

♪ Who taught me to get down on my knees ♪

♪ And thank the lord? ♪

♪ Who was it who spanks my bottom when I am bad? ♪

♪ My good old dad ♪

♪

-Oh, no, I don't believe it.

-[Laughs] Now, you're gonna get it.

I'm in a perfect position.

♪

Gotcha. [Laughs]

-The favors of croquet. -Alright!

Oh, George, I hate to do this to you,

but goodbye!

-Yeah, terrific. -[Laughs]

I am your husband. -Not when we playing a game.

Have a nice walk.

♪

Oh, George.

-Don't choke. -You're not gonna distract me.

♪

Oh, I hate to do this.

-Hey, what'd you think of Diane's fancy eyelashes?

♪

-I thought they were so long

they were practically in her chicken soup.

Oh! [Laughs] -Oh.

Terrific. -Oh, I feel guilty. [Laughs]

Oh, Tikky almost got --

Oh, George, you're always in the corner.

-You're gonna get yours.

-When? -Just wait and see.

-Let me win first.

♪

Oh, George.

♪

-Careful, don't choke it now.

-Bowl! [Laughs]

-You made it!

-Oh, I get another shot.

-You win.

♪

How could you do this to me? -Aww.

♪

-Love me? -You bet I do.

♪

Oh, George.

-Wanna mess around? -Yes.

♪

[Whispering] Happy birthday, darling.

♪

I love you.

You know something, George Manning.

[Normal voice] I wouldn't trade my life with you for anything.

-I love you, Karen.

[Telephone rings]

It's probably your mother.

-Hello.

♪

Oh hi, Mother.

♪

His appendix?

I'll be right there.

I can't find them anywhere.

Sometimes I think my head's screwed on backwards.

Can't even imagine where they...could be.

♪

Hope I make the plane.

-You have plenty of time.

-Just drive carefully. It's supposed to rain.

Sure you don't want me to come with you?

-Honey, it won't be necessary.

♪

You've got your big meeting on Saturday

you've been looking forward to. [Engine starts]

-Don't worry about it.

Just call me, and I'll fly right up.

-Okay. Bye-bye.

-Bye-bye.

♪

[Thunder crashing]

♪

Billy wants to do what?

Put his appendix in a bottle and take it to school?

I love it! [Laughs]

I love it! It's a great idea!

Of course, he can.

♪

Terribly proud of him.

♪

And that I love him,

and I'll call him tomorrow afternoon.

♪

Sure, you can reach me at the office.

I'll be in all afternoon.

♪

I love you, too. Bye-bye.

♪

[Doorbell rings]

♪

-Sorry to bother you, really,

but we're lost, and do you happen to know

where the Gregorys live?

-The Gregorys? -Mm-hmm.

-Not around here, no, I don't.

-[Sneezes] -Gesundheit.

-Thank you.

-We have the address written down,

but we left the house in such a hurry,

I guess we forgot it.

-Yeah, we figured we were lost

when we didn't see a lot of cars around.

-I know they live around here somewhere.

-I'm sorry, I don't know them.

I just can't help you.

-Uh, could we use your telephone?

Maybe get the address. -Sure, of course, come in.

-Thanks.

-Please.

♪

-Excuse me.

♪

-Boy, you are really drenched.

-This is interesting.

-Why don't you come in and warm yourself by the fire?

-Thank you.

-Hello, operator, uh, I'd like the number --

Gregory, G-R-E-G-O-R-Y.

♪

-Would you like a piece of pizza?

♪

-Well, it looks delicious.

But no thanks, I'm on a diet. [Chuckles]

♪

My name's Donna. What's yours?

-George. -Hi, George.

You know, this is really nice of you.

I mean, like, two perfect strangers

coming off the street like this.

Most people wouldn't do that today.

-It's my pleasure.

-Uh, excuse me, sir.

What's the address here?

-2946 North Barker.

-We are so dumb!

The party's on South Barker Drive.

We're on North Barker.

We're on the wrong side of town.

-I told you we were going in the wrong direction.

-Susan, do you think somebody could come pick us up?

Just a second.

Do you think it would be alright

if we waited here until a friend comes by to pick us up?

-Sure.

-Thanks.

Okay, thanks, bye.

♪

This farm's really far out.

♪

I'm freezing.

-I know. God.

-Let me get you some towels or something to dry off with.

♪

[Thunder crashing]

♪

-I got the, uh, clothes dryer working.

The clothes should be ready in about 20 minutes.

-Oh, good.

Jackson and Donna.

-Mm-hmm.

-Kinda sounds like a Vaudeville team, doesn't it?

-We are kind of a Vaudeville team.

-Yeah, we do have a lot of fun together.

-So, is Jackson your last name? -No, it's my first name.

-No, it's not. -Shh!

She's lying. [Laughs]

Come on, Jackson, tell him your real name.

-Be quiet. -Okay, okay.

Agatha. [Laughter]

-Oh, you promised!

♪

Oh, oh, you stop!

♪

-Your hot chocolate. -Thank you.

-Cheers. -Cheers.

-To you, George.

-To me, my 40th birthday.

-Far out! -Happy birthday, George.

-Thank you.

-Did you get a lot for your birthday?

-Nothing new.

[Laughter]

♪

-"Nothing new!"

Oh, I'll have to remember that one.

-George, how come you're spending your birthday alone?

I mean, where's your family?

-Well, my children are visiting their grandmother in San Diego.

My son took ill, so my wife flew down to be with them.

-Oh, I'm sorry. I hope he's alright.

-I'm sure he'll be fine. Thank you.

-Wow, George, look at that stereo equipment!

♪

Gee, George, this is really beautiful.

-Well, you have a lot of albums.

-[Chuckles] Guess I do.

You know, that collection started when I was a little kid.

-Really? -God.

♪

Gee, this stuff must cost a fortune.

You must really be rich.

-Oh, that music sounds wonderful.

I don't think I can go back to my little sit.

But if you're not careful and you turn the sound way up,

you could break a lot of glassware.

-What's this? Plans for a bank job?

-You know, Jackson, this is really nice.

George, I mean...

great music, warm fire, great company.

♪

I'm glad we knocked on your door, George.

-Um, I'd be even glad if you tell me where the sandbox is.

-The what?

-The toilet.

-Sure, through those doors and through the game room.

♪

-Whew.

♪

-Jackson's a nice girl.

-Mm-hmm.

-You seem to be very good friends.

-We're great friends.

♪

Gosh, this hair.

Does this feel dry to you yet, George?

Feel.

♪

-No, it's still damp. -Mm.

♪

Hey, you know, George,

how every once in a while, you meet somebody,

and there are really great vibes?

Well, that's how I feel right now.

-You're a nice girl, Donna.

-Well, I'm not a baby, you know?

-What kind of music do you like?

-Mostly rock,

but really, all kinds of music.

-I got something I'd like you to hear.

-Oh, great.

♪

-I love this album.

-Oh, yeah?

Well, my kids gave it to me for my birthday.

♪

-Hey, that bathroom of yours is far out.

You should see it, it's amazing.

It's like -- has all these things in there,

like out of a health club or something.

I've never seen anything like it in a house before.

-I'd really like to see it. Is it alright?

-Well, sure, go ahead and show her, Jackson.

-Come on. -Okay.

♪

Don't go away.

♪

-It's... -Wow!

Didn't I tell you?

I've never seen anything like it before.

Look, come here.

-A sauna, too? -Yeah.

-Oh!

-♪ The sky tells us that we're free ♪

♪ To fly far as we can see ♪

♪ And if we go ♪

♪ Where love can grow ♪

♪ We're home, you and me ♪

♪ The world has a place, it seems ♪

♪ For those who believe in dreams ♪

♪ And if it's where two lovers care ♪

[Laughter] -What the hell is going on here?

-Why don't you take your clothes off and hop in, George?

-Oh, no, thank you. No, thank you.

-Come on in. -Why don't you hop in, George?

-Girls, uh -- -Take your clothes off.

-Join the party, George. -No, thank you, girls.

-Come on, George. -No way, girls.

-Please. - No, thank you.

-Come on. -I'm a happily married, man.

-I want you, George.

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

-You hungry?

I could go see what he's got stashed in the kitchen.

-No, I-I don't feel like anything right now.

You know, I could really fall in love with him.

-Donna.

-I could.

In fact, I'm gonna go cover him up.

I don't want him to catch a cold.

[Static hisses]

♪

-Wow, Darcy, that was a pretty cool threesome in the Jacuzzi.

-Agreed. Oh, my God.

-And let me give credit again to David Worth,

the cinematographer.

He climbed into that hot tub naked

with a 35-millimeter camera on his shoulder.

And to sort of explain the cultural context of the day,

the movie was filmed in 1973,

even though it didn't come out until 1977.

And we were in that period

when a lot of people were still practicing so-called

"free love," the hippie gospel.

But we also were starting to see the dark side

of the youth revolution

because of drug addiction and the Charles Manson murders.

I think they intentionally set the movie

in San Francisco because that's where

all these great cultural changes were taking place.

The movie was actually filmed in L.A.,

and they could have told the same story in L.A.,

but they went to the trouble to go up there

and get all those shots at the Golden Gate Bridge

and the San Francisco Bay.

And as you probably noticed,

they set the movie up at the beginning as a "true story."

-There's no way this was a true story.

-Well, they're exaggerating,

but it is based on a true story that was not quite so dramatic.

In fact, the whole fascinating backstory to "Death Game"

starts in your neighborhood. -It's true.

There are a lot of hot-tub threesomes in my neighborhood.

-Well, I'm sure there are,

because you live in the Hollywood Hills, right?

-I do. -Okay.

So, one block north of Hollywood and Vine

is the Capitol Records tower.

Everybody knows the Capitol Records tower,

the world's first round office building.

-No way. Was it?

-Yeah, that's how they built it. -Wow.

-And on the eighth floor of the Capitol Records tower in 1971,

there were eight copywriters who worked there every day

and wrote the liner notes for albums.

And two of those copies --

[Chuckles] is this too early to do a digression?

-If I say yes, are you gonna stop?

-No, I don't think so. -Okay.

-Angus Scrimm -- -Whoo! -Yeah!

-...who played the tall man in the "Phantasm" movies,

his day job was a copywriter at Capitol Records.

-I think you talked about this before.

He won a Grammy. -Yeah.

Angus Scrimm won some kind of Grammy for his liner notes

on some kind of classical album,

and he also wrote the liner notes for "Meet the Beatles!"

by the way.

So, he was a very good writer.

Anyway, two of the copywriters sitting near Angus Scrimm

on the eighth floor of the Capitol tower were Michael Ross

and an Englishman named Anthony Doborov,

and the two of them were friends.

They used to go to lunch together,

and they didn't want to write liner notes forever.

They wanted to write movies.

And so, they collaborated on a screenplay

about a kidnapping at a girls' school

that never got made.

But then in 1971, Capitol Records had layoffs

and three of the eight copywriters were let go,

and Doborov was one of them.

He got his two-week notice.

And so, the two friends decided

that during Doborov's two weeks left in the building,

they would write a screenplay,

and Ross suggested that the screenplay be based

on an experience he had in 1969.

He was driving home from his job

at the Los Angeles Herald Examiner,

where he was the film and the music critic,

and he rounded a corner on Laurel Canyon Boulevard,

and there was this cute hippie girl hitchhiking.

So, he picked her up,

and he ended up taking her to the Laurel Canyon house

that he was subleasing from Harry Nilsson, the singer.

And, um, apparently she wasn't hitchhiking

to any place in particular.

And so, sexual escapades ensued.

And her name was Donna,

and she turned out to be the daughter of a preacher in Texas,

and she decided to never leave.

And so, Ross would come home and find

that every spoon in the house was burned.

If you know what I mean, and I think you do.

And she would occasionally leave for a couple of days,

but she would always come back.

And since this was the year of the Tate-La Bianca murders,

not far from Ross's house,

he got a little restless about having

anything to do with Donna,

and so, finally she agreed to leave

if he would drive her to her dealer's house

in East Hollywood.

The dealer turned out to be a professional guitar player

because it was the '70s

and everybody was an artist and a dealer,

and so, his last contact with her

was when she called to ask him --

ask if he would be a reference for her, for her parole officer.

So, Ross and Doborov

decide to take this idea of kind of a sexual home invasion

and turn it into a "post-Manson feminist horror story."

And they were both fans of Roman Polanski's "Repulsion."

So, they kind of modeled the tone of the movie

after that movie.

But all the time they were writing the movie together,

they were playing the Bobbie Gentry album "Patchwork"

in the background,

and especially one song called "I Can't Get Back,"

which is about your life lurches out of control

and you can't get back to normal.

Anyway, the resulting script was called "Freak."

So, typical Hollywood story after that.

The script gets passed around town.

People want to make it, but then they disappear.

Al Ruddy liked it,

but he was busy that year producing "The Godfather."

Don Devlin started working on it.

Then he left to produce "The Fortune" with Jack Nicholson.

The actor Bill Duffy comes along.

and he pays for an option on the script,

and he gives it to his wife for a rewrite.

His wife was Jo Heims, who wrote "Play Misty for Me,"

and it seems to be going nowhere with them.

It's really slow. They're not saying anything.

So, the writers start talking to Richard Pryor

about turning it into a Blaxploitation movie,

and Pryor wants to do it.

But then in the last week of the Bill Duffy option,

Duffy sells it to Centaur Pictures,

owned by Peter Traynor,

and Peter Traynor wants to use it for his directorial debut,

and zaniness ensues.

Now, never heard of Peter Traynor?

Never heard of Centaur Pictures?

Well, neither had anybody else.

But within weeks of acquiring the option,

Traynor had the movie set up with not one

but two Academy Award nominees,

Seymour Cassel as George Manning and Sondra Locke as Jackson,

plus an up-and-coming actress named Colleen Camp.

And those were the three people that you just saw

all tangled up together in the hot tub.

Now, at the next break, Colleen is going to join us,

and maybe she'll tell us what happened next after that.

But in the meantime,

something tells me that George's morning

after his 40th birthday party is not gonna go smoothly.

So, back to the movie.

Darcy, I assume you're familiar with Hollywood hot tubs

because -- -Yeah, the Jill Shephard movie.

[Laughter]

-Yeah, it is a Chuck Vincent movie.

Very funny.

Uh, that was supposed to be funny.

Uh, what I meant was, is that still a thing?

Orgies in hot tubs? -Orgies in hot tubs?

That's gonna always be a thing.

-It just sounds like a '70s swinger thing,

you know, and not that efficient if the goal is to have wild sex.

-Honestly, I'm not a huge fan of it.

-But, um, David Worth kind of put that into the scene.

I mean, he did all those triple exposures.

Like, you're not sure what you're seeing or touching.

He showed a lot of elbows, a lot of feet,

one person watching the other person kiss,

and he kind of sells it.

Um, he's got nude bodies,

but he actually sells it with the eyes.

You know, the looks that they're giving one another.

-It's really well done.

-And I thought Seymour Cassel was perfect

at the moment of truth.

[Laughter] -What was the moment of truth?

-The moment of truth is when he goes from,

"Uh, I'm happily married,"

to "Oh, yeah, baby, feel me up." [Laughter]

-No question. No question.

-You've seen that moment?

-100%. -In real life?

You're talking about real life? -100%.

-Okay. Often?

-1,000%. -Oh, well. Okay.

[Laughter]

♪

[Static hisses]

♪

♪

♪

♪

[Blender whirring]

[Girls laughing]

-Morning, George.

-Oh, good morning, George.

We were just about to get you up.

-Good morning.

I thought you would have left last night.

-Well, you were so nice to us

that we thought we'd stay and make breakfast for you.

Donna, get the milk out of the fridge.

-You'd just be standing in the way there, George.

But you said, uh, a friend would pick you up.

-You know, he never showed up. -Mnh-mnh.

I'll hand-make some pancakes, okay?

-Sure, fine.

-Be back in a minute.

♪

♪

Hi, George.

-Donna.

♪

-George, why are you being so cold to me?

♪

-Look, Donna.

Last night just happened.

-I thought you like being affectionate, George.

Maybe not in the morning, yeah?

♪

Come on, George.

Let me hug you and kiss you.

Love you, George.

I want you so much.

♪

-Donna, let me get dressed.

-Alright, George.

Well, I'm gonna take a quick shower

and get nice and fresh for you.

And then maybe after breakfast, we can make love again.

Alright, George?

♪

I love your shirt, George.

Thanks for letting me wear it.

Oh, I'd love some syrup.

-Do you two girls live together?

-Pass the bowl.

-Where do you live?

-Why, George?

-Well, so I can give you a ride home.

-Hmm?

-We're on the road, George.

-Oh, we don't have a home, George.

-I seem to remember you saying something

last night about leaving that address

to the party at home.

-Oh, that was just an expression, George.

I lost the damn thing. That's what I meant.

-Well, I'll drive you wherever you wanna go.

[Girls laughing]

Did I say something funny?

-I wanna go to Paris.

-[Laughs]

I'd rather stay here with you, George.

-Pass the ketchup.

-You know, George, you should eat your breakfast.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, you know.

♪

[Girls laughing]

Jesus.

-You have the manners of an alley cat.

-Fuck you, man.

-What?!

-I was just teasing, George.

Just a joke.

-She's just teasing you, George, honest.

-Get up and get your clothes now!

-If that's what you want me to do.

-Move your ass up there and get dressed.

-You know, George, you're acting a lot different from last night.

And I don't like it one bit.

♪

♪

♪

♪

-Story of the hell drivers.

A crash crazy, death-defying,

won't give a damn real men and their crazy girl...

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

-Jesus Christ!

-Hey, George, are you into dirty books?

♪

This one's something else.

"Rodan seized the little girl's hands

and thrust them into a pair of manacles.

Livid with lust, the jaded physician

slowly unbuttoned the little girl's blouse.

But the child's body was a monument to perfection,

soft, creamy, white skin.

Round breasts."

-[Exclaims]

-Sounds like a couple of girls you know, huh, George?

♪

♪

-George.

Hey, George, I'm glad you came up.

-Take that off.

-Why, George?

-My wife's negligee, that's what.

Now, take it off.

-I didn't think it was your negligee, silly.

-Look, Donna, what is this?

What the hell's going on here?

-You know, George, your wife and I must be the same size.

George, look, her clothes fit me real well.

-Take it off.

-But George, what am I gonna wear?

-Are you kidding me?

Get dressed in this, your own clothes.

George, George, I know that you'd like to see me

in something pretty, George.

I was only trying to look nice for you.

-Look, Donna, I've been trying to tell you and Jackson all day,

the party's over.

Now, get dressed.

Now!

-You sure change like the wind, George.

-That's right, George.

You were sure very nice to us last night.

You loved it. -Yeah, what happened, George?

Now, I think there's something you oughta know now, George.

We're jail bait.

-Come off it. -That's true, George.

Wanna check our IDs?

-No, I don't wanna check anything.

I don't wanna see anything.

I want you to get dressed,

and we're getting outta here, or I'm --

-Or what, asshole?

You'll call the cops?

[Chuckles]

-Why don't you just do that, George?

-Go ahead and call the cops, George.

Because I've got a story for them

that's gonna make that Rodan book of yours

read like a nursery rhyme, understand?

She's 15, and I'm 17.

Do you know what that means?

It's true, George, I'm only 15.

-Statutory rape, George.

Shove that in your ear.

-Isn't that a drag, George?

-Operator, get me the police, please.

-But I think that wife of yours

is gonna be baking cookies in prison for you

for the next 50 years.

Gonna be remembered as a sex pervert.

-"Oh, Your Honor, he seemed like such a nice man,

but he tied me up, and he beat me,

and he did horrible things to me."

-"Unnatural things, Your Honor.

I saw him, I saw him. I saw him do it."

-"So did the neighbor, Your Honor.

I saw one looking at the house.

I waved at him."

-That's right, George, your wonderful neighbors.

What are they going to think?

Think they want to live next door to a sex deviant?

-[Chuckles] I don't think so.

-And your customers, George?

The people who work for you, what will they say?

I bet they'll just love it.

-How about your wife, George, and the children?

How will they take it?

-She'll take the house.

-And everything else.

-So, go ahead and call the cops, George.

It's your life.

Do whatever you wanna do with it.

Flush it down the toilet.

-What do you want?

-[Giggles]

-I want to know what you want.

-What are you so angry about?

George, I like you.

You're different than the others.

[Doorbell rings]

-I'll get it. I'll get it!

-[Chuckles]

[Girls laughing]

-Oh, oh, Mrs. Grossman.

Uh, I'm terribly sorry.

It slipped my mind.

I was supposed to call you.

[Girls laughing]

The house is -- The house is fine.

We won't need you.

-Are you sure? -I'm sure.

Thursday.

Please come Thursday.

-That's awfully sweet of you.

-Goodbye. Thank you.

[Piano playing]

♪

-Was that your maid?

♪

-Didn't wanna make it a foursome, huh, George?

You know, back home, George, there was this nice guy.

-[Laughs]

-Had a nice old lady and a nice business.

Like you, George.

♪

One day, this cute little chick came along

and accused him of raping her.

Never heard such a commotion.

You know, people really eat that sort of stuff up, George.

-[Laughs]

-[Groans]

-...who sought to swore he was innocent all through the trial.

And you know what?

He lost.

♪

He was acquitted, alright,

but by that time, his nice old lady had split

and his nice business was down the drain.

So, you see what can happen to an innocent guy, George.

What do you wanna do with me, George?

-Georgie!

-What you wanna do to me?

♪

Who will give a shit now, isn't it, George?

-Operator...

...this is an emergency.

Get me the police.

-You win.

-Get out.

[Receiver clicks]

-Wanna give us a ride?

-You've gotta be kidding.

-Maybe one of your neighbors could give us a lift.

Doesn't matter to us one way or the other.

It's just that I didn't think you'd want us hanging around

any longer than necessary.

I won't go if you don't want me to, George.

-[Sighs] Let's go.

[Static hisses]

♪

-You know, when a wild animal kills its prey,

any carnivore,

they follow that up by devouring it like a bloody feast

that doesn't end until all the meat is gone.

And when you see Donna and Jackson eating breakfast,

the word that comes to mind is feral.

You know, we're on the road, George.

You know, like, we roam through the jungle looking for prey.

When I first watched this movie, I didn't understand that.

There's a 40-second shot of ketchup

pouring out of an overturned bottle.

But what's going on there is that Jackson is

turning on every electronic device

in the house one by one, the radios,

the stereo, whatever,

until the house is bathed in chaotic noise.

And then, like, she's having breakfast dessert,

she takes that banana

and pulls it across her naked body

and feels her breasts and all --

she's doing all that while nobody's watching.

It's like she's having sex with the chaos and the destruction.

So, kind of like the night of the Manson murders,

when the cult members graffitied up the house

and seemed to get sexual pleasure

out of the multiple stab wounds.

And then there's the whole creepy part,

with Donna sort of chasing George around the house

and trying to be his girlfriend

by dressing up in his wife's negligee

and saying, "You're not like the others, George,"

and making Jackson jealous.

And the three-way psychology going on here,

basically Jackson against George

with Donna loving both of them is really well done

in these day-of-reckoning scenes.

But, so, why am I talking about it

when we have the woman who experienced it

right here in the trailer park?

Please welcome to "The Last Drive-In"

the multi-talented actress, singer, producer,

animal Traynor, Colleen Camp.

-Yeah! -Whoo!

Icon. You've got icon.

-Yeah. Listen, uh, Colleen,

before I ask you about the movie, um,

last month we had Bob Berney on the show

to talk about "Donnie Darko."

And Bob is one of the great Hollywood deal-makers.

-Oh, yes. -But he specifically said

that you are responsible

for an amazing number of movies happening

simply because everybody in Hollywood knows you

and you know everyone in Hollywood.

And he has seen you.

He was telling these stories and he said --

-I love him.

-He has seen you talking on the phone to one friend

and then getting a call from another friend

and then patching the two people together.

And movie magic is created from those phone calls.

Well, that was not the case in 1973,

when you were 21 years old,

trying to establish yourself in Hollywood,

and somebody called you up and offered you

a starring role with two Academy Award nominees.

How does something like that happen?

-It was huge. Um, it was really crazy

because I had done this movie called "Smile,"

uh, with Michael Ritchie, uh, and I --

this is a crazy story.

And Doris Bacon, who wrote for Peoplemagazine,

and she was married to a columnist named James Bacon.

Uh, and -- -At The Herald Examiner?

-That's right. At The Herald Examiner.

And James used to write wonderful stories

and little columns on me.

And she called me via James, and she said,

"There's this great part for you in this movie."

And it was originally called "Mrs. Manning's Weekend,"

and it was one point written by a woman named Jo Heims,

who had worked with Clint Eastwood

on "Play Misty for Me."

-That was the -- "Mrs. Manning's Weekend"

was the one that -- the title Jo Heims put on it.

-That's right.

It was previously called "Freak."

It had several names.

-I love that you know all those. -I know, it's annoying.

-No, he's brilliant.

Uh, no, seriously, it's brilliant

because I was blown away by the script,

and it was a huge part.

It was a very unusual part.

And so I read it and, yeah, two Academy Award winners.

-And at that time, you had done --

you did "Beneath the Planet of the Air."

-Yes, I had.

-And what was your role in that?

-I played this female slave to Roddy McDowall and Kim Hunter.

-Okay, so.

-I had three scenes as the human slave.

-So, you kind of knew your way around,

but you had been discovered at Busch Gardens?

-Yes. -Training birds.

-I trained the birds. -To do the bird show?

-Oh, yeah.

Macaw, parrots, and cockatoos.

And I did the bird show there when I was like 18.

And it was right in, you know, Anheuser-Busch,

which is on Nordoff and, you know,

in the deep valley at San Fernando Valley

and I trained birds.

And I had an agent named Mary Grady

and she, you know, said,

"Well, let's bring some people to the act."

So, I would, like, have this bird act.

And then ironically, in the "Apocalypse Now" redo,

there's a shots of me with the birds,

the bird in the helicopter, because Francis Coppola said,

"Why don't we improvise something?"

I was never a Playboy bunny,

but I'm playing a Playboy bunny.

And so, some of that dialogue in the redo,

um, kind of references me being a bird Traynor

at Busch Gardens.

-Now, were you being a bird Traynor

as a way to get acting roles

or were just doing it because you loved birds?

-I just needed work.

And I was working at a place called Knobby Knits,

which was a dress shop in the valley in Panorama City.

And then I met this guy named Andy Grant.

And Andy Grant was one of the counselors at this camp

when I was in high school.

And he suggested that I --

I said, "I want to do a summer job."

And he said, "Why don't you come to Busch Gardens

and you can start on the boat tour?"

-Okay.

You know, it seems like a different world

when you tell a story about a newspaper columnist

who could champion your career and get your jobs.

You know, something that would never happen today.

-It was just a very different business then.

There was so much camaraderie, and there was so much help.

And when I did "Death Game,"

what was fascinating is Bill Paxton did the props,

along with Sissy Spacek.

And Sissy Spacek had already done "Badlands"

and "Carrie." -On "Death Game."

-Yes. On "Death Game." Yes.

-Spacek is working in the prop department?

-Oh, yeah. Because her husband, Jack Fisk,

was one of the production designers.

And what was interesting is that she'd already done "Carrie"

and she'd already done "Badlands."

So, what's interesting is there was no, uh, pretension.

It was like you were just part of a team,

almost like a stock company.

Some day you'd be doing the props, some day you'd be acting.

And so, it was a very interesting time.

-And you felt that camaraderie on the set of "Death Game"?

-Yes. -Okay.

Let's talk about the Jacuzzi scene.

How long were you in that Jacuzzi that day?

-We were in there a long time.

Uh, that scene was very well, uh, rehearsed.

We were in, you know, bathing suits.

It was very well rehearsed.

Uh, you know, David Worth was very sensitive.

Peter Traynor was very sensitive.

But they needed a lot of angles of that scene,

because you really needed to set up

how this guy's gone off the rails.

-And the movie -- -David Worth,

the cameraman, was actually in the Jacuzzi.

-That's right. That's right. -And he also edited the scene.

-Yes. -Went very artsy with it.

And he had all those shadows and distorted angles

and extreme close-ups and double exposures

and triple exposures and slow-motion.

And so, I guess my question --

-You're a genius. I love it.

-Here's what my question would be.

How intense were you emotionally when you were doing the scene?

-It was intense because I was with two

very, very brilliant actors.

And Sondra Locke had just been nominated

for "The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter,"

and I'll never forget that movie.

It affected me on a very deep, deep level.

I saw it with my parents. And of course,

Seymour was in all those Cassavetes films,

and I think he had just done "Faces."

-Yeah.

They had both recently been nominated for the Oscar.

-So, I was thinking, "Oh, my God."

There was an involvement with Malpaso and Clint Eastwood

pre-Sondra meeting Clint Eastwood.

This was -- and so it was interesting.

And that scene, they were both so generous, those actors

because they really helped me, you know.

-But it looked like you were having a pretty dang good time

in the hot tub.

-Well -- [Laughter]

Well, it was a big eye-opener, I can tell you that much.

I mean -- -For us, too.

-You know, when you're doing something like that,

which is at the time,

you know, I had never done any nudity at all,

and I've only done nudity in three films,

and they were all in a period of a year.

And it was "Apocalypse Now." It was "Death Game."

And again, it was originally called "Mrs. Manning's Weekend."

And it was "Smile."

And then I never did nudity after that.

And so, I think the one thing I was conscious of

in that scene was that David Worth said,

"We'll shoot you very well." At the time,

I said, "Well, I don't know if I want to do any more nudity

Now I'm thrilled I did it because I said,

"Wait, I looked like that?"

[Laughter]

-Well, I thought yours was the most interesting role

of the three, actually,

because you were trying to be the girlfriend of George.

-You were the actual girlfriend of Jackson.

-That's right.

-You're the most innocent of the three people.

And you had that

"please love me" kind of motivation

that gets stronger and stronger

until you're almost psychotic with the need for love.

-I think I'm very torn, and I think childlike, almost.

-Yeah. -And I think

to circle back to the Jacuzzi scene,

I think what was so great about it

is that we were really into that scene.

There was Sondra Locke kind of led the scene,

and it was incredible.

We really did play that scene very real.

I mean, it was that these three people were just connected.

-And I understand that Peter Traynor, the director,

allowed you guys to sort of work out the relationships

among yourselves? -100%.

-You know, how much of a couple are you and Jackson?

How much do you -- How much are you really in love with George?

All that. You worked that out.

Did you talk about it? -100%.

But, Peter, what he did, which I thought was excellent,

he really led us into the atmosphere

where you could kind of create that.

And so, a lot of it was improvised.

Sondra and I were writing our own dialogue.

We were writing stuff when, you know --

the scene in the mirror and the makeup,

all that stuff is improvised.

All that stuff, uh, was stuff --

I mean, if you think about it today,

probably because we actually --

-Would never happen today.

-It takes a very confident director, actually --

-To let you do that. -To let you do that.

So, I would view Peter Traynor in a very different way

because he actually let us write our own stuff,

a lot of our own stuff.

-Before we go back to the movie, I know, Darcy,

you are a huge fan of Colleen.

-And I'm a huge fan of this girl.

-I'm not trying to leave you out.

Did you ever -- -She's gorgeous.

-Do you have any questions?

-Oh. Uh...

Uh, didn't you and Sondra Locke become, like, lifelong friends?

-Lifelong. -Yeah. That's amazing.

-Lifelong friends.

-This had to be such a bond.

-Oh, she was just an amazing person.

And in fact, when Eli wanted to do

a remake of the movie,

and I was trying to do an intervention on it

and say, "We can't remake this movie,"

um, it was so funny because we were going to do another movie

that David Russell wrote and that Eli was rewriting

called "The Hive," which I still want to make happen

because it's brilliant.

And, um, I was really reticent, you know,

but Sondra Locke came on, and I said,

"She's going to be an executive producer."

So, I felt a real kindred spirit with her.

We became very good lifetime friends after that.

-That's amazing. -Alright, well,

you girls are on your way to the Greyhound station now.

And David Worth climbed to the top of the Golden Gate Bridge

to get one of the driving shots.

Now, I don't think I would climb to the top

of the Golden Gate Bridge to do anything.

But something tells me that you and Sondra

are not finished with Seymour.

So, let's roll the movie.

And for that,

when you did that threesome scene,

did you have a meeting beforehand?

Like today, you have to have a big meeting

where everyone lists their do-not-touch areas

and their do-not-do-this areas.

And did you do that?

-The way it was is we just knew how he was going to shoot it,

what you were actually going to see.

And yes, we met with the director, we met with Peter,

and then Sondra and I talked about

how we were going to do certain things in the scene

and then Seymour.

So, it was really collaborative.

We talked about how we were going to stage it,

but that we were open

to have other things happen in the scene.

-Open to other things. -Yes.

-You know, when I interview actresses today

who worked in the '70s and '80s

and did sex scenes or nude scenes,

they usually say, "No big deal." -It's true.

-When I interview actresses from the '90s and the 2000s

who do those scenes, they either say,

"I would never do that again,"

or "I have clauses in my contract about it,"

or, you know.

At some point, it became a huge big deal in the industry.

Any idea why the feeling changed about that?

-When you think about even movies

like "Last Tango in Paris,"

or if you see "Don't Look Now,"

I'm thinking about films that really hit me emotionally,

or a lot of the kind of the climate in the '70s,

and I was not a promiscuous person.

I just was really into an acting role.

I also think at that time there wasn't a lot of stuff

about cosmetic kind of things.

It was just very natural.

If you had a flaw, that was okay, that you had a flaw.

I think that maybe the nudity later became more --

uh, people got more -- -Intimidating.

-Because I wanted to show that,

make sure I don't have anything on me that doesn't look perfect.

The imperfection of it made it also more real

when you were doing a scene that required nudity.

-But, you know, on the nudity thing, I mean, Darcy,

you always say "Nudity, no problem."

You didn't get the memo about the new order.

-I'm definitely in camp "it's no big deal."

-Alright. Nobody's ever asked me to get naked on camera,

but I would be in camp "nobody wants to see this."

[Laughter]

-I'm asking. I feel like we want to see that.

Right? -Well, we want to see it right now.

-We want to see it right now. We're asking.

[Laughter]

♪

[Static hisses]

[Upbeat music playing on radio]

♪

-Turn that station.

God, that music sucks.

♪

[Music stops]

-Thought you like good music, George.

-Hon, want some gum? -Hey, yeah.

Hey, George, you want some gum, too?

-Have a piece.

Hey, this is good.

My breath is really bad.

Whee!

[Girls laugh] -Oh, no.

You didn't want some gum?

-[Laughs] He doesn't want any.

Have a piece.

-Here, George, come on, have some gum.

Hey, you got a mirror?

I look a mess.

-I'm tired of this gum.

Why don't you throw it away for me?

-Here, I'll throw it away.

-[Laughs]

-It smells like George's pants!

[Laughing]

George, we're just kidding you.

Do I look pretty, George?

[Girls laughing]

-Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained, huh, George?

You know you remind me of this old hound dog I would see

that belonged to these two old dykes in San Francisco.

-It's not that way with me at all.

I think you're so handsome, George.

Why are you so angry with me, George?

I love you.

-That's a God damn dumb thing to say.

He could care less about you.

-That's not true. Is it, George?

-Well, tell her, man. Tell her the way it is.

-Look, I'll tell you the way it is.

If the two of you don't shut up right now,

I'm gonna pull this car over,

and you'll walk to San Francisco.

-♪ Who's the man who made me what I am today? ♪

♪ Who's the man who taught me what to do ♪

♪ And what to say? ♪

♪ Who gave me the things in life ♪

♪ That he never had? ♪

♪ My good old dad ♪

♪ Who makes sure I wash my ears and take a bath? ♪

♪ Who wants me to walk along a straight and narrow path? ♪

♪ Who's the best there is ♪

♪ The greatest friend I ever had? ♪

♪ My good old dad ♪

♪ Always strong and always right ♪

♪ And always so true ♪

♪ Dad, I hope when I grow up, I'll be just like you ♪

♪ Who taught me that virtue was its own reward? ♪

♪ Who taught me to get down on my knees ♪

♪ And thank the lord? ♪

♪ Who is it who spanks my bottom ♪

♪ When I am bad? ♪

♪ My good old dad ♪

- Out.

-Well, George, it's been really swell.

-For me, George, it's been a little bit of heaven.

Honest, George. -I said, get out!

-Bye, Georgie! -Bye!

-Bye, George.

-Bye. -Bye.

♪

♪

♪

-Karen. -Hi, honey.

I've been waiting for you. -How's Billy doing?

-He came through it like a trooper.

-When you gonna bring him home? -Tomorrow.

I'll be home in time to fix you dinner.

-Great. Put Billy on the phone.

I'd like to talk to him.

-Hi, Daddy. You know, it's really exciting.

I think I'd like to be a doctor when I grow up.

-I thought you wanted to be a baseball star.

-Well, maybe in the off-season, I can be a doctor.

Can I really take my appendix to school

and show it to my friends?

The girls in my class will really get sick

just looking at it.

-[Chuckles] I can't wait to see you, Billy.

-Me, too, Daddy.

Here, Mom wants to talk to you.

♪

-I miss you. -Me, too.

-Is everything okay? You sound a little funny.

-Oh, sure, everything's fine.

By the way, how's Gilly? What's she'd been up to?

-Oh, she's at Mom's.

-I love you, Karen.

-I love you, too.

-We'll see you tomorrow.

-Bye-bye. -Bye.

[Receiver clicks]

♪

-♪ The sky tells us that we're free ♪

♪ To fly far as we can see ♪

♪ And if we go where love can grow ♪

♪ We're home, you and me ♪

♪ We'll be in a meadow land ♪

♪ Love and laughter fill the air ♪

♪ Everywhere's a wonderland ♪

♪ I'll wear wildflowers in my hair ♪

♪

♪ And I'm more in love with you ♪

♪ As time takes us right on through ♪

♪ The life we share ♪

♪

♪ For love is where ♪

♪ We're home, you and me ♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

-Oh! -Spray paint!

[Girls laugh]

[George groans] I think it works.

Yeah, we should get some of this stuff

they carry around for our own protection.

-You shouldn't leave a mace lying around, George.

Might get into the hands of children.

We tie you up, George.

Gonna tie you up, George.

Didn't know what he was in for, did he?

-It's really hot. -Mace.

Red-colored mace in Georgie's face.

[Girls laugh]

That's better, Georgie.

-Poor George, he didn't have time to say his prayers

before he went to sleepy-bye.

-Who gives a shit?

-[Laughs]

It was fun.

[Girls laugh]

-I wanna look like Cleopatra.

That's good? -Yeah, it's great.

Is there a blush around here?

Have some of this.

-Ugh.

-I like it.

♪

♪

[Girls laugh]

♪

I love it.

Let's see what else they've got.

♪

-Oh!

♪

-Too much on.

♪

Ooh, rouge!

♪

This is fun.

-I think George will like it. He'll love it.

-One, two.

-Huh?

-Some more.

[Girls laugh]

I am going to write something for George.

♪

...loves George.

-[Spits] Ugh!

-Look at me.

-Fuck.

♪

Why are we so --

-Ew, you got chocolate all over George's grandparents.

-[Laughs]

♪

-I love Wendy.

[Telephone rings]

-Hello.

Um, yes, he is, but he's all tied up the moment.

-Oh, I'm his, uh, niece, Nancy,

the daughter of his long lost brother.

Bye.

Maybe we'll have some company.

-Told you we'll have a real party. [Chuckles]

♪

♪

-Stop, stop.

-What do you think, George? Do I look pretty?

Come on, George.

♪

-Jesus.

-I wanna go home. -Untie me.

-Don't listen to that jerk.

-He's not a jerk, and don't call him that.

-Okay, so he's not a jerk.

-I wanna go home.

But I'm not wanted there, either.

♪

That's why I ran away.

♪

Oh, you've been nice to me.

I only wanted to love you, Daddy.

Ever since Mama brought you home, I loved you.

-No.

-And then one night, Mama went upstate to visit her sister.

Aunt Betty was in my room when you went to bed.

♪

I took off all my clothes,

and I tiptoed down the hall, pretended to be asleep.

I only wanted to love you.

Maybe you're not angry with me anymore.

Are you, Daddy?

Are you angry with me anymore?

I only wanted to love you, Daddy.

Since the day that Mama brought you home,

I-I loved you.

That's why I ran away. [Giggles]

Will you be nice to me?

Maybe you're not angry with me anymore.

Ever since Mama brought you home, I loved you.

I only wanted to love you, Daddy.

You pretended to be asleep. Remember?

You pretended to be asleep, remember?

And then, I-I crept in beside you,

and I did things to you,

I drove you crazy!

I drove you crazy!

I did things that you never even read about.

I did things you never even read about,

and that's what I wanna do to you right now.

That's what I wanna do to you right now.

-No.

-You taste so good, Manning.

[Screaming]

-Stop it!

Stop it! Stop it!

-[Screams, laughs]

[Screams]

[Laughs]

[Screams]

[Laughs]

-Wow, look at all this stuff!

Wow! -Hey, let's play dress-up!

-[Laughs]

♪

♪

♪

♪

-♪ Who makes sure I wash my ears and take a bath? ♪

♪ Who wants me to walk along the straight and narrow path? ♪

♪ Who's the best there is ♪

♪ The greatest friend I ever had? ♪

♪ My good old da-a-a-a-a-d ♪

♪

♪

♪

♪ Always kind and always humble ♪

♪ Always so calm ♪

♪ Always true and also always... ♪

-Help! [Screams]

♪

-Fucking leave her alone, man!

♪

♪

♪

[Girls laughing]

♪

[Girls screaming]

-[Singsong voice] George is going for a sleigh ride!

[Girls laugh]

-[In unison] Here we go.

[Girls laugh]

-Going downhill, George.

[George groans]

-Get off me, bitch!

[Girls laugh]

-Get him with your wrist!

Get him! Get him!

I thought he liked me.

♪

[Girls cackling]

♪

♪

-I might have two eggs for breakfast, George.

[Girls laugh]

-I think tomato would go very well with it, don't you?

[Girls laugh]

-Georgie, you shouldn't have done that!

-♪ Jingle all the way

♪ Oh, what fun, it is to ride ♪

♪ In a one-horse open sleigh, hey ♪

♪ Jingle bells, jingle bells ♪

♪ Jingle all the way, hey ♪

♪ Oh, what fun, it is to ride ♪

♪ In a one-horse open sleigh, hey ♪

♪

♪

[Static hisses]

-Okay, throwing the food on Seymour Cassel.

Now, this was a backstage turning point in the production

because apparently, director Peter Traynor let it go on

a little longer than it was comfortable for Seymour.

And he kept saying, "Throw this on him, throw that on him."

And so, Cassel had enough,

and he challenged the director to a fight

and Traynor said, "Seymour,

I will fight you anywhere, anytime.

But not until we wrap this movie."

And from that point on, Seymour Cassel kind of checked out.

He kind of -- They said he went through the motions.

He did the bare minimum, even to the point

where they were trying to get footage of him

struggling against the ropes that he was tied up with,

and he would do one take of struggling against the ropes.

And then just refuse to do any more and just lay there.

And then after the movie was over,

Seymour Cassel refused to do his looping

where you go into a sound studio

and you say the lines that were not caught by the on-set audio.

He just absolutely refused

because he hated Traynor so much.

And so, David Worth, the editor,

had to dub his entire performance frame by frame,

and he said it was, "absolute torture."

So, Colleen, I assume you witnessed the deterioration

in relations between Traynor and Cassel.

How did you get along with Seymour?

-I got along with him great,

And we ended up doing other movies together.

I did "Track 29" with Seymour,

and it was a movie that Nicolas Roeg directed

with Theresa Russell and Gary Oldman

right after "Prick Up Your Ears."

And I often wondered, you know,

when they did the ADR -- and David Worth did a great job.

He was trying to match his voice,

and obviously now they probably would have absolute duplication.

But I wish to God they had those original tracks

because he was so brilliant in the movie,

and it didn't really affect his performance, to be honest.

He was still superb,

so I don't know how many ADR lines --

-You can't tell,

but I'm surprised that he would get so upset

because most of his career is identified with John Cassavetes,

and in fact, his debut was "Shadows" in 1958,

and he worked the crew, he worked --

he worked the crew in seven or eight Cassavetes films,

including "Faces,"

which was the one he got the Oscar nomination for.

So, those were sometimes brutal conditions,

and he had worked with Don Siegel on The Killers.

He was hard core actor, studio guy.

It's just hard to believe that the wor--

he would essentially quit a movie

because of some difficult working conditions.

-I don't totally buy it.

I mean, here's what I'm going to say.

I never saw him ever not be professional on that movie.

-Okay. -He was on time.

He was on schedule, just from a professional standpoint,

and he was there in every single scene to the end of the movie.

-So, it was mostly just the ADR.

-That's what I think.

I didn't notice that there was

this kind of horrible relationship.

What I did notice is that when you're dealing with

method acting and actors that work in a certain way

and they want to talk about character,

and I'm sure when Seymour worked with John Cassavetes,

there was a dialogue about the performance and the acting.

But Peter Traynor was not that type of a director.

Peter Traynor 's atmosphere and Peter Traynor,

you know, wasn't, you know, a person that was talking

that much about what drove the character.

Not that he didn't understand it,

but he really let us, you know, shine.

-I'm a big admirer of Seymour Cassel.

I mean, he died in 2019, Alzheimer's.

But he had more than 200 roles.

He played a lot of beatniks and hippies in his younger days.

He was the hippie swinger in "Faces."

He was also an accomplished stage director.

Anyway, the scenes you two had together were brilliant.

-Thank you.

-And there's something about the way

you keep repeating the same phrases.

Calling him Daddy and saying, "Daddy,

I've loved you since Mama brought you home, Daddy."

And the words -- see, the words in the script

are already creepy enough.

And then the repetition, you know, sends you into crazy land.

You're a little girl hitting on a stranger

that you've confused with your abusive stepfather

that you're in love with. -Yes.

-And you get Donna's whole runaway back story

without ever having to come right out

and do the exposition scene on that.

So, that was wonderful, the way the thing was written.

-And it was very real.

And there's real, real moments in that.

And Seymour said, "You could really slap me.

You can really slap me in the scene.

You can really attack me."

And that really also gave me freedom in the scene

where if you look at it, it's very real, those moments.

And I was totally into that scene,

and Seymour gave it to me.

So, again, improvisation, too.

-Well, we also started to see the intense jealousy

between you and Jackson,

indicating she's in love with you,

maybe fearful that you'll find some other arrangement.

-Right. -And so, you're really --

you are a classic criminal couple

with a primary sociopath and a secondary sociopath,

because we were talking about true crime.

-True crime, and you're the expert.

-As we know from history,

two people committing a crime together

can be much crazier than one person

because neither one of you would commit crimes alone.

But the two of you being in love while committing crimes

causes the boldness and, in your case,

the need to please.

So, like Leopold and Loeb. -Yes!

-Leopold was the primary sociopath.

Loeb was the follower.

"In Cold Blood" guys,

Richard Hickock was the primary. Perry Smith was the secondary.

Perry Smith did all the murders.

The secondary. That's really common, too.

The secondary sociopath will pull the trigger

to please the primary sociopath.

I'm sorry to get into FBI profiler.

-No, when you think about the Manson murders,

remember, they were given an order.

-Yeah, the primary was not even on the scene

at the Manson murders.

So, the screenwriters have done a great job

in sketching out the criminal couple enslaved by madness here.

And, you know, what I'm really telling you is you and Sondra

do crazy together real good.

-I wish we had done another movie together,

because I do think that our combination was incredible,

and I really wish people had seen this movie at the time,

and I'd like more people to see the movie.

-Oh, it's really emerging. Yeah.

-I'd like more people to see the movie

because I think it's a very interesting film.

-You guys shot this in Hancock Park.

-That's right.

-The filmmakers go to great lengths

to make sure that we know it's in San Francisco.

They have all those panoramic shots of the Bay

and the Golden Gate. -Yes.

-And the story doesn't have anything

to do with San Francisco. It could have been set in L.A.

You wouldn't have had to go up there and get those shots.

Do you have any idea why they set it in San Francisco?

-I think the original writers, maybe --

because when Clint Eastwood was

originally who was involved in the project,

with Malpaso, and because he lived there,

I think that Clint Eastwood lived in the Bay Area

and "Play Misty for Me" was done in the Bay Area.

And so, when the movie was originally conceived,

it was going to be a Bay Area movie, from what I understand.

-It was based on an L.A. story.

-Yes, yes, it was a true story.

-But Hancock Park is a, um, very wealthy neighborhood.

-Yes.

-Whenever you see that iconic shot of a street

with giant palms on either side of the street

and the mansions behind the palms --

-Oh, yes. -...and at the end of the street

in the far distance, the Hollywood sign --

-Oh, yes.

-...that is Windsor Boulevard in Hancock Park.

And the reason I know

Peter Traynor was a great indie filmmaker

is he managed to rent one of those mansions

for $1,000 a week. -That's right.

-And the budget for the whole movie was just $150,000.

So, did you guys trash that guy's house?

Because it looks like you trashed his house?

-Uh, I don't even know how he did it,

because all those props we were breaking.

Think about the stuff we were breaking in the movie.

Um. It's amazing we made that movie for $150,000.

-Somebody asked Traynor how he could get a mansion

for a thousand a week instead of a thousand a day.

And he said, "Well, we found somebody

who didn't know better."

And it was this millionaire clothing manufacturer

who was flattered that his house was in a movie.

And that's good filmmaking for a producer to find that.

But I'll say it once and I'll say it again,

never let a film crew into your house.

-No! -Do you agree? [Laughs]

-Well, I'll tell you something very funny.

Uh, Jim Brooks, unbeknownst to me

when he was doing his movie "Spanglish" --

and I know Jim very well --

and his wife at the time, a friend, dear friend,

Holly Brooks, uh, said to me, "You're crazy."

I said, "Some location manager came to my house

and wanted to rent my house,

and I was really concerned about it."

She said, "Are you crazy?

You don't know how much you could have made from that,

from that rental. -Well, there is that.

But I mean, Darcy -- -My house would be destroyed.

-Exactly. -Darcy, what do you think?

-Well, I've worked in many houses in L.A.,

and I would say it's going to get destroyed.

[Laughter]

-Yes. -You've seen some damage?

-Oh, I've seen a lot of damage. A lot of damage.

-Alright, there's actually a ghetto part of Hancock Park

because I lived there for a year.

-Did you? In Hancock Park?

-It's the low-rent part of Hancock Park.

I rented a house directly across the street

from the main gate at Paramount Pictures.

-Oh, my God.

-The one they always used in the movies

when they want to show a studio gate.

It got so noisy there,

because if you stand in the middle of Windsor Boulevard,

you can get this picture that has palm trees,

the Paramount Gate, and the Hollywood sign.

So, there were always these tourists

risking their lives every day

and annoying the traffic and annoying me

because there was constant horn-honking

as these tourists from foreign countries

ran out into the middle of the street to get that shot.

You could buy the shot on a postcard,

but they wanted their sister to be in the shot,

so they were willing to play chicken with the cars

to get, you know, to go back to Yokohama

or wherever with some cool selfies.

Anyway, climbing up on top of the Golden Gate Bridge

to get a shot of Seymour Cassel

driving the girls to the Greyhound station,

that is taking taking your life in your own hands.

-No, it is. It is. -Anyway...

-David Worth, I mean, think about it.

He ended up editing the film, shooting the film.

I mean, then he ends up looping the film.

I mean -- -Yeah, that's true.

I mean, it's like you had two directors

on this film is the truth.

-It's not that they're co-directing,

but the way something looks visually

is very important in terms of how you're affected by a movie.

-Yeah.

And I also think that Worth has said

that he saw this as a big chance for his career,

and he made the most of it.

-He did. He did.

-He's done a lot of great work. -Great work.

Amazing work.

♪

[Static hisses]

-I only wanted to love you, Daddy.

Ever since Mama brought you home, I loved you.

See how I look after you.

I clean you up. I change your clothes.

I love you so much, Daddy.

♪

♪

[Thunder cracking]

♪

-Donna.

♪

Donna!

♪

Enough is enough, Donna.

♪

-Yes, Your Honor.

[Thunder crashing]

[Shoe pounding]

-The court is now in session.

[Doorbell rings]

-Huh? -[Whispering] What's that?

-I-I ordered some groceries.

It must be the delivery man. -What?

-It's just we used all the food on George.

I wa-- -Jesus, Donna.

-Help, help, help!

[Muffled shouting]

♪

-Shut up.

[Normal voice] Send him around back.

♪

-Go around to the back!

♪

[Thunder crashing]

♪

Just put it right over here.

-Jesus, it is really raining outside.

Those are really wild outfits. You having a party?

-Yeah, that's right, a costume party.

-How much is it? -Let me see.

$42 even.

♪

-$45. Here, keep the change.

♪

-Have a nice night.

-Help me! Back here!

-That's Mr. Manning. -Don't leave, please!

Please don't leave, please!

Back here! Help me, please!

Back here, help me!

Help me! Help me!

-What is going on here? [Glass shatters]

-Help!

-Ow! I'll find a cop, Mr. Manning.

-Come on, back here!

They're trying to kill me!

-God damn it, just...

[Girls laugh]

God damn it, God damn it!

Oh, God!

No, no, no!

Oh, God.

[Weapon clattering]

-[Breathing heavily]

[Grunting]

[Girls laughing]

-Let's -- Let's put him in the fish tank.

Put him in the fish tank.

-[Laughs]

Put him in the fish tank.

♪

-No! God!

♪

No!

♪

-Leg is jammed here.

♪

-Jesus, damn it!

♪

No!

[Girls laugh]

♪

It's murder, no!

♪

Stop, no, you can't do it!

No, Jackson!

For God's sake, no!

You can't do that!

That's murder!

♪

♪

No, no! Put back the lid.

Stop it, Donna!

You can't, Donna!

You'll kill him!

Jackson, don't do it, Jackson!

-Shut up!

Unless you want in here with him.

-I don't care! You can't kill him!

Jackson, stop it!

Donna, don't kill him!

Don't kill him! Stop it!

No, no, no!

♪

-[Cackling]

♪

♪

Now, you see what kinda trouble you can get into

when you don't mind Mommy and Daddy.

♪

Some fishies!

Look at all the little fish.

[Girls laugh]

♪

♪

♪

-He's dead.

And he's dead, too.

♪

Let's put the top on.

[Thunder rumbles]

-Where were we?

Oh, yeah.

Oh, the state versus George Manning.

The defendant is charged with two counts,

assault and battery to minors,

two counts statutory rape,

and two counts perverted and unnatural sexual acts to minors.

-[Laughs]

How does the defendant plead?

-Wait a minute, Your Honor.

He can't plead, he's gagged.

-[Laughs]

-[Chuckles]

-Will the first witness for the state please come forward?

-Yes, Your Honor.

[Cat meows]

-Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth,

and nothing but the truth, so help you God?

-Yes, I do.

♪

-Tell us, when did you first meet George Manning?

-As I came walking down the street one day,

he opened his front door,

offered me candy and cookies.

-No.

Didn't your mommy and daddy teach you

never to take food from strangers?

-Yes, Your Honor.

♪

-Well, now, go ahead.

-At first, he was real nice,

but then he tried to kiss me.

He said he never saw a girl as pretty as me.

Told him I had to go.

He wouldn't let me go.

-Then what?

-He started chasing me all over the house.

I tried to get away, but he was too fast.

-Yes.

And then he threw me on the ground,

and he ripped off my blouse.

Then he started to... -Yes.

He started -- -Started what?

Sucking your tits? Isn't that right?

He started sucking your tits.

-[Laughs]

He threatened me if I didn't let him.

-The witness will continue.

-I trusted him, Your Honor.

He took advantage of me.

He made me promises.

♪

He made me do unspeakable things.

-Like what?

-Your Honor, I don't know how I can go on.

I don't know how I'm going to be able

to live with myself.

[Mimics sobbing]

♪

-Oh, poor baby.

♪

The court will ask no further questions.

♪

The court now calls Jackson to the stand.

[Thunder crashes]

Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth,

and nothing but the truth, so help you God?

I do.

Jackson, how do you imagine that two such nice girls

like yourself could have gotten involved in...

such a mess?

[Girls laugh]

Well, I'm sure out of pure innocence, Your Honor.

We never dreamed of someone living in such a nice home,

in such a lovely neighborhood, with such a beautiful family

could be such dreck.

-What's dreck?

-Garbage!

We thought he'd be a pillar of his community,

didn't we, Donna?

I wonder if he could be rehabilitated.

Made a useful member of society.

I don't think so.

I think he's like all men,

after whatever he can get.

Do you have anything else to add at this point, Jackson?

No, Your Honor.

But I'd just like to say...

...that I'm very sorry this had to happen.

-I think it's only fair that we hear

what the defendant has to say.

-Very well.

The court calls George Manning to the witness stand.

Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth,

and nothing but the truth, so help you God?

Answer me, George Manning.

I'm waiting, Manning.

-This is insanity.

Come off it. This isn't a court.

Don't you see what you're doing?

What you've done?

Jackson, listen to me.

I mean...look at that picture up there.

That's my girl, my oldest.

Don't you remember what it was like

when you needed your father?

♪

-Shit, he was never around long enough for me to need.

-My children need me, Jackson.

My family needs me.

♪

-Is that how you really feel, George?

♪

Is that true? -Yes.

-What about last night, George?

Why didn't you think about your family then?

♪

-Jackson, last night had nothing to do with it.

-You're damn right, it doesn't.

-Why so much hate? Tell me!

-Shut up!

You'll never understand.

The court will now recess to deliberate its verdict.

[Thunder rumbles]

[Thunder crashes]

♪

♪

-Thank you, George.

-His choice is how he wants to die.

-Suffocation? -[Laughs]

Firing squad? -[Laughs]

♪

-Hanging?

-[Laughs]

-Castration?

-Should we drown Dad?

[Girls laugh]

♪

♪

♪

[Girls laughing]

Who do I love more, Randy or George?

♪

[Girls laugh]

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

[Phone clattering]

-Oh, don't you, George.

Nice try, George.

-We've reached our verdict, George.

-[Laughs]

May I have the envelope, please?

-Why, yes.

The court finds the defendant, George Manning...

...guilty as charged on all counts.

It deems him a public menace...

...and therefore decrees that his life

shall be terminated at dawn.

-[Sighs]

-Happy birthday.

♪

[Girls laughing]

[Thunder crashing]

[Static hisses]

♪

-You know, there's that one moment in the mock trial --

another great scene -- where George says, "Why so much hate?"

And Jackson answers, "You would never understand."

And why would he never understand?

Because he's a man.

And this is what the screenwriters intended

when they said they wanted that feminist subtext.

And you, Colleen, did you plan these acting moments?

Like, when you decide to lick the fish tank

and then say, "Look at all the little fishes,"

like you're afraid that the murdered body

will harm the fish? -Yes.

I -- No. That was completely improv.

I did not -- -You did that in the moment?

-I did it in the moment. -Alright.

-In the moment. -Well, before we finish,

um, I wanted to touch on a few other aspects of your career.

It's difficult to describe your career

because you've worn so many hats.

Um, one performance of yours

that everyone should watch is the lead role

in "They All Laughed" -- -Thank you.

-Peter Bogdanovich movie. -Thank you.

-It was kind of overshadowed by stuff going on

with Dorothy Stratten at the time,

but you're actually the star of the movie,

not Dorothy Stratten.

And you sing six country western songs --

-I do. -...and you really sell it.

-Oh, I love it. Thank you.

-You're a pro. -Oh, thank you.

-I have taken so many people to say

you got to watch this movie

because it didn't get the proper distribution

that it should have gotten when it first came out,

just like "Death Game" didn't. -Well, you know what?

I think what happened was after Dorothy died,

Peter was so devastated

that he bought the movie back from 20th Century Fox.

I think it was a big mistake.

I think that he had a great distributor.

He had Bob Cort, who later went to Interscope,

who loved the movie.

And I think because there was a preview in Florida, in Miami,

of "They All Laughed," which is Quentin's favorite Peter film.

Uh, and the preview people were a little confused.

and so it was the wrong audience for that particular film

because, you know,

most of the people in that audience

were in their 70s or 80s.

Not that you can't be older. I mean, look at me.

But I do think it was the wrong audience.

And so, I think Peter was worried about

how it was going to be promoted.

But then Peter self-released it,

and it played at the music hall for like 26 weeks,

but he was funding all the P and A on that,

and that is a very risky proposition.

But the movie never really got its due.

-It doesn't really ever get the attention it deserved.

And then you were a producer

on Eli Roth's remake of "Death Game,"

called "Knock Knock," in 2015.

You've produced many other films.

You helped Martha Coolidge put together "Valley Girl."

-Yes, I did,

and her movie before that called "Anne and Joey"

because I had seen two of her shorts,

"David: Off and On" and "Old-Fashioned Woman,"

and I was introduced to her by, who just passed, Fred Roos.

And Fred Roos, who produced "Apocalypse Now."

And he introduced me to Martha, and that was a devastation.

And I helped her because Peter -- I called Peter

and I said, "She's a wonderful director."

And Peter put a million dollars into this movie

called "Anne and Joey," "later titled The City Girl,"

which is an incredible film.

That film helped her get "Valley Girl,"

and then, of course, "Valley Girl,"

I mean, I brought in a lot of the elements of that movie.

I helped get the art director, Julia Javier,

who was on "Apocalypse Now."

Martha was close to Julia.

I brought in Lee Purcell.

I brought in Frederic Forrest because I'd worked with him.

-Because you know everybody. So...

And someone told me that you're a Meisner actress.

I always like to point that out. Are you?

-Well, actually, I did study the Meisner technique

with a woman named Joanne Baron,

and I did the three-year program.

But prior to that, I had not done any Meisner.

-Any training at all. -I had done other training.

I studied with a man named William Conrad,

and I also studied with Milton Katselas.

And Milton Katselas had something called

the Beverly Hills Playhouse, and you did scenes,

and you actually -- what was so great about it.

And it was he was a brilliant, brilliant, brilliant teacher.

And I mean, Michelle Pfeiffer was in the class,

I was in the class, Anne Archer was in the class,

Tom Selleck was in the class,

David and Cheryl Ladd were in the class.

It was a really interesting class.

-Well, the reason I bring it up is you don't get any kudos

for being a Meisner student.

But if you say the words "Actors Studio,"

everybody oohs and ahs.

You know, when you study with Meisner technique

and, you know, you licked the fish tank, you know,

-I mean, I guess I could -- -I saw that you --

-That could be a Lee Strasberg move. I mean --

Yeah, that could be -- -You were a Meisner actress,

and you licked the fish tank.

You were in the "Police Academy" movies?

-Yes. -"Wayne's World."

You were in a favorite of mine that few people have seen

called "The Gumball Rally" -- -Yes!

-...which is like "Cannonball Run," only better.

You've been a champion of all kinds of indie films.

What are you producing right now?

-Well, I just produced a movie called "Bride Hard,"

and it's with Rebel Wilson, Da'Vine Joy Randolph,

Anna Camp, Justin Hartley, Stephen Dorff,

and I'm really excited about the movie.

It's a combination of "Bridesmaids" and "Die Hard."

-Wow. -And then I just produced

a movie that Jack Huston directed

because the film that I produced a few years ago

that came out during COVID, which I'm very proud of,

"Above Suspicion," which Philip Noyce directed

with Emilia Clarke

and Jack Huston and Johnny Knoxville,

and he, uh, is brilliant as a director.

Jack Huston on this movie, "The Day of the Fight."

It's an homage to a Kubrick documentary of the same name.

-I'm sorry.

You've listed all these credits,

and you did not mention "Clue."

-Oh! -Are you kidding me?

Freaking "Clue." -That's right.

You were brilliant in "Clue."

-Thank you. -Yes!

I was a French maid for Halloween

every year for, like, ever because of that.

-Oh! -Seriously. Literally.

My love of fishnets.

-What's very interesting about "Clue,"

look at those actors.

Madeline Kahn, you know,

Lesley Ann Warren, Tim Curry,

I mean, Eileen Brennan and Jonathan Lynn

had all the actors watch "His Girl Friday"

before we started that film.

And when the movie ended,

because it's just a great Howard Hawks film,

Eileen Brennan said, "You can tell

that was before the method. They just talked,"

because there was no over-intellect--

There was -- -No over-intellectualizing.

That's why I keep promoting Meisner.

Over the... -Yes.

Alright, I want to ask you about Sondra Locke,

who plays the older, embittered, controlling Jackson in the film.

She just exudes anger and resentment.

And Sondra Locke had been nominated for an Oscar

in her very first movie while she was still living

in her native Tennessee.

She was opposite Alan Arkin

in "The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter."

-Yes. -Great movie,

based on the Carson McCullers novel.

And then most people in the general public

would remember her for being in a lot of Clint Eastwood movies

during her 15-year relationship with him.

-Yes.

-And then, of course, two big public trials

where she sued him for damages.

So, her career sort of gets overshadowed

by all this personal drama, but she was an amazing actress.

-Oh! -Would you agree?

-Not only was she an amazing actress,

I would have to tell you that she was very instrumental

because in those scenes, as was Seymour,

to be able to work with an actress at 21

who was so giving and was so collaborative.

She was almost a director herself,

and she became a very well known director.

And she did something.

-She directed a couple of movies.

Yeah, I think her decision to take roles in Eastwood movies

that she was sort of right for,

probably made it impossible for her to do roles

that might have turned her into a breakout star.

I think she -- -I actually have to say

she was on a Meryl Streep level.

I mean, this actress is so great that I think

that she was great in the Clint Eastwood movies,

and he's a great director and he's an extraordinary talent.

But there are so many things I believe...

You know, she was up for "Looking for Mr. Goodbar,"

and I remember some of the films

that I think she could have done because she is one of the great,

great, great actresses

-Well, "Death Game" was shot

long before she started her relationship

with Clint Eastwood. -Yes, it was.

-Although Eastwood's production company had the rights

to "Death Game" for a very short period.

-Right. And then that's how Jo Heims

got involved as a writer. -Yes.

-And, uh, Jo Heims had written two movies for Eastwood,

uh... -"Play Misty for Me"

-And then she did a minor rewrite on "Death Game."

And then when the movie was finally released in 1977,

Traynor put out this poster that said,

"by the writer of 'Play Misty for Me'"

and Michael Ross happened to see it.

So, he called the Writers Guild, and he said,

"Hey, she didn't write that movie.

I wrote that movie six years ago with Anthony Doborov,"

and the WGA set up a hearing to assign credit.

The night before the hearing, Jo Heims backed down,

withdrew her name from the film.

Um, but it was Peter Traynor, the producer/director,

who wanted Jo Heims' name on the film

because he he wanted the poster to say

"from the writer of 'Play Misty for Me,"

not from two copywriters on the eighth floor of Capitol tower.

-No, that's right. And they were Capitol.

And interestingly enough, I didn't know any of that.

I learned that more

when Eli was really pushing to do the remake of the movie,

and I literally went into CAA and I said,

"Eli cannot remake this movie because Eli called me one night,

and he said, 'Oh, my God, Colleen, you're brilliant.

You're amazing. You're a genius.'"

I said, "Thank you." [Laughter]

I said, "Why are you calling me?"

He said, "I just saw you in a movie."

He had never seen it. He said, "I want to remake it."

And he put his girlfriend on at the time, Lorenza Izzo,

and she said, "We've got to do this movie."

And I had this project with David O. Russell,

as I said to Heims,

and I had just convinced David that Eli,

while David was doing "American Hustle,"

should do an adjustment because I said,

"Eli, you need to do elevated horror.

You are a cinephile.

I mean, you could be doing things like Polanski."

I really felt that Eli was such a genius

and he knew so many films, and I --

because I said, "I'm too scared to watch 'Hostel.'

I can't watch that movie," I said.

And so, basically the bottom line was I'd gone into CAA,

I said, because Eli is now talking about

doing a remake of "Death Game,"

and he's already written the script.

And of course, I had to go to get the rights

because Peter Traynor and I were so close,

and Peter Traynor said he would only grant the rights to me.

He said, "I will only grant the rights to Colleen

because she was so good to me on the film."

And I said, "I promise I'll protect you on it."

But the irony is I'd gone into the agency

and said, "Eli cannot do this. We have to do it."

I walk out, I go have lunch with Michael Shamberg

across the street, I come back.

You know, it was a restaurant in the Century Plaza,

and there, standing in front of CAA,

in the parking lot is this gorgeous,

beautiful blonde who did not speak English.

And this has been noted in many articles.

And I turned to Josh Lieberman,

who is David's agent and this girl's agent.

I said, "Who are you? You're brilliant. You're gorgeous."

I mean, I immediately gave her all these --

I didn't say brilliant yet,

but I said, "You're gorgeous. You're incredible."

You know, she could be perfect to play my part in "Death Game."

I turned on a dime. That was Ana de Armas.

And we literally were negotiating a deal

after I had said, "We cannot do this movie."

And that's how quickly "Knock Knock" happened.

She was cast an hour later.

Her quality was perfect to play that part.

-Colleen, everything you touch turns into a movie.

-Well... -You've, you know,

in this interview you've mentioned about 100 people

that you know in Hollywood.

You are the glue that keeps Hollywood together.

So, thank you for being with us tonight.

-Thank you. This has been a great honor and a pleasure.

-We can -- -I'm a big fan.

-Now, unfortunately, Colleen,

we can no longer have sympathy for you in this movie

because of what you're about to do to that cat.

-Mm-hmm. -Not good.

-Are you a cat person?

-I love cats. -Okay.

Well, that's good that you say that

because our audience at "The Last Drive-In"

will stay with us through any level of cruelty

and torture and murder,

as long as it's only people, but not any animal.

So -- -I don't blame them.

-Trigger warning. When you see Colleen with the cat,

you might want to look away.

So, thank you, Colleen. -Good for you.

-Well, and I love cats. -And you love cats.

So, roll the movie.

And, oh, I forgot to talk about that poor guy

in the fish tank. -Oh!

-The grocery delivery guy was originally Marty Allen.

-That's right. -It seems like everybody

on this movie got fired and replaced.

The cinematographer worked one week, fired and replaced.

Editor made a rough cut, fired and replaced.

Uh, and is it true that Sondra bitch-slapped the makeup man

because he was making snide remarks

and he had to be wrestled away from her

because he was trying to hit her back?

-Oh.

That is so funny.

That is so funny.

I missed that moment. I don't know why.

Because we were in very close quarters,

and we were together 24/7.

I know that she wanted to do her makeup in a very specific way.

And if you have a makeup artist

and a union makeup artist or non-union, whatever it is,

she wanted to do her makeup in a certain way.

That was all improvised. So, I think there was questions

about the artistic collaboration

between how she wanted to look and the makeup artist.

And so, there was some, I think, some friction.

-So, and at some point she just hauled off and smacked him.

But when he tried to smack her back,

he, too, was fired.

But the grocery delivery sequence was filmed

and then scrapped because it was too funny.

-It was hilarious.

-The groceries were delivered by Marty Allen,

who was famous in the '50s and '60s

as part of the comedy team Allen and Rossi.

Marty Allen was the chubby one. But he was everywhere.

A Catskills comic, Vegas headliner,

but also a dramatic actor.

And so, he's bringing in the groceries through the kitchen,

and he asked, "What's going on?"

Because he sees the girls' makeup

and he asks is there a party going on in there,

and they convince him that they're high priced call girls

and they're role-playing.

And this turns him on,

and they promise to dress up like Nazis for him later

if they can have the groceries for free.

And that makes him happy, and he leaves.

But the scene was deemed too slapstick

for the tone of the movie.

And so they said, "Let's reshoot it,

but we don't have time to cast it."

So Traynor just kind of points to a guy on the crew and says --

-That's true. You look right.

-..."You're going to deliver the goods."

-That's right.

-And so the groceries were delivered

by Michael Cowman's son.

-That's right. -This was his only role.

He was one of the electricians

in the camera department. -That's right.

-And I understand he really suffered in that --

-Oh, no, it was the poor guy was manhandled

we put his head in the fish tank.

The kid was a good sport.

-Indie filmmaking at its best.

Thanks, Colleen. -Thank you.

-He sleeps with the fishes.

-I love you.

[Chuckles]

♪

[Static hisses]

♪

♪

[Clock ticking]

♪

-Six more hours, Manning.

♪

[Laughing] [Thunder crashing]

♪

♪

-You want some fishy?

♪

[Cat meows]

♪

Hi, George.

Five more hours, Georgie.

♪

Five more hours.

♪

[Laughs]

[Cat yowling] -No!

♪

[Glass shattering]

-[Laughing]

[Girls laugh, shout]

-You like that, dirty? -Oh, come here, Georgie.

-I saw the records.

Good, the stereo's falling down.

[Laughs]

There goes the telephone.

♪

Jackson, do you think we're having an earthquake?

[Laughs]

♪

Oh, I missed one.

Here, Jackson, catch the music box.

[Clattering]

-I missed.

♪

[Clock ticking]

-I wanna make love to you for the last time.

♪

-Just a minute.

♪

-George, George.

♪

George, oh, George.

♪

-They always take the bait, don't they?

[Girls laugh]

[Thunder crashes]

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

-[Echoing] Promises. Promises.

I trust him. I trust him.

Daddy took advantage.

He made me do unspeakable -- unspeakable things.

♪

That's right, Your Honor.

You've been naughty, naughty, naughty, George.

Guess more different than you were...

♪

Fuck you back, back, back, back.

Fuck you.

♪

Shut up! Yes, Your Honor.

Happy birthday. Happy birthday.

Happy birthday, asshole.

You're in real trouble, real trouble, real trouble.

♪

Guilty, guilty, guilty as charged.

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

-[Laughing]

♪

-Three more hours, Manning.

♪

[Thunder crashing]

♪

-[Echoing] I wouldn't trade my life with you for anything.

Trade my life, trade my life with you.

♪

[Girls cackling]

♪

George, how does it feel to be 40?

♪

-[Mouths words]

♪

♪

♪

[Clock ticking]

♪

Here's your last supper.

You better eat because in a little while,

you're going on a very long trip.

♪

Wake up, George!

George! George! Georgie!

[Girls laugh]

Sunrise, Manning.

♪

♪

♪

You're beautiful, you know? -Guilty.

-Oh, George, you like my knife?

-No, no! -Guilty.

-You ready to die, George?

-No.

-You ready to die, George?

-You're going to!

♪

[Girls shouting] [George moaning]

♪

-Get ready for the next life, George!

-Believe it.

♪

[Cackling]

♪

[Girls laugh]

Wasn't that funny?

You didn't think we were serious, did you, George?

You didn't think we were serious?

-I love you, I love you, I love you.

-It was just -- just a little joke, George.

-[Laughs]

-We had so much fun together, George.

I still love you, and I wanna be with you.

You're different than the others, George.

George, you're different, George.

I'll always remember you, George.

-It's time to go, Donna.

-Goodbye, George.

[George sobbing]

-Goodbye, George.

[Girls laugh]

♪

-♪ Who's the man who made me what I am today? ♪

♪ Who's the man who taught me what to do ♪

♪ And what to say? ♪

♪ Who gave me the things in life that he never had? ♪

♪ My good old dad ♪

♪ Who makes sure I wash my ears and take a bath? ♪

♪ Who wants me to walk along the straight and narrow path? ♪

♪ Who's the best there is ♪

♪ The greatest friend I ever had? ♪

♪ My good old dad ♪

♪ Always kind and always humble ♪

♪ Always so calm ♪

♪ Always true and also always faithful to Mom, Mom ♪

♪

♪ Who taught me that virtue was its own reward? ♪

♪ Who taught me to get down on my knees ♪

♪ And thank the lord? ♪

♪ Who is it who spanks my bottom when I am bad? ♪

♪ My good old dad ♪

[Tires screech]

[Bodies thumping]

[Dogs barking]

♪

-♪ The sky tells us that we're free ♪

♪ To fly as far as we can see ♪

♪ And if we go ♪

♪ Where love can grow ♪

♪ We're home, you and me ♪

♪ The world has a place, it seems ♪

♪ For those who believe in dreams ♪

♪ And if it's where two lovers care ♪

♪ We're home, you and me ♪

♪ We'll be in a meadowland ♪

♪ Love and laughter fill the air ♪

♪ Everywhere's a wonderland ♪

♪ I'll wear wildflowers in my hair ♪

♪

♪ And I'm more in love with you ♪

♪ As time takes us right on through ♪

♪ The life we share ♪

♪ For love is where we're home ♪

♪ We're home, you and me ♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪ We'll be in a meadowland ♪

♪ Love and laughter fill the air ♪

♪ Everywhere's a wonderland ♪

♪ I'll wear wildflowers in my hair, my hair ♪

♪ And I'm more in love with you ♪

♪ As time takes us right on through ♪

♪ The life we share ♪

♪ For love is where we're home ♪

♪ We're home, we're home ♪

♪ You and me ♪

♪

♪

[Static hisses]

-So, Darcy, first of all, excellent Sondra Locke cosplay.

Thank you for that.

-I didn't have time to do the crazy makeup, but --

-Alright. -Close enough. [Chuckles]

-Um, what do you think of the ending?

-Oh, my God, stupid as shit.

[Laughter]

I'm sorry. -Apparently,

the ending gets laughed at

when the movie is shown in a theater.

-I feel like it was maybe supposed to be

like just desserts after the killing of the cat and the fish,

but it just didn't really register that way.

-Uh, it's a literal deus ex machina,

which means God in a machine, you know,

comes down and solves the movie.

In the original script,

the girls were really going to kill George

with the meat cleaver,

but Donna changes her mind, intervenes, and kills Jackson.

Unfortunately, the filmmakers

didn't even know about that ending

because they were not working from the original script.

They were working from the draft written by Jo Heims.

But that ending makes psychological sense

and FBI profiler sense,

because if the secondary psychopath suddenly realizes

she's being used by the primary psychopath,

her anger will be immense.

Okay, so they made the whole movie,

not knowing how it would end.

Who does that? [Laughter]

And they discussed it, and they agonized over it.

And they came up with four possible endings

that they did consider.

Okay, so the first possible ending was...

...George is tied to a grill,

and as they're about to kill him, he gets loose

and beats Jackson to death with the grill,

and Donna helps him.

So, he lets her go,

and she sings a song as she walks down the street.

That's ending number one.

The second ending considered was

they spare George's life,

they get away with it,

then they're picked up by another middle-aged man

while they're hitchhiking,

and that starts the cycle all over again.

The third ending is the "it was all a dream idea,"

which I always hate those endings.

[Laughter]

George realizes that he has had a nightmare,

but then the doorbell rings and there they are.

So, Traynor wanted the fourth ending, the one we saw,

because he felt like audiences would not like it

if the girls got away scot-free.

And so it's sort of like God says,

"I'll use the SPCA to make sure that they die," you know?

And that was not a popular choice.

It was not a reasonable choice. It was not a choice --

It's actually a choice that violates the principles

of all good storytelling.

But I was actually okay with it, though.

It shocked me at the time, and it was like,

well, I don't have to listen to their nonsense anymore.

They are non-stop talkers. -What? You said that?

-I thought, I don't have to listen to their nonsense

anymore and I don't -- -Where's our truck?

-I do not have to listen to the fucking

"Dear Old Dad" song anymore.

How many times did they play that song?

-At least four times.

I keep singing it for hours after the movie's over,

every single time.

-So, you liked it? [Laughter]

-I mean, it's inappropriate for child sex abuse theme,

but it's really cute and really catchy.

A little bit. -Catchy.

Catchy child sex abuse song.

Okay. -Okay.

-"Dear Old Dad," by the way, was sung by The Ron Hicklin Singers.

That's one of those singing groups

who only work in the studio.

They do music for TV shows and films only,

and they're most famous for singing

the "Batman" theme on TV.

But correct me if I'm wrong --

isn't the "Batman" theme just one word?

-They're the "Batman" people? -There's just one word.

Isn't it just "Batman, Batman, Batman, over and over?

Yeah, that was us.

You probably heard us singing "Batman."

-That's amazing. [Laughter]

-But they also saying "Suicide Is Painless"

for the movie version of "MASH."

But this movie got rewritten and changed so many times.

Plus, a lot of the scenes were improved.

In fact, I think it set the all-time record

for just title changes

because the original script was called, uh, "Freak,"

and then for years it was only available on VHS

under the title "The Seducers."

And then at various times,

there were versions of it called,

"Little Miss Queen of Darkness,"

"Night Child,"

"Mrs. Manning's Vacation,"

"Mrs. Manning's Holiday,"

"Daddy's Girls,"

"Mrs. Manning's Weekend" --

I think that was actually the working title --

"Deadly Games,"

"The Seducers' Game,"

and "A Handful of Hours."

But before we move on to other business,

since most of the people involved with "Death Game"

are dead,

I want to put up a little bit of defense of Peter Traynor,

whose only movie as a director was this one.

He sort of half-directed another movie called "Evil Town"

that came out in 1987, but that's another story.

Peter Traynor was born in Newton, Massachusetts,

the same town where Eli Roth grew up.

And I don't know if that had anything to do with

Roth's decision to do the remake with Keanu Reeves,

but he and Traynor could trade stories

about their hometown high school.

So, Traynor was a hustler, very ambitious guy.

He dropped out of Boston University

so he could move to California, even though he was broke,

and try to break into the movies.

So, handsome guy, very athletic.

If Seymour Cassel had followed up

on his threat to fight Traynor,

Cassel would have gotten the crap beat out of him.

So, Traynor ends up in San Francisco,

and he starts selling insurance

to build up money to make movies.

And everybody who knew him always thought

he was right on the edge of ethics.

But he was a great salesman, and he was charming,

and people liked him,

And he actually got hired at John Hancock

and then fired the next day

when they realized he'd lied about all of his background.

He said he was a graduate of Harvard Business School

when he was actually a Boston University dropout.

But then he ended up at Penn Mutual,

another insurance company,

where he broke the sales record that had stood for 120 years.

So, by 1965, when he was 23 years old,

he was making $250,000 a year

and looking for people who could help him break into movies.

Eventually, he met Irving Leonard,

who was James Garner's manager,

and Leonard introduced him to Mark Lester.

Mark Lester was a director,

and he said he had this script about demolition derbies

that he could do for $110,000.

That seemed like such a low number to Traynor

that he said, "Okay, I'll get it."

And he created this syndicate

that had the funds within just a few weeks.

And the result was the movie "Steel Arena,"

which did okay at the box office.

Then he did a second movie with Mark Lester,

the immortal "Truck Stop Women" with Claudia Jennings,

and then he formed a company called Centaur Pictures,

which was a company designed by accountants

to take advantage of tax shelter laws.

So, this is basically wealthy people

who owe a lot of income tax,

they could put their money into a film fund

instead of paying their tax.

And if the movie made a lot of money, great.

And if it didn't, they would have had to pay that tax anyway.

So, he set up these tax shelter finance deals

in both real estate and independent film,

and both of which were going through a boom time

in California.

So, while he was producing his third film,

which was a skiing movie called "The Ultimate Thrill"

with Britt Ekland --

he tended to make movies starring gorgeous women --

he met Jo Heims' agent at the gym,

and the agent pitched him on "Mrs. Manning's Weekend,"

as "Death Game" was called at the time.

But he didn't want to just produce this time.

He wanted to direct.

His whole life had been heading

toward this moment when he could direct,

so he raised the money from a syndicate

he put together by pitching doctors

working at the Martin Luther King Jr. Hospital.

Okay. [Laughter]

The Martin Luther King Jr. Hospital

is between Compton and Watts.

It's a hospital that had been opened in response

to the Watts riots of 1965.

There was no medical facility in the South Central L.A.

at the time.

So, there were all these gang-related deaths

caused by not being able to get to a trauma center in time

because the ambulance had to travel at least 10 miles.

So, it was fairly new hospital.

Nobody knew all the faces yet.

So, Traynor walked the halls of the hospital

with one of the resident doctors

who was on his payroll, and Traynor wore medical scrubs,

and he had a stethoscope around his neck

in order to solicit shares in his film fund.

So, like I said, he was a hustler.

So, he didn't go to film school.

He learned by watching other directors.

He wore gold neck chains.

He was a smooth-talking salesman type.

He did not know the lingo of the business.

He looked like an amateur using his money

to dabble in the film business.

But God damn it, he made a good movie.

Give him some credit.

You can only direct one movie in your life

and still get four stars.

Like the ending or hate the ending,

the movie itself packs a wallop.

Some of the images in the film are unforgettable.

When the girls first show up,

they're seen in this flash of lightning, drenched by the rain.

They look like monsters already.

When they return the second time,

they use Mrs. Manning's makeup to dress up

like grotesque she-demons.

Plus, Jackson steals George's masculinity by wearing that tux.

-What? [Chuckles] -And "Death Game" was --

it was conceived in the angry '60s,

filmed in the cynical '70s.

And Traynor gets both of those ideas across.

"Death Game" is superior, in my opinion,

to much more famous home invasion movies.

Wes Craven's "Last House on the Left,"

not nearly as good.

The Humphrey Bogart film "The Desperate Hours,"

the Ruggero Deodato movie "House on the Edge of the Park."

People praise it, but it's not as good as this movie.

And even with his tiny budget,

Traynor managed to hire the very best --

two Academy Award nominees, Colleen Camp.

Hell, his set dressers were Sissy Spacek and Bill Paxton.

Both of them were working for the great

production designer Jack Fisk,

who was a two-time Oscar nominee

who had worked with David Lynch, Terrence Malick,

Brian De Palma.

But Cassel hated Traynor.

Sondra Locke thought he was a loser.

The Securities and Exchange Commission

opened an investigation into his real estate

and his film shelters,

and that delayed the release of the movie for two years.

The publicity and the gossip essentially broke the guy.

He never directed again.

And the SEC matter, by the way,

was settled with a consent decree.

That's where the government says,

"Okay, you didn't do anything technically criminal,

but we don't like it, so don't do it again."

Everybody else associated with the movie

went on to bigger and better things.

Sondra Locke recommended David Worth to Clint Eastwood,

and he ended up as the director of photography

on "Bronco Billy" and "Any Which Way You Can."

And then he moved into a lucrative partnership

with Jean-Claude Van Damme on "Bloodsport" and "Kickboxer."

He would later claim

all his success starts with "Death Game."

Seymour Cassel would have 30-plus more years as one

of the most respected character actors in Hollywood,

appearing in Wes Anderson movies,

Steve Buscemi movies, and other indie projects,

even after going to prison in the '80s for dealing coke.

Sondra Locke would fall in love with Eastwood

on the set of "The Outlaw Josey Wales"

and spent the next 15 years living with him in Bel Air.

Make five more films with him

without ever divorcing her devoted husband and cheerleader,

Gordon Anderson, who was a gay man

she'd known since junior high school in Tennessee,

and then in her 40s, she started directing herself.

But her career was always obstructed by legal difficulties

that were caused by her separation from Eastwood.

But she never stopped working.

She actually played a romantic lead at the age of 74

in the movie "Ray Meets Helen,"

just one year before her death from breast cancer in 2018.

But the movie itself would just languish

in limbo for four years.

Post-production was not completed

for three of those years,

and then it would get a very limited release --

two drive-ins in upstate New York,

one drive-in in Fresno,

and one indoor theater in Fresno.

I think the only reason it was released at all

is that Traynor had to release it,

or else refund the money to his investors in Compton.

So, the official date on the movie is 1977,

even though it was made in 1973,

written in 1971, based on the original story in 1969.

Okay, I've been talking way too long about this.

I just wanted to defend Peter Traynor,

give him some credit for this movie.

Uh, everybody bashed him,

I think because of the gold neck chains

and not quite understanding the culture.

I question one of his choices, though.

Instead of using that giant cleaver

in the climactic scene,

why not make the weapon be the two croquet mallets

from the opening scene? -True.

-The symbol of the love of his wife?

I mean, she was knocking his balls around,

and he was liking it in that opening scene.

You could use them as the instruments of his death.

It's not as scary as a cleaver.

But if they both had a mallet, and he was restrained,

and they were about to bring him down

like slaughterhouse sledgehammers,

I think you could have made that work.

So, um... -I love that idea.

Were you available for the rewrite?

-Um, I was in college,

but you could have found me. So...

-Are you available for some mailbag?

-I am available for mailbag.

-Or do you have, like, lots more to say about "Death Game"?

-No, I think I've really run "Death Game" into the ground.

-I feel like you have. -Alright.

Hit me with some hard-core mailbag.

-Alright, you got it.

I have got some really great stuff this time.

This came from Dan Holyfield of Leicester, North Carolina.

Dan is a cartoonist, and he's been drawing us.

-Drawing us? -Us.

-Alright. Oh, I know what this is.

"We hope you enjoy our labor of love.

Thank you for helping our dream come true.

Blessings, Daniel and Anitra."

Dan Holyfield and Anitra Biddicks

of Leicester, North Carolina.

Um, yeah.

This is a comic book that they did.

Can you put that up, Austin?

-Yeah, let me see if I can put it up.

-Uh... -Here it is. Here it is.

-Over here? -Yeah, yeah.

-Alright. Uh, yeah. Alright. Yeah.

This one looks great. I have a pistol.

You have a wicked katana.

samurai sword dripping with blood.

And we're helping Rhonda Shear kill a monster called Pig Foot,

the Hogsquatch of Foggy Mountain.

[Laughter]

Alright. And then, what do we do in this one?

-That's just concept sketches.

They put that in the back of comics sometimes.

-Okay, it looked like Joe Bob and Darcy paper dolls.

-[Chuckles] You can use them for that, too.

-Alright, well, thank you, Daniel and Anitra.

If you did a comic book tie-in for "Death Game,"

what would you call that?

-"Daddy's Home Alone."

-That's good -- -Thank you.

-...actually. Let's not go there, though.

And that's it for me. So...

[Laughter]

Big thank you to Colleen Camp for being here tonight.

Please join us for our wild party.

October 4th and 5th, Joe Bob's Jamboree

at the West Wind, Las Vegas Drive Drive-In.

And I am Joe Bob Briggs

for myself and Darcy the Mail Girl

reminding you that you can pick your friends

and you can pick your nose,

but you can't wipe your friends on your saddle.

And the drive-in will never die.

-Ooh, that was a bad one.

-I was proud of that one. -Were you?

-Alright, guy goes to Vegas, loses all his money

except for the bare minimum he needs to drive home.

So, on his way home, he's nursing the car

to minimize gas use so he can be sure to make it.

Suddenly, a voice booms out from the desert.

"Turn around and go back to Vegas."

Well, he ignores the voice,

but a while later he's in the mountains

and it booms out from the mountains.

"Turn around and go back to Vegas."

So, this time he obeys the voice.

He turns the car around and he drives back.

When he gets to the "Welcome to Las Vegas" sign,

the voice says, "Go to Caesar's Palace."

The guy says, "Well, I usually go to the mirage."

The voice booms out, "Go to Caesar's Palace!"

So, the guy drives to Caesar's Palace.

He goes inside, and the voice says,

"Go to roulette table 17 and put it all on red."

Gus says, "I'm really more of a craps player."

Voice booms again.

"Go to roulette table 17 and put it all on red!"

So, the guy goes to roulette table 17,

stacks all his money on red,

roulette wheel spins around

and around and around and around

and it stops on...

black.

The voice says, "Gosh darn it, how about that?"

[Laughter]

-Oh, no, no.

-Tell you what, can I have one more chance?

-If you must. -One more chance.

Alright. One more chance. -[Chuckles]

-A renowned physician...

[Laughter]

A renowned physician, Dr. Epstein.

He gets all his medical degrees.

Undergraduate, graduate medical degree in his hometown.

And then he leaves for New York City,

where he becomes one of the most respected doctors in the world.

So, Dr. Epstein is invited to deliver a paper

at a conference that, coincidentally,

is held in his hometown.

So, he walks onto the stage of the conference.

He places his papers on the lectern,

and the papers slide off onto the floor,

and so he bends over to retrieve his papers from the floor,

and he inadvertently farts. [Laughter]

And the microphone amplifies the fart,

and it reverberates throughout the room and down the hall

and through the entire building.

So, Dr. Epstein is very embarrassed,

but he regains his composure and he delivers the paper,

and then he rushes out the stage door

and wants never again to be seen in his hometown.

♪

Decades later, he gets word that his elderly mother is ill,

so he has to return to visit her.

So, he books a hotel room under an assumed name, Oswald,

and he arrives late at night in the town so nobody will see him.

And as he checks in, the desk clerk says,

"Is this your first visit to our city, Mr. Oswald?"

And he says, "Well, young man, no, it isn't.

I grew up here and received my education here.

But then I moved away." And the desk clerk says,

"And why haven't you visited?" And Dr. Epstein says,

"Well, actually, I did visit once, many years ago.

But an embarrassing thing happened,

and since then, I've been too ashamed to return."

And so the clerk tries to console him, and he says,

"Sir, well, I don't have your life experience.

But one thing I've learned

is that often what seems embarrassing to me

isn't even remembered by others.

So, I bet that's true of your incident, too."

The doctor says, "Son, I doubt that's the case

with my incident." The clerk says,

"Was it a long time ago?"

And the doctor says, "Yes, many years."

And the clerk says,

"Was it before or after the Epstein fart?"

[Laughter]

♪

-Yeah. -You're so proud of yourself.

[Laughter]

♪

-♪ We are Drive-In Mutants

♪ We are not like other people ♪

♪ We are sick ♪

♪ We are disgusting ♪

♪ We believe in blood ♪

♪ Yeah, we believe in blood and breasts and beasts ♪

♪ Yeah, we believe in blood and breasts and beasts ♪

♪ If life had a vomit meter ♪

♪ We'd be off the scale ♪

♪ As long as one drive-in remains ♪

♪ On the planet Earth ♪

♪ We will party like jungle animals ♪

♪

♪ We will boogie till we puke -♪ Boogie till we puke ♪

-♪ The drive-in will never die ♪

♪ We will boogie till we puke -♪ Boogie till we puke ♪

-♪ The drive-in will never die ♪

♪ We believe in blood and breasts and beasts ♪

♪ We believe in blood and breasts and beasts ♪

♪ And we believe in... ♪

-Made in Georgia.