The Candy Snatchers (1973)Directed by Guerdon Trueblood
Writing credits Bryan Gindoff
Tiffany Bolling.... Jessie
Ben Piazza.... Avery
Susan Sennett.... Candy
Brad David.... Alan
All of the hype played up "The Candy Snatchers" as a drive-in epic from the 70's. Clearly, I had to see this film. I am not one to pass up a chance to see a sleazy kidnapping story.
So Candy gets snatched. Two guys and a girl bury Candy alive until her father can come up with some diamonds. Complications ensue when it becomes apparent that dad couldn't care less what happens to Candy. He's got his own angle to play. The crooks bicker and argue as their personalities clash. The big guy is a softie while the brother and sister are ruthless. Poor Candy has to put up with a lot of abuse and bondage as the thieves figure out how to get the loot. "Money is the root of all happiness…"
I enjoyed this flick. It gives off a very realistic vibe of three desperate people looking to make it big off of poor Candy. Candy spends most of the flick bound and gagged in a Catholic Schoolgirl uniform. The thieves have a hard time keeping their hands off of her. Tiffany Bolling is the hot kidnapper who tries to keep the boys in line and sometimes has to suffer their abuse. Overall, "The Candy Snatchers" is a pretty good crime flick. It's a little sleazy, a little harsh and all around exploitative. If that description speaks to you, check it out.
SCORE: 3 out of 4 snatched Candys
5 comments:
Susan Sennett, also one of the stars of Big Bad Mama, is now Mrs. Graham Nash. I've been a guest at the Nash residence numerous times, and I can tell you that in addition to them both being wonderful, generous people, Susan is a hoot with great stories of her acting days. Her kids tease her about this movie, which was out of print for some time. I was there when they told her they'd finally located a copy and had ordered it, and she rolled her eyes as if to say, "Oh... boy..."
BTW Graham Nash is also very free with the anecdotes. My favorite: his youngest son, Will, prompted, "Tell us about Jimi Hendrix again..." and Graham began, "Well, Jimi and I used to like to play Risk on acid...."
This is a cool little flick. Mrs. Nash probably wouldn't want her kids watching it but it's still worth a look. I've actually always thought this movie could be remade into a quality exploitation picture. You'd need some decent actors as the kidnappers but you could have a porn star in the lead so when the abuse starts pouring on they're ready for it.
"Chasey Snatchers" anyone? "Stormy Snatchers"?
Speaking of rock and roll, I was just reading up on Janis Joplin. Did you know that she took the picture for the cover of her last album "Pearl" the day she died? There is one song on "Pearl" that is instrumental only because she died before she could record any vocals for it. Her last sighting was at Barney's Beanery on Santa Monica and she died in the Landmark Motor (now Highland Gardens) hotel on Franklin. Your Jimi Hendrix story inspired me to share that.
Did YOU know that back then Barney's Beanery used to have a sign that read: No Fags Allowed? It was still there in the early '80s when I happened in and spotted Michael Sarazin telling two young lovelies that he had been the Tom Cruise of his day (he was correct).
I'm quite familiar with the sleazy Hollywood hotels and motels, not so much from personal experience (though I've had some, truth be told) as from Warren Zevon's songs and, later, his personal reminiscences. The Hollywood Hawaiian Hotel from his song Desperados Under The Eaves was a real place where Warren had lived during his bleakest days as a struggling musician and songwriter in LA -- and he couldn't afford his bill. He lept out the window to skip out on it. Years later, after he'd had some recording success, he went back to try and pay his bill, but all they wanted was an autographed copy of his album.
If I ever get around to remaking a '70s exploitation movie, it'll most likely be Pets (1973) which starred my late friend Candice Rialson. Now THERE'S a movie you should review.
I've never seen "Pets" but I hear it's a demented exploitation flick. Sounds up my alley. I'll have to check it out.
Speaking of sleazy motels in Hollywood, I've often wondered what the story is behind the Hollywood Center motel. It's on Sunset near Highland. I think there's a Carl's Jr. next to it. Don't know much about its history other than it was featured in "LA Confidential", (a great movie by the way). It looks like it's seen its share of debauchery.
When I think Hollywood songs, I think of Tom Waits and Heart Attack and Vine. Every time I'm on Cahuenga I start singing "Crawling down Cahuenga on a broken pair of legs." I think Zevon's Hollywood Hawaiian is now the Ramada motel on Santa Monica. I was reading that a bunch of rock stars used to cut loose there.
No, The Hollywood Hawaiian was up on Yucca. Stay clear of that LA Confidential hotel, please. I went to hang my jacket in the closet, and the rod fell off the wall. It was hollow, and when I picked it up, a syringe, fully loaded and ready to go, dropped out. I sat awake hoping that whoever left it there was not coming back for it. The Hawaiian themed motel that Tom Waits used to black out at was on Santa Monica.
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