Nightmare in Badham County (1976) Review
I typically don't watch a lot of exploitation, B-movies. And when I do, I don't expect to be impressed by them. They are usually pretty forgettable. Is that the case for this one, or does Nightmare in Badham County got it going on?
While on a road trip, college students Cathy (Deborah Raffin) and Diane (Lynne Moody) run afoul of the racist Badham County Sheriff (Chuck Connors). The Sheriff arrests them on bogus charges, rapes Diane, and prevents them from using a phone or lawyer, before using his cousin, the judge of Badham County, to arrange for the girls to be sent to the local work farm. The inmates are used as slave labor and are regularly beaten and tortured. The camp is racially segregated, separating the girls, preventing them from easily planning their escape. As the guards continuously extend their sentences, Cathy and Diane have to figure out a way to communicate and escape from the prison before they are trapped forever or killed.
What Works:
Cathy and Diane are super likable protagonists. They aren't weak, they aren't defenseless, and they never give up. No matter how much they are beaten down, they don't stop trying to get out. But not only are they determined, they're smart as well. They both come up with clever ideas to make their escape. They don't always work, but the fact that they don't stop thinking or trying to escape makes them easy to root for. We'd probably root for them like crazy anyway, because their situation is so horrible, but it helps that are lead characters are very capable.
The villains in this film are despicable. The always fantastic Chuck Conners is simply evil as the Sheriff. The worst part is you can see how much fun the Sheriff has torturing the poor girls. But it's not just him, Fionnula Flanagan is easy to hate as a psychotic guard and Robert Reed (Mike Brady from The Brady Bunch) plays the superintendent of the prison, and he's a rapist too! What the hell movie?! You made us hate Mike Brady?!
The likable heroes and the awful villains make for a very emotional story. I felt so bad for the girls and was so desperate for them to get out. It's a sad movie, but you are along for the ride, and that amount of emotional weight is rare for a movie like this to achieve.
What Sucks:
This is definitely an exploitation movie. I feel like I need to take a shower after watching this. It's not a fun movie. Horrible things happen to good people. It's icky and gross. Luckily, the American version that I saw is made for TV, so it's not as bad as it could be. Apparently the overseas version is much worse. While the vileness definitely makes for a more compelling story, it certainly won't be for everyone.
Finally, the ending of the move is a huge downer. Spoiler Alert!
The bad guys f**king get away with it! The Sheriff murders Diane and gets away with it. Evil Mike Brady gets to keep running the asylum. Sure, Cathy gets away, but it doesn't mean much. It's such a downer. At least the psycho guard gets beat up by one of the inmates, but the whole time I was waiting for Cathy and Diane's retribution, but we don't get it! I'm gonna go cry myself to sleep.
Verdict:
I was shocked out the amount of emotional weight this movie had. It certainly isn't everyone's cup of tea, and after it's over, you may need to drink a few beers in your shower to cope, but dammit, Nightmare in Badham County does have it going on. If you can handle a downer of an ending, I would recommend checking this one out.
7/10: Good
While on a road trip, college students Cathy (Deborah Raffin) and Diane (Lynne Moody) run afoul of the racist Badham County Sheriff (Chuck Connors). The Sheriff arrests them on bogus charges, rapes Diane, and prevents them from using a phone or lawyer, before using his cousin, the judge of Badham County, to arrange for the girls to be sent to the local work farm. The inmates are used as slave labor and are regularly beaten and tortured. The camp is racially segregated, separating the girls, preventing them from easily planning their escape. As the guards continuously extend their sentences, Cathy and Diane have to figure out a way to communicate and escape from the prison before they are trapped forever or killed.
What Works:
Cathy and Diane are super likable protagonists. They aren't weak, they aren't defenseless, and they never give up. No matter how much they are beaten down, they don't stop trying to get out. But not only are they determined, they're smart as well. They both come up with clever ideas to make their escape. They don't always work, but the fact that they don't stop thinking or trying to escape makes them easy to root for. We'd probably root for them like crazy anyway, because their situation is so horrible, but it helps that are lead characters are very capable.
The villains in this film are despicable. The always fantastic Chuck Conners is simply evil as the Sheriff. The worst part is you can see how much fun the Sheriff has torturing the poor girls. But it's not just him, Fionnula Flanagan is easy to hate as a psychotic guard and Robert Reed (Mike Brady from The Brady Bunch) plays the superintendent of the prison, and he's a rapist too! What the hell movie?! You made us hate Mike Brady?!
The likable heroes and the awful villains make for a very emotional story. I felt so bad for the girls and was so desperate for them to get out. It's a sad movie, but you are along for the ride, and that amount of emotional weight is rare for a movie like this to achieve.
What Sucks:
This is definitely an exploitation movie. I feel like I need to take a shower after watching this. It's not a fun movie. Horrible things happen to good people. It's icky and gross. Luckily, the American version that I saw is made for TV, so it's not as bad as it could be. Apparently the overseas version is much worse. While the vileness definitely makes for a more compelling story, it certainly won't be for everyone.
Finally, the ending of the move is a huge downer. Spoiler Alert!
The bad guys f**king get away with it! The Sheriff murders Diane and gets away with it. Evil Mike Brady gets to keep running the asylum. Sure, Cathy gets away, but it doesn't mean much. It's such a downer. At least the psycho guard gets beat up by one of the inmates, but the whole time I was waiting for Cathy and Diane's retribution, but we don't get it! I'm gonna go cry myself to sleep.
Verdict:
I was shocked out the amount of emotional weight this movie had. It certainly isn't everyone's cup of tea, and after it's over, you may need to drink a few beers in your shower to cope, but dammit, Nightmare in Badham County does have it going on. If you can handle a downer of an ending, I would recommend checking this one out.
7/10: Good
Comments
Post a Comment