The Cry Baby Killer

Bomb Rating: 

Watching Jack Nicholson in his first role, it really is a miracle anybody hired him to do anything else.

Watching this film will make you thank the gods that you don't live in the 1950's. Holy shit were those people paranoid. And not only that, but watching Jack Nicholson in his first role, it really is a miracle anybody hired him to do anything else.

"The Cry Baby Killer" is just short of being an after-school special about juvenile delinquency and the threats posed by rock music and establishments that allowed young people to congregate and listen to rock music - establishments we would refer to nowadays as diners.

Jimmy Wallace (Nicholson) gets into trouble in a fight with Manny (Brett Halsey) and his gang. Jimmy grabs a gun from one of the kids and fires. Thinking he has killed somebody, Jimmy sort of accidentally takes a couple of hostages and holes up in a shack next to the diner while the police stand outside. Over the course of the movie, various people lecture various other people. Jimmy gets lectured by both of his hostages, one of whom has an infant with her. All of it is the sort of dialogue one would expect from a '50s film.

"Jimmy, this is going to end badly for you."
"Jimmy, put the gun down."
"Kids today, sheesh!"

The only reason this film is being released to DVD is because of Nicholson and because it was produced by Roger Corman. The DVD also includes "Little Shop of Horrors", which I didn't watch as I already had all the horror I could take.

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