All language subtitles for The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs S28E10 Death Game 1080p AMZN WEB-DL DDP2 0 H 264-BFM_track3_[eng]

♪

-♪ 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.