Al Adamson's "The Female Bunch"
This sleazeball grade Z classic was filmed in 1969 by the late Al Adamson. I feel that everyone must endure this film at least once in their life! It features horror legend Lon Chaney Jr. in his last speaking role, and last released film. By this time Chaney was dying from throat cancer and his voice is very coarse. Chaney was also one of the worst alcoholics I have ever read about in the movie business. He has been quoted as telling directors "I hope we can film my shots quickly, because after two o'clock I am useless to everyone." If you ever get a chance to compare Chaney's looks in "The Wolfman" to the sad condition he is in here you almost won't believe your eyes.
"The Female Bunch" is a sleazy drug film based loosley on Sam Peckinpah's "The Wild Bunch." The thing that really pushes this one over the edge is the fact it was filmed on the Manson family ranch! This film also includes Russ Tamblyn, who you may know from "West Side Story" and the original "The Haunting." He too was far from what he was. Tamblyn, made a lot of sleazy biker movies in late 60's. His most popular, which I don't know if that is a good was to explain it is "Satan's Sadist." It to was filmed in 1969. His first was a hard to find pro-drug biker flick, "Free Grass." Of course this movie is filled with sexy women as do all of Adamson's movies. There is a lot of open drug use, and a blurry lesbian scene as well.
The girls in this movie live on a hidden ranch in the desert. They are a group of men hating beer swilling terrorist. Their favorite activity is to ride on horseback across the Mexico boarder and terrorize the locals. They begin with burning this poor guys home and farm down and then killing him. They have a local bar that they go to and raise hell all night, and then ride back to the ranch. They seduce the men at the bar, but don't let their leader Jennifer Bishop catch you, because there will be hell to pay! Russ Tamblyn, falls for one of the girls and will do anything to see her. In a drunken stooper in the back of a car his girl tells him the location of the ranch. He then sets out to rescue her from the gang. Well, he ends up getting branded on the forehead and stabbed to death with a pitchfork. Yes, it's a little disturbing as all the above mentioned gore is shown in full. At least they didn't use a swastika branding iron. Which I have seen in other films like this one. Very disturbing which I might add. He has a friend with him that falls for one of the girls, but is a little more cautious than Tamblyn about getting her off the ranch.
Lon Chaney Jr. plays a hired hand that tends to the horses and stable for the girls. He is also a drug pusher from what I can tell. Lon is in love with their leader, and is lead to believe she loves him as well. One very sad part of the film shows Chaney in a bad edit shot drinking hot vodka straight from the bottle and spilling a lot of it on himself. There wasn't any acting there for sure. Poor guy. Regina Carrol, who was director Adamson's wife is a girl that is brought to the gang for new membership. As part of their initiation they are buried alive! She made a few movies of this nature with her husband. They were definately cutting edge for those days. She as well is best known for her part in "Dracula vs Frankenstein" for her acid eating freak out girl role which she duplicates in this movie. In the end Tamblyn's friend escapes with one of the girls, and Chaney ends up being the hero as he shoots and kills the gang leader, who is in pursuit in a airplane and then horseback. Before the end of the movie Chaney is beaten on the head with a hammer, and then shows up at the end to stop the madness. I thought he was dead before all of this, but I guess the hammer wasn't made of silver and used by someone who loves him. Lon Chaney Jr. died in 1972 finally falling victim to his cancer.
Director Al Adamson was found buried under his own house after being murdered by his gardner. A strange end for a strange man. "The Female Bunch" is far from a good movie, but the cast is interesting, and like all of Adamson's movies it is totally watchable for the sheer shock value. I found this movie through Sinister Cinema if you have any interest in seeing it. I am a huge Lon Chaney Jr. fan, and it was sad for me to see him end up this way. Even in his poor condition he proved that he could still act with the best of them. John Carradine played in a lot of Adamson's movie as well. I guess when you are a aging horror star Adamson was your only hope of getting work in the late 60's. View "The Female Bunch" at your own risk, and please stay away from that ranch!
"The Female Bunch" is a sleazy drug film based loosley on Sam Peckinpah's "The Wild Bunch." The thing that really pushes this one over the edge is the fact it was filmed on the Manson family ranch! This film also includes Russ Tamblyn, who you may know from "West Side Story" and the original "The Haunting." He too was far from what he was. Tamblyn, made a lot of sleazy biker movies in late 60's. His most popular, which I don't know if that is a good was to explain it is "Satan's Sadist." It to was filmed in 1969. His first was a hard to find pro-drug biker flick, "Free Grass." Of course this movie is filled with sexy women as do all of Adamson's movies. There is a lot of open drug use, and a blurry lesbian scene as well.
The girls in this movie live on a hidden ranch in the desert. They are a group of men hating beer swilling terrorist. Their favorite activity is to ride on horseback across the Mexico boarder and terrorize the locals. They begin with burning this poor guys home and farm down and then killing him. They have a local bar that they go to and raise hell all night, and then ride back to the ranch. They seduce the men at the bar, but don't let their leader Jennifer Bishop catch you, because there will be hell to pay! Russ Tamblyn, falls for one of the girls and will do anything to see her. In a drunken stooper in the back of a car his girl tells him the location of the ranch. He then sets out to rescue her from the gang. Well, he ends up getting branded on the forehead and stabbed to death with a pitchfork. Yes, it's a little disturbing as all the above mentioned gore is shown in full. At least they didn't use a swastika branding iron. Which I have seen in other films like this one. Very disturbing which I might add. He has a friend with him that falls for one of the girls, but is a little more cautious than Tamblyn about getting her off the ranch.
Lon Chaney Jr. plays a hired hand that tends to the horses and stable for the girls. He is also a drug pusher from what I can tell. Lon is in love with their leader, and is lead to believe she loves him as well. One very sad part of the film shows Chaney in a bad edit shot drinking hot vodka straight from the bottle and spilling a lot of it on himself. There wasn't any acting there for sure. Poor guy. Regina Carrol, who was director Adamson's wife is a girl that is brought to the gang for new membership. As part of their initiation they are buried alive! She made a few movies of this nature with her husband. They were definately cutting edge for those days. She as well is best known for her part in "Dracula vs Frankenstein" for her acid eating freak out girl role which she duplicates in this movie. In the end Tamblyn's friend escapes with one of the girls, and Chaney ends up being the hero as he shoots and kills the gang leader, who is in pursuit in a airplane and then horseback. Before the end of the movie Chaney is beaten on the head with a hammer, and then shows up at the end to stop the madness. I thought he was dead before all of this, but I guess the hammer wasn't made of silver and used by someone who loves him. Lon Chaney Jr. died in 1972 finally falling victim to his cancer.
Director Al Adamson was found buried under his own house after being murdered by his gardner. A strange end for a strange man. "The Female Bunch" is far from a good movie, but the cast is interesting, and like all of Adamson's movies it is totally watchable for the sheer shock value. I found this movie through Sinister Cinema if you have any interest in seeing it. I am a huge Lon Chaney Jr. fan, and it was sad for me to see him end up this way. Even in his poor condition he proved that he could still act with the best of them. John Carradine played in a lot of Adamson's movie as well. I guess when you are a aging horror star Adamson was your only hope of getting work in the late 60's. View "The Female Bunch" at your own risk, and please stay away from that ranch!
posted by Sam at 5:46 PM
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