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Something Weird
[Something Weird]
1967; color
Directed by Herschell Gordon Lewis
Starring: Tony McCabe, Elizabeth Lee, William Brooker, Mudite Arums & Ted Heil
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What do you get when you have a story which combines facial mutilation, extra sensory perception, witchcraft, LSD and a maniacal, man-killing top sheet? Something Weird, of course! And something truly weird is what the ever fertile imagination of HG Lewis brings us from this most unusual movie. (And considering how unusual some of his previous films were, that's saying something.) Actually the movie was written by someone else, and Lewis served as the director - filming this masterpiece in "startling color", natch - but I think it's safe to say he left his own mark on the screenplay. The story starts off with a sudden shocking electrical shock delivered to one unfortunate blue collar worker bee (he dies) and, subsequently, one slightly less unfortunate suit wearing type, Cronin Mitchell. He survives but is horribly disfigured on and about the facial area. On the bright side, the charge has extra sensorily charged his perception making him all sorts of psychic. Realizing he can't just go back to living his life as if nothing happened, Mitchell does what any horribly charred, ESP having businessman would do, he decides to strike out on his own and open up a little fortune telling business on skid row. (I mean, what would you do?) It is here that Cronin meets a particularly hag-ish old hag, who just so happens to be a witch. She proceeds to make him an offer he can't refuse (she'll restore his looks if he'll agree to be her lover) and before long his life is changing again, this time almost for the better. With his new face he gets to enjoy the perks of being a non-disfigured psychic - things like hanging out at nightclubs and reading the minds of comely young lasses sitting by themselves. He meets one such lady, Ellen, one evening and is puzzled by the fact that he can't read her mind. As it turns out, the witch not only has the powers to turn an ugly man into a handsome man, she also has the power to turn her ugly ass self into a hot young chick. Of course, when the time comes for the two to get up close and personal, she reverts right back to her icky witchy incarnation. (That's part of the deal, remember?) From here things start to get even wackier - if you can believe that - as the pretty versions of Cronin and Ellen find themselves wrapped up in a police investigation and love triangle that threatens to break up their unholy union. I'd elaborate but I wouldn't want to spoil it for you. As far as I know this is Lewis' only movie to feature "an unbelievable journey into the awesome worlds of ESP and witchcraft" but, you know, it's not like there would be a need for another one. If I may briefly veer off topic here, as some of you have probably figured out on your own, Something Weird Video is named in honor movie and, just in case you've ever wondered about how the company got their start, (I know I have!) founder Mike Vraney tells all… well, I don't know, maybe he kept a couple secrets under wraps for a tell-all book at a later point in his life but he certainly tells a lot… about their inception and early days during the commentary portion of this disc. Did you know In The Red Record's Larry Hardy (who sometimes refers to himself as "The Other Larry" when he calls our house or leaves a message on the answering machine, which always makes me giggle) played an important role in the history of SWV? It's true. This and many other interesting tidbits are revealed during this part and also features some typically hilarious, sarcastic stories from David F. Friedman. HG Lewis also makes a brief appearance in the commentary reel; brief being the operative word. (I think he only covers the first 5 - 10 minutes of the film.) Rounding out the package are three like-minded lysergic short subjects. While this may not be one of Lewis' best known films, it's certainly one of his most curious, memorable, and curiously memorable efforts.
—Bunny
(Click here to read more of our salute to Herschell Gordon Lewis, This Stuff'll Kill Ya!)
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