3.0 out of 5 stars
aka "B.J. Lang Presents", October 1, 2009
This review is from: Manipulator, The (1971) (DVD)
Let's put THE MANIPULTOR (1971) in proper perspective. It's neither a five star or a 1 star film, but somewhere in-between, based solely on modern standards.
This one's an anachronism: a three-actor leftover of the 60s art craze that, when not being totally repulsive succeeds admirably in illustrating manic psychosis and its accompanying hallucinations. The actress bound to a wheelchair by strips of torn bedsheet and starved to the point of collapse runs through an emotional gamut as she struggles vainly against her restraints. By turn she's plaintive, flattering, cooperative, sullen, numb, outraged, and frightened to death.
Mr. Lang (Mickey Rooney) maintains a tenuous grip on sanity's edges but at times he simply lets go. At these moments his racing mind populates an empty, decrepit movie studio with demonic revelers engaging in a bacchanal of the damned. Whether these nightmarish crowds are self-indulgent or involuntary is never made clear, but in the quiet interludes, Lang "directs" his own distorted version of the 1950 José Ferrer swashbuckler
CYRANO DE BERGERAC, with captive Carlotta (Luana Anders) as his own private Roxanne and gentle, stumbling wino 'old Charlie' (Keenan Wynn) surrogate for the poem-wielding swordsman's dozens of victims.
Anyone familiar with Cyrano's story knows its conclusion, thus Lang's demise is a fait accompli. What isn't expected however is that with his death and her own liberation, Carlotta doesn't flee her studio prison but instead acknowledges the plaudits of Lang's imaginary crowd. She is herself in the end either also quite mad or has inherited the demon that dwelt within Lang until that final breath.
Granted, Mickey Rooney's performance is a tour-de-'farce,' but make no mistake: you have never experienced its like before and will never again. THE MANIPULATOR is not for anyone seeking black and white logic. Nor will fans of blood buckets cinema be satisfied, and if you're looking for a pleasant diversion it's also not to be found here, yet thanks to the immensely talented "Mick," what we have ultimately is a graphic depiction of the mania that can be caused by simply being alive.
"The Manipulator" is also available as part of the
DRIVE IN CLASSICS 50 MOVIE PACK from Mill Creek Entertainment.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Don't believe the naysayers!, September 29, 2009
This review is from: Manipulator, The (1971) (DVD)
This movie KICKS ASS! I have a fairly large horror movie collection and I have to say, this is TWISTED! Pretty low budget I presume...tiny cast as well. I have to say I think they did a lot with it. It's featured in one of those mill creek 50 packs. The drive-in movie classics, to be exact. I thought this was one of the BETTER ones in there, and way way scarier than any of the nonsense coming out today.
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1.0 out of 5 stars
A REALLY Boring Movie!, June 23, 2008
This review is from: Manipulator, The (1971) (DVD)
Mickey Rooney is a great actor, but this movie sucks, because it's boring, depressing, and has a silly plot about some crazy guy forcing a woman to act in a fake movie with fake actors and fake crew! IT'S CRAZY!!!
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