Customer Reviews

Profoundly Disturbing: The Shocking Movies that Changed History

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Joe Bob's drive-in books of the past were certainly funny and sometimes informative, but cult film lovers looking for more meat on the bone will enjoy "Profoundly Disturbing." Instead of the standard Joe Bob treatment (breast counts, number of car crashes and/or severed limbs), he gives us an extremely informative and genuinely affectionate take on some of the most influential underground movies to ever offend delicate, G-rated sensibilities. Some of the flicks covered are even respectable (but no less offensive)-- the chapter on "Crash" is one of my favorites. Maybe fans who will accept absolutely NOTHING from John Bloom except his Joe Bob alter ego won't like it because of its lack of redneck element, but for fans (and cult film lovers) who appreciate the fact that behind Joe Bob there is a rather more intellectual and subtle mind, this is a great read.

The name on the cover is "Joe Bob Briggs" but make no mistake: "Profoundly Disturbing" is the product of the mind of John Bloom, Joe Bob's alter-ego and a damn fine writer and critic. Readers used to Joe Bob's comic persona may initially be put off by this difference in tone, but if they will stick with this book, they will experience a very satisfying set of essays of analysis and history about these films. These essays are very funny in a different, more irony-laced sort of way, in their own right. And what films they are! Some of them still couldn't be shown on network television after all these years.

Briggs/Bloom skillfully gathers together the pertinent, fascinating facts on each movie and gives his own perspective as well. I have never seen Cronenberg's "Crash" because of its somewhat perverted, NC-17 rated reputation. Joe Bob's persuasive essay on why it really is a fine film makes me want to seek it out and see it. The same can't be said for "Deep Throat" and "Ilsa She-Wolf of the SS", but he make me see why some people would be attracted to these dangerous films. Essays on "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre", "The Exorcist", and "The Wild Bunch" are nostalgic for the 1970's and what seems like the last era American movies were truly adventerous and independent.

Many observers have noted that Briggs/Bloom has written criticism for the conservative magazine "National Review", and that sort of tough realism about sex and violence carries over into this book. Politically correct liberal puritans would be shocked and appalled by most of these films. (In the essay on "Resevoir Dogs", Joe Bob chortles about how that film changed the image of the initially granola-ish, overly earnest Sundance Film Festival.) This book is a celebration of the freedom we have in America to appreciate art that is made from the most unlikely material. "Mom and Dad" and "Shaft" can teach us more about our great, weird old American culture than a thousand pious textbooks.

I think some of the negative impressions of this book stem from the fact that people were expecting something different from "Joe Bob Briggs." Well, the truth is that before he was Joe Bob's, real name is John Bloom and he was (and is) a fantastic award winning investigative journalist.

His serious side really shines here. He has written a very accessible, erudite and enjoyable book of criticism here, and his critiques of these challenging films still resides within a moral frame work. He strikes a balance here that I think few critics could pull off given the subject matter.

But mainly it's just a great read, even for those that aren't necessarily film buffs. The generous and well-done layout is also worth commending. I highly recommend.

I kind of expected this to be in the style of Joe Bob's Drive-In books, but it's in a more serious vein. Joe Bob writes about the technical aspects of each film and the cultural atmosphere surrounding each release. It's actually rather scholarly, or at least as scholarly as a book written about films like ILSA, SHE-WOLF OF THE SS can be. Good job!

Joe Bob Briggs, the redneck stage persona of film critic John Bloom, was the hilarious host of late-night B-movie programs DRIVE-IN THEATER on The Movie Channel (1986-1996) and MONSTERVISION on TNT (1996-2000). While his commentary often involved parody and satire of the purportedly high-brow discourse of movie critics like Roger Ebert, genuine information and thoughtful criticism could always be found carefully embedded in the shtick.

With PROFOUNDLY DISTURBING: SHOCKING MOVIES THAT CHANGED HISTORY!, author Joe Bob discusses the history, social relevance, and lasting influence of 15 (not 20, as claimed by the blurb from Publishers Weekly) films that, at the time when each was originally released, caused some sort of uproar or scandal in the media, the arena of public opinion, and sometimes even the U.S. courts. The films included here touch on nearly every major cinematic genre, from westerns to horror to hard-core porn, so fans and film students of all types should find something of interest on these pages. Joe Bob's usual wry sense of humor is clearly in evidence throughout the text, but his overall style here involves less of the redneck shtick and more of the history and literate criticism, and the result is an outstanding read that is both entertaining and highly informative.

As mentioned above, the group of films that Joe Bob analyzes here does include examples from across the genre spectrum, but the list is clearly weighted towards the horror genre. So PROFOUNDLY DISTURBING: SHOCKING MOVIES THAT CHANGED HISTORY! will be of particular interest to horror fans, with the chapters on William Friedkin's THE EXORCIST (1973) and Tobe Hooper's THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE (1974) offering an exceptional history and criticism of those works. Considering the book's emphasis on horror, however, it is puzzling as to why Sam Raimi's THE EVIL DEAD is only mentioned in passing and does not get a chapter of its own, especially since Raimi has gone on to become a mainstream Hollywood insider. But that omission is only a minor oversight in this otherwise excellent collection of essays.

Any ardent fan of cinema or serious student of film should be familiar with critic Joe Bob Briggs, as his humorous approach to film analysis is both a refreshing and profound alternative to the bombastic diatribe of mainstream film criticism. And if those fans and film students want to truly understand why some of cinema's most controversial films have also become some of the most influential, they should immediately add PROFOUNDLY DISTURBING: SHOCKING MOVIES THAT CHANGED HISTORY! to the top of their required-reading list.

It may be Joe Bob's name on the cover, but "Profoundly Disturbing" is much more the work of the more schooled, less outrageous John Bloom. (For those not familiar, John Bloom is to Joe Bob what Bruce Wayne is to Batman.) This is no complaint, for it's a pleasure to see films that surely appeal to Joe Bob - everything from the roadshow classic "Mom and Dad" to the exploitation-as-art hit "Reservoir Dogs" - get the scholarly treatment by someone as thoughtful and well-versed in film as Bloom. Not only is "Profoundly Disturbing" a fun, informative read, but it achieves, perhaps, the two highest goals an author might have in writing about movies. First, it makes you want to take another look at some films you've already seen. And second, it makes you want to see the films it covers which you've missed.

So, you thought "Ilsa: She Wolf of the SS" was merely exploitation? Well, maybe you're right but, as Bloom/Briggs makes clear, it still occupies a place in film history that's worthy of discussion. Combining the mind of a scholar with the heart of a gorehound, the author manages to connect the dots between high art and lowbrow schlock in tidy fashion. How many other critics, after all, will devote the same amount of thought, research, brainpower and ink to, say, "Blood Feast" as they do to "And God Created Woman" in the same book? Or even in the same lifetime?

There are great essays here on some shocking, revolutionary, sometimes even distasteful films. Standouts include Joe Bob's takes on "The Wild Bunch," "The Exorcist," "Deep Throat" and the aforementioned "Reservoir Dogs." Along with reporting plenty of hard facts, Joe Bob works in some eye-opening observation. In the volumes that have been written on "Deep Throat" for instance, the author may be the first to make the uber-simple point that this was really nothing more than "a down-and-dirty stag film shot in ratty motel rooms." The only thing remarkable about it at all is that it somehow crawled out of the Pussycat Theater scene and into mainstream consciousness.

In fact, this phenomenon of busting out of the low expectations of genre-fueled filmmaking is one theme that ties these films together. Nearly every flick in this book was a box office overachiever, earning well beyond the norm for porn, gore, horror, etc. The other theme that connects these films is this: each one, on some level, is an exploitation movie. Whether intentionally or incidentally, each depended upon shock value to up the ante at the box office. Sure, "The Exorcist" is an artful meditation on the nature of faith, good and evil. But such philosophical musings do not butts in seats put. "The Exorcist" was a hit because it showed a little girl projectile barfing and doing a 360 with her head.

Hats off to Briggs/Bloom, then, for giving the full historical/critical treatment to movies that most writers would rather pretend didn't exist. In an age in which critics are so quick to tell us that ham-fisted muck like "The Contender" and even "Wall-E" are `smart' simply because the hit a trendy political note, Joe Bob is one of a very few unrestrained by the stifling limits of acceptable taste and political correctness. God bless Joe Bob Briggs and all the twisted souls who made these films.

Cinema doesn't have to be stodgy, even during serious discussion. After reading books of dry film theory and tepid reviews, Joe Bob Briggs's Profoundly Disturbing was a cool drink of water. Hyperbolically subtitled "Shocking Movies That Changed History," Briggs covers fifteen films that made a significant dent in the side panels of cinema. Presented in chronological order, the book chronicles cinematic mavericks from THE CABINET OF DOCTOR CALIGARI to CRASH.

While the chapters on THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE and THE EXORCIST may feel a little light, Briggs delves deep into MOM & DAD, AND GOD CREATED WOMEN, and THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN. Standout reviews include BLOOD FEAST, SHAFT, and RESERVOIR DOGS. Always close to my heart, Briggs's take on RESERVOIR DOGS managed to be fresh, giving equal time to both the film's production and the ire raised by its controversial director. After having read everything on the film that I could lay my sweaty paws on, that Briggs managed to break new ground for me is quite a feat.

Briggs gives even the schlockiest film the respect it deserves while keeping his wit razor sharp. His mix of levity and earnestness is always a welcome contrast to the dour self-serious cineastes that glut the bookshelves.

Profoundly Disturbing was not exactly what I had expected, but I was far from disappointed. The amount of information in this book is nothing short of incredible. If this were the text book for a college course on Film Study, the class would be full for years. I've read other reviews on some of the films, but Briggs knowledge of the people who made them, who they were influenced by, who was later influenced by them, and the history of the public reactions to the films can be found nowhere else. It will make you view many filmmakers and films differently, and I highly recommended it for anyone even remotely interested in any aspect of film. It made me want to watch the ones I haven't, and rewatch the ones I have with a new perspective. Looking forward to a sequel!

Joe Bob Briggs is clearly a passionate guy who knows his stuff. He's very funny at times as well (see his critique of Linda Lovelace's post-DEEP THROAT career and why THE WILD BUNCH is a better film than BUTCH CASSIDY). However, there's a number of factual errors ( for example, Spalding Gray's name does not have a "u" in it, and this misspelling is used several times). Furthermore, Briggs never quite conveys why DRUNKEN MASTER would be considered shocking, even during its time, and I got the sense that he just wanted an outlet to plug the movie. Anyway, it's still a cool book, and worth checking out.

Anyone who subscribed to Joe Bob's We Are The Weird movie 'zines, will love this. In some ways, though, it's less humor and more social analysis of movies that...well, as the title suggest, shocked the public. The nuggets of info of what went on behind the scenes or how these movies impacted (or didn't) the box office was very fascinating. I didn't really dig the "For Further Disturbance" sections as often a lot of it was rehashed stuff I had just read on the movie in question.

Definitely a book that needed to be published and something "fillum" snobs should read. Yes, Virginia, there is a whole movie world out there that does not fit your pigeonholes.