![The Gardener (AKA The Seeds of Evil) [DVD]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51W63Y9MK9L._SX300_SY300_QL70_ML2_.jpg)
So what happens when you overlay a nonsensical, pseudo horror theme onto a somewhat pretentious artsy fartsy 1970s post-hippiesque mentality, throw Andy Warhol regular Joe Dallesandro and a generally inappropriate musical score more befitting a cocktail lounge into the mix, and slap the entire, self indulgent mess onto celluloid? You get The Gardener (1975) aka Seeds of Evil. Written and directed by James H. Kay, in his directorial debut (and farewell), the movie features Joe Dallesandro (Trash, Flesh for Frankenstein, Blood for Dracula), in his first non-Warhol film appearance, along with Katharine Houghton (Billy Bathgate, Kinsey), Rita Gam (King of Kings, Klute) and James Congdon ("The Edge of Night", 4D Man).
The film begins in a hospital as we see a middle aged brunette woman, who we later find out is named Dorothy, lying in a bed, soon visited by a nurse who brings in some flowers. After the nurse leaves Dorothy, upon awakening, spies the flowers and promptly freaks out, resulting in her untimely death. After the funeral we're now at Dorothy's home with a couple of her friends named Ellen (Houghton) and Helena (Gam), along with Dorothy's husband, who doesn't seem as disconsolate as one would think, especially given the fact he'd just buried his wife...anyway, Ellen and Helena are amazed with Dorothy's garden, so much so Ellen decides to hire Dorothy's gardener, a shirtless, shoeless, long-haired hunk named Carl (Dallesandro), to work for at her home, as her garden is the pits (Carl, as we'll soon discover is a master at cultivating things, like extreme tedium). Carl shows up at Ellen's house, has a falling out with the current yard man, an older Hispanic fellow named Ralph (one way or another I think Ralph's days are numbered), and sets the ethnic household staff on edge given his weird vibes (being ethnic and all they possess a greater sensitivity to things `unnatural', apparently). Anyway, Carl soon has things blooming as there's plants everywhere (he's got a real, almost mystical way with all things green), so much so it sets Ellen's husband John (Congdon) at unease, especially given the thorny foliage he finds in the bathroom. A whole bunch of stuff happens, none of it of much importance, but Ellen soon grows suspicious after her hippy niece arrives for a stay and then abruptly disappears (a note was left behind, but Ellen wasn't convinced it was actually written by her niece). Soon after some more weirdness Ellen decides it's time to let Carl go, but to her dismay Helena promptly hires him on to work in her garden (along with tilling her soil). Things eventually come to a head once Ellen discovers certain, frightening aspects of Carl's past through his previous employers, all leading up to a semi-surrealistic and pointless finale.
Normally I take pretty well to these obscure, oddball features from the 1970s but this one was difficult to sit through as it had so little going on throughout the entire length of the film. Given this was writer/director James H. Kay's first film he does deserve some credit as he did develop a certain amount of tension in a good deal of the scenes, but given the fact there was rarely any, real payoff to the build up, it seemed one, big exercise in futility. The performances were generally weak, but I think that was more due to poor material rather than inept actors, with the exception of Joe Dallesandro, who displays about as much personality as that of a cinder block. He's got all of about five lines in the film (thankfully), and he delivers them all with the same, blank expression (given the number of films he'd appeared in prior to this one you'd have thought he'd picked up some skills along the way). I suppose his saving grace here is the fact he's a somewhat attractive man, and spends nearly the entire film walking about with no shirt on...there are a couple shots with him sans his pants, if you dig on that kind of thing. I didn't mind this so much, but I would have appreciated a reciprocal amount of female flesh as a means to offset Dallesandro's bum cakes, but it never came about. As I said before the story goes on and on, but nothing much happens. I kept hoping for a bit of the visceral, perhaps a gruesome death or two, but I got nothing, squat, zilch, nada...the opportunities were there, but never capitalized upon (there are all of about three, on screen deaths). One example is when Ralph, the regular yard man, who doesn't get along with Carl at all (Carl tried to fire Ralph but Ellen interceded), suffers what I'm assuming to be an allergic reaction to some of Carl's strange, new plants while working in the yard. At this point I was expecting Ralph to die miserably from some bizarre, plant induced disease, but all he got was a bloody nose and a trip to the hospital...whoop de doo...and then there was that whole business with Ellen's hippy niece. The girl shows up and there's the inference that given her earthy, obviously hippy ways she might find interest in the half nekkid, Earth friendly Carl, who's got a ponytail down to his waist, as they appear kindred spirits (figuratively speaking) and such, but then poof! She's gone, never to be heard from again. What happened to her? It would seem Carl might have had something to do with her disappearance, but it's never detailed (I was hoping to see her incorporated into a tree or a shrub in some manner). And let's not forget the ridiculous ending...I won't give it away, but know it will probably leave you scratching your noodle and asking "What the f***?" All in all if you're planning on watching this film, keep your expectations low...better yet, get yourself some mind altering substances as I'm betting the material comes off with a lot more meaning for the viewer in a half-baked state.
This Subversive Cinema DVD release, which claims to be the uncut version, includes a widescreen anamorphic (1.85:1) picture, one that comes across relatively clean, but know the hues are a little harsh resulting in an annoying orange tone to nearly everyone's flesh. The audio, available in the original mono and the newly mastered Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo, comes through very well. Extras include two audio commentary tracks (one with performer Joe Dallesandro and a second with writer/director James H. Kay), a newly created featurette titled `Planting the Seeds of Evil' (35:38), a second vintage featurette made by Kay in 1980 titled `The Distribution of Low Budget Films or The Gardener's Seeds of Evil Killed My Million Dollar Dream' (28:37), talent bios, a still gallery, three lobby cards, a poster insert, and a theatrical trailer for the film, along with previews for other Subversive Cinema DVD releases like Blood Bath (1976), Metal Skin (1994), Blue Murder (1995), The Candy Snatchers (1973), and The Freakmaker (1974).
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Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 23, 2007
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 4, 2018
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 29, 2013
Not a Great Film by Any Means, but Joe Dallesandro`s Gorgeous and Menacing Presence Makes It Memorable
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 12, 2012
