STANLEY Chris Robinson in '70s Horror and Sci-Fi Forum

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STANLEY Chris Robinson

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kochillt	STANLEY Chris Robinson	Lead	[-]
Nov 22 11 6:08 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	1971's STANLEY has been mentioned as just another WILLARD ripoff, with snakes instead of rats, and that's essentially correct. I first saw it on Pittsburgh's CHILLER THEATER, and was instantly struck by its two theme songs sung by Jack Vino, "Sparrow," which plays over the beginning and end credits, and "Start a New World," which plays toward the end, as Chris Robinson transports his blonde captive to his remote Everglades hideaway. Steve Alaimo, who plays Creel, henchman to Alex Rocco, was also a record producer, and helped contribute to these recordings. I haven't been able to find out anything about Jack Vino, but this film is well remembered, if not well regarded. A full 106 minutes when uncut, with many shorter versions floating around on different video labels. Bill Cardille often showed the trailer for next week's movies, and this was one of them I saw in 1976.
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Grant		#1	[-]
Nov 23 11 3:42 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I think it's only a Willard ripoff on the surface. Just look at the very end, and the way it takes the IDEA of the big Willard ending, but takes it in another direction. And Chris ("I'm not a doctor but I play one on TV") Robinson definitely gives a whole other kind of personality to his character. Of course, I'm biased - I saw it before seeing Willard, and it's full of reptiles.
kochillt		#2	[-]
Nov 23 11 3:01 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	This was a real tour de force for Chris Robinson, in dealing with all the snakes on display, but I did have a problem with his soft spoken approach, so low key that I was often turning up the volume to hear the dialogue. Another problem I had was how essentially the character was written as a fairly cold persona, almost completely devoid of sympathy, unlike Bruce Davison's Willard Stiles. Another one dimensional psycho traumatized by Vietnam, as if the movies didn't already have enough of them. With all the animal violence, this is clearly a film that could only have been made in the 70s, yet with all its ugly characterizations, there are two beautiful songs that try to offset everything the filmmakers show us on screen. TV prints cut the mercilessly drawn out death scene of a charred Robinson, who drags himself out of his burning home and confronts his rattlesnake for the last time. The alcoholic snake in SSSSSSS has more depth than Frank Weed's Stanley, and comes off as a much better film overall, a throwback to earlier decades, rather than an environmental approach duplicated by FROGS.
blackbiped		#3	[-]
Nov 23 11 6:36 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I saw this at the drive-in not long after it came out but I can't remember anything about it or what it was on a double-bill with. Legend, oh legend, the third wheel legend...always in the way. Porfle's Secret Blog HK and Cult Film News Andersonvision.com
kochillt		#4	[-]
Jul 7 12 6:38 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Just purchased the Code Red DVD with all the extras. Director William Grefe is quite amiable, and I remember an earlier title of his that also aired on Chiller Theater, DEATH CURSE OF TARTU. 1973's IMPULSE introduced William Shatner to (IMO) his prettiest wife, Marcy Lafferty, who also appeared with him in KINGDOM OF THE SPIDERS (along with Altovise Gore, by then married to Sammy Davis Jr). I have never seen MAKO:JAWS OF DEATH.
strangenstein		#5	[-]
Jul 9 12 1:59 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	One of my many "mystery movie memories" was of a man throwing snakes into a bed. I had no idea what movie it was, I just knew it scared me senseless as a kid. About 30 years later I bought a dollar dvd of Stanley at The Dollar Store and, lo and behold, there was that scene! Sure brought back some great memories. The movie itself wasn't all that hot, but it was nice to solve another mystery movie memory. Strangenstein

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