The another Florida football scandal is now bubbling a little more frantically in the north of the state, as reports emerge of Tallahassee police making threats towards the family of a woman who had accused Florida State University quarterback and elite Heisman Trophy candidate Jameis Winston of sexual assault. Also released today is a faculty member’s open letter detailing am almost-medieval litany of horrors and intimidation perpetrated by the school’s Athletic Department, the players and their handlers.
Those who can’t get enough of this tale might want to know there is plenty more to be had in this part of the world, And I might be able to dig up a few to view.
Attack of the Giant Leeches (1959) is the source of a lot of great dialogue, concepts and alibis that could be applied to this scandal or all sorts of other ones. This low-rent AIP picture was produced by Gene Corman, Roger’s brother, and stars Ken Clark, fresh off his appearance as Stewpot in South Pacific (1958). Moonshiners, sheriffs, Seminole legends, an electro soundtrack presaging Star Trek and references to Cape Canaveral ‘radiation’ are just some of the entertaining tidbits in this battle with the Avis of swamp mutants.
The Legend of Boggy Creek (1972) is a ‘true life’ story set a little farther east, in the swamps surrounding Texarkana, AK. A big drive-in hit, this one combines documentary-like good-ole-boy scenes with almost MOR musical paens to the ‘monster’ Travis Crabtree, written by screenwriter Earl E. Smith. The end credit song sounds as if the warbler is Willie Nelson, and a Herb Alpert-styled trumpeter occasionally pops in and out of the mixes.
Finally, Return of the Swamp Thing (1989) features Louis Jourdan (Gigi (1958)) as the evil Dr. Anton Arcane (Moreau wasn’t available), Heather Locklear as his daughter, and Sarah Douglas (Ursa from the Christopher Reeve Superman (1978)). Need anything more be said? At least it does put things into perspective.
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