The Weirdo tells the story of Donny, a simple young man mistreated by almost everyone but his aunt. He finds love and happiness with a slightly crippled lass named Jenny, but you just know things aren't going to turn out all sunshine and good times. Though broadly a horror film, and certainly drawing on classic genre themes and situations, much of The Weirdo is occupied by brooding drama, heavy on dialogue as Milligan piles up his dysfunctional concerns. Lots of typical Milligan stuff seems to be there, a loathsome priest, an even more loathsome mother, retarded people and constant mean spirited behaviour from most of the characters, the film is an essay in casual grinding cruelty, innocent simplicity slowly broken down till mad and murderous climax, an avalanche of deliriously inept slaying packing quite the punch. The climatic shenanigans I pretty much expected, what took me rather by surprise in the film though was how moving it is. The writing seems really to care about Donny and Jenny, they are in a terribly sad situation and the film never seems to be exploiting them. The small, committed cast and unfussy direction help out here, although the film has an everytown setting and the action moves around a number of different places it always feels claustrophobic, this gives it a sense of inevitability, that Donny will be wronged for no good reason wherever he turns. There's a sincerity and compassion here that really works despite the oddity and comically broad touches like the abundance of slapping, happily this feeling is backed up by some decent acting. Steve Burington does good, sympathetic work as Donny, slow and seemingly simple, pitiable rather than pathetic and with an edge of menace. In fact throughout the film I kept being reminded of some or other similar if not near identical turn in a different movie, just out of reach of my recollection. Jessica Strauss is sweet, childlike but lovable as Jenny and her relationship with Donny comes off as unforced and natural as such a set up was ever likely to be. Sure it's a bit of a fairy tale, but they work well together and are rather touching. Naomi Sherwood is Donny's aunt and comes across a nice enough old gal, doing her best in a situation she never asked for and probably didn't ever want. The rest of the cast is basically just a set of hateful meanies, caricatures but delivered with gusto, with a shout out due to Lyn Caryl, doing great malign work as Donny's near unfeasibly spiteful mother. The ending of this one probably would have been better with a less schlocky approach and the film is ultimately a bit formulaic, but I had a rather fine time with it on the whole. Not by any means a great film and probably not even a "good" film in the conventional sense, this is still worth a look for Milligan fans and 80's oddity addicts I think.

Garagehouse Pictures is releasing two Andy Milligan films on blu-ray for the first time. One is MONSTROSITY. This is the other. Of the two this one is the better film but likely to not find as big a base. It's a bit more well done and with any film of Andy Milligan saying that is something.

Donny is a mentally challenged young man, that way for many reasons most being his upbringing by an alcoholic mother. Basically raised by the kindly Miss Martins, Donny lives in a shed behind her house. Picked on by the local troublemakers and prone to wandering the streets Donny has hit an age where he's beginning to notice the opposite sex. First he notices Miss Martin's niece when she comes to stay and then while walking the nearby parks he meets Jenny.

Jenny is a handicapped girl with a bad leg who lives with an abusive aunt. The two of them hit it off and soon are sharing all their time together. But tragedy lays in store for the couple. First Donny's mother wants to sell him as a slave to another man, the local reverend puts the moves on Jenny, Miss Martins decides to evict Donny when she learns of Jenny and then the gang members attack Jenny as well. All of this combines to unleash the fury that resides inside of Donny.

Given a mega-budget and featuring more well-known actors this sounds like a major release. But in the hands of Milligan it isn't quite that good. That being said from my exposure to his films this one is actually pretty good. Even the acting, while not Oscar worthy, is pretty good. In particular Jessica Straus as Jenny does a great job. Fortunately she's gone on to a huge career in voice over performing.

The movie still has that home-made feel to it. It also has that loving attempt be Milligan to make an actual movie while still confined to the exploitation genre. There is plenty of gore effects on display here like a severed head featured in the artwork for the movie but most of it, while effective, is pretty tame and simple.

As I stated in my review for MONSTROSITY Milligan falls into that category of film makers most define by how bad their films were. But the invention of first VHS and now disc has changed viewers so that fans of the offbeat, the strange and the different are now able to view movies like these and enjoy them for what they are, movie made by people who love movies but who lack the technical expertise and budgets to make them perfect. Yeah it's not Oscar material but it can still be fun.

I also mentioned the fact that Garagehouse Pictures is the little engine that could and I still hold that they deserve that title. Not rushing titles out, not overloading a market with substandard versions like we saw happen when VHS made its debut, they are taking the time to restore and present movies like this in the best mode and shape possible. They've done that with this film, one that a vast majority of people aren't seeking but tried and true movie fans are clamoring for. It's offering the film for the first time in HD with a restoration created from the original camera negative. One of the extras included even shows the difference their restoration has made on the film presented here.

Other extras include an audio commentary track with producers Paul Maslak and Neva Friedenn, make-up man Rodd Matsui & actor Patrick Thomas, an audio commentary with film historian Keith Crocker moderated by George Reis, "Matsui s Monstrosities: An Interview with a Make-Up Man: Part 2", trailers of other Andy Milligan films, trailers of other Garagehouse Pictures films, cover art by Stephen Romano and a limited edition slip sleeve art by Justin Miller. Once again they are limiting this to just 1,000 prints so if you're interested make sure you order your copy today.

The Weirdo (actually entitled Weirdo, the Beginning on the video print) was a massive step up for director Andy Milligan after the train wreck that was Carnage (1986). Another in his series of 'dinner theater' productions, it was shot in Southern California with an amateur cast. And while I would never, EVER claim that it's a classic film of any variety, it weaves a strange spell thanks to Milligan's preference for deadpan dialogue, angular set-ups, and odd settings. Indeed, with the exception of only a few 'big city' shots, The Weirdo resides in a rural fairytale version of the Southland located not a million miles from the Spahn Movie Ranch. If Ingmar Bergman ever made a no-budget horror film, it might look like this, especially during its expository first hour, where characters argue, snipe, and moan endlessly at each other. With oddly affecting performances by cute little Jessica Straus and dear old Naomi Sherwood, as well as a generous assortment of gruesome deaths in the final third of the film, this is a unique example of truly independent filmmaking.