Saturday, June 13, 2020

Movie review - "Strike Me Deadly" (1963) **1/2

Ted V Mikels became a cult favourite with some odd ball movies and an exotic lifestyle but this debut feature is a very accomplished piece of low budget movie making, as good as anything from Corman did in the late 50s (except for maybe Corman's Chuck Griffith classics).

The first third is terrific - fast action with a crazed shooter trying to kill Gary Clarke. It benefits from location filming in Oregon - its in the wilds, there are waterfalls and cliffs and a bushfire.

The film loses pace in flashback - it becomes this sort of intense drama between Clarke and a woman and... actually I got a little confused. Some impressive production values in the nightclub. I do wish there was more action. But the last act is action.

Totally non schlocky, a very impressive looking debut from Mikels.

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