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Profoundly Disturbing: Shocking Movies That Changed History! |
Author: Joe Bob Briggs
Published: 2003-06-28 |
List price: $24.95
Our price: $16.47
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 Joe Bob Goes Beyond the Drive-in
Joe Bob Briggs, the redneck stage persona of film critic John Bloom, was the hilarious host of late-night B-movie programs DRIVE-IN THEATER on The Movie Channel (1986-1996) and MONSTERVISION on TNT (1996-2000). While his commentary often involved parody and satire of the purportedly high-brow discourse of movie critics like Roger Ebert, genuine information and thoughtful criticism could always be found carefully embedded in the shtick.
With PROFOUNDLY DISTURBING: SHOCKING MOVIES THAT CHANGED HISTORY!, author Joe Bob discusses the history, social relevance, and lasting influence of 15 (not 20, as claimed by the blurb from Publishers Weekly) films that, at the time when each was originally released, caused some sort of uproar or scandal in the media, the arena of public opinion, and sometimes even the U.S. courts. The films included here touch on nearly every major cinematic genre, from westerns to horror to hard-core porn, so fans and film students of all types should find something of interest on these pages. Joe Bob's usual wry sense of humor is clearly in evidence throughout the text, but his overall style here involves less of the redneck shtick and more of the history and literate criticism, and the result is an outstanding read that is both entertaining and highly informative.
As mentioned above, the group of films that Joe Bob analyzes here does include examples from across the genre spectrum, but the list is clearly weighted towards the horror genre. So PROFOUNDLY DISTURBING: SHOCKING MOVIES THAT CHANGED HISTORY! will be of particular interest to horror fans, with the chapters on William Friedkin's THE EXORCIST (1973) and Tobe Hooper's THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE (1974) offering an exceptional history and criticism of those works. Considering the book's emphasis on horror, however, it is puzzling as to why Sam Raimi's THE EVIL DEAD is only mentioned in passing and does not get a chapter of its own, especially since Raimi has gone on to become a mainstream Hollywood insider. But that omission is only a minor oversight in this otherwise excellent collection of essays.
Any ardent fan of cinema or serious student of film should be familiar with critic Joe Bob Briggs, as his humorous approach to film analysis is both a refreshing and profound alternative to the bombastic diatribe of mainstream film criticism. And if those fans and film students want to truly understand why some of cinema's most controversial films have also become some of the most influential, they should immediately add PROFOUNDLY DISTURBING: SHOCKING MOVIES THAT CHANGED HISTORY! to the top of their required-reading list.
High Art and Glorious Dreck
It may be Joe Bob's name on the cover, but "Profoundly Disturbing" is much more the work of the more schooled, less outrageous John Bloom. (For those not familiar, John Bloom is to Joe Bob what Bruce Wayne is to Batman.) This is no complaint, for it's a pleasure to see films that surely appeal to Joe Bob - everything from the roadshow classic "Mom and Dad" to the exploitation-as-art hit "Reservoir Dogs" - get the scholarly treatment by someone as thoughtful and well-versed in film as Bloom. Not only is "Profoundly Disturbing" a fun, informative read, but it achieves, perhaps, the two highest goals an author might have in writing about movies. First, it makes you want to take another look at some films you've already seen. And second, it makes you want to see the films it covers which you've missed.
So, you thought "Ilsa: She Wolf of the SS" was merely exploitation? Well, maybe you're right but, as Bloom/Briggs makes clear, it still occupies a place in film history that's worthy of discussion. Combining the mind of a scholar with the heart of a gorehound, the author manages to connect the dots between high art and lowbrow schlock in tidy fashion. How many other critics, after all, will devote the same amount of thought, research, brainpower and ink to, say, "Blood Feast" as they do to "And God Created Woman" in the same book? Or even in the same lifetime?
There are great essays here on some shocking, revolutionary, sometimes even distasteful films. Standouts include Joe Bob's takes on "The Wild Bunch," "The Exorcist," "Deep Throat" and the aforementioned "Reservoir Dogs." Along with reporting plenty of hard facts, Joe Bob works in some eye-opening observation. In the volumes that have been written on "Deep Throat" for instance, the author may be the first to make the uber-simple point that this was really nothing more than "a down-and-dirty stag film shot in ratty motel rooms." The only thing remarkable about it at all is that it somehow crawled out of the Pussycat Theater scene and into mainstream consciousness.
In fact, this phenomenon of busting out of the low expectations of genre-fueled filmmaking is one theme that ties these films together. Nearly every flick in this book was a box office overachiever, earning well beyond the norm for porn, gore, horror, etc. The other theme that connects these films is this: each one, on some level, is an exploitation movie. Whether intentionally or incidentally, each depended upon shock value to up the ante at the box office. Sure, "The Exorcist" is an artful meditation on the nature of faith, good and evil. But such philosophical musings do not butts in seats put. "The Exorcist" was a hit because it showed a little girl projectile barfing and doing a 360 with her head.
Hats off to Briggs/Bloom, then, for giving the full historical/critical treatment to movies that most writers would rather pretend didn't exist. In an age in which critics are so quick to tell us that ham-fisted muck like "The Contender" and even "Wall-E" are `smart' simply because the hit a trendy political note, Joe Bob is one of a very few unrestrained by the stifling limits of acceptable taste and political correctness. God bless Joe Bob Briggs and all the twisted souls who made these films.
 JBB - Always fun!
Cinema doesn't have to be stodgy, even during serious discussion. After reading books of dry film theory and tepid reviews, Joe Bob Briggs's Profoundly Disturbing was a cool drink of water. Hyperbolically subtitled "Shocking Movies That Changed History," Briggs covers fifteen films that made a significant dent in the side panels of cinema. Presented in chronological order, the book chronicles cinematic mavericks from THE CABINET OF DOCTOR CALIGARI to CRASH.
While the chapters on THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE and THE EXORCIST may feel a little light, Briggs delves deep into MOM & DAD, AND GOD CREATED WOMEN, and THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN. Standout reviews include BLOOD FEAST, SHAFT, and RESERVOIR DOGS. Always close to my heart, Briggs's take on RESERVOIR DOGS managed to be fresh, giving equal time to both the film's production and the ire raised by its controversial director. After having read everything on the film that I could lay my sweaty paws on, that Briggs managed to break new ground for me is quite a feat.
Briggs gives even the schlockiest film the respect it deserves while keeping his wit razor sharp. His mix of levity and earnestness is always a welcome contrast to the dour self-serious cineastes that glut the bookshelves.
Terrific, Insightful Book
I think some of the negative impressions of this book stem from the fact that people were expecting something different from "Joe Bob Briggs." Well, the truth is that before he was Joe Bob's, real name is John Bloom and he was (and is) a fantastic award winning investigative journalist.
His serious side really shines here. He has written a very accessible, erudite and enjoyable book of criticism here, and his critiques of these challenging films still resides within a moral frame work. He strikes a balance here that I think few critics could pull off given the subject matter.
But mainly it's just a great read, even for those that aren't necessarily film buffs. The generous and well-done layout is also worth commending. I highly recommend.
 The end of Joe Bob as we knew him?
Everything about the cover of Profoundly Disturbing - the shaky letters, the posed fright on the creased poster, the phony rating, the chapter titles mimicking credits, the dirty-looking border, and the display copy's warped cover, making it look used - fairly screams, "DON'T PAY TOP DOLLAR FOR THIS BOOK!" (Fortunately, amazon has discounted it.) When did paperbacks start costing $24.95? Especially one by Joe Bob Briggs - has he abandoned his working-class supporters? His earlier paperbacks were less than $10; even hardcover editions of Cosmic Wisdom and Iron Joe Bob weren't $20. Why is this book's price so high?
A look inside shows where some of the cash goes. Glossy pages that reflect the light's glare make it hard to find a comfortable reading position. The text is split into two columns, divided and almost surrounded by red borders. Little red movie-related symbols cross the top of each page. Why the obsession with red? Has Joe Bob gone Communist on us? Movie posters introduce each chapter. And some awful fonts are chosen for the first paragraph of, and various statements from, each chapter. In short, style trumps substance. Why does Joe Bob require special effects? He IS a special effect.
Well, he was. Here, he makes his case for the movies that most influenced public tastes and later film making, some of which are known more for promotional antics than artistic merits. He discusses how the idea for each movie originated, summarizes the plots (revealing each ending so that if you've never seen the films, you'll not be interested now), attempts to interpret those movies that make no sense, tells why he thinks the movie is important, and goes over the careers of the key actors, directors and/or writers involved, scattering trivia throughout. At the end of each chapter, a guide covers related movies, often repeating information from the chapter.
While competent, the writing rarely rises above standard research reporting, and often failed to maintain my interest. For example, I took 3 breaks while reading about And God Created Woman. Why would any red-blooded American man make Brigette Bardot boring?
In his Reservoir Dogs chapter, Joe Bob condones plagiarism. Does it follow that he steals from other writers? If so, who? I thought his style and outlook were unique, but if not, I'd like to read what his victims wrote. Citing sources is common courtesy: copying for profit or glory is theft.
For the money, too much is missing from this book - say, about 150 pages. The index is incomplete. It lists only movies, ignoring all of the people involved, as well as the innovations introduced.
Maybe Joe Bob felt that his coverage of Deep Throat was getting (ahem) long, but he fails to note that Linda Lovelace's nipples are never shown in the movie. He doesn't explain the 1969 Naked Came the Stranger hoax. He claims that, other than Linda, Carol Conners and Harry Reems, Throat actors had no later roles: he completely overlooks Dolly Sharp, who, as Gloria Leonard, appeared in several X-rated movies through the 1970s, including one that he mentions, The Opening of Misty Beethoven. (She also published the glossy adult magazine High Society, and hosted an adult cable TV show in New York City.) Deep Throat was probably Gloria's best performance, though; she subsequently refused any on-screen anal scenes. Now that's disturbing!
Joe Bob asserts that The Texas Chain Saw Massacre introduced the chain saw as a weapon. Not so - it was used a year earlier in Last House on the Left (granted, in self-defense). He notes Saw's influence on metal bands, but neglects its effects on punk: Johnny Rotten enjoyed the movie, and the first Ramones album includes a song about it.
Several more movies could have added bulk to this book, including The Birth of a Nation (1915), Birth Control and The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (both 1917), Triumph of the Will (1935), M (1951, or the 1932 German version), Night of the Living Dead (1968), A Clockwork Orange (1971), Carrie (1976 - Joe Bob mentions a 1977 movie called Ruby, also featuring Piper Laurie, which reads like a Carrie rip-off), Caligula (1980), and Basket Case (1982). Night of the Living Dead was mentioned in early promotions of this book, but that chapter must have been cut.
The most glaring omission, though, is Joe Bob himself. After he temporarily quit writing in 1997, he seemed to have undergone a humor removal operation. Where is the social commentary laced with his acerbic wit? Where are such characters as Bobo Rodriguez, Cherry Dilday, and Rhett Beavers? Where is his uncommon wisdom, so desperately needed in this country? Apparently, they're all in his distant past. H. L. Mencken estimated that a good writer has about 10 years of worthwhile work before he burns out. Perhaps, then, we're lucky that Joe Bob provided a solid 15 years of refreshing, opinionated literature. His writing used to provoke my delightfully shocked reaction, "Did he just SAY that?" Throughout Disturbing, I kept wondering, "Why am I still reading this?"
Film scholars might find this book interesting. To me, Profoundly Disturbing is primarily disappointing.
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