Homebodies
Homebodies
PG | 01 September 1974 (USA)
Homebodies Trailers

When a quiet group of pensioners learn that their homes are to be torn down to make way for a block of flats, they decide to take action. What starts as an attempt to discourage the developers soon escalates into wholesale murder of both the developers and the construction workers.

Reviews
Helloturia

I have absolutely never seen anything like this movie before. You have to see this movie.

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ChanFamous

I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

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KnotStronger

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

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Tyreece Hulme

One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.

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lost-in-limbo

Well meaning, but an unusual, gloomy and comedic dark horror drama with a wicked sense of humour and stinging view of the mistreatment of the elderly as time isn't on their side. While it doesn't always come together (with an ambiguous ending that doesn't know how to tie it up), it remains an interesting parable and compelling at that with it's uniquely original premise.Six elderly tenants are handed eviction notices, as their apartment is to be torn down and turned into new skyscrapers. However they won't have anything off it and decide the only way they can stay put is to murder those who get in their way or have some sort of control over the development to only slow down the inevitable.The movie tagline "A Murder a Day Keeps the Landlord Away!" sums it up perfectly."Homebodies" tries to mix social commentary with creepy chills and cartoon-like humour… while at times eerie and thoughtful in its context I didn't find it particularly humorous. The tone would get goofy in those moments aiming for a laugh, which didn't complement its sombre air. When the script was trying to be sly with its humour, it fitted better. The slow-burn plot really does strike up a moving chemistry between these convincingly quirky characters, as there's heart and personality given out by the performances. They stick together, kill together to keep their familiar lifestyles they hold so close. But then in a twist of events they start to turn on each other with no second thoughts. There's an odd chase sequence as well… where it crafts a dreamy sort of atmosphere around it and the death traps/or deaths are effectively moulded to get under your skin with the blank, cold expressions of their faces watching those die around them. The performances are solid, led by Paula Trueman's neurotic turn and with the likes of Ruth McDevitt, Ian Wolfe and Peter Brocco.Director Larry Yust does a durable job and makes good use of the authentic location work to illustrate the urban plight. The camera sprightly frames the activities and the music playfully turn it up.A worthwhile forgotten 70s offbeat low-budget black comedy shocker.

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amado31-1

I watched this movie with my grandmother when I was about 6 years old. The movie was PG, so I could get away with watching it then. What a hoot! We managed to watch that movie every time we could catch it on and the last line in the movie kept us laughing for the longest: It's me, Mattie.I know that a movie about old folks killing to keep their homes may be totally horrific to today's society that salivates over brutality performed on perky-breast blonds, pencil-waist brunettes, and their associated blockhead boyfriends. The irony of "Homebodies" is that you're force to have to acknowledge those old folks for what they were doing -- whether you liked it or not. They refused to be pushed around and their tactics were crude, yet effective.Having said that, I watched it again recently and I found it just as funny, but with a better understanding. While I could say that the murders were truly without warrant, they were in better context than what you see in most slasher flicks nowadays, where the killings are for shock value and good measure.

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fertilecelluloid

Grim, sad, nihilistic drama about abandoned elderly people who pull together to preserve their home and dignity. That's the soft sell. The hard sell? After uncaring developers condemn a building and threaten to toss the aged residents onto the street, the residents retaliate with murder.For a drama, there's plenty of horror here, and there's much food for thought, too. The harsh way we treat our elderly citizens is directly addressed, as is the issue of the limted tenure we all have on this planet. An interesting message buried here-in is that the young underestimate the old at their peril because the old are smarter, more sly, more patient and more experienced.The performances are excellent, as is the direction, photography and music. The murders are cleverly conceived and executed with grim resolve, and one scene involving permanent incarceraton in concrete is a showstopper. When I first saw this film, I was struck by its cold, depressing tone and I admired it for its recognition of real problems associated with aging. The idea of the old killing the young is a novel one and employed to great effect in "Homebodies".It's a silver-haired classic.

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Jonny_Numb

Senior citizens can be shrill, depressing, and very boring, so you might think a movie that casts old people as 'hit men' would be good for a few laughs. "Homebodies" tries but fails. It's just a silly film about greedy land developers trying to knock down the house of some stubborn old people, who in turn start picking off the workers in an attempt to stop construction. All the characters are annoying caricatures that'll be grating on your nerves after the first 15 minutes. Save yourself the trouble of searching out this movie and just go volunteer at a nursing home.3/10

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