As Good As It Gets

It is not deep, but it is fun to watch. It does have a bit more of an edge to it than other similar films.

It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

Mudhoney (1965) *** (out of 4) Russ Meyer drama (yes, drama) about a stranger who goes to work on a farm and soon falls in love with the woman who owns the place. This doesn't sit too well with her drunk and abusive husband nor the hypocrite preacher running around. Once again we've got a pretty well made little film that's certainly Meyer's way of bashing religion and hypocrites. The "drama" works well but there are still a few laughs as well as a limited amount of nudity. Many of the cast members from the above film also appear here.

I didn't know Meyer could actually make an excellent drama, but I was surprised by this one. After seeing Faster Pussycat, Beyond the Valium of the Dolls, and Seven(?)Minutes, I expected the same retarded writing, acting and editing, but Mudhoney is well written, acted and doesn't have that ridiculously fast editing his other movies have.I think the fact that Mudhoney was taken from a novel, with the novelist doing the screenplay, accounted for the quality of this flick.Towards the end, one scene flowed into the next with some incredible performances from the actors playing the husband and the preacher.I haven't seen Lorna yet, but I guess it's similar to this one.

Excellent piece of trash cinema by the maestro. Hal Hooper's performance as the husband who beats and rapes his wife and uses the preacher to get at the drifter is awesome -- one of the most memorably pieces of acting in the history of B movies. Lots of excellent T and A shots, with star Maitland showing. Great photography in black and white.

"Mudhoney" takes the gritty "realism" of "Lorna" one step further. It's downright nasty. Perhaps Meyer's best script and most satisfying narrative. Hopper is a down-on-his-luck alcoholic wife-beater who nearly succeeds at turning a Depression-era small town into hell. He even tries to take a shortcut through heaven. Fits nicely between "Lorna" and "Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill!" as Meyer's mid-60's b&w peak.