Review of Myra Breckinridge (1970) by Larry W — 03 Jun 2011

This movie is completely terrible and, yet, still somehow difficult to dislike. Many films fall into the category "so bad it's good." How many can be described as "so ineptly-made it's hypnotic"?

One couldn't ask for a better cast or more interesting source material. Yet, somehow, Sarne manages to make the entire thing feel like an ad-libbed weekend project.

Still, the whole thing is rather endearing, largely because the cast has a great deal of fun with it. Welch, Fawcett, Reed and Carradine all seem to love spouting nonsensical lines like, "It's a dangerous thing, ambition. Ruined Mickey Mouse's whole career." Mae West gets in some of her most memorable one-liners, but her frisky lady routine is robbed of its power by her trashy surroundings. As for John Huston, it's just damn depressing to see him slog through this mess. Thank god he had 17 years of filmmaking ahead of him to make up for it.