Review of Jail Bait (1954) by Carl W — 25 Feb 2010
For die-hard Ed Wood fans only. JAIL BAIT isn't a movie about the perils of pulling a Polanski, but rather the perils of carrying a concealed pistol (which is what the title refers to). It was Wood's follow-up to his surreal transvestite classic GLEN OR GLENDA? and it's less ambitious than BRIDE OF THE MONSTER or PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE, and is therefore less entertaining as a trashy Z-grade movie.
You won't get any silly monsters, flying saucers, or a hammy Bela Lugosi, instead we get what seems to be an early ancestor of John Woo's FACE/OFF in goofy film-noir clothes. What makes JAIL BAIT less entertaining than Ed Wood's sci-fi and horror efforts is that it feels more competent, which isn't to say it isn't bad, which it is.
It has bad blocking, on-the-nose unnatural dialogue, and the least-thrilling car chase in movie history (on of the movie's more humorous moments). It also has a hilariously understated musical score that will haunt your dreams and score your worst nightmares by the end, a guitar track that sounds like something Robert Rodriguez wrote during a bout of intense drinking.
The movie has a mildly engaging climax though, so props for that I guess. In the end, JAIL BAIT is lacking in those Ed Wood moments that make his movies so endearing, transcending their badness into kitsch art.
More than any of his other movies in his classic run of films, JAIL BAIT just feels like a plain ol' bad movie, which isn't nearly as fun.
This review of Jail Bait (1954) was written by Carl W on 25 Feb 2010.
Jail Bait has generally received negative reviews.
Was this review helpful?
