Review of Trip with the Teacher (1975) by Camden N — 14 Feb 2010

I can't help but feel that this was Earl Barton's magnum opus, his great artistic statement to the world and an announcement of a great new filmmaking talent. He wrote the film, directed it, and produced it. He even did some of the music! Yes, this was truly Earl Barton's own Citizen Kane. Why, there's even an "Introducing the Actors" type end credit sequence straight out of Kane!

But of course, it was not to be. The first hour of this film is incredibly dull, as the conflict doesn't arise until the last 30 minutes of the film. The performances are mostly dull, so it's difficult to care about the characters. Likewise, the film never quite reaches the same dizzying, sadistic heights of films like "Last House on the Left" or "House on the Edge of the Park"! The fact that the cast is all smiles by the end of the film and share a group hug is indicative of how goofy this film turned out. The film's saving grace comes in the performance of Zalman King, who is truly one of the most disgusting and despicable villains to grace the screen, sort of a precursor to Dennis Hopper's Frank Booth. While not without its flaws, the performance sells the character's sadism and insanity quite well, and it's obvious that King completely threw himself into the role. Clearly he was going for the Oscar!

Thanks to King's performance, as well as some of the film's goofier touches, this still manages to be decent entertainment. If trash auteur Barton had merely cut out most of the screenplay's filler and just cut to the chase, we might've had a real gem on our hands!