Stanley (1972)

Director:

William Grefe

Writers:

William Grefe (story)
Gary Crutcher (written by)

Release Date:

28 April 1973 (Japan)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

...will make your skin crawl.

Plot:

A young Seminole Indian uses his rattlesnake to take revenge on all those he believes have wronged him. |

Plot Keywords:

Rattlesnake | Swamp | Burning House | Everglades | Airboat

Cast

Chris Robinson	...	Tim Ochopee
Alex Rocco	...	Thomkins
Steve Alaimo	...	Crail Denning
Susan Carroll	...	Susie
Mark Harris	...	Bob Wilson
Rey Baumel	...	Sidney Calvin
Paul Avery	...	Psycho Simpson
Marcia Knight	...	Gloria Calvin (as Marcie Knight)
Gary Crutcher	...	Dr. Everett
Mel Pape	...	Medical Center Guard
Milton 'Butterball' Smith	...	Nightclub Stage Manager (as Butterball Smith)
Pamela Talus	...	Thomkin's Girl Friend
William Marquez	...	Wauchula (as Bill Marquez)

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Everglades National Park, Florida, USA

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Dark Side of Eden: The Making of 'Stanley' (2008) (V)

Soundtrack:

Start a New World

A fair reworking of "Willard".

Chris Robinson plays Tim Ochopee, a Seminole Indian haunted by his Vietnam War experience who lives in seclusion in the Florida Everglades. Seemingly unable to get along with other people, the only things that he identifies with are snakes, especially the title rattler.

Stanley often gets into confrontations with thugs who work for a sleazeball (Alex Rocco) who, naturally enough, does the one thing guaranteed to raise Tim's ire. The man makes belts and such out of snake hides. When these people, and others such as an aging exotic dancer who uses snakes in her act, go too far, he commands the snakes to strike back at them.

Problems here include a protagonist who isn't as sympathetic as he ought to be (it was just too hard to care much for this person), leisurely pacing, and a lack of good scares. The movie just doesn't deliver enough on a visceral level. The best performance is Rocco's; he at least has a good knack for perfecting a truly slimy cretin, who at one tasteless point leers at his own nubile daughter.

On the other hand, it's got some amusing things going for it. Co-star Steve Alaimo, who reminds me a little of David Hess (Krug in "The Last House on the Left"), makes for a pretty good thug. The swamp location is utilized well. And the silly ending where Tim impulsively falls in love with his nemesis's daughter, abducts her, brings her back to his home, and tries to convince her to stay with him, is just laughable. It's setting up a very "Willard"-like ending where the unhinged young man finally rubs his slithering pets the wrong way, when they suddenly decide for once that they're *not* going to do his bidding.

But best of all is Rocco's death in his own swimming pool; the freeze frame of him diving is utterly, hilariously ridiculous.

"Stanley" is basically watchable schlock with some entertaining moments.

6/10