American International was a hot studio in the 1960s and it was NOT because it was producing quality films! Beach movies, LSD and hippie movies were quite popular with the small studio and they were very successful. Shot with rather small budgets, their films kept raking in the bucks during this era because their content appealed to younger, hipper viewers. Artistic masterpieces? Hardly....but they did have their own odd sort of appeal.
In many ways, "Three in the Attic" is exactly the sort of movie I expected from American International. It is jam-packed with sexual innuendo and is the sort of film that would have been banned only a decade earlier. But, despite this, it's not exactly a typical exploitation or trashy film. The acting and script are a bit of a surprise as they really did NOT suck!
This film is about Paxton Quigley (Christopher Jones) and why he was given this odd name is beyond me. When the film begins, you learn that he's being held prisoner in an attic and then the film jumps back so you can learn how and why he's in this situation. It seems that he and a young lady were in love....but Paxton couldn't resist temptation. When two other women practically throw themselves at him, he gives in to the sexual revolution and juggles all three women...having a LOT of sex and good times. However, eventually the three discover his dalliances and decide to teach him a less...to practically screw him to death in this attic prison!
Despite the salaciousness of the plot and the steamy story, the film actually has some interesting things to say about this sexual revolution. I am not saying it's exactly a deep film...but it is weird and worth seeing...especially when you look at it as an interesting snapshot of an unusual time. As for the ending, it really didn't make much sense...but it still was quite interesting!
