The Weirdo

The Weirdo tells the story of Donny, a simple young man mistreated by almost everyone but his aunt. He finds love and happiness with a slightly crippled lass named Jenny, but you just know things aren't going to turn out all sunshine and good times. Though broadly a horror film, and certainly drawing on classic genre themes and situations, much of The Weirdo is occupied by brooding drama, heavy on dialogue as Milligan piles up his dysfunctional concerns. Lots of typical Milligan stuff seems to be there, a loathsome priest, an even more loathsome mother, retarded people and constant mean spirited behaviour from most of the characters, the film is an essay in casual grinding cruelty, innocent simplicity slowly broken down till mad and murderous climax, an avalanche of deliriously inept slaying packing quite the punch. The climatic shenanigans I pretty much expected, what took me rather by surprise in the film though was how moving it is. The writing seems really to care about Donny and Jenny, they are in a terribly sad situation and the film never seems to be exploiting them. The small, committed cast and unfussy direction help out here, although the film has an everytown setting and the action moves around a number of different places it always feels claustrophobic, this gives it a sense of inevitability, that Donny will be wronged for no good reason wherever he turns. There's a sincerity and compassion here that really works despite the oddity and comically broad touches like the abundance of slapping, happily this feeling is backed up by some decent acting. Steve Burington does good, sympathetic work as Donny, slow and seemingly simple, pitiable rather than pathetic and with an edge of menace. In fact throughout the film I kept being reminded of some or other similar if not near identical turn in a different movie, just out of reach of my recollection. Jessica Strauss is sweet, childlike but lovable as Jenny and her relationship with Donny comes off as unforced and natural as such a set up was ever likely to be. Sure it's a bit of a fairy tale, but they work well together and are rather touching. Naomi Sherwood is Donny's aunt and comes across a nice enough old gal, doing her best in a situation she never asked for and probably didn't ever want. The rest of the cast is basically just a set of hateful meanies, caricatures but delivered with gusto, with a shout out due to Lyn Caryl, doing great malign work as Donny's near unfeasibly spiteful mother. The ending of this one probably would have been better with a less schlocky approach and the film is ultimately a bit formulaic, but I had a rather fine time with it on the whole. Not by any means a great film and probably not even a "good" film in the conventional sense, this is still worth a look for Milligan fans and 80's oddity addicts I think.

Andy Milligan films are not for everyone; I'm not even sure if they're for me, and I've already seen quite a few. That said, The Weirdo appears to be one of the directors more accessible efforts, with an air of professionalism not evident in the others I have seen. Now don't get me wrong - this is still rough and ready, low-budget fare - but the story flows nicely and the characters are well developed, Mr. Milligan clearly making an effort to emotionally engage his audience.

Heading the cast is Steve Burington as autistic young man Donnie Raymond, who lives in a shed belonging to well-meaning Miss Martins (Naomi Sherwood), for whom he runs errands. Subject to regular bullying by three local thugs - Nails (Shawn Player), Vic (Dennis Robbins) and Dean (Patrick Thomas) - Donnie leads a relatively lonely existence until he is befriended by fellow outcast, pretty disabled 18-year-old Jenny (Jessica Straus). The young couple's friendship blossoms into love, and so Donnie is rightfully upset when his uncaring mother (Lynne Caryl), who lives on the other side of town, tries to send him to Mississippi, having agreed to sell him to sleazoid Cycil Price (Carroll Oden). Donnie finally snaps, decapitating his mother with a meat cleaver, and kills Price with a pole; he also takes care of pervy priest Reverand Cummings (John Rand), and his meddling wife (Janet Roberts), who also stand in the way of his relationship with Jenny. Ultimately, Donnie turns his rage towards the trio of bullies who have made his life a misery, before - in true classic horror film fashion - he is attacked by an angry mob.

Although The Weirdo still suffers from amateurish acting and extreme budgetary restraints (the gore effects are especially cheap), for once Milligan seems to really care about his characters, telling a surprisingly moving tale of doomed love and inevitable tragedy (albeit one with an admittedly silly and violent final act). While I'm not suggesting that this film will make a dedicated Milligan fan out of anyone, those with a tolerance for z-grade trash will probably find something to like about The Weirdo, even if it's only the fact that it's far more entertaining than The Rats Are Coming! The Werewolves Are Here! (which I consider to be completely worthless).

My review was written in February 1990 after watching the movie on Raedon video cassette.

Goremeister Andy Milligan is in a relatively restrained mood for "Weirdo", an okay psychological thriller released direct to video. His higher-brow fans will mull over the scene of a preacher's wife stabbed in the chest with a huge crucifix.

Steve Burlington takes the title role, a backward youngster who is taken care of by kindly Naomi Sherwood. Taunted by other teens, he eventually steps over the line in a romane with runaway Jessica Straus.

Convoluted exploitation genre plot has a revelation by hero's mom that his slowness is caused by inbreeding (she had sex with her brother, resulting in Weirdo). Burlington freaks out and kills his mama, just in time because she was in the process of selling him into white slavery in Mississippi (!). Unfortunately for the fans, poor makeup effects are used on mama's severed head.

The Weirdo (actually entitled Weirdo, the Beginning on the video print) was a massive step up for director Andy Milligan after the train wreck that was Carnage (1986). Another in his series of 'dinner theater' productions, it was shot in Southern California with an amateur cast. And while I would never, EVER claim that it's a classic film of any variety, it weaves a strange spell thanks to Milligan's preference for deadpan dialogue, angular set-ups, and odd settings. Indeed, with the exception of only a few 'big city' shots, The Weirdo resides in a rural fairytale version of the Southland located not a million miles from the Spahn Movie Ranch. If Ingmar Bergman ever made a no-budget horror film, it might look like this, especially during its expository first hour, where characters argue, snipe, and moan endlessly at each other. With oddly affecting performances by cute little Jessica Straus and dear old Naomi Sherwood, as well as a generous assortment of gruesome deaths in the final third of the film, this is a unique example of truly independent filmmaking.

A mildly autistic, shed-dwelling loner improbably acquires an equally troubled girlfriend as he smotes his tormentors.

During his grindhouse heyday, Andy Milligan could excrete exploitation fare even faster and cheaper than Roger Corman. Unlike Corman, who (at least for awhile) aspired to better work, Milligan was content to line his pockets while expressing contempt for mankind. While predictably dour, THE WEIRDO features two prominent peculiarities.

Milligan films are littered with losers, cluelessly trying to claw their way out of hopeless situations. Though retarded, The Weirdo may be Milligan's only character cognizant that he's doomed, doomed, doomed from the getgo. Then, there's the slapping. Punks slap the weirdo. His girlfriend slaps the weirdo. His mother slaps the weirdo. A preacher's wife slaps the weirdo. The weirdo slaps his girlfriend. A caregiver slaps the weirdo. You'll swear that Moe Howard was the technical adviser.

The lumpy script bunches up all the killings at the end. Passive characters abruptly turn hostile to warrant a higher body count.

The psycho attack scenes are borderline competent, and for a flick with subterranean production values, the blood and flesh wounds look surprisingly good.

The inclusion of a cursing cleric was a cool touch, but this sad little film should only appeal to those bitten by the Milligan bug...you poor devils.