Stigma

I recently watched Stigma (1972) on Tubi. The storyline centers on a small, isolated town that welcomes a new Black doctor. He offers medical services for little to no cost as he tries to build up his practice. When he uncovers a deadly outbreak of venereal disease spreading through the community, he does his best to educate the townspeople. But the question looms: will they listen to a Black doctor?

The film is written and directed by David E. Durston (I Drink Your Blood) and stars Philip Michael Thomas (Miami Vice), Josie Johnson (Fingers), Peter Clune (Blast of Silence), and Diane Baker (Marnie).

Imagine an entire movie built around the premise of venereal disease-definitely not what I was expecting. The film opens strong with a memorable scene involving an old man, and there's a wild sex education video that stands out. The classroom segments discussing STDs are surprisingly bold, and the main character's efforts are easy to root for. There's also a solid test scene with the old man and some nice moments of camaraderie throughout.

In conclusion, Stigma is a unique and unpredictable film. It wasn't what I expected, but it held my attention. I'd give it a 6/10.

This is a VERY unusual one - nothing psychedelic or bizarre or even 'out there', just atypical, unique. I wouldn't call it a thriller at all. I see some people call it exploitation - no, it's really not at all either, though I can see how it can be confusing with a bit of its style and content. This is just a drama with a small budget, a few 'tense' moments, and a nonchalance and unusual frankness with its nudity and sexual content. It has a clear primary goal that it achieves unquestionably and admirably: to inform about a serious topic whilst still being entertaining and interesting - it also wants to do that while being a compelling drama, and it does and is. I actually picked this thinking it was going to be meh and being okay falling asleep to it, but it grabbed me and had me the whole time.

There were times when the directing felt amateurish, like he was a bit out of his depth and either didn't know what he was going for or didn't know how to achieve what he was going for, but it didn't at all detract from the movie and actually gave it a bit of charm. Then there were times (much more of these) that it was handled with such a deft touch I was impressed and taken slightly aback.

This movie did at least a handful of things I've not seen done in a movie before. Highly recommended for anyone all of that sounds good to. Not to hype it or anything, it's still just a 'good' movie.

6.5/10

Miami Vice's Tubbs (Philip Michael Thomas) in his first movie from the early 70's - it's one of those so bad it's good kind of movies. I got a video copy that obviously was rereleased after Thomas' post-Vice fame. If you enjoy early 70's exploitation this one's got a bit of sexploitation and blaxploitation elements that are entertaining in an after-midnight fashion. And despite the low production values and b-movie quality Thomas is in fact quite good - far too good for this movie.

A young black doctor (Philip Michael Thomas), who made the mistake of performing an abortion that went wrong, travels to an isolated coastal community for a gig with a mentor whereupon he faces unforeseen challenges, including prejudice and a mysterious outbreak.

"Stigma" (1972) is a drama with some seedy aspects despite taking place in a traditional white bread community. While not a blaxploitation flick, the protagonist angle was obviously influenced by that genre, à la the soon-to-come "The Beast Must Die." The set-up is reminiscent of "In the Heat of the Night" with some elements that would influence "The Wicker Man," which (surprisingly) wouldn't debut until the next year. Then there's the youthful "free love" aspect of, say, "The Harrad Experiment," which also came out the next year.

The film features a little comedy, an anti-racist message, a bit o' softcore nudity and some thrills in the last act, but the public service announcement concerning VD is laid on a little too thick. Less is more. Still, Philip Michael Thomas is very good as the protagonist and seems older than 22 (which was his age during shooting).

At the end of the day, it's an interesting window into life in America in 1971, when the flick was shot. The zenith of the "free love" counterculture era was just two years prior and "Stigma" shockingly shows the natural consequences of that mentality and lifestyle.

The writer/director took a maverick Indie approach to the material and should've gone on to greatness, but he didn't, unfortunately. Thankfully, we have this unique flick to remember him by.

The movie runs 1 hour, 33 minutes, and was shot entirely in Massachusetts-Cambridge, Boston, Cape Cod (island town) and Nantucket.

GRADE: B-

This movie is badly written, badly acted (with the exception of Philip Michael Thomas) and badly directed, and is the kind of garbage you'd ordinarily stop watching after about twenty minutes, if not sooner ... and yet it's oddly compelling. Perhaps this is in part because it seems unable to make up its mind what sort of movie it's going to be. It starts as a comedy, and is actually pretty funny; there are further comic elements dropped in willy nilly later. Then it becomes an anti-racist/bigotry statement, and again this isn't badly done. Then it dithers with the notion of being a soft-porn movie but rejects it in favour of being (a) a sort of Public Services drama-documentary, a Dreadful Warning about syphilis, and (b) a thriller. This constant change of focus means you're forever guessing, so that your interest is kept -- however reluctantly -- alive.

Thomas is a doctor who's been incarcerated for performing an abortion that went wrong. A distinguished old doctor, now working in a remote community, hires him straight out of the pen, but by the time Thomas gets there the old doctor has dropped dead of a heart attack, leaving behind him cryptic references to a dreadful plague that's affecting the community. That community, led by a corrupt, bully-boy sheriff, is racially bigoted; Thomas is of course black, and is subjected to racist slurs and threatened beatings -- lucky for him that he's befriended local boy dreamboat hero Harlan Cary Poe while hitchhiking to the place. There's a mystery to be solved, and sure enough Thomas reveals the rot at the core of this community.

All rather a matter of: Been there, done that, got the teeshirt -- although in this movie, if young and female, it's more a case of took off the teeshirt.

By any objective standard this movie is dire. But you might find that, paradoxically, it's one you're loath to lose from your collection.