Jailbait Babysitter

Really, for fans of the exploitation movies of the 1970s, this movie may come as something of a disappointment as it's definitely not as trashy and sordid as the title would indicate. It's actually sensitively handled, even comically handled at times, as Vicki (Therese Pare), our 17 year old title character, is in something of a hurry to grow up, even though she's a little put off with her friends' obsession with sex. Eventually, of course, we know that innocence of hers will have to be tested, as among other things, she tries hooking up with a nice older guy named Jerry and, after running away from home, gets looked after by a benevolent prostitute named Lorraine (Lydia Wagner), who's a better maternal figure than one would think, never encouraging her new young acquaintance to emulate her, although Vicki does try. In one extended comedy sequence, Vicki has a day on the town, dining at a fine restaurant and not having a good time of trying to down some Irish whiskey. Meanwhile, her nice guy would-be boyfriend Robert (Roscoe Born) has his own misadventures, including being whipped on the butt with a belt. One thing that this reviewer must agree with is that they truly don't make films quite like this anymore, which is just too bad. Even if this isn't sleazy enough to satisfy some tastes, there is something fascinating about its low, low budget seediness; it's just unfortunate that for a film running 87 minutes there's a fair bit of padding. Still, the film has its moments, such as our heroine stepping in dog excrement. And, just to keep trash lovers from ever getting too bored, there are breast shots here and there to make sure they pay attention. Young Pare is definitely reasonably appealing, which is a big help, as is Born, and Wagner acquits herself well with the older role. Nothing major ever really happens in this thing, but some viewers may not mind too much. It is important to mention that for John Goodman fans hoping to see him in this inauspicious film debut, he's barely in it, and you have to pay close attention - he's in an afro wig at the Halloween costume party. Character actor Michael Pataki, who'd worked with writer / director John Hayes on "Dream No Evil" and "Grave of the Vampire", contributes an uncredited cameo. Five out of 10.

This is the kind of movie that could go only have been made in the 1970's and which I personally can't help but feel a certain affection for (albeit kind of like the affection one might feel for a retarded step-child). Despite the lurid title, it's not all that racy--in fact, any perverts who went to see this back in the day probably walked out bitterly disappointed. There is a "jailbait babysitter"--a seventeen-year-old character named "Vicky", played by an actress who was obviously a few years older than that (she kind of looks like Keira Knightly or a blonde, pre-felon Winona Ryder), but there are only a few brief nude/ sex scenes involving her or the rest of the female cast.

This doesn't really make it as teen movie though either since the characters not only don't act much like normal teenagers, but often don't even act like normal human beings. "Vicky" won't give it up to her nice guy boyfriend, but she has no problem letting her friends have strange toga party/Roman-style orgy in the house where she is babysitting, and later she gets involved with an older woman, who turns out to be a prostitute, and agrees to lose her virginity to a bald middle-aged guy without actually collecting any money! (Maybe this is a concession to the middle-aged perverts in the audience). Her boyfriend meanwhile passes up several opportunities to have sex with comely, naked lasses, and is beaten up by his own friends because he won't host an orgy in his new van, all so can remain loyal to this girl who seems willing to sleep with just about anyone but him! Definitely not normal adolescent behavior. Part of the strangeness also comes from the incredibly low-budget, including a lack of sync sound in many places. The toga scene for instance involves a shower orgy, lots of dancing, much destruction and havoc, the protagonist being felt up by a male guest and hitting said guest with a fire poker, and then the parents coming home and walking in on the whole thing--yet this long sequence is shot entirely without dialogue and with only a single weird 'boogie-woogie" song playing on the soundtrack!

You would probably expect I would pan this movie, right? But I kind of liked it, perhaps because you would never get away with making something like this today, a movie that would horrify the moralists, bore the perverts, and baffle the teenagers (and probably everyone else). It kind of reminded of the contemporary film "Malibu High" which recently got a DVD release as part of the "Grindhouse Collection". This is similarly bizarre, but actually less sordid than that one. Hopefully its lurid title won't scare niche DVD distributors and more adventurous cult-movie viewers away.

First was aware of this film from a compilation of trailers so I ordered it off ebay...what a riot. It's a drive-in schlock movie with some nudity and sexual situations. The woman who takes in the title babysitter is strange looking yet oddly sexy.

Jailbait Babysitter (1977)

** (out of 4)

Vicki (Therese Pare) is a 17-year-old tease who doesn't mind turning guys on but she also has no problem sending them home without getting any. After a bad incident she ends up at the home of a prostitute (Lydia Wagner) who takes her in and tries to help her.

JAILBAIT BABYSITTER comes from director John Hayes and it contains one of the greatest exploitation titles out there. I'd argue that it also has one of the greatest exploitation posters out there. With that said, you also have to say this marketing ploy was 100% perfect because the title, the poster and the selling point has nothing to do with what the film actually is. If you're hoping for some sort of raunchy or perverted sex film then you're going to be disappointed because this is pretty much a straight-forward drama.

Yep, sorry fellas but there's nothing here that would even fit into the exploitation genre. There is a little nudity but there's certainly not enough to where you could call this some sort of sexploitation picture. What you've basically got is a drama about a tease who has some personal issues going on. I actually thought the film was mildly entertaining once you realized that the film wasn't going to live up to the title.

What helps the film is that both Pare and Wagner are good in their role and I thought the story was decent enough for what it is but at the same time it wasn't strong enough or detailed enough to pull the drama off. The film is mildly entertainment, like a made-for-television film, but it falls well short of being a good or dramatic theatrical picture.

I seem to recall renting this film from Music+ about 17 years ago. I suspect I began fast-forwarding at about the ten-minute mark. A few weeks ago I caught a theatrical screening where I was forced to give it my full attention. I remembered little of it from my previous viewing. It is a strange film, full of odd, seemingly miscalculated moments. I really enjoyed it.

Surely the film's title, in the grand exploitation tradition, was tacked on to try to sell a product on the basis of something it doesn't really deliver. There is, technically, a "jailbait babysitter" in the film, but anyone expecting some underage thrills should look elsewhere. There's a bit of nudity to keep the audience from throwing things at the screen, but the story is actually an earnest drama with very little sex. It all plays out rather flatly, as our heroine gets in some trouble and runs away from home, and begins cohabitating with an absurdly benevolent prostitute. What keeps it watchable is not so much interest in the characters as the feeling of having absolutely no idea where, if indeed anywhere, the film is going. Amazing moments like the protagonist stepping in a huge pile of dog excrement, and her later tirade about same, make for unique viewing.