Weekend with the Babysitter

Weekend With the Babysitter : George E. Carrey stars as Jim, a well-off B-movie director who falls for his kids' babysitter. It's not hard to understand the attraction: his wife, a washed up actress-turned-junkie, is pretty damn irritating. Plus, the babysitter gives him some tips on the ridiculous script he's working on--a motorcycle gang/hippie movie. Trouble mounts while the director and babysitter are exploring free-wheeling good times (under the guise of doing movie research) when Jim's wife gets in too deep with some drug dealers by offering up her husband's fancy boat to complete a drug deal in exchange for another fix. What's funny about this film is that its predecessor, The Babysitter (1969), also stars George E. Carrey in what amounts to the same part. In this one, George E. Carrey is credited as co-writer of the film's plot. Funnier still is the babysitter, played here by Susan Romen, is named Candy, which is the namesake of the earlier film's babysitter as well, as depicted by Patricia Wymer. The most "meta" connection between the two is that, when Candy review's Jim's new script, she criticizes the dialogue, noting that "people don't talk this way." For all we know, she could have been reading the script of the earlier Babysitter film--although it's amusing to note that the Candys in both films enjoy saying "Ciao, baby!" This one is mostly entertaining, although the 1969 film is better by a thin margin.

The babysitter fantasy is present in this early 1970 classic flick. A classic in its own right, Weekend with the Babysitter captured everything that was true about the 1970's. Let me explain. From the clothes, the music, the drugs, the parties, and the generation. Susan Romen is perfect as a 70's teenager who is just one of many girls of her generation who is playing with rebellion. Her beautiful innocents leads her into seducing a married man and making him see how much he truly loves his wife. Worth the 4 dollar rental fee....check it out.

How could the previous reviewer not mention motorcycles, ocean cruising, flying, ski chalet fireplace, and so much more? And where else can you find Mona waiting for her husband to back the car out of the garage? Where did Mikey go? I missed that part. "Weekend..." reminded me of one of those low-budget Bigfoot movies. It certainly had it's dark moments, though. I give it an 8 for pushing the envelope.

Another poor exploitation movie from Crown International Pictures. This one's about a tired, hen-pecked old middle-aged guy who falls for the young girl babysitting his kids, and begins an affair with her. The movie was shot by Don Henderson, not the actor, and is a virtual reprise of the same director's film of the previous year, THE BABYSITTER, allowing for some self-referencing moments. Overall though it's a kind of sad, wish-fulfilment type film with a bit of a grubby edge to it.

Sadly, as with a lot of Crown fare, this one has dated a lot and not in a good way. The film just sort of dawdles along while the characters take drugs and indulge in various pleasurable activities which don't transmit to the viewer. There's a lot of talk and none of it is very interesting. It's clunky throughout, performed by a cast of low-level actors who fail to make much of an impression, and never as controversial as it wants to be. Saying that, the director does manage to cram in a fair few nude and sex scenes for his young starlet, so WEEKEND WITH THE BABYSITTER does have a requisite sleazy feel to it.

There was a shooting star named Patricia Wymer, who appeared in a 1969 film by the same director called The Babysitter. She only did about three movies and then disappeared.

Director Don Henderson brings in a new girl, Susan Romen, to play Candy Wilson, the babysitter. She only made two films. As a matter of interest, Henderson quit directing the same time after only three films. I wonder what happened to all these people.

Anyway, while movie producer Jim Carlton (George E. Carey) is having fun with the babysitter and her hippie friends, his wife Mona (Luanne Roberts) is captive to her drug dealer.

This is not the typical grindhouse film of the 70s. It was more a drama about hippies and drugs. Yes, there was some nudity and woman on woman action, but it was rather tame.

Still, a good story, if the acting was a bit lame.

Who was taking care of the kids while Jim and the babysitter were having fun?