zxdex88

Truly one of the worst movies I've ever seen but that doesn't mean it has no redeeming value. I love how Patrick Roskowick's character is a totally over the top out of control ADHD brat who swears like a drunken sailor all the time. In other words, a typical American teenage boy. The kid is feisty, obnoxious and self absorbed but you know that deep down he has a heart of gold. (Just kidding!) When "Ivan" (the terrible) dons his special Aztec (or is it Mayan?) ceremonial sacrifice costume he changes his attitude.

The gore and blood spatter are ridiculously over the top and the "special effects" are as good as in any 1960s 8mm home movie shot with Dad's Kodak by a nerdy teenage boy in the AudioVisual club at school. In other words: Bad! But who cares?

I read an online review that said: "The child actor in this movie gave the all time worst performance by any child actor in history." Clearly the person who wrote that knows nothing about really bad child acting! Patrick's "Ivan" was the Sir Laurence Olivier of child acting compared to some bad child actors I've seen (yes, I'm looking at you, Jake Lloyd!) All in all, The Laughing Dead is a movie I would have never even remotely considered watching but gave it a chance. This movie actually has a few laughs in it. It really does try to be a horror/comedy. Sometimes it's funny when it didn't mean to be but that's beside the point. So, it's bad, but not all bad. As predicted, this was Patrick Roskowick's one and only movie. Too bad. I wanted to see him in The Laughing Dead 2 - Ivan's Revenge.

This is a great Film Noir crime thriller with the most fantastic cast: Mickey Rooney, Steve Cochran, Mamie Van Doren, Mel Tormé, Ray Danton, Jim Backus, Jackie Coogan, Charles Chaplin Jr., Maila (Vampira!) Nurmi, Jay North, Leo Gordon and Don 'Red' Barry.

(The real old time-movie fans will recognize all these names.)

This is a little known, obscure, film noir crime story from the tail end of the 1950s, loosely based on Jimmy Hoffa. Mickey Rooney does a totally believable job chewing up the scenery as a ruthless, corrupt union boss.

Jay North, just months away from starting his run as Dennis The Menace on TV, gives a very believable performance as a typical suburban little boy who gets kidnapped and held ransom by the criminals out to control the unions. I was so surprised at how good Jay was at a dramatic role, yet he still infuses it with his natural good natured joyfulness that makes him so lovable. This kid is far tougher and more resilient than we ever knew before! *(Note that Jay has his natural brown hair color in this.) If you like old black and white crime noir 'B' movies, this is a great one! Great music too. I give it a 9 out of 10 stars.

See the boy with the one eye of his glasses blacked out standing next to John Megna? That's Tommy Norden, better known as Bud on Flipper and ironically this Naked City episode also has Luke Halpin who played Sandy on Flipper. It's not really such a coincidence as all three boys, John, Luke and Tommy are native New Yorkers, born and raised in the City and all appeared in several New York City film and stage productions. Luke appeared on Broadway in Peter Pan. All three were tough New York kids. The next time you watch Flipper pay close attention and you can clearly hear Tommy's very pronounced New York accent.