Many moons ago the great Chris W., who had seen an early cut of Body/Antibody, suggested I check this film out. And then the next time I saw him he gave me a copy. And lo these many months later I finally got around to watching this glorious piece of cold war paranoid L.A. low budg brilliance.
Take Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? and Repulsion and Funny Games and, sure, a little “Body/Antibody,” throw is some pitiful dialogue and one or two dreadful performances, then set the whole mess on Sam Fuller and you’ve blended yourself quite a picture.
Olivia de Havilland is Joan Crawford, James Caan is Marlon Brando. Jennifer Billingsley as the blonde mixed in the wrong crowd is actually quite good. But no one is as good as the production designer (those telephones! that elevator! those steering wheels! those stockings! those batteries! that transistor radio!) and nothing beats the title sequence. . .surely the best Saul Bass impersonation you’ll ever see. Very much recommended.
