The Sinister Urge (1960)

Simply A Masterpiece

One of my all time favorites.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

I saw this film as an episode of Mystery Science theater 3000 as I am sure 75 percent or more people have. This Ed Wood film was not like Plan 9 From Outer Space or Glen and Glenda, this one is a bit less known. To be honest, I only thought he did the two movies! That is not the case as he has apparently made a whole lot of films and most of them are pretty bad to say the least. Though I always find it strange that the gang from the satellite of love riffed so many of his films, but never did riff Plan 9 From Outer Space. My only guess as to why not is that one would be too easy. This film is one of his films looking at crime and such which seems to be one of his favorite type films along with horror. This one he literally seems to attack the pornography industry frequently using his police characters to condemn it and such and I kind of find this ironic in that one of the last films he did was Necromania which is at least a soft core porno itself.The story in this one has gruesome murders in a park and it all somehow ties into the local adult film industry. The police are trying their best to not only solve the murders, but to destroy the adult film industry responsible for the crimes. Which is a stretch to say the least as the killer in this one sees a picture then goes to kill the female. I do not know, I have never had the urge to kill someone based on seeing a naughty picture. I mean, if the guy had a wife would he kill her if she got naked? So the whole concept of the film is preachy and though the film is centered around the adult film industry there is very little skin being shown. The shoots they do show has a person filming random girls in poses. Pretty sure that would be just as effective using a camera.This made for a pretty funny episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000 as most of the Ed Wood films do. The film is preceded by yet another hygiene short as they seemed to do a lot of those as they apparently made a lot of those back in the day. I also enjoyed watching Frank go crazy and try to blow up Deep 13 because he watched to many movies featuring explosions! All in all a rather good episode of the show, but Ed Wood films give the gang a lot to work with! So this film pretty much tries to stress to the viewer that porn is bad and that it is responsible for all crime in the known universe. Pretty much like people who claim drugs are all bad while they drink a cocktail, just someone trying to jump on a bandwagon of waving their finger and trying to feel they are doing some good. Then later they make a film that is basically what they are condemning. Ed Wood and his films are a bad lot, but for my money, Coleman Francis is a lot worse!

You know that when Mr. Wood made a film he did put all of his heart and soul in each one of the films (ok the ones I saw and the 50's films that most people see) The problem being is that he was completely incompetent as a director. You can't polish a turd and all of these films are turds. But he did try his best, in my opinion this is one of the best and funniest, with or without MST. A fairly static film, the only action happening with a fight scene. The rest of the film consist of all the actors explaining about the plot. Carl Anthony is the most static of this bunch. Kenne Duncan and Duke Moore, two of the laziest cops on the beat. Then the rest, Jaffe, Mr. Taxpayer, Dirk (a swell guy), Kline (KLINE!!!!!) and best of all: GLORIA. The scariest woman on the planet who's probably passed on by now of throat cancer, or squeezed to death by some of those outfits, likely from Mr. Woods own collection. Why this film is not on DVD like the rest of the Ed Wood collection I don't know. Somebody get out there and pester Wade Williams productions and get this on DVD too.

This movie is an absolutely delightful trip down to Absurdity Lane. Though, I'm not sure if people who are unimpressed by Edward D. Wood Jr's *unique* style would appreciate it as much, it is still worth checking out. Go into this movie with an open mind and a huge sense of humor, and it's well worth it. Ed Wood wasn't a bad director, he was just misunderstood, and continues to be to this day. Oh well, check it out with an open mind, and you should be all set.

General, bland 50s fear mongering film. This was the first Ed Wood movie I ever saw and it was only because it was an episode of Mystery Science Theatre 300. The acting was wooden and forceful and the scenery looked as if it would collapse at any second. Plot concerns a syndicate of 'smut' makers and the polices crusade against it and the woman who runs the show. The bad guys get it in the end and there is a half hearted attempt is made in showing a link between crime and porn. Watch the MST3K version. It makes the movie actually worth watching.