The Strange Vengeance of Rosalie (1972)

As Good As It Gets

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

Blistering performances.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

Whilst searching for the next slice of schlock for my B-movie collection, it's pretty much common knowledge, by now that I'm either gonna end up with something painfully bad, or if I'm lucky, something so bad it's good. But sometimes, on a one of those rare occasions, I'll unearth something unexpected. Something interesting. Dare I say something Incredible. If Stephen King got his idea for Misery from this movie, all I can say is that he sure could have done a lot worse. The Strange Vengeance Of Rosalie, at first centers on Virgil, who is passing through the New Mexico desert on his way to a Hawain vacation. Uh-oh, a hitchhiker. Unfortunately, this is the early 70's. A time when people thoughtlessly picked up hitchhikers. But really. This is a teenage girl we're talking about, here. Rosalie is a Native American, kinda hickish, like the beverly hillbillies, in the way of not knowing about stuff. But anyway, she's nice enough. Once Rosalie guilt-trips unsuspecting Virgil into hauling her miles upon miles out in her shack in the middle of the desert, she repays him by breaking his leg. The thing is, Since Rosalie's grandfather died, it's been awfully lonely around the desolate homestead, and loneliness can do strange things to one's mind. In other words, Virgil ain't going' nowhere. Other than the fact that she's half-crazy, kinda immature and perhaps a bit backwards, Rosalie is pretty easy to get along with. So, to be fair, ol' Virgil could do much worse in the way of captors. No torturing, or anything like that. Just somebody to talk to... also, maybe someone to control.Man, what a strong feeling of isolation. Poor Virgil might as well be on another planet. At least ten miles from anything. Car ain't workin', leg sure as hell ain't workin'. Reasoning with the captor is frustrating, and possibly hopeless. As the captor, Rosalie can be an unlikeable character, yet often pitiful, and occasionally endearing. As the viewer, I found myself rooting for Virgil to just give up and stay in that hell hole. This would be around the time that Rosalie shows that she's nothing but poison, perfectly willing to mame or murder, if it suits her. It just doesn't seem like it's because she's a bad person. Poor girl just don't know no better. Besides the breaking of the leg, for roughly the same reason, what this film has most in common with Misery is that constant feeling of dread, hopelessness and isolation all rolled into one. The Strange Vengeance Of Rosalie isn't quite as well-known or big budget. This film is from a different time, and is for a different audience. This film has that odd drive-in obscurity feel to it, as opposed to the early-90's made-for-TV feel of it's counterpart. I wouldn't say the character of Rosalie is anywhere as deep or complicated as that of Kathy Bates, but Rosalie is a different kind of animal. While still stubborn and set in her ways, Rosalie's needs are more primitive, if you will. All the girl wants is some company. Someone to talk to. Perhaps a husband, if it leads to that. Whatever Rosalie decides. Virgil has no say, he has a broken leg. I truly have not been this impressed with an obscurity like this in a long, long time. Most low budget films I get a hold of are of the Horror genre. Rosalie is more of a suspense-thriller. So, in closing. If you ever get tired of the same old so bad it's good, gory, schlocky grainy-screen goodness, perhaps you're in the mood for something different. Something that'll make you think. This is quality Drive-In cinema. 10/10

For the viewer who claimed Stephen King "ripped off" huge parts of this film for Misery: don't flatter yourself. Your insight simply isn't that sharp. Yes, it's apparent that the general scenario for Misery is indebted to this (vastly inferior) film, but that is where the resemblance ends. King is a profoundly original artist, and as is usually the case, his prodigious talent and inimitable vision transform the influences derived from his encyclopedic knowledge of the field into a finished product that transcends its sources. The Strange Vengeance of Rosalie is even less memorable than Starret's mediocre Race with the Devil. In fact, I am quite amused by the intellectual restrictions of these viewers and readers who fancy themselves sophisticated because they are able to spot the things that King has supposedly "ripped off": as if he's trying to get away with something. On the contrary, King is usually very forthright about his influences and urges his readers to check them out for themselves (unlike the creatively and ethically bankrupt James Cameron). That he didn't do so with Misery is likely due to a lack of cognizance of the influence. In short, those with developed critical skills assess the creative process at work. Those with a stunted artistic and intellectual capacity merely note that story scenarios and plot elements were lifted by King and yell "Rip Off!" And then they pat themselves on the back.

A traveling salesman (Ken Howard)gives a teenage half-breed hitchhiker (Bonnie Bedelia) a ride to her isolated shack of a home and soon finds himself with two flat tires and a broken leg, and confined to the bed in the shack at the mercy of this strange young girl, as well as a vicious biker (Anthony Zerbe) who comes to the remote shack looking for some hidden gold. . .The comparison of this movie to Stephen King's "Misery" is obvious but pretty facile I think. First off, it's probably much less 'miserable" to be the love slave of a young Bonnie Bedelia than of Kathy Bates (and the truly grotesque character I personally envisioned from King's book makes even Kathy Bates look like Bonnie Bedelia in comparison). Moreover though, Bedelia's "Rosalie" is clearly intended to be a sympathetic rather than terrifying character here. She is a real naif, and perhaps not too bright, and she has been terribly abused by all the men in her life from her recently deceased father to Zerbe's biker (who had previously raped her). Even her captive here manages to manipulate her terribly and as a result he does not necessarily have the audience's full sympathy.This movie is very interesting in that it's not really a horror film like "Misery". Nor is it really a sex fantasy (or sex fantasy gone wrong) like the later 70's film "Death Game". But rather it is a serious, two-or-three character drama. The end, unfortunately, which involves "Rosalie's" real "vengeance", is not very believable. It is very well acted though, especially by Bedelia. I too am surprised it hasn't been legitimately released on DVD yet--Bedelia would, of course, go to star in "Die Hard", Zerbe had previously been in "The Omega Man", director Jack Starret would go to do the 70's cult favorite "Race with the Devil", and Howard go on to, uh, the 70's TV series "The White Shadow". I suspect that (unlike a lot of stuff I watch) this WILL be on DVD someday. You might wait until then, but definitely check it out.

The guy from White Shadow is lured to the home of a young hitchhiker. There she keeps him, first by wrecking his car, then by (uh-oh here comes the real "iffy" Stephen King part) busting up his legs and tying him to a bed cause she just doesn't want to let him go. Of course he spends the remainder of the film trying to get some help and kill the girl. I won't give anything else away. I have been tryin for ages to find someone who has seen this so they could back me up that Mr. King ripped-off huge parts of this storyline for his own use.