This week on the B movie docket is Head of The Family
B movies are the glue stuck in between all the other genres, oftentimes refusing to conform to any particular genre presets. Some but not all of the hallmarks of a B movie include scripts that read like they were written by a room full of eighth-graders, poor visual effects, cringe-inducing dialogue, low budget production design, and zany plot contrivances. You’re aware of the hallmarks, right? B-movies often reek of amateur flair. Thought you were about to watch a great white shark hunted in dramatic fashion like only Steven Spielberg can deliver? Nope, this is Sharknado.
Why do we love B movies? I think B movies are comforting. You know what you’re about to watch is bad. If you’re fortunate it may be so bad that it’s good. You’ll often scratch your head trying to work out the plot. Out of the many good films you’ve seen, I bet you can talk with more vigor about the worst ones you’ve seen. They’re unforgettable. There’s something comforting about that I think. Besides they’ve been around just as long as the movie industry.
Believe it or not, chances are there’s a B movie for you. So I compiled a list of 50 B movies you must see before you die. No decade is off-limits. No rating is too taboo. For the next 49 weeks, I will introduce and recommend a B movie for your viewing pleasure. Yes, these are exciting times indeed my fanatical friends.
WEEK 29 – Head of The Family
Welcome back to 50 B movies. This weeks movie is a no brainer for the list. I’m surprised it didn’t make the list sooner. But since it’s October. The movie we’re talking about this week is Head of The Family. Premiering in 1996, and featuring some seriously funny B movie effects, Head of the Family is perfect for the coming Halloween Holiday.
The movie has cheese, camp, and scenes suitable for mature audiences only. The best way to describe this movie would be this. Imagine that inbreed clan from Alexandre Aja’s The Hills Have Eyes. Really imagine them, super elongated heads and all. Remember them? All super genetically screwed from nuclear radiation. The reverse of what the gamma effect can do to Hulk. Now place them in a small 90’s town. Also, give them power, influence, and psychic powers. Enter Head of The Family.
A Title
Head of The Family is on the money with the title. It’s a comical allusion to what the audience is in store for. So, Head of The Family gets my seal of approval. Trust me, once you see the size of the villains’ head, you will understand the comical genius of it all.
It also happens to be a double entendre. Not only does the villain have a massive dome he calls a head. But he is the head of a family made up of his siblings. The are ripe for entertainment too. The head of the family has psychic powers and a large cranium. The sister is a smoking ten, but she is at the psychic mercy of her brother. Not just her either. The brother with the bugged eyes, and the brother on backwater steroids are all little pawns for the Head of The Family to have his fun with.
Also Check Out: Battlefield Earth | 50 B Movies To See Before You Die
The Story
The story is a doozy. But it’s perfect 90’s B movie camp. See in the very same town of the inbreeds. There’s an even slimier guy by the name of Blake that is frequently in scenes where he’s having sex with a gal named Jacqueline. Mostly they talk about underhanded schemes when having sex. So, let’s just say there’s a lot of scheming in Head of The Family.
Here’s the synopsis – A man (Blake Bailey) blackmails the mutant leader (J.W. Perra) of a coldblooded family into killing his lover’s (Jacqueline Lovell) husband.
Blake is as cutthroat and slimy as they come on screen. Not only does he deliver cheese in delicious spades, he also spends an inordinate time sleeping with Jacqueline while doing so. He and Jacqueline have a plan to be together, but there is one problem of course. Her husband stands in the way. What is a philanderer to do?
The answer presents itself in a rather comical way. One night after a session of snooker, Blake catches the family of sideshow freaks in a comprising act involving kidnap and body disposal. Being the opposite of an upstanding citizen, Blake does what he does best. He blackmails the clan into getting rid of Jacqueline’s husband.
The antics do not begin there. However, the blackmail plot point adds a bit of unsavory hilarity. The type of quirk you would find in a Coen Brothers flick, if they had made a B movie. I swear there’s one scene where it’s revealed the demented patriarchal figure with a large head has been kidnapping people and forcing them to act in his twisted stage plays. He puts on these plays in a dungeon beneath the house.
Without spoiling much more, I will mention the sheer number of cheesy one-liners in the movie. Head of The Family is loaded with them. It’s got more cheese than a Nacho Bell Grande, and is a welcome addition to the list. If you’re a fan of B movies or the 90’s give Head of the Family a watch.
Continue the LRM Online conversation on Discord by CLICKING HERE!
—–
Have you checked out LRM Online’s official podcast feed yet The LRM Online Podcast Network? This includes our flagship podcast Los Fanboys, our premiere podcast Breaking Geek Radio: The Podcast, GeekScholars Movie News, and our morning show LRMornings. Check it out by listening below. It’s also available on all your favorite podcast apps!
Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | Google Play
FOR FANBOYS, BY FANBOYS
Have you checked out LRM Online’s official podcasts and videos on The Genreverse Podcast Network? Available on YouTube and all your favorite podcast apps, This multimedia empire includes The Daily CoG, Breaking Geek Radio: The Podcast, GeekScholars Movie News, Anime-Versal Review Podcast, and our Star Wars dedicated podcast The Cantina. Check it out by listening on all your favorite podcast apps, or watching on YouTube!
Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | Google Play
