Iv decided that from now on what I’ll most likely do is watch two films and then choose the better one to do a review on. This will help me avoid writing about grindhouse films that don’t really need or deserve a review and it will also cut down on numerous posts. Of course if I happen to watch two films that are both outstanding I’ll make sure to write about each one.
Best Friends (1975) is an interesting little grindhouse film with a plot that comes as a bit surprising halfway through. Jesse (Richard Hatch) and Pat (Doug Chapin) are longtime friends and consider themselves as brothers. The movie begins with Jesse and his girlfriend Kathy (Susanne Benton) waiting for Pat to return from the airforce. A third girl named Jo Ella (Ann Noland) is also with them and she appears to be Pat’s current girlfriend who he had to leave behind while in the service. The foursome make plans to travel back home with an RV and celebrate with a double wedding. However half way through Pat has second thoughts and tries to convince Jesse that they should ditch their girlfriends and travel the States on motorcycles instead of getting married. A struggle follows where Jesse is forced to choose over his best friend or pursue a life with the woman he loves.
Best Friends is interesting because the first half of the film appears to revolve around the foursome surviving and protecting themselves as they embark on their journey home. You don’t really suspect Pat becoming the villain that begins causing problems within the group. Jesse constantly keeps telling Pat that he loves Kathy and wants to marry her, but Pat just keeps trying to break the two apart. Pat literally will go to any length to break up Jesse and Kathy, and one soon learns just how insane Pat really is. There could be multiple reasons why Pat is so possessive over his best friend Jesse, but in the end Pat is just a complete psycho. The plot for this film is decent but nothing too exciting. The actors were alright and I noticed Susanne Benton and Ann Noland from a different grindhouse film that I saw before. This film really could have done better if it focused on their journey home instead of Pat ruining everything for his friends. On the plus side there’s some good motorcycle scenes and plenty of nudity to keep you paying attention. I give this film 2 out 5 stars which earns it a “fair” average. Don’t go out of your way to see this one.
P.S. I couldn’t find a trailer for this film but I do believe it is in the public domain so it shouldn’t be hard to find online if you really want to check it out.
welcometothegrindhouse 