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flamegirl
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The Skydivers (1963)
They say if you can't say something nice...
'Skydivers' is a tawdry, unpleasant, hamfisted botch of a film BUT it is far better than 'Red Zone Cuba'.
The movies of Coleman Francis offered a showcase for the talents of those who otherwise could never have made the big time. Yes, they may have been 'differently talented', but at least Coleman never played by the Hollywood 'rules' of hiring only the skilled, or trying to make movies people might like!
The best thing about this film is the way Coleman brilliantly conveys the greyness and despair of this dusty town. When I feel down in the mouth I can always say 'at least I don't live there!'
The plot is simultaneously convoluted and thin - an achievement in itself. The script sounds like it was an unpleasant chore Coleman put off and put off and finally wrote in half an hour because he had to finish it before he could get on with filming people jumping out of planes. The acting ranges from mediocre (Suzie) to quite poor (Beth) to strange (the guy whose name I've forgotten who dies first-the odd one who thinks Beth gets prettier every day) to amateur (the sky divers) to bad (everyone else) to comatose (Harry).
The editing seems to have been done at random - Beth and Joe are having a conversation indoors, there is a sudden shot of Harry outdoors nodding. That kind of thing. And the music only occasionally suits the mood of the action, presumably by accident. It sounds like the soundtrack to a Russian propaganda war film, huge brass crescendos accompany car journeys and cut into the middle of humdrum conversations.
But it is better than 'Red Zone Cuba'. And remember sky diving is FUN.