Rating: R
Genre:
Comedy
Release Date: 09/13/2005
Sound: 2
Run Time: 105 Minutes
Distributor/Studio: Cheezy Flicks
The final film released under the
Andy Warhol moniker (which
Warhol executive produced) is a much more polished affair than
Flesh,
Trash or
Heat, but preserves the oddball wit and eccentric flair that made those films so memorable. Directed by
Warhol film editor
Jed Johnson,
Andy Warhol's Bad focuses on
Hazel Aiken, a New York housewife who has to support a houseful of relatives on her own. She pays the bills by operating an electrolysis service out of her home and also by running a murder-for-hire service staffed exclusively by women that specializes in unsavory jobs like killing children and house pets. As a result of her latter job, she has to deal with unwanted attention from
Detective Hughes, a corrupt cop who wants her to surrender one of her employees so he can make an arrest.
Hazel's complex life grows even more difficult with the arrival of her nephew
J.T. (
Perry King), a sleazy layabout who wants to join her hit squad. As the bodies pile up around her,
Hazel discovers that her cold-blooded take on capitalism and family values comes with a price she didn't imagine.
Andy Warhol's Bad differs from previous
Warhol productions because of its higher production values and Hollywood-friendly casting, but retains its sense of underground credibility thanks to a wild story line that trashes every taboo in arm's reach to create a memorably bizarre satire. Some sources erroneously list the year of release in 1971; it was in fact produced in 1976 and issued to theaters by
Roger Corman's
New World Pictures in 1977. The MPAA classified that version of the film with an X. It was later reedited to receive an R, which is the version available on video.
~ Donald Guarisco, All Movie Guide
