CRY FOR THE BAD MAN is a horror/thriller currently available from director Sam Farmer and starring legendary actress Camille Keaton. Many will remember Camille from her iconic role in the 1978 relentless horror classic I Spit On Your Grave. This time, however, she’s playing Marsha Kane, a southern widow grieving her husband’s death and fighting to keep her home.
This film is as raw and gritty as you can get in its cinematography and is a clear tribute to the classic grindhouse films with a hint of Tarantino. The style is very simplistic but effective in making this story work. You find yourself at the beginning of the film wondering what the hell is actually going on but if you stay with it you will get answers.
With less than stellar acting and cringe-worthy dialogue, many scenes dragged on and did not add to the storyline. The first act is very direct and does help to create the characters however it will lose you at times. Essentially, the widow Mrs. Kane is harassed and threatened to sell her property by three brothers. What you would call some “good ole boys”. I call them good and dumb boys. They have no idea what they are getting into and neither do you.
When the night arrives in which they come calling to Mrs. Kane’s home to see if she has decided, we learn that she may be older but she is not incapable of kicking ass. A cat and mouse game begins and gets better with each scene. Add in one of the most awesome shotguns in film, over the top acting and some practical effects and you have a good time ahead of you.
Outside of the obvious low budget and inexperienced actors, CRY FOR THE BAD MAN ended up being a fun film that I am glad I had the chance to see. Would I watch it again? Probably not, unless I fast-forwarded to the good stuff. I adore Camille Keaton and it was fun to see her onscreen again unleashing some personal justice. In a way, it was almost as if she was channeling her inner Jennifer from I Spit On Your Grave.
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