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The Sinister Urge

 
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The Sinister Urge

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  • Director: Edward D. Wood, Jr.
  • AMG Rating: star
  • Genre: Crime
  • Movie Type: Crime Drama, Psychological Thriller
  • Themes: Woman In Jeopardy, Filmmaking, Crime Sprees
  • Main Cast: Carl Anthony
  • Release Year: 1960
  • Country: US
  • Run Time: 82 minutes

Plot

A series of pornography-related murders has Lt. Carson (Kenne Duncan) frustrated, not only because the killer remains at large but also because the smut peddlers are distributing their disgusting products to high school kids at ice cream shops. They raid illicit photography studios, but it's not enough; Gloria Henderson (Jean Fontaine) runs the racket from a comfortable distance, and she's funded by "the syndicate." With a steady stream of naive hopefuls arriving in Hollywood with stars in their eyes, casting is no problem and the desperate, shamed girls aren't quick to blow the whistle. The director of these dirty films, Johnny Ryde (Carl Anthony), warns Gloria that her henchman Dirk Williams (Dino Fantini) is seriously unhinged. He's the one responsible for all the sex crimes, which he commits after long, loving exposure to their pornographic pictures. Eventually Dirk gets sloppy and the cops find his fingerprints on some very sleazy evidence, which leads Gloria's mobster backers to demand his execution. The whole dirty scheme goes awry, though, and the police are finally able to purge the community of the smut gang. ~ Fred Beldin, All Movie Guide

Review

Edward D. Wood Jr.'s films from the 1950s are certainly cracked, yet even when covering sex change operations and transvestism his work retains a sincere, if addled, charm. Brain-damaged horror features like Bride of the Monster and Plan 9 From Outer Space are suitable for children, Jail Bait tries and fails to be hard-boiled, and his anti-masterpiece Glen or Glenda? is ultimately a personal plea for tolerance and acceptance in an unfeeling world. Hitting the screen in 1960, The Sinister Urge is a much more cynical, bad-tempered film, filled with sex killers and pornographers whom Wood condemns even as he exploits them. "Show me a crime and I can show you a picture that caused it," barks Lt. Carson as the screen is filled with daring (for the era) shots of sexy young women in sadistic bondage poses. Wood was taking his first steps into the shadowy world of adult entertainment that would eventually consume his career and provide his only income in his final years. Fans of Wood's better known films will find plenty to enjoy in The Sinister Urge. The same bizarre dialogue, flimsy production values, and sly autobiographical touches ("At one time I made good movies," complains Johnny, a director reduced to illicit stags) that make Wood's films delirious and endearing are all here. But there's also brief nudity, a crazed rapist-slasher, and grimy simulated pornography reels that show a toughening of the director's hide without the cheerful insanity of his earlier films. The well-known Tim Burton biopic Ed Wood has a happy ending; The Sinister Urge reflects what happened after that sweet moment faded. ~ Fred Beldin, All Movie Guide

Cast

Kenne Duncan - Lt. Matt Carson; Harvey B. Dunn - Mr. Romaine; Jean Fontaine - Gloria Henderson; Reed Howes - Police Inspector; Vic McGee - Syndicate Man; Duke Moore; James Moore - Sgt. Randy Stone; Conrad Brooks - Connie; Carl Anthony - Johnny Ryde

Credit

Edward D. Wood, Jr. - Director, William C. Thompson - Cinematographer, Edward D. Wood, Jr. - Producer, Edward D. Wood, Jr. - Screenwriter

Similar Movies

The Bride and the Beast; Defilers; Jail Bait; The Violent Years; Scum of the Earth
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Wikipedia: The Sinister Urge (film)
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The Sinister Urge

Theatrical release poster.
Directed by Edward D. Wood ,Jr.
Produced by Edward D. Wood, Jr.
Written by Edward D. Wood, Jr.
Starring Kenne Duncan
James "Duke" Moore
Jean Fontaine
Carl Anthony
Dino Fantini
Jeanne Willardson
Harvey B. Dunn
Reed Howes
Fred Mason
Conrad Brooks
Music by Manuel Francisco
Cinematography William C. Thompson
Editing by John Soh
Distributed by Headliner Productions
Release date(s) December 8, 1960
Running time 71 min
Country United States
Language English

The Sinister Urge is a 1961 crime drama film that was written and directed by Edward D. Wood, Jr.

Contents

Synopsis

The film revolves around a series of murders of young women. The killer, Dirk, works for a pornographer named Johnny Ryde. It is outright stated that Dirk's impulsive murders are a direct result of viewing pornographic pictures and films. This is stated both by Ryde's boss, Gloria Henderson, and the police (represented by Lt. Carson and Sgt. Stone).

Several subplots attempt to emerge during the course of the film: the ongoing police investigation into underground pornographic distribution (in one scene, a fight breaks out between two rivals, one of whom is played by Wood himself); Ryde's attempts to shoot porn (accompanied by his director Jaffe, an elderly man who is somewhat elfin in appearance); Gloria's rising concern about the out-of-control Dirk, which comes to a head when her overlords in "the Syndicate" order her to remove Dirk "permanent"; and in an obvious attempt to interject pathos into the film, the tribulations of a young girl from a small Midwestern town who starts out seeking a career as a legitimate actress, but who ends up making porn for Ryde and Gloria, before becoming one of Dirk's victims.

The film reaches its climax when Gloria and Ryde attempt to get rid of Dirk by putting him in a car with faulty brakes. Dirk survives, and forces Ryde to blackmail Gloria. Dirk then murders Ryde, before being shot in the dark by Gloria, who assumed that she was shooting Ryde. The film ends with Gloria's disbelief that she shot the wrong man as the police arrest her.

Cast

Trivia

  • In the background of Ryde's office, there are four posters on the wall that are supposed to be from movies that Ryde said a "friend" of his made. They are all posters from previous Ed Wood movies: Plan 9 From Outer Space, Jail Bait, The Violent Years and Bride of the Monster.
  • Musician Rob Zombie named his 2001 studio album, "The Sinister Urge". Obviously, a direct reference to the title of the 1961 Ed Wood film of the same name. A not so uncommon trait with Rob Zombie as his first band, White Zombie is again, a direct reference to the 1932 film of the same title, directed by the Halperin brothers.
  • The film was featured in episode 613 of the cult television show, Mystery Science Theater 3000.

External links

v • d • e
Edward D. Wood, Jr.
Feature films directed
Glen or Glenda (1953) • Jail Bait (1954) • Bride of the Monster (1955) • Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959) • Night of the Ghouls (1959) • The Sinister Urge (1961) • Take it Out in Trade (1970) • Excited (1970) • The Only House in Town (1971) • Necromania (1971) • The Young Marrieds (1971)
Short films directed
Trick Shooting with Kenne Duncan (1953) • Final Curtain (1957) • The Night the Banshee Cried (1957) •
Television films directed
The Sun Was Setting (1951) • Crossroad Avenger: The Adventures of the Tucson Kid' (1953) • Boots (1953)
Films written, not directed
The Violent Years (1956) • The Bride and the Beast (1958) • Anatomy of a Psycho (1961) • Shotgun Wedding (1963) • Orgy of the Dead (1965) • One Million AC/DC (1969) • The Love Feast (1969) • The Venus Flytrap (1971) • The Undergraduate (1972) • Drop-Out Wife (1972) • Class Reunion (1972) • The Snow Bunnies (1972) • The Cocktail Hostesses (1973) • Five Loose Women (1974) • The Beach Bunnies (1976) • Hot Ice (1978)
Posthumous films
Crossroads of Laredo (filmed 1948/released 1995) • Hellborn (filmed mid-1950s; released 1993) • Take it Out in Trade: The Outtakes (filmed 1970; released 1995) • I Woke Up Early The Day I Died (written 1970s; released 1998)
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This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

 
 

 

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