Payday (1972)

[lester1/2jr]

this would have been an easy 5 stars, but parts of it are strangely mundane, almost like a documentary.  Apparently there are different versions of this film around and if there is one that is more straightforward I'd like to see it.  It's a pretty amazing and unique film though. 

                                         How many movies about country signers have incidental wacka wacks guitar music?  Rockstar is an overused expression but it really applies here.  Despite the puzzling not altogether good editing (the hunting scene was pretty random) this was alot more sophisticated than the usual hickspolitation fare (I realize that's not saying a whole lot) and isn't far from a four star sort of cinephile thing.

              usually in this genre you have your small town jerk police chief and your big city/ scary government goons who are at war with each other and the people are scrambling around riding cars and running "shine"  a la "Dukes of hazzard".  So definately points for quality and originality on the writing end, the acting is good, and how many cowboy movies could play to all black audiences with no apparent contradiction?  in 1972?

[zombie no.one]

never seen or heard of it, but in the intro to bloodhound gangs's "use your fingers" lp they jokingly proclaim Rip Torn to be "God", so it must be worth a watch...

also I don't think Ive ever seen a movie from the '70-'76 era I didn't at least half enjoy. there's something about the aura of them films from that time... dunno what it is...

[Yaddo 42]

First heard of it a few years ago when there was some critical attention for a Rip Torn film called 40 Shades of Blue. The articles I read drew parallels between the characters Torn played in both films, and said the later film could almost be an unoffical sequel to Payday.

Then I caught Payday one weekday morning on Turner South. Wow did that film stay with me for a while, especially for Torn's performance. He played a selfish, arrogant, drug addled jerk, burning the candle at both ends, I loathed the character, but couldn't stop watching him or hoping he would snap out of it. A film worth seeking out.

I could believe all the people in the movie were real and did the awful things they did, like when Maury abandons his woman on the side of the road. Also Torn manages to make the catchphrase "Payday's comin!" sound menacing and threatening. I have to stop myself from using it IRL since the movie is so unknown.

The film and Torn's performance deserve to be better known.
   

[lester1/2jr]

DCA- I'm not a big bloodhound gang fan but they show remarkable taste in giving Rip Torn (what a great name) props.  I agree about the 70's too.  most of the movies i rent are from that era. 


netflix has this

yaddo-  I think it is hampered by the weird pacing and that's perhaps why it isn't as well known as Black Caeser or Foxy Brown or similar exploitation titles.  leaving the girl by the side of the road was beautiful.  what he did next was unforgivable