
So what kind of things make up a cult movie like this? Weirdness is certainly something that helps. And I'm not necessarily talks weirdness for the sake of weirdness, but more that kind of unique bizarre feeling that comes from seeing the vision of a filmmaker who is pretty singular. What else makes a cult movie? Actors. Simple enough to say that and all movies need actors, but there are certain actors that can deliver really out there performances and make them feel relatable in some way. SONNY BOY features just such a turn from the late David Carradine. From the first moment you see him, dressed as a woman, you know that the movie you are watching is something special. The rest of the cast makes this movie distinct as well. You have Brad Dourif, who I find to be one of the most fascinating actors of the last forty years and who really came into his own in a different way and became even more iconic in a certain way the 1980s and 90s. I'm thinking of BLUE VELVET and DUNE (with Lynch), SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION, THE EXORCIST III, BODY PARTS and SONNY BOY of course. He's one of those actors that is able to ground his offbeat performances in some kind of reality, some kind of character that he can reach into himself and find and I've always loved that about him. Also included in this oddball ensemble is Sydney Lassick (ALLIGATOR, 1941, SKATETOWN USA,PANDEMONIUM) who starred alongside Dourif in ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST. Lassick has this very interesting cadence in the way he speaks and his look is that of a classic character actor. Lastly, there's the hulking beast that is Paul L. Smith (DUNE, PIECES, POPEYE, RED SONJA), who many will remember as one of the baddies in Sam Raimi's CRIMEWAVE (his face was on the VHS cover). Smith is one of those guys with such a memorable voice and look - he's almost always growling and scowling through and movie he's in. He's also the like a cartoon character, but a very scary and evil one.
The director Robert Martin Carroll said he was going for a Frankenstein story that was somewhere between A CLOCKWORK ORANGE and THE ELEPHANT MAN. That's an interesting take on things and I can kind of see those elements in the film a bit. You can maybe see a little dash of Peckinpah mixed in there too. All of those cult film ingredients in a mixing pot together do end up resulting in another very unique concoction. It is certainly strange and a bit bleak, but needs to be seen if you are a fan of fringe cinema.
Special Features:
On top of including an uncut version of the film in a solid transfer, Scream Factiry has pulled together some nine supplements as well.
-A New audio commentary with director Robert Martin Carroll (& his wife, who was in the film and helped with the script).
-A New audio commentary with the film's screenwriter Graeme Whifler.
-The first draft of the script is also available as a pdf as a BD ROM extra.
-The first draft of the script is also available as a pdf as a BD ROM extra.

Special Features:
-A New High-Definition Transfer From The Original Negative.
-A New Audio Commentary With Writer/Director Rowdy Herrington.
-The Making Of JACK'S BACK - New Interviews With Writer/Director Rowdy Herrington, Producer Tim Moore, Actress Cynthia Gibb And Director Of Photography Shelly Johnson.
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