The Violent Years

Most of my readers know of my love of drive in movies. The trashier, the better. And they don't get much trashier than 1956's The Violent Years.

Penned by none other than Ed Wood himself, The Violent Years tells the story of a teenage girl gang who get their kicks robbing gas stations, fooling around with boys, and attacking couples who are parking. The ring leader, the terrific Jean Moorehead, is a rich girl rebelling out from not getting enough attention from mommy and daddy at home. The gang's life of crime however soon spins out of control with some deadly consequences.

Of course with this being a Wood screenplay it has overlong and pointless dialogue and some of the acting is pretty wooden, especially from the older cast members. But this flick has elements that are pretty scandelous, even for today's standards. The one scene that stands out for me is when the gang rapes a man. Seriously, how often do you see this? My hat's off to Wood and director William Morgan for pushing the envelope. Wood actually had his name removed from the production.

If you're in the mood for some trashtastic goodness, The Violent Years is worth a viewing. It's available on dvd and blu ray.