Bone (1972)

Future B movie maverick Larry Cohen (It's Alive, Q: The Winged Serpent) made his directorial debut with this sly, often savage, social satire set in Beverly Hills. Yaphet Kotto swaggers into the backyard of an affluent, upper-middle-class Beverly Hills couple (Andrew Duggan and Joyce Van Patten) with a dangerous grin on his face and demands: "I want money and I want it now." Nothing from this point on goes as planned. The home invasion tears the veneer of civility that has been holding the couple's loveless marriage together, exposing their lies and schemes, while Bone (as Kotto's character is called) is revealed as a conflicted serial rapist just looking for a little tenderness. Directed with raw energy and aggressive flamboyance, this cynical portrait of American hypocrisy and corruption is more punchy than perceptive, a little glib in its conclusions, but thoroughly unpredictable in its execution. Cohen tweaks stereotypes and twists expectations, while offbeat characters and juicy dialogue electrify the drama. Kotto takes a big, meaty bite of his role, commanding every scene with a threat always beneath his stocky frame and burning eyes. Jeannie Berlin makes a memorable appearance as a ditzy shoplifter with a thoroughly off-center philosophy. --Sean Axmaker Amazon.com

Interesting Cohen DEBUT.

This movie is good and should be in every Larry Cohen fan's collection. It manages to suck you in and hold you there for 95 minutes. It is entertaining, but the crtics label it bizarre? It isn't bizarre at all just very imaginative and smart. Critics only see it as bizarre perhaps because of all the painfully normal movies out there that they label as Great or A Sure Classic. Whatever the case, watch this forgotten movie if you seek something different and entertaining. February 4, 2005

Not Cohen's best work

There is something about a Larry Cohen film that requires me to watch them on a fairly regular basis (read: whenever a new one comes out on DVD). It isn't my unnaturally slavish devotion to all things horror that finds me looking forward to the latest Cohen madness, although many of this director's films definitely fall with the horror genre. Movies like "The Stuff," "It's Alive," and "Q-The Winged Serpent" are without a doubt horror, the last one being a homage to classic monster films of the 1950s. Then you get something like "God Told Me To," a film that feels like horror but then turns into a strange hybrid of over the top science fiction and religious quackery. "Bone" stands apart from all of the other Larry Cohen films I have seen. It's not horror although there are a few scares thrown around, and it isn't science fiction either. What we have here is a biting social satire about race relations in America during the early 1970s. Blue Underground resurrected this obscurity from god knows where, threw a bunch of extras on the disc, and tossed the results into a country where race still plays a central role in society.

Bill (Andrew Duggan) and his wife Bernadette (Joyce Van Patten) enjoy a life of privilege and comfort. They own a nice big house, a large plot of land, an in ground swimming pool, and nice cars. Considering their wealth, they don't seem like a happy couple. As the film begins we see both of them lounging around the pool engaged in a pointed exchange. Before we can assimilate exactly what, if anything, is going on a black man named Bone (Yaphet Kotto) strolls into the backyard. He pulls a dead rat out of the pool's filter (?) and then begins to pester Bill for a job. Both Bill and his wife are quite nervous about having this man so close to their house, and it shows in their speech and body language. Bone certainly recognizes their discomfort and quickly takes advantage of it. He shakes Bill's hand and then refuses to let go, demanding that the couple give him money or he will start hurting them. With Bone still clenching Bill's hand, the three go into the house to look for cash. Amazingly, the intruder cannot find any valuables in any room in the house. He orders Bill to go to the bank, withdraw several thousand dollars, and return in an hour. If he doesn't, Bone says with a smile, he will brutalize Bernadette any way he sees fit. Bill drives off.

But something happens once Bill gets into town. He has trouble finding a parking space, walks into the bank but suddenly decides to leave without the money, and then wonders around as though in a trance. Is Bernadette's husband going to let her come to harm? It certainly seems so. Bill continues in his malaise, bumping into a kooky lady ranting and raving about X-rays, spending time with an odd young girl (Jeannie Berlin), and generally doing anything he can to avoid going back home. Meanwhile, tensions rise between Bone and Bernadette as the two realize Bill most likely isn't coming back (If only they had cell phones in the 1970s!). Bill's wife nervously tries to placate this lout, but his increasing nervousness and hostility reach dangerous levels quite quickly. His irrational behavior, exhibited by insisting that Bernadette cook eggs for him in a particular way, drives the woman to the point of hysteria. Finally, Bone attempts to have his way with Bill's wife only to collapse in futility when she refuses to resist his advances. A strange bond forms between the two over this incident as well as Bone's subsequent revelations about his troubled life. Bill, Bernadette, and Bone will meet again in town, but with a significant change in their previous social roles. The conclusion leaves you scratching your head in bewilderment.

"Bone" is a talky, sometimes absurdist picture that won't appeal to many of Cohen's horror fans. Just like many films released in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the movie is subversive and contemptuous of the upper class. On the surface, Bill and Bernadette seem to possess every element of the American dream, but as events unfold we see the rot spreading behind the gloss. The couple's son, for instance, is serving time in a foreign prison for attempted drug smuggling, yet his parents told everyone they know that he's serving a stint in the military. Bill's indifference to his wife's predicament at home hints strongly at his dissatisfaction with his life and his marriage. Bernadette presents the strongest example that a life of leisure and wealth isn't a great way to live after all. Her strong empathy, soon bordering on obsession, with Bone gives us the distinct impression that she's your typical bored housewife looking for independence and excitement. The conclusion, which I won't spoil for you with particulars, leaves much to the imagination. We aren't sure what happened, and we definitely aren't sure which of the principal characters imagined the proceeding events. Or did it really happen?

Overall, I thought "Bone" a lesser Cohen film because it doesn't offer anything original. Lots of films before this one, and billions more since, recycle the same old tired themes. If being wealthy and comfortable is such a horrendous life, why is it that everyone (including those in Hollywood) wants to strike it rich? It's this sort of hypocrisy that prevents me from taking movies like this seriously. However, the performances were quite good, especially Joyce Van Patten. Her 180-degree turn in the course of the movie is convincing and sort of chilling at the same time. Yaphet Kotto, of course, always does a magnificent job in any role he chooses to undertake. Cohen fans will want to see "Bone," but others might think it too obscure and weird.
December 21, 2004

Larry Cohen's Dark Black Comedy

This 1972 comedy-drama marks the directorial debut of popular and prolific B-movie auteur Larry Cohen, who also wrote the screenplay. Though Cohen is known today for penning and directing well-crafted but low-budget indie flicks in the science-fiction, horror, or fantasy genres, BONE is a brilliant and biting Juvenalian satire that astutely dissects the issues of race relations and economic stratification in the United States. Part of the film's intelligence comes from the fact that Cohen's script is not one-sided. Not only does he take lunges at average white folks and their stereotyped views of themselves and those of darker-skinned ethic persuasions, he also uses his dark rapier-like wit to flay the typical black citizen's equally stereotyped attitudes towards upper-class whites. But Cohen doesn't end it there. BONE is a complex, multi-layered story in which one can find many subtle comments and observations above and beyond the primary theme. Addressed are socio-economic issues such as honesty, avarice, marital ennui, contemporary sexual mores, familial trust, the consequences of acting on one's personal fantasies, and lots more, and it definitely requires multiple viewings to peel back the layers and take it all in.

Though some socio-political pundits will rightly argue that race relations and the social standing of non-whites have improved since the era in which this film was made, there are still palpable gaps between the social and economic classes in America, and recent notorious racial hate crimes demonstrates that there is certainly a lot of ground yet to cover where racial issues are concerned. This being the case, BONE still seems just as fresh and relevant--and just as satirically witty--as it did in 1972.

The principal actors in BONE are phenomenal. In the titular role, actor Yaphet Kotto portrays a black robber and rapist who upends the calm, boring life of an affluent middle-aged white couple. His Oscar-caliber performance is forceful and dynamic, yet the character he creates is still sympathetic and at times downright hilarious. Character actor Andrew Duggan, in what is probably the best performance of his career, creates a dead-on three-dimensional portrait of a smarmy and greedy salesman who one day finds his daily routine abruptly disrupted by Bone. And Joyce Van Patten is delightfully dingy as the bored, cheerless housewife who eventually develops romantic and erotic feelings towards her abductor.

Certain aspects of BONE leave the narrative open to interpretation. In the end, one is left to decide if the events depicted really happened, if they were simply a fantasy of the housewife, or if they took place in the imagination of the affluent couple's son (who, we learn, is in a European prison for drug smuggling and is therefore regarded by his parents as an embarrassment and a social liability). This is a brilliant tactic on Cohen's part, as it forces the viewer to mentally review the film's issues and themes--or even to view the film again--and consider everything more deeply in order to formulate a personally sensible interpretation of the open-ended plot.

Unfortunately, the complex themes, the sophisticated satire, and the generally controversial nature of the film have proved too deep for the average audience, and BONE has therefore never achieved the notoriety or the distribution that it deserves. Instead, it has basically been relegated to the status of a cult film or an exploitation flick, and only film aficionados who actively seek quality non-mainstream works have been lucky enough to obtain access to a copy of BONE in recent years.

Until now, that is. Thanks to the folks at Blue Underground, BONE has been lovingly restored and made available on DVD. In addition to a fantastic picture and great sound, the DVD also features extras such as a humorous and informative commentary by writer/director Cohen and his protégé, Bill Lustig; a short statement from the film's original distributor, Jack Harris; some footage from an earlier aborted shoot of the film, which includes some differences in cast and dialog; and a theatrical trailer in which the film is marketed under an alternate title of THE HOUSEWIFE.

Anybody who appreciates good filmmaking and great satire will enjoy BONE, and fans of Larry Cohen will definitely want to snatch up a copy of this disc for their DVD collections. Blue Underground's DVD edition of BONE is well worth the price of admission. July 20, 2004

A Bad Day in Beverly Hills

Well, here it is, in all its' wide screen glory. Blue Underground presents writer/director/producer Larry Cohen first film Bone, also known as Housewife, Dial Rat for Terror, or Beverly Hills Nightmare completely uncut and uncensored with a whole lot of juicy extras.

This is truly a bizarre film. The title, Bone, refers to the character played by Yaphet Kotto. The movie opens by the pool of a seemingly affluent, older couple that lives in a rather large house in Beverly Hills. Bone, an unstable, unpredictable violent criminal forces his way into the lives of this couple, looking for some easy money, and we are treated to one wild ride as the plot veers into the uncharted waters of absurdity.

The very nature of perversity is explored, as the characters are forced to confront hidden desires, exposing the seamy underbelly of modern life. The material presented here may have been tamed over time, thirty years after its' inital release, but the I think the film still commands the effect to disturb, shock, and make one laugh through its' use of imagery and dialogue. Yes, I said laugh, as I would call this a black comedy of sorts.

The movie can be hard to take at times, but the use of jump cuts and incidental music are used very effectively. What may seem insignificant at times later reveals it to be of some importance. Probably my favorite performance in this film was that of Oscar nominee Jeannie Berlin (The Heartbreak Kid) who played The Girl. Her character was truly fascinating even though she had little screen time compared to the rest.

As I said, Blue Underground provides a wealth of extras on this, up until now, rare movie. There's a wonderful commentary with Larry Cohen, a short interview with distributor/director/producer Jack H. Harris, selected scenes from an early shoot of the film, trailers, a radio spot, a gallery of promotional materials, a Larry Cohen biography, and even a small reprinted still of a poster for the movie inside the case. If you are willing to take a chance on something a lot out of the cinematic mainstream, then this is as good a place as any to start. January 25, 2004

Jump-cut masterpiece

You're right- my previous review of this film sucked. But the film itself decidedly does not suck. What we have here is a highly sophisticated satire with the denouement hinted at with stylish jump-cuts fron scenes (as in "Performance" and "Petulia"), which if fully understood as we just catch glimpses of them during the buildup, would explain the whole thing before we'd had the fun of hanging with the three main characters. Cohen's dialogue and characterizations are interesting and funny. A really good satire of wealthy whites and why they are wrong to look down their noses at poor people of color. November 26, 2002

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