The Gardener (1975)

Starring Andy Warhol superstar Joe Dallesandro in his first non- Warhol role and Katherine Houghton ("Guess Who's Coming to Dinner") the niece of superstar actress Katherine Hepburn The Gardener is a flowery mix of 70s mod-art film grindhouse horror and Italian giallo released theatrically in an abbreviated form as Seeds of Evil.Ellen (Houghton) and her husband John (James Congdon) enjoy the good life in their lovely Costa Rica home-all that's missing is a nice garden. Enter the mysterious and dangerously handsome Carl (Dallesandro) who creates a botanical paradise while casting a spell on Ellen and her woman friends. Things take a turn for the worse when Ellen discovers that her Gardener may be planting his own "seeds of evil".DVD Features: Available Audio Tracks: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo) English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono) Audio commentary track with cast and crew (Dallesandro's first ever feature length commentary!) Original mono mix and new stereo 2.0 mix New 16x9 transfer of the uncut version of the film Trailers Featurette with cast and crew Featurette on how to make an independent feature by producer Chalmer Kirkbridge Jr. Talent bios Still gallery ROM section with original production notes synopsis and thesis System Requirements:Running Time 87 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: HORROR Rating: R UPC: 858964001003 Manufacturer No: 00100 Product Description

An excellent DVD release

I'm amazed that such an obscure little film has gotten such a lavish DVD re-issue. This is an incredibly beautiful film and this transfer from Subversive Cinema looks and sounds spectacular. The colors pop off the screen (and what wild and vibrant colors they are). I think this film is some sort of a classic, although I'm not sure what kind of a classic it might be. It never fails to be entertaining and every frame is beautiful to behold. The acting is first rate, especially Katherine Houghton and Rita Gam. Joe Dallesandro is perfect as Karl, THE GARDNER who manages to be the most beautiful sight in a film full of beautiful images.

An earlier review here stated that there are no DVD extras. Nothing could be further from the truth. This DVD is blooming with special features. First the packaging is gorgeous. The DVD comes in a lovely blue slip case with holographic lettering and a reproduciton of the poster art. Inside is a transparent keepcase with color production photos printed on both sides of the insert. There are three full color lobby cards included as well as a 12 x 17 color poster. The DVD has two audio tracks, the original mono and an all new dolby mix. Both sound great. There are two commentary tracks. The first is from star Joe Dallesandro and it is a lot of fun. The second commentary is from director James Kay. There are two documentary films. The first is called PLANTING THE SEEDS OF EVIL and features brand new interviews with Joe, Katherine Houghton and James Kay. The second documentary is from the late 70's and discusses the distribution problems that independent films face. It features GARDNER producer Chalmer Kirkbride. Also included on the disc is an extensive photo gallery of behind the scenes shots. Six theatrical trailers are included. There is also extensive cast and crew biography information and colorful animated menus.

This is a great early seventies art film and I'm so glad that Subversive Cinema has seen fit to produce such an incredible DVD release of it. A big thank you and congratulations to everyone who worked on this! April 11, 2008

"Things seem to growing everywhere!"

So what happens when you overlay a nonsensical, pseudo horror theme onto a somewhat pretentious artsy fartsy 1970s post-hippiesque mentality, throw Andy Warhol regular Joe Dallesandro and a generally inappropriate musical score more befitting a cocktail lounge into the mix, and slap the entire, self indulgent mess onto celluloid? You get The Gardener (1975) aka Seeds of Evil. Written and directed by James H. Kay, in his directorial debut (and farewell), the movie features Joe Dallesandro (Trash, Flesh for Frankenstein, Blood for Dracula), in his first non-Warhol film appearance, along with Katharine Houghton (Billy Bathgate, Kinsey), Rita Gam (King of Kings, Klute) and James Congdon ("The Edge of Night", 4D Man).

The film begins in a hospital as we see a middle aged brunette woman, who we later find out is named Dorothy, lying in a bed, soon visited by a nurse who brings in some flowers. After the nurse leaves Dorothy, upon awakening, spies the flowers and promptly freaks out, resulting in her untimely death. After the funeral we're now at Dorothy's home with a couple of her friends named Ellen (Houghton) and Helena (Gam), along with Dorothy's husband, who doesn't seem as disconsolate as one would think, especially given the fact he'd just buried his wife...anyway, Ellen and Helena are amazed with Dorothy's garden, so much so Ellen decides to hire Dorothy's gardener, a shirtless, shoeless, long-haired hunk named Carl (Dallesandro), to work for at her home, as her garden is the pits (Carl, as we'll soon discover is a master at cultivating things, like extreme tedium). Carl shows up at Ellen's house, has a falling out with the current yard man, an older Hispanic fellow named Ralph (one way or another I think Ralph's days are numbered), and sets the ethnic household staff on edge given his weird vibes (being ethnic and all they possess a greater sensitivity to things `unnatural', apparently). Anyway, Carl soon has things blooming as there's plants everywhere (he's got a real, almost mystical way with all things green), so much so it sets Ellen's husband John (Congdon) at unease, especially given the thorny foliage he finds in the bathroom. A whole bunch of stuff happens, none of it of much importance, but Ellen soon grows suspicious after her hippy niece arrives for a stay and then abruptly disappears (a note was left behind, but Ellen wasn't convinced it was actually written by her niece). Soon after some more weirdness Ellen decides it's time to let Carl go, but to her dismay Helena promptly hires him on to work in her garden (along with tilling her soil). Things eventually come to a head once Ellen discovers certain, frightening aspects of Carl's past through his previous employers, all leading up to a semi-surrealistic and pointless finale.

Normally I take pretty well to these obscure, oddball features from the 1970s but this one was difficult to sit through as it had so little going on throughout the entire length of the film. Given this was writer/director James H. Kay's first film he does deserve some credit as he did develop a certain amount of tension in a good deal of the scenes, but given the fact there was rarely any, real payoff to the build up, it seemed one, big exercise in futility. The performances were generally weak, but I think that was more due to poor material rather than inept actors, with the exception of Joe Dallesandro, who displays about as much personality as that of a cinder block. He's got all of about five lines in the film (thankfully), and he delivers them all with the same, blank expression (given the number of films he'd appeared in prior to this one you'd have thought he'd picked up some skills along the way). I suppose his saving grace here is the fact he's a somewhat attractive man, and spends nearly the entire film walking about with no shirt on...there are a couple shots with him sans his pants, if you dig on that kind of thing. I didn't mind this so much, but I would have appreciated a reciprocal amount of female flesh as a means to offset Dallesandro's bum cakes, but it never came about. As I said before the story goes on and on, but nothing much happens. I kept hoping for a bit of the visceral, perhaps a gruesome death or two, but I got nothing, squat, zilch, nada...the opportunities were there, but never capitalized upon (there are all of about three, on screen deaths). One example is when Ralph, the regular yard man, who doesn't get along with Carl at all (Carl tried to fire Ralph but Ellen interceded), suffers what I'm assuming to be an allergic reaction to some of Carl's strange, new plants while working in the yard. At this point I was expecting Ralph to die miserably from some bizarre, plant induced disease, but all he got was a bloody nose and a trip to the hospital...whoop de doo...and then there was that whole business with Ellen's hippy niece. The girl shows up and there's the inference that given her earthy, obviously hippy ways she might find interest in the half nekkid, Earth friendly Carl, who's got a ponytail down to his waist, as they appear kindred spirits (figuratively speaking) and such, but then poof! She's gone, never to be heard from again. What happened to her? It would seem Carl might have had something to do with her disappearance, but it's never detailed (I was hoping to see her incorporated into a tree or a shrub in some manner). And let's not forget the ridiculous ending...I won't give it away, but know it will probably leave you scratching your noodle and asking "What the f***?" All in all if you're planning on watching this film, keep your expectations low...better yet, get yourself some mind altering substances as I'm betting the material comes off with a lot more meaning for the viewer in a half-baked state.

This Subversive Cinema DVD release, which claims to be the uncut version, includes a widescreen anamorphic (1.85:1) picture, one that comes across relatively clean, but know the hues are a little harsh resulting in an annoying orange tone to nearly everyone's flesh. The audio, available in the original mono and the newly mastered Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo, comes through very well. Extras include two audio commentary tracks (one with performer Joe Dallesandro and a second with writer/director James H. Kay), a newly created featurette titled `Planting the Seeds of Evil' (35:38), a second vintage featurette made by Kay in 1980 titled `The Distribution of Low Budget Films or The Gardener's Seeds of Evil Killed My Million Dollar Dream' (28:37), talent bios, a still gallery, three lobby cards, a poster insert, and a theatrical trailer for the film, along with previews for other Subversive Cinema DVD releases like Blood Bath (1976), Metal Skin (1994), Blue Murder (1995), The Candy Snatchers (1973), and The Freakmaker (1974).

Cookieman108
January 23, 2007

Low Budget Foreign Film For Dallesandro Fans Only

As a Joe Dallesandro fan, I found this movie to be an interesting and fun piece. I was greatly amused by the fact that Joe spends the entire film shirtless. But then the whole point of the film seems to be just to bask in the perfection that is Joe (a.k.a. Carl the gardener).

Truth to tell, though, this film is going to offer little to your Dallesandro collection. Joe has perhaps six short lines in the entire film, and most of the rest of the film he is seen wandering through the flora looking adoringly (and silently) at his plants. There are a few "butt shots", and heaven knows no one had a derrière like Joe, but even these peeks are fleeting and far between.

I knew when I bought the DVD not to expect too much as far as plot and dialogue, but I had hoped the extra features would offer a lengthy (or at least revealing) Dallesandro interview, but alas, no such luck.

As stated in the previous review - unless you are a die hard Dallesandro fan, or just really into cheap 70's flicks, this is not going to be the DVD for you.
August 9, 2006

For a specialized audience only

This is a good film if you are an arthouse/Warhol fan, if you're into bad (meaning fun) 70's schlock, or are obessed with Joe Dallesandro. If you don't fall into any of these catagories, then don't bother with this film.

Most of the plot revolves around the lead female and her best friend investigating the mystery that is Carl, the gorgeous but unnerving gardener. Dallesandro himself only has a few speaking lines, but he is beautiful as ever, especially in those tight 70's low ride jeans. There are several psuedo-scary scenes that are actually more erotic than frightening, so if you are adverse to horror flicks, you have little to worry about here. There is only one scene with a lot of blood, although I'm not sure where the blood comes from as the scene is pretty tame.

For those who want to know: there are a few nude Dallesandro scenes, but they are confined, as it were, to butt shots. If you want more revealing nudity, stick to the Morrisey trilogy (Flesh, Trash, & Heat).

The ending is pretty silly, but then so's the whole movie.

Sound and color transfer seem as good as one can expect from a low-budget 70's flick, and there aren't any real DVD extras.

As both an arthouse and Dallesandro fanatic, I found the film light and entertaining. Don't expect too much, and you won't be dissapointed. Just sitback and enjoy this little piece of 70's silliness. May 15, 2006

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