A Movie As Old As me!

 

 (imdb)

SHADOW ON THE WINDOW-1957-3 young thugs Jess (John Drew Barrymore), Gil (Corey Allen) and the psychotic Joey (Gerald Sarracini) hold a woman (Betty Garrett) hostage after killing an old man for his money. Her young son (Jerry Mathers; he started his gig as The Beaver on TV's “Leave it To Beaver” the same year) sees the whole thing but goes into shock and can't tell the police anything. Her ex-husband Tony Atlas (Phillip Carey) is a police Sargent who leads an investigation to find his ex. 

Several character actors appear briefly including Joe Turkel,Mel Welles,Billy Nelson,Norman Leavitt,Henry Corden,George Cisar and Paul Bryar. Director William Asher, already working in TV, would go on to direct several AIP “beach” movies in the early '60's but would continue in TV including directing over 130 episodes of “Bewitched”.

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Demme's Third

 

 (imdb)

FIGHTING MAD-1976-Tom (Peter Fonda), a divorced dad returns to his rural Arkansas horse farm with his young son Dylan (Gino Franco) to help run the place with his dad (John Douchette) and brother Charlie (Scott Glenn). Meanwhile a contractor Pierre Crabtree (Phillip Carey) and a senator (Noble Willingham) plot to take over the town and close down the farm to make way for a strip-mining factory and stuff. Tom almost immediately hooks up with former flame Lorene (Lynn Lowry). Corporate thugs beat up Charlie and his wife (Kathleen Miller), then kill them in a car crash and make it look like they were drunk. 

When workers try to come in and bulldoze the farm, Tom stops them. He even drives several trucks off the road while riding a motorcycle with Dylan. When some company goons beat him up, Loraine attacks them with a hammer. After Tom blows up some equipment, the storm trooper like police throw everyone in jail. Then a judge, who might have ruled in favor of the farmers, is killed. This allows the corporation to really take over and burn down Tom's farm and causing the death of his father. Tom invades Crabtree's citadel and blows everyone away. He gets shot up but the stupid sheriff (Harry Northup) finally comes through and covers up Tom's involvement. 

This low budget action revenge drama was future Academy Award winning director Jonathan Demme's third feature after CAGED HEAT (1974) and CRAZY MAMA (1975).

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