Wild in the Streets (1968)

I'd read the description of the film many years ago and always was curious how the concept would work. The voting age is lowered to 14 and a younger musician is elected president. I was curious what satiric bite a film with that concept could deliver.

Turns out not much. This is a really stupid film. It spends so much time setting up the film that by the time the main character is finally elected, the film is running out of time, and just throws a few wacky ideas together and calls it a day.

One basic problem is that the main character, who supposedly unites all the young people together, is a jerk. But the film isn't well made enough that I couldn't tell if the filmmakers knew he is a jerk.

Then there is the acting. I haven't seen all of Shelley Winters' work, but I'd always liked her before. Her character, the main character's possessive mother, is basically unplayable as written. I think Winters just gave up and chose to munch on the scenery instead. And I'd never seen the lead actor, Christopher Jones. Based on this, I don't need to see him again.

I will give the film this: the songs written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil are listenable, and help the time go by. But that's about it.

Odd note: this film was Oscar nominated for editing. Why?

Grade: D