The Bad Bunch (1973) (DVD Review)
Directed By: Greydon Clark
Starring: Greydon Clark, Tom Johnigarn, Jacquline Cole
Rated: R/Region: 0/1:85/Number of disc: 1
Available from VCI Entertainment
Violence and racial tension punctuate this fast moving action film, which is a study of prejudice and discrimination. This is the story of a black gang who run the streets of Watts and of Jim, a white man, who tries to befriend them. Prejudice stands in the way of any friendship and turns black against white in a bloody act of vengeance. This film, set in the mid 70 s, does much to show how society has progressed, but to some it may seem that the more things change, the more they stay the same.
You got a film here with the racial tension turned up to 11. This makes for moments of highly racist moments that are meant to be as uncomfortable as they turn out to be. It also a sad story in a lot of ways because we watch as a series of misunderstanding set forth a chain of very bad events. It does come with some slow moments. Had that not been the case you would have ended up with a better film overall, but that isn’t to discount the film we get, it is also a good film to it’s own right.
Tom Johnigarn plays a character that has been driven to hate due to racism against him. The result is a character that you want to like, but can also just as easily hate due to how he usually acts to things. Greydon Clark directed this and stars in it. His character has his faults, but none as bad as Tom’s and as a result you will usually side with him. It all makes a nice film that captures a very dark time period. It is a tragedy in modern day sorts.
– Director Commentary
