The Violent Years, one of my favorite Ed Wood films, takes on the toughest problem of the fifties: violent girl gangs! The gang, led by pretty Paula Prentiss, vandalizes, robs, assaults, and kills to get what they want. The dialogue is clunky, the plot ludicrous, the acting wooden, but it is hilarious. What deep, dark trauma caused Paula to take up a life of crime? Her parents don't spend time with her, buy her everything she wants, and write her blanks checks. Her life is truly a "living hell". All this leads Paula to become a vandalizing thief, a sexual predator, and a cold-blooded double killer. Go figure. What is this feminine fiend's explanation of her crimes? Not "They were scum and they deserved what they got.", not "I did it, and I'd do again", but the callous-yet-laughable "So what?". If you want a dark comedy with awkward characters, mixed messages, and a coma-inducing summary, watch this movie.
Review of The Violent Years
