Deservesrecognitionasaninterestingmisunderstandingofthehallucinationgeneration,20January2007
Author:TimothyFarrellfromWorcester,MA
"WildintheStreets"comesfromthesameschooloffilmmakingthatspawnedotherattemptstoconnecttothecounterculturesuchas"Skidoo"and"Candy".Thedifferencebetweenthisandtheaforementionedfilmsisthat"WildintheStreets"isreasonablycleverandwell-made.Itisn'tsympathetictothecountercultureandwilllikelyoffendthosewithfondmemoriesofthetime.Surprisingly,itwasabighitwhenreleasedandappealedtotheyouthwhomitridiculedsomuch.Unlike"TheTrip"and"Psych-Out"(twootherAIPfilms),itsnotanaccuraterepresentationofthemovementatall.Howeveritdoesworkassocialsatire.
ThedirectionbyBarryShearisgoodandmakesinnovativeuseofsplitscreenphotography.Plus,hekeepseverythingmovingataquickpace.Initsfunnymoments,thefilmworkswell.Initsattemptsatdrama,itshelplesslydatedandjustasfunnyasthehumorousmoments.ChristopherJonesunderplayshisroleandShellyWintersoveracts.HalHolbrookoffersthebestperformanceandDianeVarsiachievestherightnoteof"grooviness".ThescriptbyRobertThomhasitsmoments,especiallytheending(easilythemostingeniouspartofthefilm)."WildintheStreets"isn'tperfect,butdeservesrecognitionasaninterestingmisunderstandingofthehallucinationgeneration.Thoseintothiskindofkitschwillenjoyitthemost.I'dratherwatch"TheTrip"or"Psych-Out"however.(6/10)
-fromimdb
