Savage Beach & Picasso Trigger
[Blu-ray]
If it’s zaniness you’re looking for in your movies, then look no further than the films of Andy Sidaris. It’s interesting to break down exactly what their appeal is; they’re amateurishly acted, borderline pornographic, and hopelessly predictable. That’s all true. But what’s also true is that they’re a boatload of fun. Keep in mind, the man is responsible for 16 movies of the BBB genre (that’s bullets, bombs, and babes). And I don’t mean mere production. The husband and wife team does it all, from production, to casting, to writing and directing. A Sidaris movie is driven by the sheer inertia of Andy and Arlene Sidaris.
It can probably be argued that Hard Ticket to Hawaii is the definitive Sidaris movie with all the action, intrigue, plot twists, and comedy all into one. It’s got it all. Almost like a Princes Bride but for spy b-movies. Let that idea sink in. But with a catalog so vast, it’s easy to ignore the lesser known Sidaris projects like Picasso Trigger and Savage Beach. Lucky for us, Mill Creek has been on a streak reissueing these hard to find and underappreciated movies.
The Sidaris movies are being issued two movies at a time, and after Hard Ticket to Hawaii and Malibu Express, Mill Creek has chosen Picasso Trigger and Savage Beach for the next launch. It’s a little hard to think why exactly these were the chosen films, because even though Picasso Trigger is one of his more popular movies, it’s not exactly one of the strongest, in my opinion. The plot is pretty nonsensical and it just kind of drags. The unexpected curve balls from films like Hard Ticket to Hawaii just aren’t there. Luckily, Savage Beach makes up for it as it’s a more complete film. Maybe it’s the dynamic presence of leads Donna Spear and Hope Marie Carlton who just light up the screen. They’re just so much fun to watch and are perfectly cast for these kinds of stories.
Mill Creek decided to release these on Blu Ray and load them with extras. You get behind the scenes making-of featurettes (which often have nothing to do with the movie that it’s bundled with), a film school of sorts showing us how the editing process works in the scenes, and audio commentary by the Sidaris couple. Although the commentary falls victim to the most common faux pas with most of it just being an explanation of the plot, you get the occasional insight into how scenes were orchestrated and get an idea for what the production team was going for.
One can only hope that Mill Creek will continue the Sidaris output as there’s a ton of Sidaris material out there that needs to be rediscovered. Stay the course…
