PSYCHO A GO GO (1965) *

 

Five years after co-directing Half Way to Hell, Al Adamson piecemealed together funds to make his solo directing debut with a low budget crime drama called Echo of Terror.  It failed to gain traction, but when it was recommended that Adamson cash-in on the go-go dancing craze that was sweeping the nation, he readily added in some gratuitous scenes of go-go dancers shaking their moneymakers to the groovy sounds of a not-bad lounge singer.  It’s funny because these sequences that were only tacked on after the fact are far and away the best thing about the film. 

A botched diamond heist results in the death of a thief (Adamson) at the hands of his crazed partner Joe (Roy Morton).  In a panic, the robbers toss the bag of loot off a balcony as the cops close in.  The bag happens to land in the bed of a truck belonging to David (Kirk Duncan), who unwittingly comes home with the loot.  The gang then tracks him down and tries to force him to give up the stones.  When THAT goes south, Joe goes after David’s wife (Tacey Robbins) and kid (K.K. Riddle).

The film goes downhill almost immediately after the cool go-go dance number.  The heist scene at the beginning is so-so at best, but it’s unfortunately the only passable action scene in the entire movie.  (It mostly feels like a cold open to a forgettable ‘60s cop show.)  Sadly, it only gets worse from there as the scenes of the hot-tempered thieves arguing with one another and threatening our hero get monotonous in a hurry.  Things pretty much come to a dead halt during the long, dull sequence where the villain pursues the hero’s wife and daughter through the wilderness.  In fact, I’m pretty sure the Earth stopped spinning on its axis during this scene. 

Thank goodness for those go-go scenes or else this would be totally without merit.  I’m sure if the original version of Echo of Terror existed in some form, Severin Films would’ve issued it as part of the Al Adamson Masterpiece Collection.  I’m sort of glad they didn’t because I can’t imagine watching this mess without at least one go-go dance number to numb the pain.

You can derive some humor from the fact our hero gives his daughter a painfully politically incorrect “minstrel” doll for her birthday that sings songs like “Oh Susanna” in an Alvin and the Chipmunks voice. (The doll even gets its own billing!)  That’s about it as far as the WTF factor goes.  On the plus side, Vilmos Zsigmond was the cinematographer, so at the very least, it’s nice to look at.

AKA:  Echo of Terror.  AKA:  Rififi a Go Go.