a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

Blistering performances.

The movie is wonderful and true, an act of love in all its contradictions and complexity

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

It seems like I Dismember Mama as become the standard release title for this one, originally Poor Albert and Little Annie. It really shouldn't have been renamed, as no one gets dismembered and there isn't even any gore (unless you count a split second stabbing), so anyone who hit this one at a drive in or grabbed a VHS copy expecting gruesome goods would have been severely disappointed. The original name is pretty suitable though, there's an Albert and an Annie, and the Annie is little. I wouldn't call Albert poor though, he seemed like a pretty run of the mill ass hole psycho to me. Still, the title suggests strange drama and strange drama makes up a considerable portion of the film, so it works. The titular Albert is a misogynist mama's boy creep who got institutionalised for attempting to off said mama, but breaks out in order to finish the deed. Along the way he befriends the young daughter of his mothers maid and they have a happy day out. Which is where things get weird and the film scotches its previously decent efforts at being a grimy little exploiter. The first third is pretty promising, attempted rape and strangulation, hateful and arrogant chatter and then a rather disconcerting episode of naked torment followed by murder. But when Albert meets Annie it all shifts, there's some suspense but only in vague currents through overall dullness, their dynamic is somewhat interesting and ambiguous but young Gerri Reischl is a tedious cute young girl and events are utterly prosaic and cheesy. Zooey Hall is decent as Albert though, aloof and malign with a definite sense of threat to him, he carries things as best he can but its difficult when substantial portions of the film are so uneventful, only perking up for a fairly intense closing ten minutes or so. Mostly the score is more exitable than the film, tense strings, saccharine romance and a fair amount of brash and brassy jazz moments, its good fun to boogie along to even when not much interesting is happening. The direction is stolid and other performances tend to be quite weak, but there's enough low key unease for things to be just about passable, and an interesting palpable air of misogyny. Not only is good time given over to Alberts unpleasant blather the portrayal of women in the film does little to contradict him, I'm sure the effect wasn't especially intentional but its notable nonetheless and gives the film a creepier feel than it might otherwise. Altogether this won't do much for anyone other than the more thoroughoing of early 70's trash enthusiasts but if you're the kind of person that just has to see it, its worthy enough. 5/10.

You know you're in trouble when the new title is superimposed on the opening credits with what looks like an old dymo labelwriter!The first scene has a female nurse enter a room by herself, in a mental institute no less, and tell the male patient that he shouldn't be watching those types of films in his room because of what they do to him. Of course, that's the end of the nurse and it only goes downhill from there.Truly the only item of interest here is the title! How bad is it, a re-make would be an improvement. Besides its too good of a title to waste! Say, that gives me an idea...

Yes the title kicks ass but the film is just okay.I don't care what anyone says,I liked it because it was different.It had an awesome sample.."Breeding is the manifestation of worms" I actually rented it in 1999 and just bought it last week off Amazon.com for like $7.It's really rare.The part I didn't like was that he didn't kill his rich mother.(I'd like to dismember my mama myself).This is one of the films that inspired me to be a screenwriter because it's a low-budget film.I think I can do better though..We'll see.I talk about this movie at work and people are like "what?! I Dismember Mama? I like the guys hairstyle.He looked pretty scary.I also liked the part at the beginning when he was in the mental institution.I can relate to that.I'm glad I have this in my collection, right next to Friday the 13th.The naked girl at the end looked pretty nice too.This is worth checking out.

Zooey Hall, I've not seen him in any other role but, boy, was he perfect for the part of Albert. He certainly is a creepy-lookin' fellow. No wonder he's credited as playing "Joanie's Weird Boyfriend" on a Happy Days episode.I Dismember Mama is an irksome film with laughable music throughout, even for the period. The scenes where Albert is chasing Annie has accompanying music that sounds like something from the old Adam West "Batman" TV-series. It ruins the climatic scenes. Summed up, there's not much to see, well . . . some '70s nudity.