Booby Trap / The Takers (1971) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The admittedly promising DVD cover lured me to buying this SOMETHING WEIRD double feature. Well, it is not so explosive as the title and artwork suggests.
The first movie BOOBY TRAP starts with a troubled ex-marine buying 40 Claymore mines and blowing the soldier who illegally sold him the explosives to smithereens, just for the fun of it. Cheering, he breaks out in maniacal laughter and fires his pump action shotgun.
A really promising start, but what a pity that the rest of the film does not live up to the first minutes. From now on the story concerning the psycho ex-marine, who wants to use the Claymore mines to blow up the hippie audience visiting a rock concert, and a not very soldier-like looking military policeman trying to hunt the psycho down, drags. Sure, the story sounds interesting, but it sounds actually better than it is.It is much too talky and the action scenes are few and far between.
(Admittedly things liven up a little when it's showdown time.) Some female nudity and sex is on display, but nothing to write home about. And do not expect to see much explosives induced mayhem.
Sure, I can think of worse ways to kill my time, but the film is not essential viewing.
I liked the second feature THE TAKERS much better. E.J. and Willy are outlaw bikers. After a violent fight with another biker, an extended sex and drug session with two girls and a gas station hold up, the bikers raid the home of housewife Laura and her friend Barbie ("We're gonna have us a party with some educated social-type broads.") Much sexual encounters and drug abuse ensue, before Laura's husband (Carl MONSON, who played the ex-marine on the loose in BOOBY TRAP) suddenly returns from a business trip. As you probably guessed it is comeuppance time now...Oh, and there is a silly surprise ending, which will have you shake your head in disbelief. (In the stage world this is called "BRECHTian alienation effect", I think). Believe me, it is REALLY silly!
Aside from that THE TAKERS is very sleazy and fun entertainment indeed.
As can be expected from SWV company their DVD offers many extra features. There are 9 trailers. It must be said that the BOOBY TRAP trailers are better than the movie itself. Generally, all trailers are a bit too long and give away too much of the respective movies. I liked the BLACK ALLEY CATS and the BLACK BUNCH trailer best. Curiously, there is a trailer for a movie called YOUNG AND WILD, which appears to be a different cut of BOOBY TRAP with more explicit sex scenes.
Another extra is a short documentary about motorcycle freaks, THESE ARE THE ALIENS! It ends rather abruptly, so I guess it is only a part of a longer film. The bikers are shown in their favorite activities (boozing, smoking grass, having sex, and chatting about their bad experiences with the law). Recommended only for die-hard biker (movie) fans.
The usual black and white striptease short subject is also not missing. It is called MAGNIFICENT MONIQUE, rather old and with horrible picture quality (what else do you expect?) Despite these shortcomings I really liked it, mainly because of the top-heavy "actress".

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