Boom!

Look at the career of any actor or actress you admire and you're bound to find a bomb or two. Those bombs are sometimes indicative of that performer's real-life personality, and when you look at Joseph Losey's 1968 film "Boom!," that is very clear. Based on a play by Tennessee Williams and regarded by the playwright as the best adaptation of one of his works, this loud and brash two-hander is the opposite of boring dramaturgy.

"Boom!" revels in ridiculous performances by the leads and wears the many failings of the production like a badge of honor. Filmmaker John Waters adores the film and describes it as "beyond bad. It's the other side of camp. It's beautiful, atrocious, and it's perfect. It's a perfect movie, really, and I never tire of it."

Flora 'Sissy' Goforth (Taylor) is a dying wealthy woman who has secluded herself to a small island and only lives with a full staff of servants she treats like dirt. Christopher 'The Angel of Death' Flanders (Burton) is a failed writer that's known for tending to dying wealthy women, somehow carrying a mystical quality that expedites the death of anyone who spends time with him. The main thrust of the story involves Flanders quest to bed Sissy despite her recalcitrant attitude and genuine disgust for every human she comes in contact with, even herself.

I'm really happy to see that Shout! Factory has given this unjustly lamented film the time of day with a stunning new Blu-ray release. Watching the film is like being given a glimpse into the extremes that ego can achieve. Taylor, while committed to spewing vitriol for the entire runtime, can be seen taking off pieces of her costume and generally wrecking things in plenty of scenes. This wasn't part of the script, it was just Taylor's nature. And when you see Burton's Flanders reduced to a simpering wimp in front of her, that was indicative of their off-screen relationship.

Some consider "Boom!" as terrible, and while they may not be wrong, it'd be doubly wrong to dismiss a project for being that way. There's something transcendent that occurs when camp is allowed to flow freely, and this stands as a prime example. The video presentation of the film is gorgeous, even when the blemishes start to show with what must be a battered old print that Shout! must have worked from. Director Joseph Losey and cinematographer Douglas Slocombe rightfully focus in on Taylor and Burton's tired and weathered faces, as the two stumble around drunk for most of the proceedings. Losey seems dead set on showcasing these two giant personalities colliding as if they were in a big monster battle, which is reflexive of him considering that wasn't the original intention of the project in the beginning.

There's a great new audio commentary with John Waters on the Blu-ray that will only amplify the experience of watching "Boom!" The film is best enjoyed without knowing much about it and in the company of a few like-minded friends that are into trash like this. Waters' commentary is exactly like watching it with a friend. You should grab a bottle of your favorite alcohol and take in this new release of "Boom!" with a toast to the best that the bad can give. Other special features include:

� "The Sound of Bomb: Contextualizing Boom!" with Film Critic/Author Alonso Duralde
� Original Theatrical Trailer
� Vintage Photo Galleries

"Boom!"
Shout! Factory Blu-ray
$29.99
https://www.shoutfactory.com/product/boom?product_id=7068