STRAIGHT JACKET (1982)
aka DARK SANITY Directed by Martin Green
Genesis Home Video, Inc. VHS
THE FILM
"He's a couple of bricks shy of a full load, but he's harmless!"
"Who's that yo-yo working on our yard?"
"The man hasn't got brains enough to go to the bathroom and come back clean!"
That tears it. THE HANDYMEN OF THIS COUNTRY HAVE HAD ENOUGH!!
They tolerated Ralph from Devil Times Five. They dealt with Tor during Terror At Tenkiller. They almost lost it after exposure to Andy Milligan's filmography. But now, with Straight Jacket and its abhorrent treatment of Benny, yet another "retarded" handyman, the kid gloves are off. Watch your back, America. The Love Butcher, acting on behalf of Handymen everywhere, is on his way to YOUR house. And he's bringing a rubber hose.
What's that? You'd like to know what the semi-slashing Straight Jacket is all about? Forgive my gall, but that's not adept thinking. Think proactively. The plot, which concerns a recovering alcoholic named Karen, her decapitation gore hallucinations, and her touchy husband ("You yahoo! You lousy pig-faced bitch!"), is but a traditional method to deliver an abnormal experience. That said, we, the viewers, must remain one step ahead of the film. It's the only way to keep our trousers dry.
Straight Jacket is an onslaught of hilarity, disconnection, and tedium; heavy on the first two. For in addition to the degradation of poor ol' Benny, this sloppy film prides itself on mixed signals, extreme acting issues, and most importantly, a Very Special Message regarding alcoholics. Namely, they never win. The rest, as they say, is comedic history. Aldo Ray is a blubbering, line-blowing ex-cop with psychic powers. Middle-aged next door neighbors give push-up lessons and/or drool over Karen ("Hey! she's got a cute lil' caboose!"). An after-hours office party contrasts the career of Cheech & Chong with Jack Benny. There are also flashbacks (and flashforwards) within flashbacks, A.A. meeting hijinks, baffling 1950s soundtrack cues, and a slasher who appears to be four feet tall. Can I mention the obsession with severed heads? And the bottle of Jack Daniels that simply Will Not Break? Please?
Hey, I just went to the bathroom. I came back clean. Now, I get it. Benny is such a retarded yahoo yo-yo!
AUDIO AND VIDEO
Good God -- what happened over at Genesis?! The tape roll achieves new status as high art with this cassette. Actually, the weird neon lines which pop up every twenty seconds may eclipse that statement. Bottom line, this tape is a mess; far less "enhancing" than The Swamp Of The Lost Monster. If you're serious about Straight Jacket, Prism issued a much cleaner copy under the original title Dark Sanity in the early 80s. That's your best bet.
EXTRAS
I wish I had a cute lil' caboose. Don't we all?
FINAL THOUGHTS
The Love Butcher is holding a hose to my neck, so I'll make this quick. I had a really good time with Straight Jacket. My face hurt afterwards. It might knock you to sleep at some point, but there's always tomorrow. Find it.
— Joseph A. Ziemba, 06.07.07 | 
Benny "Yo-Yo" Yahoo
Face fulla Aldo
Nice pants
BENNY WUZ HERE
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