Search - Big Bad Mama [Special Edition] on DVD

MPAA Rating: R Content Advisory: Violence, Nudity, Adult Situations, Not For Children, Adult Language Movie Release: 1974 DVD Release: 12/13/2005 Format: DVD - Color Edition: Dual Layered,Special Collection Audio Tracks: English SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 24 mins Studio: Walt Disney Video Members Wishing: 14 Genres: Action, Crime, Crime Thriller See Also: Big Bad Mama

Angie Dickinson essays the title role in Big Bad Mama. This Depression-era crime caper casts the future star of Police Woman as sexy Ma Barker type Wilma McClatchie, who forces her nubile daughters (Susan Sennett, Robbie Lee) into participating in a robbery/kidnapping/murder spree. Wilma seems to be as motivated by the erotic thrill of lawbreaking as she is by the financial gains. She evens hops in the sack with her daughters, as does her common-law husband, played by William Shatner. A sequel appeared in 1987. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Angie Dickinson - Wilma McClatchie
William Shatner - William J. Baxter
Tom Skerritt - Fred Diller
Susan Sennett - Billy Jean McClatchie
Robbie Lee - Polly McClatchie

Re-released as part of Buena Vista's "Roger Corman Early Films" collection (an odd designation for a film that was produced but not directed by Corman and was made 20 years into his cinematic career), Big Bad Mama has been given an upgrade for its latest go-round on DVD. Big Bad Mama has been transferred to disc in a pan-and-scan transfer in the full-screen ratio of 1.33:1. The warm textures of Bruce Logan's handsome cinematography are well-served in this transfer, though the presence of credits for the Leonard Maltin interview that appeared on an earlier video release of the film (and hasn't been included here) suggests Buena Vista didn't remaster the film for this release. The original single-channel audio mix has been preserved for this edition, with the track mastered in Dolby Digital Stereo. Bonus materials included for this release are a documentary on the making of Big Bad Mama (featuring interviews with Corman, director Steve Carver, and leading lady Angie Dickinson), a commentary track featuring Corman and Dickinson (the latter of whom seems hard-pressed to remember the names of her co-stars), and the film's original theatrical trailer. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide