Bloody Mama
Kate 'Ma' Barker becomes a formidable, controlling matriarch by the 1930s, guiding her grown sons into a ruthless Depression-era gang. The crew includes the merciless Herman, who remains loyally by Ma's side; Fred, an ex-con who formed a bond with a fellow prisoner; and Lloyd, who turns to whatever he can find for a quick high. Together they form a dangerous, unconventional family of outlaws.
Director(s)
Roger Corman
Gary Grillo
Cast & Crew
Details
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John Chard
Moma's Boys. Bloody Mama is directed by Roger Corman and written by Don Peters and Robert Thom. It stars Shelley Winters, Bruce Dern, Don Stroud, Robert De Niro, Diane Varsi, Robert Walden and Pat Hingle. Music is by Don Randi and cinematography by John A. Alonzo. Story is loosely based on the infamous Kate "Ma" Barker, who along with her sons would cause criminal carnage wherever they went. "I told my boys to just rob banks and stay out of trouble" Very much coming off like the bastard son of Bonnie and Clyde, Bloody Mama finds Roger Corman on devilish form. He somehow manages to create violence that cuts hard, and yet there's still a pantomime vibe to things. The characters range from a mad matriarch who is a deathgasm addict - to a psychopath - a sadist - a submissive homosexual - a junkie torturer - and a hapless girlfriend, is it any wonder there's murder, robbery and seedy sexual shenanigans going on?! Hell the pic even begins with incestuous rape! Kiss me Kate! It's all very chaotic at times, led by a blunderbuss turn from Winters, but just when you think it's going out of control to the point of no return, Corman and his cast pull it back on track. It's often thrilling and unnerving, and with Corman blending newsreel footage of the era with the fact the pic is filmed on location in Arkansas, there's an earthy docu style feel to the tale - even if as a history lesson it's hokey at best. Not everybody's idea of enjoyment but from that chilling opening to the blood and thunder of the finale, Bloody Mama holds court with shifty glee. 7.5/10
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Bloody Mama FAQs
The directors of Bloody Mama are Roger Corman and Gary Grillo.
The cast of Bloody Mama includes Don Stroud as Herman Barker, Robert De Niro as Lloyd Barker, Bruce Dern as Kevin Dirkman, Pat Hingle as Sam Adams Pendlebury, Shelley Winters as 'Ma' Kate Barker, Steve Mitchell as Sheriff, Scatman Crothers as Moses, Michael Fox as Dr. Roth, Stacy Harris as Agent McClellan, Alan Haufrect as Prisoner (uncredited), Robert Walden as Fred Barker, Pamela Dunlap as Rembrandt, and more.
The duration of Bloody Mama is 1h 30 mins.
Yes. You can watch the Bloody Mama trailer on this Fanbiz page on Fanziz.
Bloody Mama was released on 24 Mar 1970.
Bloody Mama is listed under Crime and Drama on Fanbiz.
Bloody Mama has 1 review on Fanziz, with an average rating of 7.0/10. One reviewer wrote: "Moma's Boys. Bloody Mama is directed by Roger Corman and written by Don Peters and Robert Thom. It stars Shelley Winters, Bruce Dern, Don Stroud, Robert De Niro, Diane Varsi,..."
