Blue Sunshine

In the classic Hitchcockian, Jerry Zipkin (Zalman King) finds himself holding a bloody knife as the just deceased's best friend walks in.  But moments before, the now dead woman was hovering that knife over a pair of children, and Zikpin busts in just in time.  What would cause anyone to do something so unimaginably heinous? Our everyman hero had learned that the woman was one of several Stanford University graduates who had, ten years earlier, partaken of a dangerous form of LSD called "Blue Sunshine."  In addition to causing murderous tendencies, this apparently very long time released drug also causes alopecia.

Currently, Edward Flemming (Mark Goddard), another Stanford grad and ex-husband of the dead would-be child killer, is running for public office.  His campaign slogan: "Make America Good Again". Yep.  Zipkin learns that Flemming was the head dealer of Blue Sunshine.  But did he ever ingest his own product? Is he due to have his own very bad trip any moment now? What about Flemming's bodyguard, Wayne (Ray Young), a former Stanford football star who has this habit of tugging at that rug on his head? Or Zipkin's old friend David (Robert Walden), a physician who also went to Stanford?

1978's BLUE SUNSHINE is writer/director Jeff Lieberman's attempt at a medical/political satire, wrapped in a standard '70s low budget horror package.  It's a fairly entertaining time waster, occasionally creepy, with some nice editing by Brian Smedley-Aston and Russ Kingston and fluid camerawork by Don Knight.  The recent remaster of this print is gorgeous.

Lieberman is a better director than writer, and tosses off a few decent fright and action scenes.  His script has some fascinating ideas, but they never really gel.  Hard not to wonder what Cronenberg could've made of this.  While there are numerous attempts at humor (one of the best is the cut to a poster of Flemming that has been defaced), most of the laughs seem unintentional, with a few serious howlers.

King, better known for his later softcore epics, inspires both laughter and sheer boredom.  He resembles Rush lead singer Geddy Lee, which for me did leaven his dull performance.  Aside from Walden, most of the rest of the cast deliver painfully amateurish acting.   I did enjoy the character named Frannie, showcased early on as one of Zipkin's party buddies and who sets the story in motion.  Damned if he doesn't remind me of Billy Crystal, I kept thinking.  Frannie is in fact played by Richard Crystal, Billy's brother.

And remember, if you want to slow down your attacker, just blast them with some disco music.