Wizard-8 No doubt inspired by the huge success of the big budget major Hollywood studio movie "Bonnie & Clyde", American-International Pictures teamed up with producer/director Roger Corman to make this story of Ma Barker and her sons. But the results are sort of disappointing. I feel I should point out that I didn't find the movie to be awful - the movie is never boring, the production values are okay, the cast (not just Winters but also the future stars) give good performances, and there are some trashy touches that are fun. However, the script should have had a lot more work before filming started. We don't really see what motivates not only the character of Ma Barker, but her loyal sons (who are pretty interchangeable for the most part.) Also, the first half of the movie has some pretty sloppy storytelling, being one vignette after another with no firm story being told. And in the end, the movie can't decide whether it is a serious look at the Barker gang or a trashy drive-in viewpoint.As I said, the movie is not terrible, but it doesn't really work at whatever angle you want to regard it as. It's probably best suited for viewing when you're in a real undemanding mood.

gavin6942 This film is Roger Corman and Sam Arkoff's answer to "Bonnie and Clyde". But not only did they take the theme of Depression-era gangsters, they also borrowed the idea of completely eradicating the facts. I would be hard-pressed to name one thing in this film that was based a real event.That being said, it has some historical merit. Shelley Winters gives a good performance, and has said she was proud of the film (which she oddly enough promoted as a film denouncing violence, despite its clearly violent nature). She even allegedly took a punch to the face, resulting in a nose injury bad enough to get X-rays.Bruce Dern and Robert DeNiro give some of the earliest performances of their careers, and any DeNiro fan who has not seen him in this is really missing out on his humble beginnings. These days, he is past his prime, making cheesy comedies. But have you seen him before his prime?Perhaps most interesting, this was the big-screen debut of cinematographer John A. Alonzo. While he may not be well-known, he did go on to film "Harold and Maude", "Chinatown" and "Scarface" and snagged an Oscar nomination. Not bad for a graduate of the Corman School.

bkoganbing Though Bloody Mama has very little to do with Ma Barker and the four fine strapping sons she raised, the film provides Shelley Winters with a role she can overact to her heart's content and no one would notice this side of a slasher flick. It's part that I wish Shelley had done in a more factual retelling of the Barker saga.She gave her four sons played by Don Stroud, Clint Kimbrough, Robert Walden, and Robert DeNiro the lack of character and amoral view of life that led them to become criminals, she herself simply went along for the ride on their criminal enterprises. She was far from the mastermind that Shelley Winters is shown to be.This was one of Robert DeNiro's first parts where he was noticed. You can see traces of later redneck characters that he did in films like This Boy's Life and Cape Fear in his portrayal of Lloyd Barker, the youngest Barker sibling. By the way Lloyd in real life did not end up the way he's shown in the film. Other parts of significance are Bruce Dern as a character modeled on Alvin 'Creepy' Karpis who was part of the Barker story, but is not mentioned at all here. Another is Pat Hingle playing a kidnap victim of the gang's and a third is Diane Varsi who marries one of the Barker sons.Roger Corman who produced and directed Bloody Mama gave Shelley Winters a great part and she ran with it. Even though the film is far from the truth about the Barkers, it does show the values those boys had and where they got them.

JasparLamarCrabb It's not trash, but it's certainly not in a class with BONNIE AND CLYDE or even DILLINGER, but BLOODY MAMA is a ton of fun. Shelley Winters is scary, creepy and actually a little touching as "the greatest mother of them all." Her kinky brood is played by up'n'comers Robert Walden, Robert De Niro and Don Stroud. They're all terrific, with DeNiro chewing a bit of scenery as Lloyd, the family's glue-sniffing junkie. Roger Corman's direction is, as expected, efficient and lean, although it's remarkably blood-free, despite the inflammatory title. The supporting cast includes Diane Varsi (looking pretty lousy with a perm and bad skin) and Pat Hingle (as the family's unlucky kidnapping victim).