HumanoidOfFlesh The premise of "Homebodies" is certainly unique:a bunch of old people don't want to leave their apartment complex so they start murdering anyone who tries to force them to leave.This weird little shocker is one of the most underrated horror movies of early 70's.The main characters are well-played and very believable and the murders are quite shocking in its viciousness.The cast includes veteran character actors including Ian Wolfe and Ruth McDevitt from "The Night Stalker" and "The Birds".The killings include stabbing to death with a butcher knife and encasing one victim in cement.Construction workers are also mysteriously dying on a construction site.One of old ladies named Mrs. Loomis resolves to tell the police everything,but Mattie kills her by bashing an urn containing the ashes of Miss Emily deceased husband over her head.Very grim and darkly funny "Homebodies" is a must-see for fans of 70's American horror.

Woodyanders Six feisty old folks -- blind Peter Brocco, hard-working superintendent Ian Wolfe and his nagging wife Ruth McDermott, kindly writer William Hansen, agoraphobic eccentric Frances Fuller and fierce, formidable old battle ax Paula Trueman -- refuse to leave their crumbling tenement building despite the fact that it's going to be demolished to make way for expensive high-rise apartment complexes. The extremely loyal, hidebound and resourceful over-the-hill group resort to murder so they can remain in their beloved brownstone, bumping off a condescending young woman social worker, a greedy jerk land developer and various hapless construction workers who are victims of random fatal "accidents."Director/co-writer Larry Yust, who also helmed the bang-up funky blaxploitation blast "Trick Baby," fashions this absorbingly off-kilter plot into a delightfully quirky and deadpan black comic horror oddity, skillfully alternating between shocking moments of brutal violence and inspired bits of uproarious wackiness in a deft, screwy, throwaway style which proves to be both amusingly nutty and occasionally quite unnerving in comparable measure. The murder set pieces are truly jolting and the climactic poky last reel paddle boat chase sequence is nothing short of brilliant. Better still, Yust shows a genuine warmth and compassion for the elderly, scoring points for his incisive critique of our society's gross disregard for senior citizens and how said elderly are among those luckless and powerless people who often don't benefit a bit from progress and urban renewal. Brocco, Wolfe, McDermott, Hansen, Fuller and especially the marvelously sassy and sprightly Trueman (who was also great as Sondra Locke's redoubtable granny in "The Outlaw Josey Wales") all give lively, colorful, thoroughly engaging and touchingly dignified performances as the shrewd, lethal, lovably stubborn and indomitable geriatric protagonists. Beautifully photographed in the rundown Cincinnati slums by Isidore Mankofsky, this splendidly singular and whimsical fright film tale of inner city blight and the resilience of the elderly rates as a definite fabulously off-beat and original must-see sleeper.

delbruk This one is truly original. A Cult film for the Geriatric crowd. It is good to see that I am not the only one who was impressed with this obscure film from when HBO was in its infancy (channel 6 anyone?) There are some very good actors associated with this project for anyone who was conscious in the 60's and 70's. From Ruth McDevitt to Ian Wolfe you have seen them before in many supporting roles, here you get to see them lead. The film almost has a strange aura similar to The Sentinel (1977) although without the supernatural aspects. Here we have a social satire which focuses on the geriatric crowd affirming their rights in the face of oppression. Coming out of the era of civil rights don't think this subject matter wasn't a projection of society in which many sub-cultures where finding ways to be empowered. This film takes that premise and twists it into some very humorous and macabre situations. The cement pouring scene is a memorable one which stands alongside any early giallo for inventiveness. Dated but still worth it if you can find it if cult is your thing.

jmroc I saw this about 15 years ago when my mother rented it. Why Blockbusters had this in the comedy section, I'll never know. Seniors defending their block of flats against developers at *any* cost. Really creepy, or just bad acting? If you're looking for some _Exorcist_-era horror, it might be worth a look, but only if you've already seen everything else on the shelf.