In Terrence Malick’s extraordinary directorial début Martin Sheen plays Kit Carruthers, a disenchanted James Dean lookalike on a cold-blooded killing spree through America’s Midwest. Accompanied by his young girlfriend Holly, they begin by killing her father whose disapproval of their relationship is a catalyst for destruction. An atmospheric classic of 1970s American independent cinema.
Selected for That’s a Wrap by Ashok Chowdhury:
In 1985, my twin brother was a Medical student in Manchester. We had recently become film fans and developed a taste for great movies and fine acting.
In January 1986, my twin invited me to Manchester to spend a Friday and Saturday night going out in studentsville and meeting his friends. I travelled up from Birmingham to a cold, snowy Manchester and we saw Rocky 4 at the Odeon on Oxford road. Ok film, but standard Hollywood, popcorn movie which I could have seen in Birmingham.
The next morning my twin took me to see a morning performance (11.15am I think?) of Badlands starring a young Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek at an art house cinema Cornerhouse. In October 1985, ITV showed a re-run of the three part mini- series ‘Kennedy’ starring an unknown actor to us who played JFK, Martin Sheen. We loved his screen presence and became fans, so the chance to watch an early Martin Sheen film was very appealing and intriguing (no DVDs or internet in those days!). Well….it was terrific! The acting, the scenery, the music-it was truly awesome! Watching a morning film was a ‘first’ as was watching an ‘old’ film at the cinema. I was hooked on great, cult movies ever since.
Whenever I speak to anyone who loves movies or has lived in Manchester, I always reminisce about travelling to Manchester and watching Badlands at this wonderful, small, cosy cinema next to Oxford Road train station.