Tag Archives: The Degenerates

Andy Milligan Rises Again!

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If you would have told me a decade ago that I would be praising the work of Staten Island bottom of the basement auteur Andy Milligan, I would have said you’re crazy. I had known about him and a few of his titles but just wrote him off as another low-budget schlocky filmmaker. But a couple of years ago, Severin Films did an amazing thing by releasing a massive box set of Milligan’s work, with a ton of extras. These films looked better than they probably did if/when they played in theaters. As I started to go through the set, I realized that while they are still very low budgeted films, and weren’t the best on the technical side, there was a charm to them that I really started to enjoy. I’ve always said that the more you know about an artist, it will make you appreciate their work a little more. And between that box set and Jimmy McDonough’s book The Ghastly One, I really started to enjoy what I was seeing.

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DtH Episode 105 – Andy Milligan

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The Ghastly Ones (1968), The Man with Two Heads (1972), and Carnage (1984)

There are not many filmmakers like Andy Milligan. Sure, there’s were a lot of independents during that same era, working with zero budgets that somehow got their finished pictures to play theaters and released on home video. But not too many where their real life was almost as terrifying as the films they made. Milligan could fit into that category. Making over 30 pictures in almost 25 years, with some of the most outrageous and memorable titles, he still remains very close to obscurity. But he does have some fans out there. In fact, a few years ago, Severin Films released a box set that included over a dozen of his films, packed with extras. So why not take a look into this strange filmmaker and three of his films.

But a warning… his films are not for everyone. Some refer to them as high school stage plays that were filmed. They can be mean. Talky. Bizarre camerawork. And pretty shoddy makeup. Nonetheless, they still have a charm to them. To some at least. So, take your next steps with caution, and as the saying goes, “Well… we warned you.”

Films mentioned in this episode:

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The Degenerate: The Life and Films of Andy Milligan

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Growing up in the age of video stores, I was aware of some of the films of Andy Milligan, such as The Rats Are Coming! The Werewolves Are Here! and Tortue Dungeon, just from seeing them on the shelves. But I never was that familiar with him, other than knowing he made some schlocky low budget films. But thanks to Severin Films, when they released their incredible Milligan box set, The Dungeon of Andy Milligan collection, which featured 14 different film titles and a plethora of extras. This amazing set allowed long-time fans, as well as beginners of Milligan’s work to really dig into his films and have the chance to see them looking better than they probably ever have. I know I have watched about a half dozen of the titles so far and have not been disappointed. Yeah, they are low budget, and often like watching a school play being filmed, but I was always entertained by the passion they had.

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