Wild in the Streets Movie Review

“If you're over 30, you'd better forget it….” So goes the theme song to this chilling black comedy that puts a paranoid spin on youthful rebellion. Christopher Jones stars as rock idol Max Frost, who uses his influence with the young (not to mention L.S.D. dumped in Washington, D.C.’s water supply) to get the voting age lowered to 14 and himself elected president. His first act is to incarcerate all citizens over the age of 30 in “retirement homes.” Richard Pryor co-stars as Stanley X, drummer and author of The Aborigine Cookbook. Shelley Winters goes over the top as Max's groovy-impaired mother ("Senator,” she rebukes Hal Holbrook, “I'm sure my son has a very good reason for paralyzing the country"). The soundtrack scored a hit, “Shape of Things to Come.” The chilling last line is a knockout: “Everybody over 10 ought to be put out of business.”

1968 97m/C Shelley Winters, Christopher Jones, Hal Holbrook, Richard Pryor, Diane Varsi, Millie Perkins, Ed Begley Sr.; D: Barry Shear; W: Robert Thom; C: Richard Moore; M: Les Baxter. Nominations: Academy Awards ‘68: Best Film Editing. VHS, Beta, LV HBO