Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.5

Stanley Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf July 24, 2022

As revealed in the supplementary material on this Blu-ray, 1972’s “Stanley” was solely created to cash-in on the success of 1971’s “Willard.” Before, it was a story about a man and his beloved rat. This time, it’s the story of a man and his beloved rattlesnake. Director William Grefe and screenwriter Gary Crutcher aren’t concerned about hiding their influence, marching forward with this effort, which tries to address a special sensitivity between a broken man and his top snake buddy while offering viewers the occasional horror of an animal attack endeavor. “Stanley” was written in three days and assembled quickly for release, and it retains the atmosphere of a movie that isn’t particularly well thought out or properly edited, leaning heavily on the central shock value of snakes in motion to provide entertainment.

Tim (Chris Robinson) is a Native American Vietnam Vet trying to keep his distance from humanity while residing in rural Florida. His only close friend is Stanley, a rattlesnake, with the local snake population giving Tim a sense of comfort as he deals with PTSD and the loss of his father, who was murdered by Richard (Alex Rocco), a businessman killing animals to turn into belts and shoes. Tim can’t deal with others, but Richard intends to deal with him, looking to eliminate the resident so he can slaughter more swamp creatures, which includes Hazel, Stanley’s mate, who’s pregnant, creating excitement for Tim as he tries to protect his unusual family.

Tim is an interesting character, and deserves better writing to bring out the depths of his torment. He’s dealing with his days in Vietnam, struggling to understand his place as a Native American in the conflict. Tim is also flattened by the loss of his father, unable to challenge Richard and his devious ways, often dealing with the businessman’s goons as they seek to drive him away. The vet’s only friends are snakes, and “Stanley” offers an enormous amount of screentime to this relationship, with Tim keeping creatures inside his home, paying extra attention to Stanley, who’s about to become a father, with the caretaker working hard to transform animal instinct into human-like purpose.

Dramatic intensity isn’t welcome in “Stanley,” which doesn’t move along with purpose, dragging through scenes as Crutcher hopes to create a community of monsters for Tim to deal with. This includes Gloria (Marcia Knight), a burlesque dancer planning a macabre snake act with her vile husband, Sidney (Rey Baumel), using Tim to provide animals for the big show. The aforementioned goons are present to carry out Richard’s bidding, soon joined by Psycho, a coked-up killer who pushes Tim too far with his murderous ways. And there’s Richard, a slimy dude seeking a fortune in snake belts (even with a defined fear of snakes) and alligator shoes who openly makes passes at his own daughter.

Richard’s the villain of the story, but, in a way, everyone is a creep here, which may register as complex characterization in Crutcher’s mind, but it creates a muddled movie of random motivations, inspiring a race to the bottom as “Stanley” carries on for 107 minutes. It’s an extended run time for such a thin plot, and editorial magic is not in play here, as Grefe keeps the endeavor crawling along, in desperate need of a tighter cut. Emphasis on terror isn’t valued in “Stanley,” which is filled with lengthy scenes of real-time behavior (Tim doting on his snakes feels like it takes up half the picture) and half-speed antagonism. Occasional weirdness breaks out, including a run-in with quicksand and Stanley’s cameo in the lobby of a medical center (he can’t wait in the car like a normal snake), and there’s the appeal of a revenge arc, watching Tim deal with those who’ve done him wrong. However, such visceral highlights are few and far between in this painfully sluggish feature.

Stanley Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation is a 2K scan from its 35mm original camera negative. The results are impressive, with detail crisp throughout the viewing experience, exploring skin surfaces and period appearances, and snake activity is defined throughout. Interiors are textured, examining clubs and home, and exteriors are dimensional as the production tours swamplands and rural areas. Colors are sharp, finding costuming delivering bright primaries, and greenery is superb, along with blue skies. Skin tones are natural, on humans and snakes. Delineation is satisfactory. Grain is heavy but film-like. Source is in good condition.

Stanley Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix offers clear dialogue exchanges, supporting Chris Robinson's borderline mumbled performance, which remains intelligible. Scoring cues are appreciable, with good instrumentation, and soundtrack selections are fresh and sharp. Atmospherics are lively, dealing with swamp activity. Sound effects are adequately defined.

Stanley Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features screenwriter Gary Crutcher.

• "Dark Side of Eden" (44:44, SD) is a 2008 making-of for "Stanley," featuring interviews with producer/director William Grefe, writer Gary Crutcher, and actors Chris Robinson and Steve Alaimo. The idea for "Stanley" was born from the mind of Grefe, who wanted his own animal attack film after the success of "Willard," pulling together ideas found in a dream for a pitch to Crown International Pictures. The company agreed to finance the project, demanding an April release date in November, putting Grefe into a small panic, quickly finding Crutcher to bang out a script in a few days (with help from drugs). Casting is assessed, with Alex Rocco pulled off a "Godfather" press tour to shoot for a week, eventually tricked into confronting his profound fear of snakes. Florida locations are recalled, keeping Grefe busy figuring out ways to cut costs and shorten travel time, and select sequences, including the quicksand scene, are analyzed. Snake treatment is revealed, with the handler often beating the creatures into submission, while others had their mouths sewn shut to prevent bites. Characterization is highlighted and the movie's released is remembered, with Chinese producers quickly assembling a knockoff when they couldn't secure rights to the feature.

• "Stanley Goes Hollywood" (24:30, SD) is a Q&A session at the New Beverly Theater, featuring producer/director William Grefe, writer Gary Crutcher, and actor Chris Robinson.

• "Stanley Revisited" (3:17, SD) joins producer/director William Grefe on a tour of shooting locations, including the old Ivan Tor Studios, a local park, and a swamp.

• A Trailer has not been included on this release.

Stanley Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Grefe has the natural appeal of Florida locations and Rocco's cartoon turn as the baddie (as opposed to Robinson, who underplays his part to such a degree, he often looks like he needs a nap), and there's something there in "Stanley" that welcomes development from a sharper screenwriter. Instead of inspiring terror, the endeavor mostly fatigues, on a quest to appear more dramatically significant than it really is, unable to choose between a study of a psychologically wounded man and his misanthropic dealings with others and a killer snake extravaganza. "Stanley" might've been better off as pure camp (Tim puts little hats on his snakes, which isn't played for laughs), but Grefe isn't in the mood, attempting to tap into a primal fear factor with his version of an animal attack picture that's often serious when dealing with private pain.