R – DVD Mother’s Little Helpers

DVD: Mother’s Little Helpers
Presented by/Copyright: Floralia Films 2004
Writer/Producer/Director: Stephen Geller
Starring: Kae Geller, Brett Ryland, Megan Kerins, Sarita Timmerman, Alyssa Russell, Dana Chodos, Maryssa Eusebio, Selene Preston, Lauren Calta, Yvette Hope, Oona Laurie
Playing Time: 130 mins.

“Something must have happened back there…to make those girls learn Greek!”

“Nine girls have escaped from a reform school. Their purpose? To bring down the most ancient Goddess, The Great Mother. To change their lives and the future of the planet. And if they don’t succeed, they’ve sworn to kill themselves. Or be killed.”

The movie opens with a gaggle of teenage girls assaulting and imprisoning what looks to be a jail guard. Turns out, these young woman are residents of a medium security girls-only reform school, only without the bars, and with comfy “cabins” instead of cells. Several of the girls have discovered they share a link to the past…a long ago, far away type of past, and have now made good their escape.

The rest of the movie focuses on the Psychiatrist and her intern/teaching assistant known only as “Rez” (as the Psychiatrist is known as “Psych” through most of the movie), and their curious, continued entrapment into the girls’ cause. “Rez” is so involved in fact, they’ve known about him since before he came to “Kyalea”. He is part of their greater plan. They are going to bring about the return of the Great Mother, the most ancient goddess. “Rez” is chosen as hostage once he finds the girls, and soon falls in love with one of them. Not to be outdone, the girl in charge quickly informs him that he is the father of “Psychs” baby (who is lesbian, for whatever reason this is relevant in the movie, is never revealed), and he will father a child with her, as well as the girl he loves.

This brings about the birth of “Creativity, Love and Destruction” – all aspects of the Great Mother. It culminates with a rather shoddy selection of special effects and the disappearance of the girls with their hostage-cum-consort, “Rez”.

While this movie is quite obviously low budget, as evidenced by the rather shaky photography and somewhat lackadaisical freehand with scene looping and volume control on the soundtrack, it was an enjoyable movie. If one can fight their way through the boredom during long loop-scenes and annoying psycho-babble and drama, and get to the meat of the matter, it’s actually quite well done, and well researched.

Most of the people involved in the creation of this movie are newcomers to screen productions – not to mention to acting at all. Many are students, some are film crew – one (the star, “Psych”) is the director’s wife.

The only veteran I could find listed with the production credits is one Stephen Geller – who has a list of credentials that reads like the Rede – if you’re into his type of film. If you recognize his name, you’ve likely seen “Slaughterhouse Five”, “Valachi Papers”, or “Cuppa Cabby Piece o’ Pie”. Mr. Geller served as screenwriter for these, and many great others. Mother’s Little Helpers was a project he’d been wanting to do for many years, and finally had the resources and time to do it. It’s been referred to as a piece of “guerilla-filming” mastery.

All in all, despite the camp, the low-budget and the somewhat forgivable bad acting, I’ve recommended it over and over to friends. It’s definitely one to watch more than once.

3.5 Broomsticks
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Jodi Lee, aka ierne, is a 20+ year veteran of pagan paths. A single work at home mom, she is currently hard at work on her first novel.

http://www.jodilee.ca