Sonny Boy (1989 film) explained

Sonny Boy
Director:Robert Martin Carroll[1]
Producer:Ovidio G. Assonitis
Starring:Paul L. Smith
David Carradine
Brad Dourif
Conrad Janis
Sydney Lassick
Alexandra Powers
Steve Carlisle
Robert Broyles
Christopher Bradley[2]
Cinematography:Roberto D'Ettorre Piazzoli
Editing:Claudio M. Cutry
Music:Carlo Maria Cordio
Country:United States
Italy
Runtime:96 min.
Language:English
Studio:Trans World Entertainment (TWE)
Distributor:Triumph Releasing Corporation

Sonny Boy (Italian: Il dono del silenzio) is a 1989 black comedy-drama thriller film directed by Robert Martin Carroll.[3] The musical score was composed by Carlo Maria Cordio. It stars Paul L. Smith, David Carradine, Brad Dourif, Conrad Janis, Sydney Lassick, Alexandra Powers, and Steve Carlisle.[4] [5] David Carradine wrote the film's theme song, "Paint", which he performs in the film.

Plot summary

In 1970, Harmony, a small town in New Mexico, is run by a small-time crime boss named Slue, who accepts the delivery of a Lincoln Continental car stolen by his henchmen Weasel, who brings it after killing a couple who was travelling with their child. When the crime boss finds the couple's baby in the backseat he wants to kill him, but he is stopped by his transvestite “wife”, Pearl. Slue decides to keep the baby - which Pearl names “Sonny Boy” - but he cuts out the boy’s tongue and raises him as a mute accomplice in their crimes, training and treating him like a wild dog, and sending Sonny Boy to kill anyone who wants to steal from or opposes Slue's grip over the town. When the grown Sonny Boy escapes and tries to make contact with the outside world, the attention he draws to his warped family results in darkly-humored mayhem.

Production and music

The opening song, "Paint" a.k.a "Maybe It Ain’t" was written and performed by David Carradine.[6] [7]

Cast

Legacy

Carradine wrote and performed the theme songs for several movies that he either directed or starred in, like You and Me, Americana and Sonny Boy. The first verse from the Sonny Boy theme, "Paint" (which he wrote while filming Americana in Drury, Kansas, in 1973), is engraved on his headstone, as an epitaph.[17]

Home media

This movie was released in Blu-ray format in January 2016, with English audio and subtitles, by Shout! Factory. Special features include audio commentaries with director Robert Martin Carroll, and with screenwriter Graeme Whifler.[18]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Sonny Boy 1990 Directed by Robert Martin Carroll. 2017-10-09. letterboxd.com.
  2. Web site: Sonny Boy (1989) DVD (VHS VIDEO PAL). 2017-10-09. amazon.co.uk.
  3. Web site: Films directed by Robert Martin Carroll. 2017-10-09. letterboxd.com.
  4. Web site: Film Review: Sonny Boy (1989). 2017-10-09. horrornews.net.
  5. Web site: Sonny Boy movie. 2017-10-09. filmaffinity.com.
  6. Hi-Def Digest, February 2nd, 2016 - Sonny Boy Review by Matthew Hartman
  7. Genius - Paint a.k.a Maybe It Ain’t (1989 Film Version - Opening), David Carradine
  8. Web site: Sonny Boy (1989 film. 2017-10-09. horrorview.com.
  9. Web site: Sonny Boy . 2017-10-09. csfd.cz.
  10. Web site: Sonny Boy (1989). 2017-10-09. moviemeter.nl.
  11. Web site: Synalek (1989). 2017-10-09. filmweb.pl.
  12. Web site: Sonny Boy (1989). 2017-10-09. cinemagia.ro.
  13. Web site: Sonny Boy casting. 2017-10-09. allocine.fr.
  14. Web site: Sonny Boy (Blu-ray) reviews. 2017-10-09. dreadcentral.com.
  15. Web site: THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY PROJECT – SONNY BOY (1989). 2017-10-09. dailygrindhouse.com.
  16. Web site: Sonny Boy (1989) Movie Review. 2017-10-09. horrorphilia.com.
  17. http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2009/12/exclusive-photos-david-carradines-grave-marker David Carradine Grave Marker
  18. Web site: Sonny Boy Blu-ray . January 26, 2016 . June 27, 2022 . Blu-ray.com .