G.A.S.S. Oder – Es war notwendig, die Welt zu vernichten, um sie zu retten (1970)

G.A.S.S. Oder – Es war notwendig, die Welt zu vernichten, um sie zu retten: Directed by Roger Corman. With Bob Corff, Elaine Giftos, Bud Cort, Talia Shire. A gas is let loose upon the world that kills anyone over 25 years old.

“This is the film that Roger Corman says was his final straw with AIP. After mildly editing WILD ANGELS and THE TRIP, their virtual elimination of u0026quot;Godu0026quot; and the obliteration of the original ending led him to form New World Pictures.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eSeeing this film at the American Cinemateque in a striking new print shows both its virtues as a one-of-a-kind (well, at least for anybody BUT Corman!) oddity as well as a failed attempt at counter-culture comedy. Itu0026#39;s hard to see how even the original Directoru0026#39;s Cut (if it exists at all) would really be that much of an improvement. What is on the screen is still probably about 90% of what Corman shot, and itu0026#39;s a scattershot affair. The Cinematography and Music stand out, as well as bits of the acting, particularly by Elaine Giftos.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eRoger Corman spoke after the Cinemateque screening.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eCorman said that he hadnu0026#39;t seen the movie since its release in 1970. It was edited before its theatrical release by AIP. Most significantly was the almost complete elimination of the voice of u0026quot;Godu0026quot;. Corman speculated that since AIP had gone public (stock market) around that time, that they were concerned that the u0026quot;Jewish comicu0026quot;-type voice would be considered sacriligious! Then, AIP cut the most elaborate shot in the entire film. The original ending! Elaine Giftos and Robert Corff were to u0026quot;walk off into the sunset in the most cliched ending possible.u0026quot; This was shot in a big panaroma shot u0026quot;with marching bands and the whole cast included.u0026quot; Corman said that it STILL bothers him that as released, the film u0026quot;has no ending.u0026quot;”