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Homicidal (1960)
I love this, the Happy Shopper version of "Psycho".
Genial showman/chancer William Castle takes Hitchcock's and Robert Bloch's basic ingredients: creepy isolated house, old lady, cross dressing, useless cops, remarkably unobservant supporting cast and combines them with a cheek that even Hitchcock would have balked at.
Jean Arless is great as Emily the knife-wilding loon in pursuit of a fortune she can only inherit by bumping off the people who know her secret.
Also includes the "Fright Break" during which the more lily-livered audience members can leave the room or cinema.
See it if you dare.:)
Genial showman/chancer William Castle takes Hitchcock's and Robert Bloch's basic ingredients: creepy isolated house, old lady, cross dressing, useless cops, remarkably unobservant supporting cast and combines them with a cheek that even Hitchcock would have balked at.
Jean Arless is great as Emily the knife-wilding loon in pursuit of a fortune she can only inherit by bumping off the people who know her secret.
Also includes the "Fright Break" during which the more lily-livered audience members can leave the room or cinema.
See it if you dare.:)
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Castle
The thing that most sticks in my mind is a very graphic opening murder - without spoilers, my memory suggests that someone gets a knife plunged into them - front view - with resulting blood flow from their startled mouth. Although of course blatantly hot on the heels of Psycho, still strong stuff enough indeed - for all his recourse to physical gimmickry, Castle was certainly capable of conjuring up audacious enough on-screen imagery!
Come to think of it, it seems Castle's strongest thriller/horrors were made in the 60s, ushered in by Homicidal. The Tingler, Strait-Jacket (with Dame Joan C) and I Saw What You Did (again with same, albeit considerably less centre-stage) are all great black-and-white genre stuff. I never did care much for the likes of say, House On Haunted Hill - which just seemed plain boring.
He starred in it but William Castle produced and directed it, complete with "Emergo".:)