Strait-Jacket

William Castle
1964

It doesn't get much better than schlockmeister William Castle teaming up with a waning "crazy era" Joan Crawford, and turning the former Hollywood heavyweight into a reformed axe murder recently released from the funny farm! As expected, Castle lays the tension on thick with hilariously unsubtle symbolism and jittery Joan's nervous tic of slicing inanimate objects to ribbons. Heads roll with a ballsy amount of onscreen violence, whether it be a silhouette of a recently severed melon, or a direct hatchet job complete with arterial gushing. The garishly basic low-budget lighting provides the perfect B-movie look and ups the pulp ante of Castle's cheapie sensibilities. While Joan Crawford may not have been a tinseltown high-roller at this point of her career, she's definitely still got chops. The most unforgettable scene comes when mommy dearest is introduced to her daughter's beau. The meek and skittish Crawford 180's into a provocatively sexual predator (I loathe to use the term "cougar," but it's kind of unavoidable in this case), swilling whiskey, swiveling her hips, and laying hungry hands on the blonde country boy. The twist ending may be visible a mile off, but works satisfactorily as an expected genre convention. This one is DVD worthy.