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Wednesday, October 17, 2018

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 17: STRAIT JACKET 1964 (MILL CREEK) BLU-RAY

Classic and well done William Castle thriller.

It seemed kind of odd that Shout Factory turned this out as a single Blu-ray feature while at the same time Mill Creek turned it out on a double bill with "Berserk".

The Mill Creek print is excellent and it's a heck of a value at under $8.50 for two films.

Joan Crawford is Lucy Harbin, a woman who killed her husband and his lover 20 years ago with an ax. She is released from the asylum and goes to live at her brother's house in the country. Her brother, Bill Cutler (Leif Erickson) welcomes her into the home shared with his wife Emily (Rochelle Hudson) and Lucy's daughter Carol (Diane Baker).

Lucy has a very hard time adjusting but Carole seems to be helping her and things just start going good when all of a sudden an ax murder occurs and Lucy is suspected. Her doctor from the asylum comes to visit and he too gets his head chopped off.

Things start to come unraveled when the hired hand Leo Krause (George Kennedy) spots Carole hiding the doctor's car in a barn. Very soon Leo looses his head in a shocking scene for the time.

Lucy starts to believe she might be responsible but remember, this is a William Castle film, so not all is as it seems.

Many years ago when I was a kid my mother recommended this film to me and I saw it on a late show. I was 10 or 11 then and I liked the film, but it really didn't stand out. However, looking at it all these years later, it's a great film. Joan Crawford was nearing the end of her career and was making low budget horror films for Columbia studios, and she gives it her all.

Crawford easily steals the show and proves you don't have to be sloppy in you final acting days. I have always liked her as an actress and I really don't believe all of the negative crap I have read about her.

This is well worth the money to see this shocker looking beautiful on Blu-ray. RECOMMENDED!!!

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