Directed by:
Jack HillScreenplay:
Jack HillCinematography:
Alfred TaylorComposer:
Ronald SteinCast:
Lon Chaney Jr., Carol Ohmart, Beverly Washburn, Sid Haig, Quinn K. Redeker, Mantan Moreland, Mary Mitchel, Jill BannerPlots(1)
This highly influential cult classic from writer-director Jack Hill tells the demented and darkly comic tale of the Merrye children -- Elizabeth (Beverly Washburn), Virginia (Jill Banner) and Ralph (Sid Haig)-- all of whom suffer from a rare genetic malady that causes its victims to mentally regress to a condition of "pre-human savagery and cannibalism."
The children live in the old family mansion, and though under the cautious guardianship of chauffeur Bruno (Lon Chaney Jr.), they manage to terrorize anyone or anything which passes through the gates. So when the family is visited by a pair of distant relatives and their greedy lawyer, a wild night of murderous thrills ensues.
(official distributor synopsis)
Reviews (1)
The bizarreness of the film lies precisely in the fact that we see young adults behaving like children, unable to distinguish whether they are doing something they shouldn't. The death of a person is part of the game for them and they are unable to realize that something is wrong. This inevitably leads to tragic events, which, due to their presentation, come across as very darkly humorous and crazy. The film won't appeal to everyone, and it didn't quite appeal to me.
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