I've been a fan of Curtis Harrington ever since I saw the remarkable "Night Tide" a few years ago on DVD. This movie, "the Killing Kind" just came out on DVD and hasn't been available in any format for a long time so I had never seen it. It turns out that this is just what you would have hoped for -- a nice but nasty little gem from the director's heyday, full of interesting performances and bizarre visuals.
The story is about a smothered son ("sometimes I feel like you're a giant pillow, pushing down on my face"), Terry (John Savage) who is sent to prison for rape at the beginning of the movie. His oppressive and ultra-tacky mother, who he calls by her first name Thelma (Ann Sothern) welcomes him home with just a bit too-open arms and an always ready glass of chocolate milk. But when the women who helped put him away (including his lawyer, played by Ruth Roman) begin to die off mama starts to suspect her little boy is more grown up than she thought....
Very good performances from the cast in general -- it's a staple of Harrington's style to combine surreal visuals with down-to-earth characters. Cindy Williams also appears in the film as a young lodger/would-be model, and she does a great job in her murder scene and playing the corpse. I don't know if there's an award out there for playing a good corpse but she deserves it. Ann Sothern pretty much blows everyone else away with her desperately needy mother figure, hiding behind sunglasses and a portable camera that she uses to chronicle her son's every moment (including showers!). I have only seen Savage in sort of stolid supporting roles but he was very good in this role. I thought the scene where he screamed and jumped in the pool was very effective, and interesting use of the still frame by Harrington. The whole movie is very cheap but it was done with so much style that it really comes off as a quality production.
Worth seeking out for those who missed it -- the DVD also includes a very interesting interview with the late director Harrington.
The story is about a smothered son ("sometimes I feel like you're a giant pillow, pushing down on my face"), Terry (John Savage) who is sent to prison for rape at the beginning of the movie. His oppressive and ultra-tacky mother, who he calls by her first name Thelma (Ann Sothern) welcomes him home with just a bit too-open arms and an always ready glass of chocolate milk. But when the women who helped put him away (including his lawyer, played by Ruth Roman) begin to die off mama starts to suspect her little boy is more grown up than she thought....
Very good performances from the cast in general -- it's a staple of Harrington's style to combine surreal visuals with down-to-earth characters. Cindy Williams also appears in the film as a young lodger/would-be model, and she does a great job in her murder scene and playing the corpse. I don't know if there's an award out there for playing a good corpse but she deserves it. Ann Sothern pretty much blows everyone else away with her desperately needy mother figure, hiding behind sunglasses and a portable camera that she uses to chronicle her son's every moment (including showers!). I have only seen Savage in sort of stolid supporting roles but he was very good in this role. I thought the scene where he screamed and jumped in the pool was very effective, and interesting use of the still frame by Harrington. The whole movie is very cheap but it was done with so much style that it really comes off as a quality production.
Worth seeking out for those who missed it -- the DVD also includes a very interesting interview with the late director Harrington.