In many ways, "How Awful About Allan" is a lot like "Strait-Jacket" and "Psycho II". All involve someone getting out of a psychiatric hospital and being haunted by voice from the past. And, in each you wonder is the main character losing their mind...or is someone orchestrating all this.
When the film begins, there is a fire and Allan's father is killed and his sister badly scarred. During the fire, Allan freezes and suffers from hysterical blindness--and he continues to be hysterically blind for some time afterwards--even after he spends a stint under psychiatric care. However, he's just been discharged and his sister (Julie Harris) brings Allan to his new home. But like the other films, Allan is soon haunted by voices that blame him for the accident and he seems to be teetering on the edge of sanity.
Aside from being a bit far fetched and familiar, the film is actually much better than I'd expected. It ends well and the movie is among the better installments of "The ABC Movie of the Week".
When the film begins, there is a fire and Allan's father is killed and his sister badly scarred. During the fire, Allan freezes and suffers from hysterical blindness--and he continues to be hysterically blind for some time afterwards--even after he spends a stint under psychiatric care. However, he's just been discharged and his sister (Julie Harris) brings Allan to his new home. But like the other films, Allan is soon haunted by voices that blame him for the accident and he seems to be teetering on the edge of sanity.
Aside from being a bit far fetched and familiar, the film is actually much better than I'd expected. It ends well and the movie is among the better installments of "The ABC Movie of the Week".