The Mad Room

Two teenage siblings, George and Mandy, are released from a mental institution and go to live with their big sister (the gorgeous Stella Stevens), who is a live in companion to a rich widow (Shelley Winters). They were institutionalised for the murder of their parents but the identity of the killer is a twist that I saw coming a mile off, in that respect the plot is rather weak. Filmed and set in Vancouver, Canada, this is a good looking and colourful movie, it boasts nice cinematography which combines with an effective musical score to produce some genuinely creepy moments. Quite gory for its time too, plenty of blood is splashed about and the sight of a shaggy dog walking around with a severed human hand in ts mouth is very memorable. The acting is good though 18 year old George was played by 22 year old Michael Burns and his 16 year old sister was played by 24 year old Barbara Sammeth, so a pair of oldish looking teens! Apparently this is a remake of "Ladies in Retirement" (1941), a movie that I have never seen but will be seeking it out. As psycho chillers go Mad Room is no classic but worth a watch.