William Asher directs Jimmy McNichol, Susan Tyrrell and Bo Svenson in this modern gothic horror where a teenager lives with his unhinged aunt.

Strange movie. A cheapo Whatever Happened To Baby Jane? / Psycho riff with a solid car crash stunt driving prologue, a babyfaced Bill Paxton in a prominent role and outbursts of gore. Two proper villains: the sexually obsessed auntie and the homophobic cop. Tyrrell and Svenson play their unpredictable heels with relish. Elevating the final product. It even has a relatively sensitive portrayal of a gay PE teacher. What does it all mean (the title, the unorthodox sexual desire, the lack of obvious horror tropes)? No idea but that seedy atmosphere and random hysteria somehow got this onto the U.K. video nasty list. Not really warranted.

5

Perfect Double Bill: The Beast Within (1981)

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