Das Haus der blutigen Hände

This is more camp than thriller. Stella Stevens is beautiful, but even as a fan, I find her dramatic scenes not up to her usual level of competence. Shelley Winters is hilariously cranky ( rumor has it she was on the set as well). The scene stealer in this piece is Beverly Garland as the alcoholic wife of Winter's "masseur."

From the opening credits this film gives off a creepy feeling. You are never quite sure which character is trustworthy. Stella Stevens gives the right amount of instability in her performance of a woman who is unsure of her future. The younger siblings, played by Michael Burns and Barbara Sammeth, are equally as creepy. This is a must have film for people who like suspenseful movies with minimal gore. As another reviewer noted I am surprised that this movie has not been released on DVD. It would be interesting to have a commentary by Stella Stevens.

PS: The writers of To Die For with Nicole Kidman must have been fans of this film, since the opening credits are similar to The Mad Room's credits.

Ellen Hardy (Stella Stevens) is about to marry Sam (Skip Ward), the son of the wealthy Gladys Armstrong (Shelley Winters), for whom she works as a personal assistant. Before the nuptials can get underway, Ellen receives word that her teenage brother and sister, George and Mandy (Michael Burns and Barbara Sammeth) are being released from the mental institution where they've spent most of their lives.

Apparently, as children, the siblings murdered their parents. Now, Ellen brings them to stay at the Armstrong residence under false pretenses. Soon enough, bad things occur. The title, THE MAD ROOM comes into play due to George and Mandy's need of a place to "unwind", like the room they used at the institution. Unfortunately, their relocation appears to have been... ill-conceived. Or, is something else going on?

A crackpot movie, showcasing the lovely Ms. Stevens in almost every scene!

EXTRA LUNACY POINTS FOR: The dog, the hand, the sword, and that yellow dress!...

Coming late in the 60's cycle of mature star shockers, Shelley Winters (who sounds as if she did some of her scenes in one take) and Stella Stevens square off in this watchable B that would have gone straight to video these days. Features a mutt with a taste for more than just Shmackos and worth seeing for the riveting cameo by Beverley Garland as the scorned wife drunk at a society party, but basically Stella's the whole show. Lots of zoom camerawork and 60s wigs! Ends suddenly in the best traditions! Perfect double feature with 'The Big Cube'! 6/10

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.