BootDigest
Such a frustrating disappointment
Smartorhypo
Highly Overrated But Still Good
Dynamixor
The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.
Mr_Ectoplasma
"Lucy Harbin took an axe, gave her husband forty whacks, when she saw what she had done, she gave his girlfriend forty one." So is the life of Lucy Harbin, played by dynamite Joan Crawford. After spending twenty years in an insane asylum for her crime, she is released and goes to live with her daughter on their farm property, but it is not long before goings on around the farm seem to point to Lucy's questionable sanity (and innocence).While William Castle earned his reputation for schlock-ridden gimmicky horror films, his pictures with Crawford are true gems; this film and "I Saw What You Did," to be specific. While Crawford's meditated approaches to performance are part of what made these films so effective, it is inarguable that these films were well written and well directed. Penned by Robert Bloch, the author of "Psycho," "Strait-Jacket" plays on Harbin's potential madness like piano keys— it's routine, sure, but for 1964, it's still a fresh approach to insanity on film. What's most surprising though is, as in "Psycho," the way in which the film's conclusion turns on its audience, and the plot twist is just as unexpected to a 21st century audience as it was in 1964.Crawford's dedication to her role in the film is astounding, and in "Strait-Jacket" she is able to take a stab at the madwoman villainess whom she played opposite to in "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?" two years earlier. Crawford's determination and gall really pay off for her, because the role, no matter how dramatic or emotive it is, is convincing. Diane Baker plays opposite as Crawford's tormented daughter and is able to hold her ground against the grand dame of madness. Overall, "Strait-Jacket" is a solid thriller with Castle's schlocky touch, but its writing is sophisticated and its performances impressive enough to elevate it far beyond any sort of gimmick. The plot twists and Crawford's anti-demure playing of her character make this worth a watch. Along with "I Saw What You Did," "Strait-Jacket" is among Castle's classiest and most calculated thrillers. 7/10.
bbickley13-921-58664
The movie was campy, but it was a good choice by William Castle to get Joan Crawford to play the main character. She was seasoned in years by the time she did the film but she still looks good. I notice that Castle did not use any gimmicks in this movie except for her. How much the star has fallen for an Oscar winning actress to do b-grade horror.A step up from his last movie with a similar Hitchcock premise to it, homicidal, Crawford plays a woman who spent 20 years in a loony bin for killing her husband and his lover with an Axe. Attempting to get her life together and bond with the daughter she left behind, Joan's character Lucy finds herself slowly going insane again.The movie is way more develop than homicidal and is given justice by Crawford's acting skills, despite how outdated some of the dialog is. Watching her Axe her husband in the beginning was worth the watch overall.
LobotomousMonk
Unobtrusive mobile framing and creative use of depth of field have Strait-Jacket starting out on the right footing. The use of music sets up a humorous tone that will permeate the film experience, while the voice over narration creates a pseudo-documentary mood (and all the better for close psychological examination by the audience). Castle employs a lot of useful techniques in his direction in order to emphasize the psychological. The first murder sequence uses great alternating shot scale, effective montage and superimposition of frames. This sequence is a clever and thoughtful bridge for the ellipsis and then title card/opening credits. This opening sequence is also a perfect conduit for properly establishing the psychological relationship of the mother (Crawford) and daughter (Baker). Castle was living his dream with this film as he was able to "partner" with Crawford and "poach" Bloch (writer of Hitchcock's Psycho). The script flows evenly and every scene progresses the dramatic value of the story. Bloch includes lots of cute theme-related puns. The haunting children's rhymes remind one of Craven's Elm Street. Amazing tension is created throughout and advanced especially with the use of sound. The cigarette lighting moment becomes a film classic (in this reviewer's opinion). The butcher scene with George Kennedy is a close second on the visual front at least. The studio distributors had advised Castle to turn away from using gimmicks... although he cheated somewhat, I believe that the film is much better for his decision to secure Crawford in the role and please the distributors. One final note would be to relate Strait-Jacket's moral to that of Renoir's adaptation of Zola's La Bete Humaine in 1938. It may be considered a stretch by some, but the concept of 'hereditary insanity' is a provocative link between the works.
Lechuguilla
Given its reputation and the first thirty seconds, "Strait-Jacket" might be envisioned as a campy, over-the-top, horror fest, a movie to laugh at. And indeed, it does contain elements of camp: Crawford's excessive makeup in some scenes, some of her acting, some special effects, the title sequence, and some of the music. These campy elements make the film fun to watch.And yet there's another side to this film, an interesting overall story that actually treats viewers to genuine suspense and some surprises toward the end. Long tedious sequences that are boring in the plot's middle section do have relevance, in retrospect. But they render the plot structure imperfect.Important story events occur off-screen, consistent with effective plot misdirection. Viewers are thus led down the garden path, but rewarded at the end. Clues are effectively subtle.Joan Crawford dominates this film. How could it be otherwise? Even when she's not physically present, the general thrust of the scene pertains to her character, Lucy Harbin, a middle-aged woman with some psychological issues. Crawford is best in those scenes where Lucy is an older mom, fragile, unsure of herself after being confined to an institution. Crawford is less effective, even ridiculous, as a youthful hussy, slinky and tawdry, wearing jewelry that jangles, and sporting caterpillar eyebrows and a horrid dark wig. But again, the blatant excess here generates the film's camp appeal.The director uses B&W lighting effectively, especially toward the end, to create suspense and a sense of mystery. Rearview projection in a few scenes makes the film look dated.I was expecting a total camp fest. And that's how most people probably perceive this film. But viewers who like thrillers will surely appreciate a story with a clever premise and a terrific ending, both of which redeem "Strait-Jacket" as credible, despite the camp.
