Criminally Insane (1975)
Sicko cineastes will not want to miss Criminally Insane, an inane bit of schlock reminiscent of H.G. Lewis' zero-budget splatter spectaculars. Written and directed by Nick Millard (as "Nick Phillips"), son of "Forty Thieves" exploitation film titan S.S. Millard, Criminally Insane's simple plot, wooden acting, and total lack of special effects amount to a minor masterpiece for serious aficionados of bargain basement horror.
Ethel, a 250 pound maniac incarcerated in a mental ward for some prior atrocity, is released in the custody of her grandmother despite a psychiatrist's strong reservations. Upon arriving at Grandma's, the surly psycho starts shoveling in bacon, eggs, and any other comestible within reach in a mind-boggling display of gluttony that spans the entire film and portends the film's disgusting conclusion. Ethel's idea of a midnight snack is a carton of Nilla Wafers gobbled up nonstop.
When Granny carps about the grocery bill, Ethel stabs her in the back with a butcher knife and drags her body upstairs. The killing spree continues with an unfortunate grocery delivery boy who makes the mistake of asking for payment. He dies in a pool of bright red stage blood as Ethel munches away on snack food.
The plot sickens with the arrival of Ethel's sister Rosalie, a trash-talking whore seeking shelter from her abusive pimp boyfriend. Ethel lies that Grandma is on vacation, but Rosalie, noticing a disgusting smell emanating from the old woman's locked bedroom, swears that "...Grandma must have shit all over the bed before she left." Ethel buys a carton of Airwick, to no avail.
The twisted tale continues with gallons of gore, ridiculous dialogue, and, especially, eating. The risible patter includes such gems as Rosalie's pimp telling her that she "...need(s) a good beating every now and then. All women do, and you especially." Ethel blithely dismisses an inquisitive homicide detective (the ubiquitous George "Buck" Flower) with, "I'm gonna watch Gunsmoke."
The late Priscilla Alden, whose career spanned everything from Mitchell Brothers porn to the television series "Nash Bridges," excels with her deadpan portrayal of Ethel. She is supported by a cast of little-known film and television veterans along with several mainstays of other Millard films. As a film Criminally Insane is a mess, the cinematography occasionally recalling the look of an overexposed home movie. Millard's sketchy script, especially when featuring Rosalie and her pencil-necked pimp, is reminiscent of early John Waters' sarcasm and giddy misanthropy. What makes Criminally Insane oddly compelling is its deranged sensibility, which seems guided by bad acid and zero pretension.
Nick Millard first tried his hand at nudies in imitation of Russ Meyer's early work, and later turned to fetishistic porn before reappearing as a horror filmmaker. After the ninja crime caper .357 Magnum, Millard turned to shot-on-video productions for subsequent horrors such as Dracula in Vegas (1999). His 2003 adaptation of Henry Miller's "The Turn of the Screw," also starring Alden, remains unreleased. Criminally Insane is paired with Millard's Satan's Black Wedding, from the same year, on a DVD from E.I. Independent. It is also viewable as a download from Amazon.com. Crazy Fat Ethel II, a shot-on-video atrocity whose best moments are clips from this film, is best avoided.
When Granny carps about the grocery bill, Ethel stabs her in the back with a butcher knife and drags her body upstairs. The killing spree continues with an unfortunate grocery delivery boy who makes the mistake of asking for payment. He dies in a pool of bright red stage blood as Ethel munches away on snack food.
The plot sickens with the arrival of Ethel's sister Rosalie, a trash-talking whore seeking shelter from her abusive pimp boyfriend. Ethel lies that Grandma is on vacation, but Rosalie, noticing a disgusting smell emanating from the old woman's locked bedroom, swears that "...Grandma must have shit all over the bed before she left." Ethel buys a carton of Airwick, to no avail.
The twisted tale continues with gallons of gore, ridiculous dialogue, and, especially, eating. The risible patter includes such gems as Rosalie's pimp telling her that she "...need(s) a good beating every now and then. All women do, and you especially." Ethel blithely dismisses an inquisitive homicide detective (the ubiquitous George "Buck" Flower) with, "I'm gonna watch Gunsmoke."
The late Priscilla Alden, whose career spanned everything from Mitchell Brothers porn to the television series "Nash Bridges," excels with her deadpan portrayal of Ethel. She is supported by a cast of little-known film and television veterans along with several mainstays of other Millard films. As a film Criminally Insane is a mess, the cinematography occasionally recalling the look of an overexposed home movie. Millard's sketchy script, especially when featuring Rosalie and her pencil-necked pimp, is reminiscent of early John Waters' sarcasm and giddy misanthropy. What makes Criminally Insane oddly compelling is its deranged sensibility, which seems guided by bad acid and zero pretension.
Nick Millard first tried his hand at nudies in imitation of Russ Meyer's early work, and later turned to fetishistic porn before reappearing as a horror filmmaker. After the ninja crime caper .357 Magnum, Millard turned to shot-on-video productions for subsequent horrors such as Dracula in Vegas (1999). His 2003 adaptation of Henry Miller's "The Turn of the Screw," also starring Alden, remains unreleased. Criminally Insane is paired with Millard's Satan's Black Wedding, from the same year, on a DVD from E.I. Independent. It is also viewable as a download from Amazon.com. Crazy Fat Ethel II, a shot-on-video atrocity whose best moments are clips from this film, is best avoided.
[This review originally appeared, in different form, in ecco, the world of bizarre video, Volume One, Number One.]