The Killing Kind (1973)

Be careful of what version you purchase!

Only one of the reviews for this film belongs here.The video box picture shown above of a man walking carrying a gun and a briefcase is a totally different movie with the same title.This film does not feature Ann Sothern,John Savage or Cindy Williams and was not directed by Curtis Harrington.The movie for the picture shown is a British film from The 2000s not the American-made drive-in classic from The '70s about a serial killer that features a young,scantily clad Cindy Williams.Buyer beware! June 1, 2008

You've got to be cruel to be kind, in the right measure

Terry (John Savage, The Deer Hunter) returns to his mother Thelma's (Ann Sothern) crumbling Los Angeles mansion after serving two years in prison for his participation in the alleged gang rape of a young girl (Sue Bernard, Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!). Renting out rooms in their home to elderly women, Mama and Junior share their first big laugh talking about the undignified demise of one of their former tenants. Terry has a score to settle, as he runs his former accuser's car off the road and then murders his lawyer (Ruth Roman). Terry spies on the home's sole young, pretty occupant (Cindy Williams, years before TV's Laverne and Shirley), while the spinster librarian next door (Luana Anders) spies on Terry. Thelma tries her best to disregard what's going on underneath her flowing caftan, but when Terry's homicidal activities can't be hidden any longer, Mama makes everything right with a big glass of chocolate milk ...

Long out of print on video and criminally neglected, Dark Sky Films' release of Curtis Harrington's The Killing Kind to DVD is sure to give the film the recognition it deserves. Ken Hanke, in his definitive article on "Hag Horror" in Scarlet Street magazine, while documenting the spate of fright flicks made with past-their-prime movie queens made in the aftermath of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962) cites Sothern's performance in The Killing Kind as the penultimate performance in the genre. That's quite a statement, seeing as Sothern's character is stacked against such heavy contenders such as Joan Crawford in Strait Jacket (1964), Bette Davis in The Nanny (1965), Tallulah Bankhead in Die! Die! My Darling! (1967) and a host of other leading ladies giving valedictorian performances.

Sothern's Thelma at first seems to be a familiar comedic archetype, the obese, former glamour girl forever munching from a box of chocolates, tending to her dozens of cats while dreaming of her heyday. Thelma's relationship with her son is more than just a little bit Oedipal. Her antics with Terry would make Angela Lansbury in The Manchurian Candidate (1962) recoil. Covering each other in playful kisses and giving each other massages, Thelma snaps a photo of Terry naked in the shower to which he expresses only mild irritation. The scene where Thelma talks to Terry in the kitchen about his days as a toddler while her pet myna bird trills "Are you a good boy? (the film's original title)," the viewer can literally see Terry being strangled by his mother's apron strings. By the end of The Killing Kind, Sothern kills with kindness.

Many of the characters in the film appear to be stock comedic figures from who long overstay their welcome. Anders' horny librarian, who lives with her snippy queen of a father (Peter Brocco, who later reappears in a nightmare sequence dressed in drag) shares a kinship with the Terry in that both are under the thumb of possessive parental figures. Unable to interest Terry sexually, Anders likewise finds buttons to set him off.

In an interview included on the Dark Sky Films disc, director Curtis Harrington discusses the film's spotty release, which was mishandled by amateur distributors and led to few play dates. While an excellent film, it's doubtful that The Killing Kind would achieve popular success. Relentlessly grim, it carries the thematic torch from Peter Bogdanovich's Targets (1968) that suburban homes breed the worst kind of monsters. The film's casual cruelty to animals (an essential part of most serial killers' pathology), along with a barely concealed misogyny - old women, young women, virgins, the promiscuous, all of them bad and not to be trusted - would preclude widespread ticket sales.

Heralded by many as Harrington's best film (the director, who died in 2007 was partial to his What's the Matter With Helen?), and currently available in primo shape on DVD, it's high time to honor this highly underrated director in Kind.
April 2, 2008

Serial Sex Killer

The Killing Kind is a movie about a young man who has a very controlling and obsessive mother. This same theme rings true in a lot of psycho type films. Terry returns home from some type of institution, I'm guessing a criminal detention center of some sort. When he comes home he moves back in with his deranged mother who operates a boarding house. Terry's urges become too much for him to suppress and he begins to act out again. Great acting for a movie that probably didn't receive much attention. Great serial killer / psycho film. February 23, 2008

kind of killing time

I bought this on the merits of curtis harrington. it is a very good movie. in fact too good with the exception of a couple of fantasies and surreal moments the film could almost be taken on a real level. it is a creepy picture. made when horror films were just that creepy. heavy on the atmosphere. the main actors all do such a great job with their roles, you almost forget who they are, almost. Shirley Feinney as you never seen her before or since. and Ann Sothern her looks and facial expressions tell as much of her story as her dialouge.Ruth Roman what happens to her is rather interesting.and John Savage in an early role. proving he is a great and underrated actor. there are a few other characters in the cast but the main star is the boarding house. Big and Gothic looking just the kind of house you would avoid on Halloween. the stars, the atmosphere, create a creepy movie. despite some script curves. highly recommended if you like suspense and horror. you won't forget Cindy Williams February 18, 2008

Macabre, terrifying journey into world of a pyschopath....

Shocking, mesmorizing, & riveting pyschothriller destined for "classic" status, this terrifing and intense movie finally gets the treatment it deserves with what may be it's first ever US dvd release. A wonderful glimpse into the wonderful, wacky, and raw 70's, the "golden age" of horror, the movie dares to take itself seriously, and takes on the daunting task of telling an unattracitve story that revolves around almost entirely unlikeable characters, including a protagonist who's a serial killer. Though there's little graphic violence, some of the scenes which would be considered quite mild by today's standards, resonate in a major way and be forewarned, there are some heavy moments of awkwardness and intense suspense. After years of seeing this collecting dust on the VHS shelves in obscure video stores around the globe, this truly is a hugely welcomed surprise and discovery for a veteran horror cinaphile who's seen every horror film ever made. Great tone, palpable atmosphere, and a really unforgettable performance by the late great Anne Southern, this movie is simply a chilling and disturbing ride and I'm happy to say that my nerves were widly reawakened. Strongly recommended. November 10, 2007

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