It's not perfect, but this movie has a lot going for it. Some very creepy imagery and sound work throughout, and it functions well as both a horror film and a mystery. The first axe murder is incredibly well done, much better than today's fancy special effects. Great characters, too, and solid acting throughout.
As mentioned by many other commentors, the best part of the film is the extended flashback scene near the end of the movie. This is one of the creepier scenes I've seen in a horror film, and I've seen quite a few. Did anyone else notice that this section of the film appears to have heavily influenced The Ring? Particularly the shots where it goes to a jumpy dissolve to the wallpapered room with the traumatized little girl? Even the theme has some similiarities.
I won't bother to say anything about the production values, except to say that the insufficient lighting never bothered me - it seemed to add to the atmosphere.
Only two real flaws - one, the opening and closing scenes with Mary Woronov really bleed tension out of the whole business, and could have been left out completely; they don't add anything to the film. The other is that it's pretty hard to swallow the conceit that the escaped lunatics were able to take over all of the town's positions of power (i.e. mayor, police chief, etc.), let alone that nobody else in the town seemed to be the wiser. In the end, though, who cares? This is a stylish and imaginative horror (as opposed to "slasher") film that has had lasting influence on the genre.
DVD note - I got this in a "4-pack" compilation of older horror movies (!for $5) called "Horror Classics" put out by Platinum. Great deal if you're into the older horror movies, although the contents of the disc can vary from what's advertised on the cover.
As mentioned by many other commentors, the best part of the film is the extended flashback scene near the end of the movie. This is one of the creepier scenes I've seen in a horror film, and I've seen quite a few. Did anyone else notice that this section of the film appears to have heavily influenced The Ring? Particularly the shots where it goes to a jumpy dissolve to the wallpapered room with the traumatized little girl? Even the theme has some similiarities.
I won't bother to say anything about the production values, except to say that the insufficient lighting never bothered me - it seemed to add to the atmosphere.
Only two real flaws - one, the opening and closing scenes with Mary Woronov really bleed tension out of the whole business, and could have been left out completely; they don't add anything to the film. The other is that it's pretty hard to swallow the conceit that the escaped lunatics were able to take over all of the town's positions of power (i.e. mayor, police chief, etc.), let alone that nobody else in the town seemed to be the wiser. In the end, though, who cares? This is a stylish and imaginative horror (as opposed to "slasher") film that has had lasting influence on the genre.
DVD note - I got this in a "4-pack" compilation of older horror movies (!for $5) called "Horror Classics" put out by Platinum. Great deal if you're into the older horror movies, although the contents of the disc can vary from what's advertised on the cover.