Very strange, and quite funny little movie about a gay couple hiding out, one of them wanted for murder, which the other one is responsible for. One is a coke snorting hippie, the other one a Psycho killer in drag, mayhem and b.movie weirdness follows. Give it a chance if you like obscure 70´ movies.
20 Reviews
Just another day in Miami
Tromafreak2 May 2010
A 70's B-movie about a transvestite from Baltimore, who's on the run from the law??? Sounds good to me. Actually, Aunt Martha (Paul) is only wearing the female garb, as a disguise. It's not like he's really into it, or anything... Alright, fine, maybe a little. Aunt Ma-I mean Paul pretends to be the possessive aunt of his partner-in-crime (Stanley), but when nobody's around, he drops the "aunt" but flat-out refuses to drop possessiveness. So, it's pretty obvious this high-strung fellow has a few problems. Or maybe they're just boyfriends, I'm not sure.maybe Paul just thinks they are, or maybe Stanley just isn't a very good one. Stanley is a bit of a rascal. Always rebelling against his "partner"-in-crime/pseudo-aunt, who's either screaming at him about smoking weed, or chasing him around with scissors, since he refuses to get a hair cut. Seeing Paul get so worked up amuses Stanley to no end, which is what makes this movie so entertaining. Well, that and all the murders. Not exactly an epic, but terribly over-looked, considering this movie is apart of the Florida Exploitation boom of the 60's and early 70's, which gave us such inept gold as Blood Freak and Two Thousand Maniacs. Yet another potential classic still not released on DVD. I would think Something Weird Video would have stepped up long before now. It would just seem right. Perhaps Subversive is interested. Anyone who digs Herschell Gordon Lewis Exploitation from the 60's and John Waters trash from the 70's seriously needs to see this. Not that there's any gore or anything really, really disgusting involved. I guess you'll just have to settle for odd and hilarious, which totally beats boring and dull any day of the week. Anyone itching for some obscure/vintage cult cinema will be more than satisfied with Aunt Martha. And that, B-movie fans, is a guarantee. 8/10
Long considered the zenith of Baltimore Culture . . .
oscaralbert5 January 2019
Warning: Spoilers
. . . SOMETIMES AUNT MARTHA DOES DREADFUL THINGS runs circles around PINK FLAMINGOS and HAIRSPRAY. When "Stanley" tools around in his torture van, "tuning" up imminent victims, perceptive viewers will detect at least 30 or 40 shades of gray. As AUNT MARTHA reaches a pinnacle of suspense reminiscent of LADY FROM SHAGHAI, MAGNUM FORCE, or NED KELLY (the "Mick Jagger" version, of course), one half expects to see orioles flying the coop. AUNT MARTHA makes it clear why, for nearly two centuries, Baltimore has represented in American hearts the True "City of Brotherly Love." "Paul's" obsessive yearning for Stanley epitomizes this Ideal--hankering for a tool he can never have--with his frowned-upon love reaching a stunning apex in AUNT MARTHA's bittersweet finale. Baltimore native son "Babe Ruth" may have been the "Sultan of Swat," but Paul more than holds his own as the "Bread Knife Kaiser." Certainly AUNT MARTHA gives Baltimore's Posterity something for which to shoot: a murderous Summit of Homicide proving how killing is hard-wired into the city's sole (not unlike a splinter which seems impossible to remove). Quoth the Raven: "Nevermore!"
Hippie, cross dressing, drug, psycho movie !
MADMANMARZ11 March 2003
The idea of this film seems interesting enough. Paul and Stanley are two gay jewel thieves. Paul dresses up as "Aunt Martha", Stanley's supposed aunt. This is done to evade authorities, as it happens to be they are wanted for murder. Stanley is also a big time hippie who drives a colorful van, picks up the girls and does a lot of coke. Paul hates it when Stanley brings home girls and goes psycho each time, killing the female guest. The premise is original and entertaining enough to be a classic yet the movie misses it's mark. It's not really the fault of the cast, they do a good job. It's the screenplay and the development of the plot, after the initial set up, the film falls a little flat and fails to live up to it's potential. I would still recommend this one though, if you enjoy obscure strange films.
Sometimes BA_Harrison Watches Dreadful Movies.
BA_Harrison18 May 2020
Going by the date, poster and title, I had assumed that Sometimes Aunt Martha Does Dreadful Things would be a dark comedy/horror in the same vein as What's the Matter with Helen? (1971) and Whoever Slew Auntie Roo? (1972). I couldn't have been more wrong: what we actually have here is an independent '70s exploitation oddity that is hard to pigeon-hole because of its sheer lunacy. All I can say is that it is a one of a kind movie - and that's probably a good thing, 'cos I wouldn't want to stumble upon another like it.
Abe Zwick and Wayne Crawford star as escaped criminals Paul and Stanley, who have gone into hiding in Miami, Paul dressing in drag to pose as 'Aunt Martha' while youngster Stanley pretends to be Martha's nephew. As Paul looks after the house (he really does enjoy being Martha!), Stanley gets high on dope and attracts the attention of all the pretty girls in the neighbourhood, who want to get into his flared snakeskin pants. Stanley freaks out whenever the girls go for his groin, and pushes them away, but this still doesn't stop Paul from becoming jealous (it is implied that he and Stanley are lovers) and, in a frenzy of bad editing, getting all stabby with his kitchen knife.
When Stanley invites junkie Hubert (Don Craig) to stay for a while, Paul becomes even more twitchy, untrusting of his new house guest; and rightly so, for Hubert is on the hunt for the stash of stolen jewellery that Paul has hidden in the fireplace.
The sole directorial credit for Thomas Casey - and it's not hard to see why - Sometimes Aunt Martha Does Dreadful Things is a cheap, poorly directed, shoddily compiled and badly acted piece of hippie trash that can only be of interest to those who actively seek out obscure cinematic garbage of the most inept kind, or those who took part in its creation.
2/10 for the gratuitous nudity from several groovy young ladies, and that's being generous.
Abe Zwick and Wayne Crawford star as escaped criminals Paul and Stanley, who have gone into hiding in Miami, Paul dressing in drag to pose as 'Aunt Martha' while youngster Stanley pretends to be Martha's nephew. As Paul looks after the house (he really does enjoy being Martha!), Stanley gets high on dope and attracts the attention of all the pretty girls in the neighbourhood, who want to get into his flared snakeskin pants. Stanley freaks out whenever the girls go for his groin, and pushes them away, but this still doesn't stop Paul from becoming jealous (it is implied that he and Stanley are lovers) and, in a frenzy of bad editing, getting all stabby with his kitchen knife.
When Stanley invites junkie Hubert (Don Craig) to stay for a while, Paul becomes even more twitchy, untrusting of his new house guest; and rightly so, for Hubert is on the hunt for the stash of stolen jewellery that Paul has hidden in the fireplace.
The sole directorial credit for Thomas Casey - and it's not hard to see why - Sometimes Aunt Martha Does Dreadful Things is a cheap, poorly directed, shoddily compiled and badly acted piece of hippie trash that can only be of interest to those who actively seek out obscure cinematic garbage of the most inept kind, or those who took part in its creation.
2/10 for the gratuitous nudity from several groovy young ladies, and that's being generous.
A badly-acted mess of a wannabe grindhouse movie
Leofwine_draca9 February 2017
Warning: Spoilers
I note that most of the reviewers for SOMETIMES AUNT MARTHA DOES DREADFUL THINGS are quite kind to the film, but I'm afraid that I'm of an otherwise opinion. Vinegar Syndrome recently put a high definition version of this movie onto Amazon Prime but I ended up hating it as I have done with the majority of Vinegar Syndrome's output thus far. What hints at '70s grindhouse horror is in fact a lame-o comedy about cross-dressing and edgy homosexual relations.
The film is about a couple of guys who may or may not be homosexuals. One of them likes to fool around with girls in endless nude and would-be sex scenes while the other dresses up as a woman and looks on resentfully. The horror comes from the post-coitus scenes in which the vulnerable women are subsequently stalked and slashed by the transvestite killer. Shades of PSYCHO are present in that premise, but the lousy execution and unfunny, over the top acting styles turned me right off. Things just sort of bumble along until the climax which is a joke by anybody's standards.
The film is about a couple of guys who may or may not be homosexuals. One of them likes to fool around with girls in endless nude and would-be sex scenes while the other dresses up as a woman and looks on resentfully. The horror comes from the post-coitus scenes in which the vulnerable women are subsequently stalked and slashed by the transvestite killer. Shades of PSYCHO are present in that premise, but the lousy execution and unfunny, over the top acting styles turned me right off. Things just sort of bumble along until the climax which is a joke by anybody's standards.
The title alone is why I saw this one!
planktonrules11 June 2019
"Sometimes Aunt Martha Does Dreadful Things" is a guilty pleasure, pure and simple. While in some ways a terrible film, it is nevertheless fun to watch and enjoyable...provided you are a bit twisted!
Paul and Stanley are lovers and to the outside world they are Aunt Martha and her nephew, Stanley. What?! Well, it seems Paul is a homicidal maniac and is wanted by the police for his many atrocitites. Yes, Paul is an angry guy who has the bad habit of murdering any lady who pays attention to Stanley...because Stanley is his. As for Stanley, he's not homicidal but he is a bit of an idiot. Together, you know that sooner or later the law will catch up to them.
The acting is often cheesy and the production looks like it was made for next to nothing. Yet, inexplicably, it is funny in a strange way...almost like a John Waters film. Worth seeing IF you are an oddball...like me. Otherwise, you'll probably find it all pretty sick and stupid.
By the way, if you want to see it, understand that there is a fair amount of nudity in addition to all the killing...so it's NOT a film I'd recommend to kids or your mother.
Paul and Stanley are lovers and to the outside world they are Aunt Martha and her nephew, Stanley. What?! Well, it seems Paul is a homicidal maniac and is wanted by the police for his many atrocitites. Yes, Paul is an angry guy who has the bad habit of murdering any lady who pays attention to Stanley...because Stanley is his. As for Stanley, he's not homicidal but he is a bit of an idiot. Together, you know that sooner or later the law will catch up to them.
The acting is often cheesy and the production looks like it was made for next to nothing. Yet, inexplicably, it is funny in a strange way...almost like a John Waters film. Worth seeing IF you are an oddball...like me. Otherwise, you'll probably find it all pretty sick and stupid.
By the way, if you want to see it, understand that there is a fair amount of nudity in addition to all the killing...so it's NOT a film I'd recommend to kids or your mother.
Cross dressing, hippies, vans, and drugs, oh my!
Hey_Sweden30 May 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Paul (Abe Zwick) and Stanley (Scott Lawrence, a.k.a. Wayne Crawford) are two criminals on the lam who hide out in a Florida town. They rent a house, and in order to divert suspicion, Paul frequently masquerades as "Aunt Martha", the kin to the childish and irresponsible Stanley. In fact, Zwick spends much of the film in drag, even as he must deal with various wrinkles in their whole plan.
Paul is a total psycho, and VERY possessive, as it turns out, in this interesting regional exploitation obscurity. It's not a horror film, even if the plot does involve a couple of nasty killings. It's really a hybrid of crime thriller and relationship drama, with obvious homoerotic overtones. And it's quirky enough to serve as decent entertainment for all curiosity seekers. Punched up here and there with its violence and assorted scenes of T & A, it does go on a little long for an exploitation feature. Still, it provides lurid thrills from beginning to end.
Some of the acting is, as you would expect, not so hot, but that doesn't mean that certain cast members don't give this their all. Zwick, in particular (in his only feature film), delivers a memorable performance as a high-strung and controlling individual. We can see that his interest in Stanley extends beyond mere concern that they continue to lie low to avoid detection by the law. Crawford is fine as the argumentative and rebellious punk. Don Craig is good as a criminal associate from back in Baltimore. Robin Hughes has some appeal as a young neighbour who also has an interest in Stanley. And Yanka Mann is amusing as neighbourhood busybody Mrs. Adams. Brad Grinter, the narrator of "Blood Freak", plays a police lieutenant; Florida exploitation mainstay William Kerwin (also one of the grips here) can be seen during the closing minutes.
This leads to a pretty decent finale wherein Paul and Stanley must once again go on the run; trapped inside a film studio, Pauls' psychoses come right to the forefront as he decides to unleash Hell on his young partner.
This is an amusing-enough dose of low-budget sleaze that's worth a look for lovers of the genre.
Seven out of 10.
Paul is a total psycho, and VERY possessive, as it turns out, in this interesting regional exploitation obscurity. It's not a horror film, even if the plot does involve a couple of nasty killings. It's really a hybrid of crime thriller and relationship drama, with obvious homoerotic overtones. And it's quirky enough to serve as decent entertainment for all curiosity seekers. Punched up here and there with its violence and assorted scenes of T & A, it does go on a little long for an exploitation feature. Still, it provides lurid thrills from beginning to end.
Some of the acting is, as you would expect, not so hot, but that doesn't mean that certain cast members don't give this their all. Zwick, in particular (in his only feature film), delivers a memorable performance as a high-strung and controlling individual. We can see that his interest in Stanley extends beyond mere concern that they continue to lie low to avoid detection by the law. Crawford is fine as the argumentative and rebellious punk. Don Craig is good as a criminal associate from back in Baltimore. Robin Hughes has some appeal as a young neighbour who also has an interest in Stanley. And Yanka Mann is amusing as neighbourhood busybody Mrs. Adams. Brad Grinter, the narrator of "Blood Freak", plays a police lieutenant; Florida exploitation mainstay William Kerwin (also one of the grips here) can be seen during the closing minutes.
This leads to a pretty decent finale wherein Paul and Stanley must once again go on the run; trapped inside a film studio, Pauls' psychoses come right to the forefront as he decides to unleash Hell on his young partner.
This is an amusing-enough dose of low-budget sleaze that's worth a look for lovers of the genre.
Seven out of 10.
the final minutes are really quite good
christopher-underwood17 May 2013
The most positive thing I can say about this film is that it is that little bit different, that the two leads work their socks off and there is decent use of soundtrack music. Indeed the final minutes are really quite good as we reach a climax in a film studio and things almost get quite tense. The same cannot be said for the rest of this no budget outing without a story. I can see that maybe it appeared, maybe even was, a good idea to have a pair of guys on the run holed up with one of them adopting women's clothes as a disguise but for how long is this going to be amusing to anyone watching? As I say the two leads are really pretty good but the supporting cast is nowhere to be seen, limp hardly the word, but then the dialogue they are given is crap. Perhaps the most unforgivable aspect to this would be slasher is that the gory scenes are covered over with colour washes so that the impact is nullified, I wonder whose stupid idea that was. So we are left with very little other than some amusement and a decent ending. Trouble is we are waiting for that ending for what seems ages.
Amateur hour
jellopuke23 June 2019
Poorly shot, written, staged, acted, lit, edited... you name it. The premise is okay, but everything just falls so flat that you can't get into it. If they'd just toned down the acting a touch to be believable it may have saved it, but it was so over-dramatic that you couldn't help but laugh at how bad it all was.
LOL! What The Hell Is This?? :D
Steve_Nyland20 March 2008
Haha, what a great little movie! Wayne Crawford strikes again, or rather this was his first big strike, a deliriously entertaining little ball of manic kitsch energy masquerading as a psycho killer movie. It's actually a **brilliant** satire on post-hippie American culture in flyover country, though the movie was actually filmed independently in Miami. It defies any kind of studio oriented convention or plot device that I can think of: SOMETIMES AUNT MARTHA DOES DREADFUL THINGS may not be a very technically adept movie, but it is a wonderful little slice of Americana, made on the cheap by people who were honest, ambitious, imaginative and had balls made out of steel. It took guts, nerve and guile to make this movie, which amazingly appears to have stood the test of time. This movie is fresh, vital, alive, unforgettable, and charmingly weird enough to recommend to just about anyone with a sense of humor.
I dug up last year during a period of time when I was fascinated by "star" Wayne Crawford (here billed under his pseudonym Scott Lawrence), a maestro of what can only be called regional film-making, usually of the B grade variety. He's a writer, producer, director, and actor all in one, probably best known for the 80s teen apocalyptic favorite NIGHT OF THE COMET. Here he plays Stanley, the pants wearing half of a couple of truly marvelous characters, apparently homosexual spree killers on the lam after knocking off some old lady in Baltimore for her jewelry. Unsung screen legend Abe Zwick is completely convincing as Paul, who poses as Stanley's Aunt Martha, the cross dressing brains of the outfit who has conned Stanley into thinking he's committed murder to ensure his loyalty. Martha looks about as feminine as the sailors from SOUTH PACIFIC's supporting choir in their coconut bikini tops, yet somehow nobody seems to notice -- or care? -- that she is a he, has no visible means of income, seems to spend all day fretting about where Stanley is, and scurries around the neighborhood in her bathrobe carrying a butcher's knife. Only in America ...
As the film opens the two of them have just arrived in Florida and set up residence in what looks like Ward Cleaver's old house, a garishly lit & designed television home that is so cliché as to be surreal. During one memorable scene Martha and an unwelcome house guest sit on the couch, talk problems and drink cans of Budweiser in what is one of the most mesmerizing, subversively ordinary sequences I've ever seen outside of a John Waters movie. Then there's Stanley, always getting into trouble as he is a mop topped hippie with an STP patch on his vest who drives a psychedelic painted van that's about as subtle as the Batmobile, drinks his milk straight from the carton, snorts drugs with blond bombshell bimbos, and hoards donuts in an old cigar box for a quick snack. Opposites attract, I guess.
But Stanley also has a thing about not liking it when the young ladies he gets stoned with try to remove his pants, and it always seems to be up to Aunt Martha to get him out of the trouble that inevitably results. The bodies pile up, a nosy junkie blackmails them into using their house as a flop, Stanley's birthday cake gets squashed, and everybody meets down at the local pizza shop before heading to the wood shed on the back property for a hookah hash party where the girls dance in their underwear. Things get out of hand when one of the neighbors tries to get a bit too chummy with Martha, who naturally prefers to keep people at an arm's length when they rudely invite themselves over for a nice chat. And this is a woman who carries not just a butcher knife but a loaded .38 in her slip. Eventually the strange duo find themselves stuck with a body, a baby, and no place to go, and end up taking refuge at an abandoned movie studio where no doubt the technical crew borrowed the equipment used to make the film. I just hope they politely asked for permission first and cleaned up after themselves.
A word of course must be said about Stanley and Martha/Paul's relationship, since to dance around the fact that the two are at least suggested to be a homosexual couple would be to miss the primary gist of the plot. We never see the two of them get intimate and indeed even though Stanley mockingly refers to being "balled" in one scene, their relationship is more symbiotic than sexual. It certainly isn't a "gay" movie, with abundant female nudity and an air of 70s misogyny that cannot be denied either. Stanley & Paul never consummating their implied sexuality on screen, even though the movie certainly would have had the guts to do so if it were important. It isn't, the story isn't about their sex, it's about the bond they share, and how weird it is. Not their being gay, but their being the distinct individuals they are, who are two of the strangest movie creations ever to inhabit my TV set.
The film is unique. It was made for only a few thousand dollars on what look like borrowed studio sets, the occasional location work, and an couple of public locations they managed to sneak a camera crew into when nobody was looking. The dialog is completely bizarre, mundane and delightfully esoteric. It's a movie that will take you by surprise, not everyone will like it but for those with a taste for low budget American horror/thrillers like THE NIGHT GOD SCREAMED, HELP ME! I'M POSSESSED, BLOOD & LACE and CHILDREN SHOULDN'T PLAY WITH DEAD THINGS, you've got yourself a winner here.
8/10: Usually I'd say something like "Deserves a DVD restoration" but somehow I think doing so would ruin the movie's tacky ambiance. And Wayne Crawford, you, sir, rule.
I dug up last year during a period of time when I was fascinated by "star" Wayne Crawford (here billed under his pseudonym Scott Lawrence), a maestro of what can only be called regional film-making, usually of the B grade variety. He's a writer, producer, director, and actor all in one, probably best known for the 80s teen apocalyptic favorite NIGHT OF THE COMET. Here he plays Stanley, the pants wearing half of a couple of truly marvelous characters, apparently homosexual spree killers on the lam after knocking off some old lady in Baltimore for her jewelry. Unsung screen legend Abe Zwick is completely convincing as Paul, who poses as Stanley's Aunt Martha, the cross dressing brains of the outfit who has conned Stanley into thinking he's committed murder to ensure his loyalty. Martha looks about as feminine as the sailors from SOUTH PACIFIC's supporting choir in their coconut bikini tops, yet somehow nobody seems to notice -- or care? -- that she is a he, has no visible means of income, seems to spend all day fretting about where Stanley is, and scurries around the neighborhood in her bathrobe carrying a butcher's knife. Only in America ...
As the film opens the two of them have just arrived in Florida and set up residence in what looks like Ward Cleaver's old house, a garishly lit & designed television home that is so cliché as to be surreal. During one memorable scene Martha and an unwelcome house guest sit on the couch, talk problems and drink cans of Budweiser in what is one of the most mesmerizing, subversively ordinary sequences I've ever seen outside of a John Waters movie. Then there's Stanley, always getting into trouble as he is a mop topped hippie with an STP patch on his vest who drives a psychedelic painted van that's about as subtle as the Batmobile, drinks his milk straight from the carton, snorts drugs with blond bombshell bimbos, and hoards donuts in an old cigar box for a quick snack. Opposites attract, I guess.
But Stanley also has a thing about not liking it when the young ladies he gets stoned with try to remove his pants, and it always seems to be up to Aunt Martha to get him out of the trouble that inevitably results. The bodies pile up, a nosy junkie blackmails them into using their house as a flop, Stanley's birthday cake gets squashed, and everybody meets down at the local pizza shop before heading to the wood shed on the back property for a hookah hash party where the girls dance in their underwear. Things get out of hand when one of the neighbors tries to get a bit too chummy with Martha, who naturally prefers to keep people at an arm's length when they rudely invite themselves over for a nice chat. And this is a woman who carries not just a butcher knife but a loaded .38 in her slip. Eventually the strange duo find themselves stuck with a body, a baby, and no place to go, and end up taking refuge at an abandoned movie studio where no doubt the technical crew borrowed the equipment used to make the film. I just hope they politely asked for permission first and cleaned up after themselves.
A word of course must be said about Stanley and Martha/Paul's relationship, since to dance around the fact that the two are at least suggested to be a homosexual couple would be to miss the primary gist of the plot. We never see the two of them get intimate and indeed even though Stanley mockingly refers to being "balled" in one scene, their relationship is more symbiotic than sexual. It certainly isn't a "gay" movie, with abundant female nudity and an air of 70s misogyny that cannot be denied either. Stanley & Paul never consummating their implied sexuality on screen, even though the movie certainly would have had the guts to do so if it were important. It isn't, the story isn't about their sex, it's about the bond they share, and how weird it is. Not their being gay, but their being the distinct individuals they are, who are two of the strangest movie creations ever to inhabit my TV set.
The film is unique. It was made for only a few thousand dollars on what look like borrowed studio sets, the occasional location work, and an couple of public locations they managed to sneak a camera crew into when nobody was looking. The dialog is completely bizarre, mundane and delightfully esoteric. It's a movie that will take you by surprise, not everyone will like it but for those with a taste for low budget American horror/thrillers like THE NIGHT GOD SCREAMED, HELP ME! I'M POSSESSED, BLOOD & LACE and CHILDREN SHOULDN'T PLAY WITH DEAD THINGS, you've got yourself a winner here.
8/10: Usually I'd say something like "Deserves a DVD restoration" but somehow I think doing so would ruin the movie's tacky ambiance. And Wayne Crawford, you, sir, rule.
We should all be afraid of Florida
BandSAboutMovies19 October 2020
Warning: Spoilers
The American Genre Film Archive (AGFA) represents the world's largest theatrical catalog of exploitation cinema. Their home video line presents a diverse selection of movies, ranging from new preservations of classics from the vast library of Something Weird to the wildest in shot-on-video (SOV) titles.
They've released some awesome things over the last few years, such as Scary Movie, Godmonster of Indian Flats, The Sword and the Claw and so many more. Now, they're heading to the deepest, dankest and scuzziest parts of Florida to bring you this burst of weirdness.
Shot in Hollywood, Florida, this tale of Stanley (Wayne Crawford under the name Scott Lawrence, he also wrote Valley Girl, Barracuda and Jake Speed) and Paul (Abe Zwick in his lone acting role) starts after they escape from Baltimore and go on the lamb. Paul begins to dress in drag and act as Stanley's Aunt Martha while falling for Stanley, who only wants to do drugs and freaks out the moment a girl starts to undo his pants.
Thomas Casey wrote and directed this. This is the only movie he'd direct, although he also wrote Flesh Feast. That's a shame that he didn't make more films, because this movie captures the seedy side of life better than most. I honestly have no idea who this movie is for - at the time that it was made - but know that it's perfectly made for maniacs like me who buy nearly everything AGFA puts out.
Florida is a weird state. The movies that come out of it are even stranger. This is probably one of the oddest. You can get this now from AGFA (through Vinegar Syndrome).
They've released some awesome things over the last few years, such as Scary Movie, Godmonster of Indian Flats, The Sword and the Claw and so many more. Now, they're heading to the deepest, dankest and scuzziest parts of Florida to bring you this burst of weirdness.
Shot in Hollywood, Florida, this tale of Stanley (Wayne Crawford under the name Scott Lawrence, he also wrote Valley Girl, Barracuda and Jake Speed) and Paul (Abe Zwick in his lone acting role) starts after they escape from Baltimore and go on the lamb. Paul begins to dress in drag and act as Stanley's Aunt Martha while falling for Stanley, who only wants to do drugs and freaks out the moment a girl starts to undo his pants.
Thomas Casey wrote and directed this. This is the only movie he'd direct, although he also wrote Flesh Feast. That's a shame that he didn't make more films, because this movie captures the seedy side of life better than most. I honestly have no idea who this movie is for - at the time that it was made - but know that it's perfectly made for maniacs like me who buy nearly everything AGFA puts out.
Florida is a weird state. The movies that come out of it are even stranger. This is probably one of the oddest. You can get this now from AGFA (through Vinegar Syndrome).
Characteristically undefinable thing from the running-naked freedom of 70s cinema.
EyeAskance4 August 2003
Don't be deceived by the misleading title, because the truth is that Aunt Martha CONSTANTLY does dreadful things. In fact, "Aunt Martha" is one badass brick of a Bea Arthur lookin' transvestite who's on the lam after robbing a bank, and living incognito with Stanley, "her" virile, but dope-addled lover/accomplice. And while she may seem like a charm-schooled and self composed hostess, Aunt Martha's infernal hostilities are easily roused by the winsome young girls who follow Stanley home from time to time. Quick to exterminate these potential threats in a variety of gruesome ways, Aunt Martha proves herself a most formidable adversary when it comes to competing for Stanley's affections.
Delightfully off-hand weirdness, AUNT MARTHA is archetypal of the anything-goes craziness of low-budget 70s cinema...a film so abstractly imagined and impulsively realized, it alights with a desultory otherness so reverently sincere that it steals a place in your heart usually reserved for awkwardly cross-bred puppies. Forgivable of its general inelegance, this is a fine specimen of a most exiguous film species.
7/10.
Delightfully off-hand weirdness, AUNT MARTHA is archetypal of the anything-goes craziness of low-budget 70s cinema...a film so abstractly imagined and impulsively realized, it alights with a desultory otherness so reverently sincere that it steals a place in your heart usually reserved for awkwardly cross-bred puppies. Forgivable of its general inelegance, this is a fine specimen of a most exiguous film species.
7/10.
A Dreadful Piece Of Filmmaking By Aunt Martha... Give Aunt Martha A Wide Berth...
P3n-E-W1s326 May 2020
The most dreadful thing Aunt Martha does is bring you this film.
There is only one redeeming object in the entire show. Nestled within the story is a modest seed of a story concept - one I may use for a story I have in mind. Crooks on the run from the law take to lying low in a Motel. While there, one of them dresses as a woman, Aunt Martha, so he can move about freely to assess the situation and keep tabs on the cops.
The concept offers lots of possibilities. Using a few of the options would enhance both story and film a hundredfold. Unfortunately, what writer and director Thomas Casey gives us is pure tedium. The story is lazily written and underdeveloped. It's a hodgepodge of a tale about a psychopath and his partner in crime and... sex. The progression and motives for the murders are clear, although most are unrealistic. And Casey presents them to us in a mundane matter-of-fact manner.
The lack of substance doesn't end with Paul or Martha's characterisations. It bleeds through to the story. There's not enough in this film to keep your attention on the screen. I found myself constantly looking away, and I even turned on the dreaded laptop - the killer of all focus.
Casey is worse at directing than writing; there was little hope for this flick. He takes a point-and-shoot stance to the filming and has little to no consideration for the pace of the film. The end product is little more than a straight-forward and often uninteresting rendition of an awful story.
At least the actor who played Paul's partner, Stanley, appears to have had a joyous time. Wayne Crawford isn't a marvellous actor, but he instils Stanley with an impish temperament. It lifts the direness of the movie, but not enough.
I would suggest steering well clear of this turkey - even at Thanksgiving. Though if a copy creeps up on you, then do the world a favour and bury it in a deep hole under the patio in your garden. Or slip it quietly through a horrid neighbours letterbox.
Ratings: Story 0.75 : Direction 0.5 : Pace 0.5 : Acting 1 : Enjoyment 0.5 Total 3.25 out of 10.
Now click on through to my Chiller Thriller Killers list to see where the turkey and Aunt Martha charted... but better yet, to find something better for your viewing pleasure.
Take Care and Stay Well.
There is only one redeeming object in the entire show. Nestled within the story is a modest seed of a story concept - one I may use for a story I have in mind. Crooks on the run from the law take to lying low in a Motel. While there, one of them dresses as a woman, Aunt Martha, so he can move about freely to assess the situation and keep tabs on the cops.
The concept offers lots of possibilities. Using a few of the options would enhance both story and film a hundredfold. Unfortunately, what writer and director Thomas Casey gives us is pure tedium. The story is lazily written and underdeveloped. It's a hodgepodge of a tale about a psychopath and his partner in crime and... sex. The progression and motives for the murders are clear, although most are unrealistic. And Casey presents them to us in a mundane matter-of-fact manner.
The lack of substance doesn't end with Paul or Martha's characterisations. It bleeds through to the story. There's not enough in this film to keep your attention on the screen. I found myself constantly looking away, and I even turned on the dreaded laptop - the killer of all focus.
Casey is worse at directing than writing; there was little hope for this flick. He takes a point-and-shoot stance to the filming and has little to no consideration for the pace of the film. The end product is little more than a straight-forward and often uninteresting rendition of an awful story.
At least the actor who played Paul's partner, Stanley, appears to have had a joyous time. Wayne Crawford isn't a marvellous actor, but he instils Stanley with an impish temperament. It lifts the direness of the movie, but not enough.
I would suggest steering well clear of this turkey - even at Thanksgiving. Though if a copy creeps up on you, then do the world a favour and bury it in a deep hole under the patio in your garden. Or slip it quietly through a horrid neighbours letterbox.
Ratings: Story 0.75 : Direction 0.5 : Pace 0.5 : Acting 1 : Enjoyment 0.5 Total 3.25 out of 10.
Now click on through to my Chiller Thriller Killers list to see where the turkey and Aunt Martha charted... but better yet, to find something better for your viewing pleasure.
Take Care and Stay Well.
One of the strangest exploitation films to come out of Florida in the 1970's
Woodyanders14 October 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Overbearing Paul (superbly played with unbridled ferocity and intensity by Abe Zwick) and his infantile dimwit partner Stanley (an amiably dopey portrayal by Wayne Crawford) are a pair of jewel thieves on the lam from the law who decide to lay low in a small Florida town. Paul devises the ingenious idea of pretending to be Stanley's dowdy Aunt Martha as a clever means of eluding detection. Problems arise when Stanley threatens to blow their cover by hanging out with several local tramps.
Writer/director Thomas Casey concocts an arrestingly off-kilter plot that offers a jarring and peculiar, yet still absorbing and enjoyable unholy mix of raw sudden violence, seething homo-eroticism (domineering homosexual Paul is clearly carrying a torch for the hopelessly awkward and inept Stanley), raging jealousy, freaky cross-dressing, and even some tasty gratuitous female nudity tossed in for trashy good measure. The fraught relationship between Paul and Stanley gives this picture an extra deliciously demented kick; the scenes with an enraged Paul scolding Stanley for being such a dope-addled screw-up are positively hysterical. Zwick and Crawford do sterling work in the leads; they receive sound support from Don Craig as bothersome down his luck junkie Hubert, Robin Hughes as alluring brunette Vicki, and Yanka Mann as pesky neighbor Mrs. Adams. Edmund Gibson's stark cinematography boasts a few funky psychedelic visual flourishes. The groovy film library score hits the sweet far-out spot. A delightfully singular doozy.
Writer/director Thomas Casey concocts an arrestingly off-kilter plot that offers a jarring and peculiar, yet still absorbing and enjoyable unholy mix of raw sudden violence, seething homo-eroticism (domineering homosexual Paul is clearly carrying a torch for the hopelessly awkward and inept Stanley), raging jealousy, freaky cross-dressing, and even some tasty gratuitous female nudity tossed in for trashy good measure. The fraught relationship between Paul and Stanley gives this picture an extra deliciously demented kick; the scenes with an enraged Paul scolding Stanley for being such a dope-addled screw-up are positively hysterical. Zwick and Crawford do sterling work in the leads; they receive sound support from Don Craig as bothersome down his luck junkie Hubert, Robin Hughes as alluring brunette Vicki, and Yanka Mann as pesky neighbor Mrs. Adams. Edmund Gibson's stark cinematography boasts a few funky psychedelic visual flourishes. The groovy film library score hits the sweet far-out spot. A delightfully singular doozy.
Cult 70's Classic... almost
Unknownian17 December 2004
The working title was: "Don't Spank Baby".
Wayne Crawford went on to become a successful producer, films like Valley Girl, Night of the Comet and others, even though he wasn't too terrific in this little Gem. And little known Abe Zwick should have gotten tons of work from this film but didn't. Filmed at Moberly Studios in Hollywood Florida, on the same lot the early Tarzan movies were filmed. This film is definitely for those who appreciate the abstract. The movie was originally shot with much more bloody graphic slasher scenes. For reasons only known to Tom Casey the Director, the bloody slasher scenes were given a tab of LSD, and replaced by Flash Editing. Even though this version is worthy of a look for those so inclined, in my opinion the original version would have packed the punch needed to make this a full on Slasher 70's Cult Classic.
Wayne Crawford went on to become a successful producer, films like Valley Girl, Night of the Comet and others, even though he wasn't too terrific in this little Gem. And little known Abe Zwick should have gotten tons of work from this film but didn't. Filmed at Moberly Studios in Hollywood Florida, on the same lot the early Tarzan movies were filmed. This film is definitely for those who appreciate the abstract. The movie was originally shot with much more bloody graphic slasher scenes. For reasons only known to Tom Casey the Director, the bloody slasher scenes were given a tab of LSD, and replaced by Flash Editing. Even though this version is worthy of a look for those so inclined, in my opinion the original version would have packed the punch needed to make this a full on Slasher 70's Cult Classic.
Very scary
jacobjohntaylor110 June 2019
This one of the scariest movies ever. It has a great story line. It also has great acting. It is not a 6 out of 10. It is a 9 out of 10. This movie is underrated. This is scarier then The silence of the lambs could ever be.
One of the most interesting B-movies I've ever seen!
ES-III28 July 2003
Warning: Spoilers
This is a very delightful film that should appeal to horror fans and those searching for offbeat and forgotten gems. POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD.
Two small-time Baltimore crooks flee to Miami to hide out in a rented home in the suburbs - only, they aren't your ordinary petty thieves! No, sir! Instead, director/writer Thomas Casey has masterfully cast them as a gay couple, Paul (aka Aunt Martha) being the domineering, cross-dressing chief-boot-knocker, with Stanley as the callow, somewhat-submissive teen-hippie. Stanley (played by Wayne Crawford) is a child-like idiot (just turning nineteen) who, despite being wanted for murder, drives a colorful attention-grabbing van around (that actually has the word `door' painted on the door). And while he may indeed have a few character inconsistencies (a homosexual, coke-snorting hippie with hang-ups who knows how to deliver babies via C-section?), Paul (played beautifully by Abe Zwick in his only known role) is simply killer! He's got that over-the-top delivery that sometimes sounds ad-libbed, reminiscent of the many memorable characters of John Barrymore and Gene Wilder - mixing deadpan humor with over-enunciated words and psychotic facial expressions.
Partly to throw off the heat, Paul dons the guise of Stanley's "Aunt Martha," dressing in drag and doing the cooking and cleaning while Stanley jacks around with the Woodstock generation (drugged-out dudes in leather vests and skanky nude chicks). Extremely jealous (and tipping a hat to Hitchcock's `Psycho'), Aunt Martha then attempts to slice-and-dice any girls (referred to as whore, sluts, or bitches) trying to get in Stanley's snakeskin pants (which he never takes off throughout the film's entirety). Zwick's performance is a joy to watch and his dialogue is absolutely hilarious. He embodies elements of Vaudevillian slapstick, making even the subtle act of smoking a cigar a work of art! And the scene where Martha yells at the phone then throws darts at a poster of a girl's ass while swigging beer is priceless!
Another character, Hubert (Don Craig), shows up toward the end to make things even more baffling - he's a double-crossing heroin junkie in his 60s who once worked in a drug-store in Baltimore but, for some unknown reason, has followed our dynamic duo all the way to Miami (through the power of the Zodiac) because he has nowhere else to go (in reality, he's just another petty thief with horrible rationalization skills after some jewels). And, to make things even more bizarre, he's a junior astrologist bordering on analytical psychology.
The film drags on a little at the end (really, what's with that Caesarian section scene?) -- and should have been edited down a bit or reinforced with more crucial scenes, but director Thomas Casey has essentially (and effectively) crossed Truman Capote's `In Cold Blood' and `Psycho' with TV fare like `Bosom Buddies,' `The Odd Couple,' and `That '70s Show.' Now, he needs to turn this into a weekly series for HBO, or make a prequel that explains the whole odd arrangement. Or he could make a sequel that finds Paul surviving the gunshot wound and being released from prison thirty years later as a rehabilitated man (or so you'd think). The possibilities are endless!
`Sometimes Aunt Martha Does Dreadful Things' is easily one of the most interesting B-movies I've ever seen!
Two small-time Baltimore crooks flee to Miami to hide out in a rented home in the suburbs - only, they aren't your ordinary petty thieves! No, sir! Instead, director/writer Thomas Casey has masterfully cast them as a gay couple, Paul (aka Aunt Martha) being the domineering, cross-dressing chief-boot-knocker, with Stanley as the callow, somewhat-submissive teen-hippie. Stanley (played by Wayne Crawford) is a child-like idiot (just turning nineteen) who, despite being wanted for murder, drives a colorful attention-grabbing van around (that actually has the word `door' painted on the door). And while he may indeed have a few character inconsistencies (a homosexual, coke-snorting hippie with hang-ups who knows how to deliver babies via C-section?), Paul (played beautifully by Abe Zwick in his only known role) is simply killer! He's got that over-the-top delivery that sometimes sounds ad-libbed, reminiscent of the many memorable characters of John Barrymore and Gene Wilder - mixing deadpan humor with over-enunciated words and psychotic facial expressions.
Partly to throw off the heat, Paul dons the guise of Stanley's "Aunt Martha," dressing in drag and doing the cooking and cleaning while Stanley jacks around with the Woodstock generation (drugged-out dudes in leather vests and skanky nude chicks). Extremely jealous (and tipping a hat to Hitchcock's `Psycho'), Aunt Martha then attempts to slice-and-dice any girls (referred to as whore, sluts, or bitches) trying to get in Stanley's snakeskin pants (which he never takes off throughout the film's entirety). Zwick's performance is a joy to watch and his dialogue is absolutely hilarious. He embodies elements of Vaudevillian slapstick, making even the subtle act of smoking a cigar a work of art! And the scene where Martha yells at the phone then throws darts at a poster of a girl's ass while swigging beer is priceless!
Another character, Hubert (Don Craig), shows up toward the end to make things even more baffling - he's a double-crossing heroin junkie in his 60s who once worked in a drug-store in Baltimore but, for some unknown reason, has followed our dynamic duo all the way to Miami (through the power of the Zodiac) because he has nowhere else to go (in reality, he's just another petty thief with horrible rationalization skills after some jewels). And, to make things even more bizarre, he's a junior astrologist bordering on analytical psychology.
The film drags on a little at the end (really, what's with that Caesarian section scene?) -- and should have been edited down a bit or reinforced with more crucial scenes, but director Thomas Casey has essentially (and effectively) crossed Truman Capote's `In Cold Blood' and `Psycho' with TV fare like `Bosom Buddies,' `The Odd Couple,' and `That '70s Show.' Now, he needs to turn this into a weekly series for HBO, or make a prequel that explains the whole odd arrangement. Or he could make a sequel that finds Paul surviving the gunshot wound and being released from prison thirty years later as a rehabilitated man (or so you'd think). The possibilities are endless!
`Sometimes Aunt Martha Does Dreadful Things' is easily one of the most interesting B-movies I've ever seen!
Wacked Out Psycho Crime Drama
dwaltz696918 October 2001
Ordering movies by odd titles has always been a thing with me. Imagine my surprise when I got this one in the mail! You're never really sure at the beginning if Abe Zwick is supposed to be a man or woman. Then when he answers the phone at his house he says in a soft, feminine voice, "hello?" He repeats it once more. Then his face contorts into a frown and in a deep, bass voice says, "STANLEY!" (Stanley being his boyfriend who always ends up hooking up with women, even though he's gay). That scene sets the tone for the film and it's the two leads, Paul and Stanley who set the energetic tone of the film. This is a must see for any lover of bad films. On an interesting side note, Paul (played by Abe Zwick) looks a lot like a young Andy Kaufman.
Sometimes Aunt Martha makes dreadful movies
thomandybish24 August 2004
Warning: Spoilers
**potential spoilers**Despite the relegation of this film to the horror section of my local independent video store, this film is more of a warped gay psychodrama with some knife murders thrown in for good effect. Paul and Stanley are the lovers in question who flee Baltimore for a Miami suburb after a jewel theft gone horribly wrong. To complete their charade, Paul poses as Stanley's Aunt Martha, complete with dime store wig and the best that Lane Bryant has to offer. If there's anything dreadful, it's the sick relationship between Stanley and Paul, a freaky pseudo-incestuous dynamic that suggests the relationship between Norman Bates and his mother (in addition to Paul's donning the Aunt Martha get-up to off Stanley's potential female conquests). Paul alternately scolds and babys Stanley, who willingly plays along. This bizarre fantasy world is definitely one of the more fascinating aspects of this movie, which has as many holes swiss cheese. A middle-aged junkie shows up midway through the movie and encroaches on the domestic bliss of the two, either to snag the stolen jewels for himself or to blackmail Paul in to giving him a crash pad in exchange for not revealing his true identity. It's not clear. What is clear is that, as Paul's psychosis grows more lethal, the movie drifts further and further out to sea. Thrown in some more murders, a still-born baby delivered by Stanley via Cesarean, a corpse in a trunk dumped in a river, and a deranged finale in an old movie studio, and you have one brain-boiler of a movie!
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