rwbj4 I first saw this film by accident on cable television years ago, and it haunted me ever since. Thankfully, the 2007 DVD release is of a quality that does justice to this undeservedly obscure film. Director Curtis Harrington details in the supplementary interview the unfortunate problems this film had being distributed, and I sought a copy of it for years before (again almost by accident) learning it was to be released on DVD. The actors are uniformly fine, but the primary reason to seek this film out is the great Ann Sothern. Far from giving a perfunctory performance in what was obviously an inexpensive film even for its time, she imbues her role as a smothering but well-intentioned mother with such dignity and compassion and a lost longing for a better life, that by the time the film ends, her plight brings a lump to the throat. Sothern was an underrated actress who had success in many B-movie roles in the 30s and 40s (the Maisie series, etc., April Showers), and in a few A pictures (e.g., Joseph Mankiewicz's A Letter to Three Wives). She also enjoyed great success in 50s comedy series (Private Secretary, The Ann Sothern Show). In her last film, The Whales of August (1987) she was finally rewarded with a supporting actress Oscar nomination. Had there been any justice in the awards process (we know there is little), she would have had a best actress nod for The Killing Kind. It is a remarkable performance in a film that one expect to be exploitative, but which ends up being psychologically complex and touching and tragic. Highly recommended.

Esther_7 Love it, love it, love it. This genuinely compelling tale is an unsung classic of horror & exploitation cinema, and one of Harrington's finest films. It has recently (Fall 2007) been released on DVD for the first time, barring one poor quality cheapie version referenced in another review here. Very exciting to see a decent quality print of it for the first time. The tone of The Killing Kind seems really unusual to a modern viewer because it is slow, quiet, and meditative - not what we have come to expect from a horror film. The story centers on a desperately lonely single mother (Thelma) with inappropriate feelings for her son (Terry), who for his part is tormented by his own thwarted desires and the aggression of the women around him. Southern and Savage give powerful performances and the dynamic between them is intense. Harrington said that Southern tried to upstage the other actors, but was herself intimidated by Savage. Their tension adds to the believability of their twisted relationship. Luana Anders is fantastic as the clinically depressed, sexually frustrated spinster next door. Ruth Roman, with her caftan and 3-packs day voice, is also perfect casting. Special props to Marjorie Eaton as Mrs. Orland.

verna55 As sleazy and melodramatic as it all may sound, this is one of exploitation filmmaker Curtis Harrington's better flicks. John Savage(the closest thing we've ever come to another James Dean) is intense and believable every minute as the very disturbed young man, and Ann Sothern is also impressive in one of her more bizarre character parts as the boy's lonely mother who isn't all there herself. Ruth Roman plays Savage's "lousy lawyer", while Luana Anders(of DEMENTIA 13 fame) is the creepy, repressed librarian living next door who makes several unsuccessful attempts to seduce Savage. Cindy Williams, in her pre-LAVERNE AND SHIRLEY days, plays an attractive, but none-too-bright out-of-town girl who makes the dreaded mistake of renting a room in Savage and Sothern's home. It's all relatively low-key, and the finale is too dramatic for it's own good, but thankfully the movie never takes itself too seriously, and the cast, even the actors in the most minor roles, have a ball with it, making this flick a mini-classic of the early 1970's sex/murder/exploitation genre. The film was never released theatrically, but has had a fairly substantial audience thanks to home video.

cfc_can I spent a long time looking for this film and it was worth it. It is no ordinary schlock film. It is an intelligent, well acted thriller about a misfit, his mom who is part of his problem and his inability to cope with the world. There isn't much in the way of scares but the tone of the film is suspenseful throughout. There isn't that much gore in the film either but The Killing Kind will still leave a lasting impression. John Savage is a standout in the lead and he gets good support from the women in the cast. It must have been rough for Ann Southern to take on a role that is so unglamorous.