Trog is laughing right now because I had this out from Netflix for six months, no joke.But I’ve finally watched it, and…wow.You know, I’d never seen a Joan Crawford movie; I’d seen Mommie Dearest about a jillion times, but never an actual Crawford vehicle, and I used to wonder why people put up with her shit, but she really was such a star — just mesmerizing to watch (and to listen to; her voice is lovely).And that movie is just so messed up and sad, and the camera angles really contribute to this building dread, and when Elvira puts the hammer on the sideboard…I mean, the movie came out forty years ago.I read.I knew the entire plot.But man, I was nervous, watching it.The end, meh; I love that last shot, but the dying-declaration business from Blanche, I didn’t love.The revelation itself made sense, of course, but the way it was delivered undercut the payoff, I felt, because we’d had a build-up in a certain direction and then…that.I also felt as if it could have been a bit shorter, overall, but it’s a classic for good reason.Excellent acting and scene-setting; definitely a worthwhile rental.(9/15/05)

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