everything you have heard about this movie is true.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

William Castle directed this blatant rip off of "Psycho", featuring Patricia Breslin as Miriam Webster, who is set to inherit a fortune along with her half-brother Warren, who still lives in their childhood home with his guardian Helga(now wheelchair bound) and her strange nurse Emily. Weird things are going on, and after a justice of the peace is brutally murdered with a knife, it is obvious that a homicidal psycho is on the loose, and may well be living closer than Miriam suspects... The gimmick of a "Fright Break" was used for film goers too scared to finish the film, though they would have to stand in the "coward corner" in the theater! Too bad this obvious film wasn't as imaginative...

Homicidal is directed by William Castle and written by Robb White. It stars Jean Arless, Glenn Corbett, Patricia Breslin, Richard Rust and James Westerfield. Music is by Hugo Friedhoffer and cinematography by Burnett Guffey.From the showman stable of William Castle, comes this weird psycho chiller that hinges on its twist reveal and comes out in credit. Story essentially follows the unravelling of one off kilter family, enter gruesome murder, inheritance issues and cruelty. Gone is the camp value normally associated with this period of Castle's career, though we do get one of his gimmicks here, a 45 second countdown clock as Castle gives the audience chance to leave the cinema before the ending is revealed, they would then have to go and stand in "cowards corner" before claiming a refund on their admission ticket.Nicely shot in broad black and white by the talented Guffey, Homicidal is often considered as being either a homage or a rip-off of Hitchcock's Psycho released the previous year. Which ever way you view it, it is hard not to refer back to Hitch's superior movie, but what film of its type can compare to Psycho? With that in mind, Homicidal is one of the best there is, and it's not as if Castle's movie is not without its own ideas. Critics remain divided on the film's quality, though it should be said that there were one or two who stood up say it was better than Psycho. That appears to be folly now and still further gives Homicidal an uphill battle to be judged on its own entertaining terms. It's a tough ask, but if first time viewers can do this then they should enjoy a devilishly constructed picture made by a man with a glint in is eye and a cigar on his lips. 7/10

Since I knew this was a William Castle film I knew what to expect gimmick wise but not plot. Halfway through when we see the "Warren" character, I knew why it seemed familiar...Psycho!!! This film is for those who just watch em to get a kick and don't really look too deep. Unfortunately for me I dig in films to see and when the "Warren" character arrives I knew he and the "Emily" character were one in the same. Unless you are blind you couldn't miss it. This may have fooled people back in 1961 but it didn't slip by me at all.The only thing that held me to this was why the character was doing this. I mean you know right off this chick/guy...or whatever they were...was a little bit off...but you really don't get the answers until the very last minute. With that, it cleared things up and I had the answers I was looking for.This isn't a blatant ripoff of Psycho at all. It just has 1 of the same story devices...guy or girl dressing up as a guy or girl etc. Everything else is a bit different so it's was no rip-off. I imagine if you need somethin' to watch on a lonely Saturday night this will fill the bill. If you miss it, don't shed a tear.

William Castle directed this great black and white film at Columbia. Glenn Corbett then a Columbia contract player stars and one wonders why Glenn Corbett never became a big movie star. After this film Glenn Corbett would go on to play supporting roles in movies starring James Stewart, Charlton Heston and several with John Wayne.This movie expertly filmed and with fine art and set decoration has a trick ending and one can figure it out midway the film but if you do it sort of ruins the wind up of this suspense film. All the attractive leads do very well and this is a most enjoyable film from the William Castle suspense factorI recommend this film