A Brilliant Conflict

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

MAD ROOM is based on the 1941 classic LADIES IN RETIREMENT. Ellen Hardy(Stella Stevens)is an assistant and companion to a wealthy, but a bit psychotic old widow Gladys Armstrong(Shelley Winters), who just so happens to be Ellen's future mother-in-law. Ellen is deeply in love with her fiancé Sam(Skip Ward), but there are secrets yet to be told. Ellen's teenage brother and sister are released from a mental institution where they were put after being suspected of slaughtering their parents. Miss Hardy believes she is the only witness, but her memory is very confusing. The teens need a place to go, and Ellen has to conger a reason to have them come to Mrs. Armstrong's ever expanding home. Ellen will have to be devious in convincing the old widow that sharing her home will not interfere with anyone's lifestyle.Suspense will thicken. The two teens still believe that the other committed the gory murders. Lies upon lies will be amplified when a horrid event takes place. Now suspicion and a cover-up will have to be crafted. This psychological drama also features: Michael Burns, Carol Cole, Barbara Sammeth, Severn Darden and Beverly Garland.

Stella Stevens (always great) works for loony bitch Shelly WInters in a huge estate. What Shelly doesn't know is that Stellas siblings are coming to stay and they are just released from a nut house after killing their parents years before. Once they get there weird things start happening. I won't give away the plot, there are some twists. Stella gives an understated performance here, Shelly is over the top as always. Beverly Garland has a memorable cameo here, appearing drunk at a party (she was pregnant in real life) and utters one of the greatest one liners in movie history (I am married to a male whore)! She then creates a bloody mess in the bathroom by slashing her wrists. After talking to Stella a few years ago I found out this movie had director/producer problems and could have been much better. I think it is great the way it is but I see where some of the directing and editing could have been improved upon. I wish they would release this on DVD as Stella never looked more beautiful and Shelly is always fun to watch.

From the opening credits this film gives off a creepy feeling. You are never quite sure which character is trustworthy. Stella Stevens gives the right amount of instability in her performance of a woman who is unsure of her future. The younger siblings, played by Michael Burns and Barbara Sammeth, are equally as creepy. This is a must have film for people who like suspenseful movies with minimal gore. As another reviewer noted I am surprised that this movie has not been released on DVD. It would be interesting to have a commentary by Stella Stevens. PS: The writers of To Die For with Nicole Kidman must have been fans of this film, since the opening credits are similar to The Mad Room's credits.

Without trying to spoil too much of the whackiness here, in this ditty, you got a dog making off with someone's severed hand, you got your menacing foot bridge swaying in the breeze and you got your Stella Stevens and your Shelley Winters squaring off in the ham acting department, a few years before they both turned upside down in the Poseidon Adventure. One of them loopy movies following Joan and Bette from ... Baby Jane, where 2 sort of has been actresses vie for screen time by screeching at each other. Stella has a rather spacey look in her eye and Shelley, well, she always was a drama queen. Fun for a few laughs.