A deranged widow maintains her lavish lifestyle by murdering her housekeepers, then appropriating their savings.

verna55

This is a good, fun follow-up/spin-off of WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE?, produced by that classic film's director, Robert Aldrich. This film doesn't get quite as much mention as that one, but thanks to the flawless performances by veteran leading ladies Page and Gordon, it certainly should. Page(Oscar winner for the 1985 film TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL) should have won an Oscar for this film as well. These BABY JANE/HUSH HUSH SWEET CHARLOTTE films are intended to be darkly comical horror flicks, but it's hard to laugh at a great actress like Geraldine Page, especially when she's so thoroughly into the role that she almost becomes the character she's playing, in this case a cunning, cold-blooded murderess. Co-star Ruth Gordon(of HAROLD AND MAUDE fame) is also good as the amateur sleuth who uncovers her employer's dastardly deeds, but the film is dominated by Page's fearless, all-out performance that could very well be her best. If you liked BABY JANE, then AUNT ALICE is a must-see! The movie, long out-of-print, has finally been rereleased to video and DVD by the great cult/horror label Anchor Bay in a beautiful, absolutely flawless collector's edition at a frighteningly affordable price. There's just no reason to miss this fantastic flick. Those who have seen the film on commercial TV should note that most television prints have cut 5-10 minutes of footage so the film can run in a two hour time slot. So, what are we waiting for? Get the original video or DVD today!

score /10

verna55 19 September 2000

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw0109617/