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Actors: Shelley Winters, Ralph Richardson, Mark Lester, Michael Gothard
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| Review Summary and Plot Commentary about Whoever Slew Auntie Roo? |
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Shelley Winters is Rosie Forest, a middle-aged, independently-wealthy ex-dancer/actress who loves children and whose own daughter tragically died by falling from a stairwell. The loss of her daughter made Rosie emotionally unstable (she keeps the dead body of her daughter in a cradle in a secret room) and prone to be exploited by her mean-spirited servants who conspire with a sleazy psychic medium to steal as much of Rosie's money as they can.
Not far from Rosie Forest's mansion is an orphanage; and every year a group of well-behaved children are chosen to spend Christmas at Rosie Forest's estate. Every year these children are stuffed with good food, given presents and entertained by Rosie herself (or Auntie Roo as she wants children to call her).
One Christmas a pair of orphans a brother and sister named Christopher (Mark Lester) and Katy sneak into Auntie Roo's house. Obviously, since they weren't chosen to be there in the first place, it is implied that these siblings are bratty, difficult kids. However, children-loving Rosie Forest refuses to sent the orphans away and lets them party with the rest of the children. Then due to a chain of small incidents Auntie Roo falls in love with Katy and starts to treat her like her own daughter. Katy (who acts way too spoiled for an orphan) doesn't mind the prospect of being adapted by Auntie Roo. Unfortunately, her older brother Christopher doesn't distinguish well between fantasy and reality he is convinced that Auntie Roo is a wicked witch who plans to eat them for dinner.
In this twisted re-telling' of the Hansel and Gretel fairytale there is no witch just a sad, lonely, emotionally-disturbed woman. And the children unable to distinguish between what's real and what's not -- become the true monsters of this creepy, campy but mostly disturbing flick.
--garfield durang, Resident Scholar
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WHOEVER SLEW AUNTIE ROO? is a British production directed by Curtis Harrington in 1971.
Since the accidental death of Katherine, his only child, Shelley Winters has become insane. She's kept the corpse of his daughter in a hidden room and spends a lot of time and money trying to contact her soul with the help of Ralph Richardson, a fake medium. So when she meets Katie, a young orphan girl invited to spend Christmas in her mansion, she decides to kidnap the young child and transfer her love to her. Katie's brother, Christopher, doesn't believe in Shelley Winters' explanations about the runaway of his sister; he'll finally find her in a locked room. But will Auntie Roo let them leave the house ?
--Daniel Staebler, Resident Scholar
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| Analysis of Whoever Slew Auntie Roo? |
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Time/era of movie:
- 1900-1920's
Kids growing up/acting up?
Yes
Inner struggle or disability
Yes
Parent(s) gone?
- Orphan story
Age group
- trouble in grade school
Coping with loss of loved one?
Yes
Coping with loss of
- Daughter
Main Character
Identity:
- Female
Profession/status:
- simply wealthy
Age:
- 40's-50's
Eccentric:
Yes
- eccentric
- obsessed
- mentally ill
- deluded
- emotionally unstable
- wild
Hair color?
- blonde
- red
Hair type
- (woman) medium/shoulderlgn curly
Body type
- (woman) fat
- (woman) ample bosom & buttocks
Events of movie makes character more...
- happy
- sad
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
Dumb?
Yes
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor?
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence
- Dumb
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Secondary Main Character
Identity:
- Male
- Female
Hair color
- brunette (Brown)
- blonde
Hair style
- (man) short/standard straight
- (woman) long straight
Body type
- (man) average build
- (woman) very skinny
How much in movie?
- 20%
- 80%
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
- British
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- a kid
- a teen
Eccentric:
Yes
- wild
- obsessed
- deluded
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- 80%
Hair color
- blonde
Hair type
- (man) short/standard wavey
- (man) long girliemon hair
Body type
- (man) skinny
- (man) average
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
- British
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
- hard edged
Sense of humor
- Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Setting
Europe
Yes
European country:
- England/UK
Misc setting
- fancy mansion
Style
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
- very explicit references to deaths and torture
Movie makes you feel...
- excited
Non-American film?
Yes
What language?
- English
Any profanity?
- None
If this is a kid's movie...
- Ages 10-15
If soundtrack VERY NOTICEABLE...
- Orchestra/classical
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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