(1962)
Dir - Owen Crump
Overall: MEH
Notable as having Robert Bloch's first screenplay for a theatrically released film, The Couch continues the author's fascination with mentally disturbed lead characters which is both interesting and detrimental in its finished form. Having an antagonist be the central focus is tricky business for any narrative where said antagonist is both unlikable and unsympathetic. Grant Williams creates a grating presence throughout in this respect, but his aloof and aggressive mannerisms betray his faux-charm at almost every turn which makes it difficult to believe that he is able to fool as many people as he does. Aside from this fundamental roadblock, the movie is well acted, plus producer/director Owen Crump stages all of the kill scenes in a gripping, clever manner. The opening one which follows the murderer around without revealing his face for a full seven minutes and the finale where he keeps narrowly missing the opportunity to do away with his last victim are the most impressive. The psychological elements are the typical kind of exaggerated ones that only screenwriters embellish for melodramatic purposes, but if one can forgive the movie's deadpan presentation which misses an opportunity to play up the camp, it is harmlessly enjoyable.
(1966)
Dir - Earl Bellamy
Overall: MEH
Going into production immediately following the finishing of The Munsters television series, Munster, Go Home! serves as an appropriate companion piece designed to garnish interest for the show's syndication options in overseas markets. Though it is therefor a marketing ploy in such respects, the resulting movie hits the same cornball, comedic beats as the TV program except in color, with all of the main cast returning save Pat Priest who was replaced by Debbie Watson. The innocently ghoulish family's appearance is still played for sped-up chuckles with cartoon sound effects every time that a normal person gazes upon them. Also, Herman is still a lovable idiot, Lily still wears the pants, Grandpa still bumbles his magical pills, Eddie still sleeps in a drawer with Woof-Woof, and Marilyn still thinks that she is ugly. John Carradine in heavy, ridiculous makeup as a butler and Terry-Thomas as a weaselly human-looking Munster cousin are amusing additions to the clan, plus a handful of the jokes work their goofy charm. It all unavoidably plays as an over-long episode of the show though and the main and side plots are dopey at best, boring at worst. It is far from a homerun the way that the Batman tie-in film was for that particular program, but at least Munster fans will appreciate the hijinks.
(1969)
Dir - David Lowell Rich
Overall: MEH
Scripted by Joseph Stefano of Psycho and The Outer Limits fame, Eye of the Cat is a pedestrian/borderline absurd horror film with a feline slant. Director David Lowell Rich, (who would mostly ride out his career in television), does his best with a silly story involving one unlikable character after the other, three of which are trying to dupe an old, invalid, lonely cat lady out of her vast fortune. So yes, that ole gag again. The fact that said lady has her own less than redeemable qualities, (particularly her overwhelming obsession with her long neglectful, asshole nephew who she immediately bequeaths all of her money to upon his clearly dubious return), makes everybody on screen far from sympathetic. It is only a manner of degree then by which we the audience member fails to enjoy witnessing all of them go about their undesirable behavior. Throw in a plot-hole heavy, double-cross scheme reveal at the end, plus Michael Sarrazin having a petrifying, (and laughable), fear of cats and then Gayle Hunnicutt randomly succumbing to the same fear in the finale when she had no such ailurophobia before and you have yourself an eyeball-rolling affair. Presumably though, at least no adorable furrballs were harmed during the making of such dribble.
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