WHOEVER SLEW AUNTIE ROO (1971)

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Whoever Slew Auntie Roo” is indeed a very different kettle of fish, and the dynamic between the two antagonists is a most unusual one. Just as Roo is increasingly deluded and unable to see the reality of what is around her, so too is Christopher in his own innocent way. Both are living in their own respective dream world. Dialing down the deplorable nature of, well everyone, would serve another go at the story. There’s true emotion at the root of the tale, and when you have that you can always build out. Tying the amplified sorrow to the Christmas season as well would make for a great Christmas horror. Spawns

Whoever Slew Auntie Roo? (released in the U.S. as Who Slew Auntie Roo?) is a 1972 British horror film directed by Curtis Harrington and starring Shelley Winters in the title role, along with Ralph Richardson, Mark Lester, Chloe Franks, Judy Cornwell, Michael Gothard, Hugh Griffith, and Lionel Jeffries. Aside from Shelley Winter's bravura performance, there are also strong contributions from Sir Ralph Richardson as her psychic; Rosemary Crutchley as the director of the orphanage, Mark Lester (of Oliver fame) as Christopher. The art and set direction are marvelous along with excellent camera work and lighting.Many viewers ignore her staff who bleed her white. Despite showing loads of kindnesses to orphaned children, she is further still abused by two of the most ungrateful among them. Consequently, 'Aunt Roo' transforms from just being traumatised to mentally disturbed, and the tragic end to the movie ensues.

Dreaming of a White Christmas: Aunt Roo wakes up Katy and Christopher on Christmas morning by flinging open the curtains and shouting, "Children! Children! Wake up! Wake up! It's snowing!" Career Versus Man: Aunt Roo was once a celebrated singer and dancer performing in Paris, but she gave it up to marry Col. Forrest.

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Auntie Roo prepares a dinner for the coming New Year while Christopher assists her by gathering firewood. In the process, he steals the key to the nursery room and lets Katy out. During their escape, they steal Auntie Roo's jewelry and stuff it inside an old teddy bear that once belonged to Katharine. Christopher and Katy fight their way out of Auntie Roo's mansion. Once outside, they place the firewood at the door and set it on fire. The opening credits sequence comes complete with over the top music by Kenneth V. Jones, adding to the fairy tale feel of the material. And since it takes place during the Christmas holidays, some viewers may want to make it part of their Yuletide viewing tradition. The first part is as delightful as the cakes,the sweets ,the lollipops and the gingerbread men which the good lady serves to the orphans she welcomes for her Christmas party in her Gothic desirable mansion.This mysterious woman,with a racy past ,was married to a magician (remarkable scene when the two children venture into the old house full of magic props where once more,we are told that children are not necessarily devoid of cruelty. Once at the Forrest house the kids are greeted by Mrs Forrest, who insists they call her “Auntie Roo” (because she’s good at boxing? Because she self-medicates on cheap lager? Because she carries her young in a makeshift pouch? Sadly we’ll never know).

Interested in knowing what the movie's about? Here's the plot: "A demented widow lures unsuspecting children into her mansion in a bizarre "Hansel and Gretel" twist." Whoever Slew Auntie Roo? (U.S. title: Who Slew Auntie Roo? [2]) is a 1972 horror- thriller film directed by Curtis Harrington and starring Shelley Winters, Mark Lester, and Sir Ralph Richardson. Based partly on the fairy tale " Hansel and Gretel", the film focuses on a demented American widow living in her husband's English manor who becomes obsessed with a young orphan girl who resembles her dead daughter. Dies Wide Open: After her death, Katharine stares at the ceiling with blood coming out of her nose.Ding-Dong-Ditch Distraction: Christopher does this to get Aunt Roo out of the kitchen long enough for him to steal the key to the nursery. Fans of Shelley Winters should appreciate her performance as Auntie Roo, a batty, rich dame who spoils children, hosts elaborate Christmas parties, and desperately wishes to believe in the supernatural. But anyone expecting thrills, either campy or creepy, will be disappointed in this Curtis Harrington title, a director who usually excels in weird, offbeat genre efforts. Curtis Harrington's WHOEVER SLEW AUNTIE ROO? is a film that seem to become more popular with each passing year. The film was a surprise hit for AIP when it was released and I think it's fair to say that it gave Winters' career a boost that it was certainly needing and I'm sure the popularity of this film help land her a role in THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE, which of course would get her an Oscar nomination. The film isn't the greatest movie ever made but it's certainly an effective one and one that is very much worth watching.

The film was based on a storyline from Jimmy Sangster inspired by Hansel and Gretel. Sam Arkoff and James Nicholson of AIP hired Robert Blees to write a script which Harrington was dissatisfied with so the director arranged for the script to be rewritten by Gavin Lambert. [6] Christopher and Katy are caught by Roo’s weirdly nasty butler, Albie (Michael Gothard), who threatens them with a knife (Roo: “That’s not a knife…” no, this didn’t actually happen – I’m just expanding on the hilarious kangaroo /Australia jokes. Don’t worry, this is unlikely to be the last one) before bringing them into the party, where Roo takes pity on them and invites them to stay (“Can we stay?” / “Of course you kanga.”)

Harrington proves unable to effectively direct child performers or curb his lead star’s worst tendencies, paving the way for Winters to clean house in a performance ranging from supremely shrill to surprisingly sympathetic. By the time its Hansel & Gretel role reversal becomes complete, which is weakly established through wan attempts in the script asserting kids at the orphanage believe she eats children, Aunt Roo’s demise becomes the real tragedy as the film leaves us with two smug sociopaths who just committed murder. While there’s a case for arguing Harrington was intelligent enough of a filmmaker to purposefully deliver subversive context with his finale, the imperiled children are consistently presented as entitled victims, with the audience’s allegiance persuaded to accept their struggle. Meanwhile, Ralph Richardson as a doddering old medium somehow gets the short shrift when clearly his subplot would have greatly established a greater sense of menace. Disc Review: Sindelar, Dave (31 December 2015). "Whoever Slew Auntie Roo? (1971)". FantasticMovieMusings.com. Dave Sindelar . Retrieved 8 July 2018. Please, Don't Leave Me: Aunt Roo screams and begs Katy and Christopher not to leave her alone as they flee the burning house. It’s grief that pulls at the heart in this one. Perhaps in my own role as initiator of life, I’ve developed a way to empathize even in the adverse pathology of mania.