Religious overtones run through this offbeat, multilayered whodunnit horror movie, telling the tale of a devout New Jersey family’s struggle to reveal the killer in their midst.
Director Alfred Sole set and shot his story in and around a Catholic church in his hometown (Paterson, New Jersey) in 1961.
The killings (still shockingly realistic) are interspersed with biting portrayals of the dysfunctional family and Catholic ritual.
There is also black humour, mostly inspired by Hitchcock, although fans will notice other influences, notably Nicolas Roeg (Don’t Look Now, 1973).
The cast comprises unknowns apart from tragic 1930s star Lillian Roth, who makes a comeback as a pathologist and a brief appearance by Brooke Shields.
Catherine Spages
Linda Miller
Mrs Tredoni
Mildred Clinton
Alice Spages
Paula Sheppard
Dominick Spages
Niles McMaster
Father Tom
Rudolph Willrich
Aunt Annie
Jane Lowry
Mr Alphonso
Alphonso DeNoble
Karen Spages
Brooke Shields
Pathologist
Lillian Roth
Director
Alfred Sole
