1965
Director: William Castle Writers: Ursula Curtiss, William P. McGivern Actors: Andi Garret, Sarah Lane, John Ireland, Joan Crawford
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Remember William Castle, the schlockmeister who spiced up the exploitation movies he made in the fifties and sixties with gimmicks like glowing skeletons flying over the audience on wires and theater seats outfitted to give patrons mild electric shocks at strategic moments? I don't, because I wasn't alive at the time. I didn't even know American movies had such a colorful past until I started researching film history.
I've watched several of his movies since then, though, and I've found that I usually like them, even if only in a kitschy way. This guy seems to have understood why people watch exploitation movies in the first place- to have fun. His best movies provide just that, innocent, oldfashioned fun. I Saw What You Did may be his best movie, period, in that it's fun in a Mystery Science Theater 3000 way (comically bad acting, creaking dialogue) at times, but is genuinely suspenseful, and even downright scary, at others.
Although it's been compared to "I Know What You Did Last Summer" because of the title, there's really no similarity. The movie opens with Kit (Sarah Lane) coming to spend the night at Libby's (Andi Garret) house. Libby's parents (check out Leif Ericson as her father!) are going to a party, so Libby and Kit will be babysitting Libby's little sister. There are a few obligatory Pointless Suspense Moments, some of which are surprisingly effective, some of which aren't, then the movie gets down to business. Libby and Kit, in a very realistic scene (yes, I just used the word "realistic" in a review of a William Castle movie), start making prank phone calls. Come on, you know you did it as a kid. They pick people at random from the phone book, call them up and say, in breathy "adult" voices, "I saw what you did, and I know who you are." I wish I'd thought of that one as a kid.
Some of the people react with annoyance, some with amusement, but darn the luck, Steve Marak (John Ireland) turns out to actually have something to hide. He's just murdered his wife. He engages Libby (the prankster) in conversation, trying to find out more about her. Libby doesn't give anything away, but she does think he has a sexy voice, so she calls him back, and eventually decides to go to his house to sneak a look at him. Her conversation with Kit about him is really pretty suggestive for 1965, and would be a little shocking if you weren't too busy chortling over the hilariously goofy acting.
Unfortunately for them, Marak's controlling paramour (check out Joan Crawford in the role!) catches them, gets the wrong idea and takes Libby's car registration so that the plot can keep moving.
While the majority of the really chuckle worthy moments are near the end, real suspense is scattered all throughout the movie. John Ireland oozes restrained menace as the killer, and even the Psycho shower murder rip-off is surprisingly effective. This schlock/thriller classic is sadly not available on video, but you can still find it in some rental places, and on cable TV and Sunday afternoon moviefests.
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