Revenge! (1971)

In the early 70s, Shelley Winters re-made her self and her film career. Too old for parts she had in the 40s and 50s, now she discovered a new niche...playing people who were absolutely unhinged! I can't think of another actress with a similar string of such films except, perhaps, for Joan Crawford. In "Bloody Mama", she played a crazed Ma Barker type gangster. In "What's the Matter With Helen?", she played a dangerous psychotic mother. In "Who Slew Auntie Roo?" she plays a person who kids think is a murderer...so they decide to kill her! And, in "The Devil's Daughter" she's the leader of a Satanic coven!! Clearly, she was on a roll!! So, it's not at all surprising she'd also make "Revenge!"."Revenge!" begins with a businessman, Frank (Bradford Dillman) receiving a phone call. Apparently his briefcase and another person's got switched so he leaves the meet the lady who called. The 'lady' happens to be Amanda (Shelley Winters) and Amanda has an ulterior motive....revenge. She soon attacks Frank with a fireplace poker and when he awakens, he finds he's the prisoner of this odd woman. And, she eventually informs him she's done this for revenge to what he did to her daughter...but Frank has no idea who the daughter was and insists he did nothing. In the meantime, Frank's wife is worried...and frustrated because it doesn't seem like there's much of anything the police can do. A friend suggests they consult a psychic and they soon meet with Mark (Stuart Whitman). Can they find Frank before it's too late...especially when Mark himself admits that his act is just a gimmick?!One thing I loved about this film is that although it involves a psychic, it also tells you how such folks do cold readings. In other words, how it's all a trick based on well educated guesses. This will no doubt alienate some viewers--folks who have confidence in psychics. Another thing I loved is Winters. She simply was wonderful playing crazed psychotic-types!! And, I admire her not only for taking the roles but really embracing them!! Overall, well worth seeing and campy fun.

But instead, she's holding the man hostage whom she believes impregnated her daughter, rejected her call for help when she told him that she was pregnant and then committed suicide. Winters seems to be playing a religious freak, cursing Bradford Dillman out at every turn as she keeps him locked in a cage in her basement. Shelley is fascinating to watch, an intense method actress who takes every action seriously as her character gets more and more demented. Dillman's partner (Stuart Whitman), wife (Carol Ann Rosen) and her friend (Leslie Charleson) try their best to find out what happened to him, with Charleson taking Rossen to see a "clairvoyant". Rossen seems intent on emulating Winters' performance, the wrong choice to make. Charleson, "General Hospital's" Dr. Monica Quartermaine for 40 years, is much more relaxed, reminding me of a young Farrah. Refreshingly short, this is one of several memorable TV "hag horror" movies of the week (and one of several made with Shelley) is fun, a bit spooky, and when Winters is on screen, mesmerizing.

Revenge is a good little ABC made for TV movie of the week starring Shelley Winters. It begins with a woman (Winters) stealing a businessman's briefcase. The man named Mark Hembric meets up with Amanda Hilton (Winters) at her home in order to retrieve the case, but she has bigger plans for him. She knocks him out and locks him in a cage down in the basement. We soon find out that she's locked him up because she believes he had an affair with her daughter, got her pregnant and then told her to get an abortion. The young girl killed herself shortly after that. Mark's wife Dianne approaches a psychic to find out where her husband has gone. They end up at the house where Mark is being held. Dianne begins to have psychic feelings of her own and believes that Mark is the house somewhere. All of this leads to a surprisingly satisfying ending in which Dianne and the psychic stop Amanda from killing them all. There is a very dark and creepy feeling to the movie. Shelly Winters plays the role of the "crazy woman" brilliantly as always. Revenge is impossible to find in stores or for online purchase, I watched it online - probably the only way to see it. But this is a must see for fans of suspenseful seventies Made-For-TV movies.8/10

I love Shelley Winters!!!!! I couldn't care less what anyone says. Some people ridicule her, but the fact is Shelley Winters is one of the most gifted and delightful actresses working in films today. How can you ridicule someone who has won two Academy Awards and has received two Oscar nominations besides that? If you're a bona-fide Shelley fan like I am, this is the flick for you! Shelley is an obsessive mother who avenges her daughter's rape by imprisoning the man she suspects of the dirty deed in a cage in her basement. Sound far-fetched? Nothing's impossible when Shelley's in charge, and this is her vehicle all the way, and be assured she gets all the mileage out of it she possibly can. Sure, you've seen this type of story before, but you've never seen it the way Shelley does it!