Don't axe, don't tell

My mate Lance came over last night with a DVD. He’s an endless source of viewing amusement and he didn’t disappoint:


I’ve seen that still of Joan Crawford wielding an axe before but I’d never seen the movie it came from – Strait-Jacket (1964).
Joan is at her Joaniest throughout, thanks to a fantastic wig and Special Joan Lighting, which has a shaft of flattering light follow her everywhere she goes. Even better than the movie itself were the extras, including a behind-the-scenes documentary plus costume and lighting tests.

In the latter, Joan is magnificent. Not content with merely getting the lighting right, she emotes throughout the process, throwing face like only she could:


In fact, she acts her guts out through the whole affair. It wasn’t nearly as bad as I was expecting, although the beyond-fake decapitations are pretty hysterical.