Dementia 13 (1963)

Dementia 13 (1963), written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola.

The family gathers at a gloomy Irish castle for "let's make Mother write us into the Will" shenanigans. The brothers have American wives for some reason, one of whom will go to great lengths to get what she wants. But who is that guy with an axe who pops up when least wanted, and how high can the body count go?

On the one hand this is a minor thriller with a plot that's hard to follow at times, but on the other:

Produced by Roger Corman, who brought in Jack Hill -- another beginning director -- to shoot additional scenes. I don't know to what extent, but would imagine they involved women doing more midnight swimming in their underwear and exploring the spooky castle in a transparent nightgown.

Available on Blu-ray from HD Cinema Classics.

The good:

The bad:

http://watershade.net/public/dementia-13.jpg