The Mafu Cage

Maybe it didn't deserve a straight 10 rating, but certainly 9 . I didn't watch this movie as the ratings weren't very good and some of the feedback was downright abysmal. How wrong they are . And although this movie dates back to 1978 which makes it nearly 45 years old by now it still was captivating by today's standard. It certainly is not a horror movie , but a very well made psychological thriller. The performance by Carol Kane as the mad sister Cissy was absolutely convincing. And for once the ending was not open for interpretation by the viewer, but completely in line with the story. I just regret not have watched it before. Highly recommended.

It seems to me all reviewers refer to the DVD when reviewing the film. That's a pity. In the theatre release, which I was fortunate enough to see, the colours are warm and rich, the lighting is subdued but atmospheric, and the acting, of course, is excellent. Especially Mz Kane, who could be whining and annoying in other films but does a great job here. It would be an error to simply see this movie as a horror flick. If you do so, you will be disappointed. This is a psychological thriller that draws on our archetypical fears. It thus presents us with a highly interesting content, but also the form is interesting. The unity of space, the closedness of the oppressive interior, contribute to the feeling of unease.

While perusing the 50cent rental section at the local video store, I came across "The Mafu Cage." Reading the flipside of the box led me to believe that this would simply be a run-of-the-mill 70s horror flick. However, it was hardly that; And very perversely bizarre. Cissy falls into the depths of insanity and general crackness while living with her older sister after her ape/monkey researching father dies...

Riddled with tribal music, inferred incest and a living room converted to a jungle, I'd recommend "The Mafu Cage" to any who desire a high weirdness factor in their movies.

Certainly seems there was a golden age of psychological thriller-- and this one is more of a chair-gripper.

Some say uncomfortable, some say "what was the point?", some say, "The quality of the picture was lousy." I watched it as presented on New Castle After Dark, and they found a good copy of it, because the colors were lush and the scenes--meaning each room of a mansion--was very deep and ornate. An undertone of Edward Gorey on safari here, especially with the gloomy etchings one is treated to. Always cool when vintage movies have lots of art that someone had to actually create.

It is hard to escape the Baby Jane vibe, or for me the Grey Garden vibe... there was a lot to capitalize on there at that time. Rich people unfettered by a life of necessary routine and budget constraints: Think of how crazy you could go.

The cast is stellar - I would say no one underperforms, but that Carol Kane absolutely blows this thing up and out of this world with her portrayal of an utterly self-indulged psychopath with a preternatural understanding of African anthropology.

Others ask, how could they be doing this in an American neighborhood? But I think this might have been set below the border, because the old man says "Why don't you go up to Arizona for a week?" It would explain the brief flashes of a hilly, lush outdoor world - the old-timey looking convertibles - the tropical contents of the mansion.

Nobody going to say a word about Carol Kane's extraordinary performance? She was working with a series of animals, and having to ad-lib her character continuously. An amazing job by this superb and often overlooked actor.

Regarding the film itself - boggle. It's been years since I saw it, but it blew me away at the time. Here's hoping some noble figure will step up and put it on DVD soon.