The Anniversary (DVD)

Mrs Taggart (Bette Davis), a wealthy, tyrannical and manipulative matriarch, holds a social gathering to celebrate her wedding anniversary, even though her husband has been dead for years. She demands the presence of her three sons: a timid cross-dresser, a stressed father of five and a secretly engaged youngster. But the party is just an excuse for Mrs. Taggart to maintain her mercilessly firm grip over her offspring's lives. Made by Britain's Hammer Studios, this deliciously nasty comedy is a claustrophobic modern classic that's packed with twists, turns and revelations. With a razor sharp script and fizzing with sparkling dialogue, The Anniversary is both hilarious and disturbing in equal measures. In the iconic central role, Bette Davis delivers an astonishing power-house performance as the one-eyed monster Mrs Taggart - possibly the cruellest characters ever to grace the screen. A stylish, darkly witty and diabolically entertaining tale, The Anniversary is an unforgettable 60s gem.