Sometimes Aunt Martha Does Dreadful Things, 1971

Two criminals Paul and Stanley are on the run from the law in Baltimore over a murder Stanley committed. They have located themselves down in the suburbs of Miami. 

To disguise themselves from any suspicions, Paul decides to dress up as a woman and pretend to me Stanley's aunt Martha.

Much to Paul's dismay, Stanley carries on doing drugs, drink, and hang with girls. We get the impression that Paul and Stanley may be or had been in a gay relationship though it is not confirmed in the film. Stanley however when drunk acts like a fool or when on drugs doesn't really know what he is doing and Paul uses this to his advantage, reminding him that he murder he committed in Baltimore and everything he does is for his benefit.

Paul as Aunt Martha gets rid of Stanley's girlfriends in a fit of rage which then leads on to a downward spiral when Stanley brings home a drunk who recognises them from Baltimore. Following this a couple more murders and then both Paul and Stanley go on the run where it is revealed Stanley didn't commit the murder in Baltimore it was Paul, which by then Paul stabs Stanley to death before he is blown away himself by the police.

I found this to be a fairly decent crime/exploitation film, a bit goofy in places but watchable. I read that it's part of the early queer cinema due the two characters relationship but I don't think that is really confirmed through the film, maybe later when they share a bed. 

Paul's alter ego of Aunt Martha may have him dressing and living as a woman, but I feel it kind of makes it seem like anyone that cross dresses or wants to live a trans life in a film is a dangerous person or mentally instable.

In films like Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, Psycho, Silence of the Lambs, and Sleepaway Camp amongst over films that are similar with having transgender people in them, I think of portraying them as evil murderers etc probably does more harm than good. 

I really can't think of a film especially in horror that has a transgender person being the "same" as a straight woman/man. Hopefully this makes sense and that I have not offended anyone that reads this. There is probably a lot better blogs or magazines that have discussed this topic better than I can put it.

Not knocking the film as it is more probably a product of the time and a lot has happened since then, but there is still a long way to go for cinema to make issues like this not to be treat as it is.

Currently there is a DVD and a limited Blu Ray release by AGFA for this film, and believe that Something Weird may have had a hand in getting this back out there.