Solemplex To me, this movie is perfection.

GamerTab That was an excellent one.

ShangLuda Admirable film.

Deanna There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

Neil Welch Every now and then Hammer Films sidestepped vampires, Frankenstein, period costume, and other horror fodder, and knocked out a film which didn't fit their expected profile. The Anniversary is one such, but it is also a horror in its own way.The Taggart family get together for a family gathering - "celebration" is entirely the wrong word - under the auspices of eyepatched matriarch Bette Davis. And, as the occasion moves along, it becomes clear that each family member desperately needs to move away from the malevolent maternal influence, but also that every family member (and their partners, where relevant) is completely outclassed by the manipulative old witch, who is able to keep them exactly where she wants them - under her thumb.This adaptation of a stage play is a very funny black comedy, with Miss Davis having a blast playing a gloriously over the top monster. This is not to belittle the rest of the cast, who provide wonderful prey for Mother.This overlooked film is well worth catching.

Michael_Elliott Anniversary, The (1968) ** (out of 4) Bette Davis made her second and final appearance in a Hammer film with this dark comedy that certainly gives the actress a memorable role. In the film she plays a mother from hell who invites her sons and their families back to her mansion to celebrate her wedding anniversary. Once the sons get there, mommy goes to work by ruining their relationships with their women and really sets her eyes on her youngest son's fiancé (Elaine Taylor). This black comedy has a lot going for it except the laughs. I really found most of the humor to be too dry to really work and in the end I can't help but be disappointed in this film even though we get Davis eating as much scenery as anytime in her career. Whether she's wearing her red or black eye-patch, she gives it her all in creating a woman you can't help but hate not only because of how mean she is but because of how cocky, arrogant and just downright vicious she is. Davis chews up one scene after another and really controls and punishes the rest of the actors in her way. The only one of the supporting cast that really stands a chance is Taylor who is quite easy on the eyes and comes off pretty good. Her character is the one who fights back at Davis and the young actress makes you believe her toughness. The screenplay is fairly straight in terms of it trying to get humor. There's really no slapstick or any physical laughs but instead it's mostly dialogue driven. The dialogue itself isn't the greatest and a lot of it focuses on meanness rather than anything else. One of the sons enjoys dressing in women's clothing, which is another easy gag that never really provides any laughs.

edwagreen When I think of the great Bette Davis films of the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, and then this piece of junk comes along, I shutter.I know that the late Bette always said that work keeps her going, but to subject herself to a dull, poorly written film is beyond the realm of human understanding.Davis is the matriarch of the family. She parades around with a patch in one eye, the result of her child shooting it out years before.Davis completely dominates 3 sons. One is a pervert, the second she pays off to keep his wife forever pregnant and the youngest brings home women who are promptly gotten rid of by the evil Mrs. Taggert (Davis)Of course, Davis gives a good performance. She's Bette Davis! Why do the British always make the most boring films. I know, "Brief Encounter" is the exception. If this had been an American film, it would have been far better.With it all, there is a very good performance by Sheila Hancock as the repressed daughter-in-law who loathes her mother-in-law. Who wouldn't?

bensonmum2 Quite simply, Bette Davis dominates every scene and every aspect of The Anniversary. If you don't like Bette Davis, you'd be wise to skip this one altogether. Davis plays Mrs. Taggart, the overbearing mother to three sons. She controls every aspect of their lives. They cannot make a move without her approval. And if she doesn't approve, she's not above ruining one of her sons if it suits her selfish purposes. The Anniversary covers the events surrounding the annual celebration of Mrs. Taggart's wedding anniversary to the late Mr. Taggart. It's Mrs. Taggart's day and she lets everyone know it. She uses this event to cement her control over her sons by threatening financial ruin, jail, and/or public humiliation and by degrading them and their significant others.Bette Davis is in fine form in The Anniversary. She's evil, vindictive, manipulative, and a ton of fun. She chews scenery like nobody's business. The rest of the cast is good, but they are no match for Ms. Davis. Some of the comments she makes to her youngest son's new fiancé are unbelievable. One of the best is when she quite casually tells the girl, "My dear, would you mind sitting somewhere else? Body odor offends me." Another priceless example is Mrs. Taggart's reaction to the frightened fiancé when she discovers Mrs. Taggart's glass eye in her bed. I don't know of many actresses who could pull-off being so rude and just plain evil and still have the viewer rooting for them.Hammer Studios made this incredibly black comedy during the 60s when a lot of aging female stars were taking roles in horror movies. The Anniversary may not be a horror film, but it's certainly not the norm you would expect for someone like Bette Davis. I don't know how The Anniversary did financially upon release, but it's the kind of movie I would have liked to have seen Hammer making more of in the late 60, early 70s. Who knows? It might have saved the company.