How did I miss out on this classic until now?

I recently switched cable services and with the change came a new DVR with the ability to record four (count them FOUR) programs at once... plus a ton more space, so I'm not constantly worrying about whether there's enough room to record the newest episode of Lost.

Of course this coincides with Turner Classic Movies' 31 Days of Oscar... so I'm recording loads of great classics that I've never seen until now. The one I just watched was "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?"

In a quick plot synopsis, it's the story of two sisters. The first, Baby Jane, was a hugely successful child star of the stage, while her sister Blanche is ignored by her father. Later, Blanche becomes a superstar of film while Jane struggles to make anything of her own film career. Then a crippling accident puts Blanche in a wheelchair and in the care of her sadistic sister.

I was pleasantly surprised at how much I really enjoyed this film. It's a tense thriller. It's a psychological examination. The performances from Bette Davis and Joan Crawford are magnificent.

The film reminded me a bit of Sunset Bouelvard, examining the latter years of a former star... and also called to mind the film Misery, which had clearly been influenced by Baby Jane.

This is definitely one to check out if you see it again on TCM, or to add to your Netflix queue.