It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

Elvis Presley must have been secretly wishing that his manager Col. Tom Parker would get lost and He would have the Freedom to dig into some Edgy, Sleazy Stuff like this. That, of course, was never going to happen and Elvis could only Dream (he did manage to get one good Role and He Shined, King Creole (1958).But here His Sun Record Label Contemporary Johnny Cash had no such restrictions and went Hog Wild with this Low-Low-Budget Grindhouse Movie that was Raw and Raunchy. It is a Psychotronic Cult Movie to be sure with its Nastiness and Cheap Charm. Cash vibrates with Glee as He taunts & tortures a Hostage, wrecks Her Home and it is all quite Believably Terrifying.He holds a Guitar with as much Fun as His Gun, and when asked "Are you an entertainer?" He replies..."No, I'm a Killer". That's just one of the many good Lines He growls in this Whacky, Whipped-Up, and thoroughly Crazed Delight. A must see for Fans of Low-Budget Sleaze and Trash Cinema as well as The Man in Black, who gives a Hopped-Up display that is Uneasy and Disturbing.

This film is obviously low, low budget from beginning to end. Yet, it has a very interesting story line and some decent acting.You can see why Johnny Cash was more successful as a singer than an actor, but he's not bad here. Although he carries a guitar with him throughout almost the entire film, he really doesn't do much singing. So those looking for a vehicle to showcase Cash's singing talents, might be a little disappointed.Vic Tayback does a good job as the hardened criminal mastermind. Cash does OK with his portrayal of a somewhat deranged killer for hire. Toss in a very young Ron Howard for some lighter moments. The rest of the acting is strictly B movie.The basic elements for a good thriller are here, but the production values are poor. Some parts of the dialogue are outright laughable. The overall effect is uneven, yet the story line does hold your interest. This would be a great movie for a modern remake with a real budget and good actors.

This strange little B-movie was originally titled FIVE MINUTES TO LIVE, but was re-released in 1966 as DOOR-TO-DOOR MANIAC because Cash' star had risen considerably in those years. He stars as Johnny Cabot, a level-headed murderer who teams up with another con (Tayback) in a scheme to hold a bank president's wife hostage. But what they don't know is that the bank president is planning to run off to Las Vegas with his mistress and couldn't care less about his wife.The production values are close to zero complete with bad direction, dragging scenes and an all out over-the-top music score, more reminiscent of your average bad '50s Sci-fi flick. Nevertheless, the film does have a certain suspense and the dialog is surprisingly snappy and tongue-in-cheek with some unexpected twists along the way. It's fascinating to see Johnny Cash in a dramatic role, although he is not much of an actor, but with this material and production values, I can hardly blame him. He has a natural charisma, but comes across as anxious, even when he's supposed to be relaxed, rolling with his eyes. He was probably coked out of his head. If you could call it a flaw, he never ceases to be Johnny Cash, even his character's first name is Johnny. On top of that, he always carries his guitar with him and belts out the song "Five Minutes to live" a couple of times. Obviously the makers wanted to cash in on Cash's presence by making his character even more Cash than he already is... sorry for the bad wordplay.The transfer to the DVD didn't help much, but was probably the best copy they could find. It's all washed out, especially the lighter colours have washed out almost completely. The sound is OK and very loud. When I normally put the volume at, let's say, 5, with this film it was still hollering across the room at volume 2. Very strange, the loudest DVD I ever watched. I don't wanna end up defending this one, but for some reason I watched this with interest till the closing titles. If you already have a weakness for mediocre B-flics from the period and have an interest in Johnny Cash as well, mildly recommended. For others, it's probably of little interest.Camera Obscura --- 6/10

This is a tough little movie. It would work quite well without names. But let's face it: The leading man is the draw. Johnny Cash, in 1961, looking a little like Elvis, as a ruthless killer. A killer, to be sure, who sings the title song and whom we see playing guitar.Donald Woods is a dead ringer for the Darren character in "Bewitched." He is a complacent suburban dad. Cay Forrester is just right as his upwardly mobile blonde wife. Ron Howard is very cute as their son. (And Pamela Mason turns in a good acting job but is a little implausible as Woods's mistress.) Before he got the job cooking for Alice, Tayback was apparently a crook. A pretty mean one, at that. And here, he has hired Cash to hold banker Woods's wife hostage. (Before he takes the job, Cash has to dump his girlfriend, the greedy Doris, AKA Dory.) For an obviously low budget movie, this does its job neatly. And it holds up very well 45 years after it was released.