Abe Zwick

Abe Zwick is one of those names you might stumble on if you’re digging through the oddball corners of ‘70s cinema, especially if you’ve got a thing for offbeat cult films. Sometimes Aunt Martha Does Dreadful Things (1971) is the kind of movie that sticks with you, for better or worse, and honestly, Zwick’s performance is a big reason why. He plays Paul, a guy on the run from the law, hiding out in the suburbs with his partner Stanley—who, just to up the weirdness, spends a good chunk of the movie dressed as “Aunt Martha.” The setup? Pure chaos. These two are dodging their criminal past while pretending to be totally normal neighbors, but let’s just say “normal” isn’t in their vocabulary. Zwick brings this oddball energy, balancing paranoia and deadpan humor, and it totally fits the film’s bizarro vibe. There’s this twisted comedy running through it, but also this constant threat of things going off the rails at any second. Paul is kind of a loose cannon—he’s jumpy, suspicious, and always seems like he’s seconds away from losing it. Zwick leans hard into that, making you both laugh and cringe, sometimes in the same scene. The whole movie has that grindhouse, low-budget charm, but it’s Zwick’s anxious, twitchy performance that gives it teeth. He doesn’t just play a guy in a crime caper—he’s a dude unraveling in a world that’s already pretty unhinged to begin with. If you’re into strange, darkly funny movies where nothing feels safe or predictable, Zwick’s role is worth checking out.