Die Screaming, Marianne (1971)

2.5 / 5 Jul '11
Tagline: Death bars the gate to her 21st birthday
Directed by: Pete Walker
Written by: Murray Smith
Actors include: Susan George, Barry Evans, Christopher Sandford
Genre: Crime, Drama, Horror
Length: 99 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Well, I'm a huge fan of Pete Walker but I'd heard this was pretty lackluster so I'd left it alone until now. Everyone was right, this is very uninteresting and dry to boot. In fact calling it a horror film seems like an exaggeration, it's more of a cheap crime movie with a few little killings in it. Walker favorite Susan George stars as frees pirited dancer Marianne who ends up shacking with an ugly Bloke who nearly ran her down with his car. When he proposes sudden marriage she decides to fix it so that she is married to his best friend instead (wise choice, he is sooo yucky). Anyhow, angry jilted ugly Guy teams up with Marianne's uglier sister in order to scheme to get money out of Marianne. See she has the key to a large sum of money as well as some papers and secrets on her 21st birthday. It's all very cookie cutter and there is no flavor at all to this to note. It's really Walker's transition movie between his nudie cutie pics and his horror works, unfortunately this really won't appeal to fans of either.

Availability:  On DVD

The Andromeda Strain (1971)

3.5 / 5 Feb '11
Tagline: The picture runs 130 minutes!... The story covers 96 of the most critical hours in man's history!... The suspense will last through your lifetime!
Directed by: Robert Wise
Written by: Michael Crichton, Nelson Gidding
Actors include: Arthur Hill, David Wayne, James Olson
Genre: Sci-Fi
Length: 130 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Conceptually this is very interesting, and the documentary style likely creeped out many. The plot is about an alien virus that is discovered near New Mexico. Then we are treated to what would happen in the next few days as they try to discover the virus and how to treat it, and learn of the disaster it could cause. It's visually very well made, everything is stark and put together, though some of the strange camera ideas and whatnot definitely scream of the times. I think what works so well as this feels like it could happen, they go about portraying the story in a very realistic way. Where it lacks is that it's just too darned long, I could do with an hour less and be far more satisfied. This is a slow moving film with purpose and I do recommend it to fans of vintage sci-fi, particularly to see how influential this must have been. I did feel a little disappointed but I certainly don't regret watching it.

Availability:  On DVD

Gli Occhi Freddi Della Paura (1971) aka Cold Eyes Of Fear

3 / 5 Jan '11
Tagline: N/A
Directed by: Enzo G. Castellari
Written by: Leo Anchóriz
Actors include: Giovanna Ralli, Frank Wolff, Fernando Rey
Genre: Giallo, Thriller, Horror
Length: 91 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Although this starts out amusingly enough, and it does qualify as a giallo in some aspects, it kinda doesn't in others. It's a story that takes place in the '60s where an Italian girl out to dinner with a date is taken away by anonther man (who looks just like Doc Baker from the LOHTP series) for sexy time. Doc Baker (let's just call him that for the sake of ease) takes her to his rich solicitor Father's house, but unfortunately some criminals show up to rob the place. It's really just a thriller with the two being held hostage for most of the film. It is missing the excess that I love from this style of film and it's not satisfying on a death or sex level and the plot isn't very interesting either...even as it unfolds. Credit to them for making a nice looking film and getting the mood right, it's just rather forgettable and it drags a bit. Still a big fan of the genre will want to stumble upon this at some point, I just wouldn't recommend looking for this with any sort of urgency.

Availability:  On DVD

The Bloodstained Butterfly (1971) aka Una Farfalla Con Le Ali Insanguinate

2 / 5 Oct '10
Tagline: N/A
Directed by: Duccio Tessari
Written by: Gianfranco Clerici, Duccio Tessari
Actors include: Helmut Berger, Giancarlo Sbragia, Ida Galli
Genre: Horror, Giallo, Mystery, Thriller
Length: 105 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
I was surprised how little I liked this, it literally put my Husband and I to sleep three times (so maybe our judgement is effected by the fact that we watched it in 3 pieces over 2 days). Still it was the dullest giallo I've ever seen, all technical chatter about the solving of crimes and then a trial that was excruciating to sit through. The subs on this were extremely small so I felt like I'd read a novel by the end and usually I don't even notice subs. The film also seemed to skip out on the gratuity of other gialli and the colors and humor and violence...all not there. The actors were fine, it was nicely filmed and the scenery was lovely...that is the only good I can think of here. The story is about a girl who turns up murdered, then they go through the nonsense to find who they think is the killer. Then we watch the court trial. Then the story picks up slightly afterwards but it's too little too late by that point. I know this is a well regarded film amongst fans of giallo so you probably don't want to take my opinion on this one.

Availability:  On DVD

Whoever Slew Auntie Roo? (1971) aka Who Slew Auntie Roo?

4 / 5 July '10
Tagline: She's Taking A STAB At Motherhood!
Directed by: Curtis Harrington
Written by: Robert Blees, David D. Osborn
Actors include: Mark Lester, Shelley Winters, Chloe Franks
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Length: 91 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Now this is rather like a Hammer telling of Hansel & Gretel, only of course it isn't really from the Hammer company. It's got a rather lavish production set in England in the '20s. Shelley Winters hams it up as Mrs. Forrest, a rather rich Woman who lives in a gingerbread house (not literally but it looks that way). She torments herself with visions of her daughter's freak accident that killed her because she loves children so. She loves them so much that every year she invites a group of orphans to her house to celebrate and extravagant Christmas. This year two orphans Christopher (Mark Lester...yes Oliver!) and Katy (Chloe Franks) sneak into the party, and when Mrs. Forrest sees how much Katy reminds her of her deceased daughter well trouble brews. It's kind of a slow start, but stick with it will more than pay off, it really does pick up steam. The actors are awesome and fun to watch, the story has a bit of humor in it plus it's a camp lovers dream!

Availability:  On DVD as part of a 2fer with What's The Matter With Helen?

The Omega Man (1971)

3.5 / 5   Apr '10
Tagline: Pray for the last man alive. Because he's not alone.
Directed by: Boris Sagal
Written by: John William Corrington, Joyce Hooper Corrington
Actors include: Charlton Heston, Anthony Zerbe, Rosalind Cash
Genre: Science Fiction, Horror, Thriller
Length: 89 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Oh gee well this was sillier than I expected and I knew this was a Charlton Heston flick going in and I generally appreciate his hilarious ways. The story I'm sure is very interesting, it's one of several film takes on the book "I Am Legend" of course and I haven't seen any of the other adaptations yet so I can't compare. I can say that the vampire/zombie things in this one were kind of lame looking...they had whiteish contacts, wore capes with hoods and looked like they'd bathed in baby powder...not at all threatening. The story goes that we are following Heston around who appears to be the last fellow alive because he was a scientist who had a vaccination to the disease that turned the rest of the population into zombiepyres. These monsters can't go out in the light so most of the time it's entirely safe! When he sees a mannequin that moves he learns he's not entirely alone hand has some silly love scenes and lots of fighting monsters too. I appreciated the violence but the tension and fear were never created, but at least the story kept some momentum. Not bad, but I look forward to seeing the adaptation called The Last Man on Earth, I've heard it's spookier and this story could use some of that!

Availability:  On DVD & Blu-Ray

Fright (1971) aka I'm Alone And I'm Scared

2 / 5 Apr '10
Tagline: The scream you can hear is your own
Directed by: Peter Collinson
Written by: Tudor Gates
Actors include: Susan George, Honor Blackman, Ian Bannen
Genre: Thriller, Horror
Length: 87 minutes
Banned: Finland

Review:
I haven't really liked anything I've seen from director Peter Collinson but I thought the plot on this sounded like I should give him another try. I hated this movie, sure it's going to "sound" interesting but it's dreadfully dull and pointless. See it's one of the first babysitter alone with a maniac sort of films, it predates Halloween and When a Stranger Calls by several years which is what makes it of interest. Susan George plays an attractive young babysitter, however I've liked Susan in other roles but here it's painfully obvious that her acting skills are limited. Her performance was actually obnoxious and I was begging for the maniac to kill her through the entire film. The "maniac" isn't really very cool either, be prepared for an unbloody film, and the "psycho" punches someone a bunch of times and barely does anything else. Even when the story gives opportunity to be intense, frightening or even violently it takes the worst way out possible in each instance. I really can't state how disappointed I was with this enough, sitting through it was a struggle and by the end I truly felt like it was a waste of time.

Availability:  On DVD

The Mephisto Waltz (1971)

3.5 / 5 Mar '10
Tagline: The Devil Calls The Tune
Directed by: Paul Wendkos
Written by: Ben Maddow, Fred Mustard Stewart
Actors Include: Alan Alda, Jacqueline Bisset, Barbara Parkins
Genre: Horror
Length: 115 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
This wasn't the most exciting film, in fact it dragged and dragged for much of the time (it did not need to be nearly 2 hours long), yet the story is a rewarding one. I think the biggest problem with this film is actually Alan Alda who is pretty unlikeable, especially as a romantic lead (eww). Alda plays a pianist with a great range and quite the ability, in fact when he meets with a famous classical composer the two seem inseparable. Something doesn't seem quite right however (maybe because the composer is a Satanist?), and shortly after the composer's death there are some major changes in Alda. Most of those who dig looking at women will appreciate Jacqueline Bisset as the female romantic lead here (though I kept picturing her as James on Nip/Tuck) who does show a bit of skin. Bissette notices something isn't right with her Husband and starts to solve the mystery...but will it be too late? If they changed Alda with another actor and tightened it up this could have been quite brilliant, the story is a good one. It's just a shame that as is, it's worthwhile but a bit frustrating for quite a while.

Availability:  On DVD as part of a 2fer with House On Skull Mountain

Willard (1971)

3.5 / 5
Tagline: Where your nightmares end...WILLARD begins.

Directed by: Daniel Mann

Written by: Gilbert Ralston
Actors include: Bruce Davison, Elsa Lanchester, Ernest Borgnine
Genre: Horror, Drama
Length: 95 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:

There is something wonderfully campy about this even though very little happens for a long time. Willard is a poor sad sack, he lives with his Mother and keeps to himself, he's also pushed around at his job by his boss Mr. Martin (played perfectly wickedly by Ernest Borgnine). Thing is, Willard is kind of a lazy jerk who has it coming to him which makes it a little hard to take his side, but eventually when things are pushed quite far I started to sympathize a tad. See Willard is pretty miserable and when Mother dies he's left with anger issues and only rats for friends. He starts putting them in his basement and before long it's filled with the yappy little rodents. Oddly enough he has a lady friend at work (who was hired to help him catch up at work) and they start to be slightly romantic but the basement full of rats is a slight hindrance. He doesn't seem to mind so much and even takes to bringing rats Socrates and Ben to work with him...until Mr. Martin kills Socrates! It's not a very effective "horror" film, but it is a rather compellingly strange drama about a Man who is losing it and his rat friends. At least there is some revenge here and although it's a bit dull at first it really does pick up. Not the classic I'd hoped it would be yet somehow still charming in a weird sort of way.

Availability:  Never on DVD

Blood And Lace (1971)

4 / 5 Feb '10
Tagline: SHOCK after SHOCK after SHOCK as DESIRE drives a bargain with MURDER!
Directed by: Philip S. Gilbert
Written by: Gil Laskey
Actors include: Gloria Grahame, Melody Patterson, Milton Selzer
Genre: Horror
Length: 87 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
This was a rather unexpected treat (not to be confused with Sei donne per l'assassino [Blood and Black Lace]) though clearly a low budget experience. I think the soundtrack was really one of the most comical elements, it's pretty much made up from the free library that they must chose Bugs Bunny music from, wildly inappropriate from scene to scene but always free sounding. The violence was a perk, it starts out with the nice graphic hammering (using the claw end) of two people. Then flash forward to an orphanage (that happens to contain the world's oldest orphans), Ellie is our main character and we follow her as she arrives there as her parents were recently killed. Right from the start we are pretty much made aware that something isn't quite right with this orphanage...not only is it super strict but the woman and handyman running the place seem downright evil! They can't leave, it's full of really stupid rules and by all means...never run away! They even keep the runaways frozen to thaw out and stick in the infirmary when investigated. Even the ending must be seen to be believed! Considering this is a rarely mentioned film it's got a whole lot to offer that exploitation or horror fan nearest you...entertaining to say the least.

Availability:  Not on DVD yet sorry!

A Taste Of Evil (1971)

3 / 5 Jan '10
Tagline: N/A
Directed by: John Llewellyn Moxey
Written by: Jimmy Sangster
Actors include: Barbara Stanwyck, Roddy McDowall, Barbara Parkins
Genre: Thriller, Horror
Length: 73 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
Considering this was a '70s made-for-tv movie that was written by Jimmy Sangster and produced by Aaron Spelling productions I thought this would be a winner! It's not, in fact it's a rehash of so many films seen previously and this particular retelling is very dry. It's about a young girl who is raped, then put in an asylum because she's in a catatonic state and has sever trauma from the accident. We catch up with her as she's coming home to stay, though she doesn't seem particularly well. See she keeps seeing her Stepfather dead in various places which is tormenting her to say the least. She also has an over-the-top nutty Mother (Barbara Stanwyck) does provide some campy laughter but not a heck of a lot else. I don't want to give more away in case you do want to watch this but let's just say I was underwhelmed. It did have a tidy conclusion and it made clear sense at least!

Availability:  Currently unavailable anywhere