Tag Archives: Freddie Francis

1972 Films, Barbara Murray, British, British Horror, Chloe Franks, David Markham, Freddie Francis, Geoffrey Bayldon, Horror, Horror Anthologies, Ian Hendry, Joan Collins, Nigel Patrick, Patrick Magee, Peter Cushing, Ralph Richardson, Richard Greene, Robin Phillips, Roy Dotrice

Tales from the Crypt-1972

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Tales from the Crypt-1972

Director Freddie Francis

Starring Joan Collins, Ian Hendry, Robin Phillips

Scott’s Review #1,200

Reviewed November 25, 2021

Grade: A-

Tales from the Crypt (1972) is a delicious British anthology based on stories from the EC Comics series. Each of the five chapters is eerie storytelling that offers horror fans glimpses into the minds of depraved, devilish characters with sinister motives.

The sheer joy is witnessing their comeuppance.

This film is the predecessor to Vault of Horror (1973) and can be watched as a companion piece.

Below is a summary, review, and rating of each vignette.

Intro

Five strangers are suddenly compelled to join a tourist group to visit the old catacombs.

Separated from the main group, the strangers find themselves in a room with the mysterious Crypt Keeper (Ralph Richardson), who details how each of them may die.

…And All Through The House- A

Joanne Clayton (Joan Collins) brutally kills her husband Richard (Martin Boddey) on Christmas Eve to get her hands on their insurance money.

She prepares to hide his body but hears a radio announcement of a homicidal maniac (Oliver MacGreevy) on the loose.

She sees the killer (who is dressed in a Santa Claus costume) outside her house, but cannot call the police without exposing her crime.

Her daughter is upstairs in her bedroom, unaware.

This is my favorite chapter, and it’s nonstop action. Collins is terrific as the greedy Englishwoman put in peril. The audience will cheer for her to get her just desserts, especially after she callously disregards a lovely Christmas gift her husband bought for her.

Reflection of Death- B+

Carl Maitland (Ian Hendry) abandons his family to be with his secretary, Susan Blake (Angela Grant). After they drive off together, they are involved in a car accident. He wakes up, having been thrown clear of the burned car. He tries to hitchhike home, but everyone he meets screams with horror when they see him.

This vignette is slightly confusing in terms of the events’ timeline, but compelling as we wait to see what Carl’s face looks like and what has happened to Susan and his wife.

Poetic Justice- A

James Elliott (Robin Phillips) lives with his father Edward (David Markham) across from the home of elderly dustman Arthur Edward Grimsdyke (Peter Cushing), who owns several dogs and entertains children in his house.

James hates Arthur’s ramshackle lawn and embarks on a scheme to rid the neighborhood of the older man.

I love seeing Cushing play against type as a kindly grandfatherly character, and this chapter is the ultimate revenge fantasy, and quite satisfying to see what happens to James.

It’s also a perfect watch for Valentine’s Day, since the holiday is in play.

Wish You Were Here- A-

Businessman Ralph Jason (Richard Greene) is on the verge of financial collapse. His wife Enid (Barbara Murray) notices the inscription on a Chinese statue the couple owns.

They are granted three wishes. Enid decides to wish for a fortune and, surprisingly, the wish comes true, but with dire results.

This one wonderfully cascades a chain of events that leaves the characters in peril. The theme is once again about greed, specifically surrounding insurance money. The fast-paced nature is appealing, and the ancient Chinese wishes leave one character in eternal suffering.

Blind Alleys- A-

Major William Rogers (Nigel Patrick) becomes the new director of a home for blind people and exploits his position to live in luxury with his dog, Shane. At the same time, his drastic cuts to food and heating worsen the residents’ living conditions.

Led by George Carter (Patrick Magee), the residents revolt after a fellow resident dies of hypothermia. Rogers and Shane are locked in the basement, where Rogers must navigate through a maze of razor blades and a now ravenous wild dog who will hungrily eat his owner.

Though far-fetched, Blind Alleys is delicious fun and contains my most hated character. This is all the more satisfying as he ‘gets it’ in the end!

Finale

After completing the final tale, the Crypt Keeper reveals that he was not warning them of what would happen, but telling them what has already happened: they have all “died without repentance.

The conclusion does nothing more than put a satisfying cap on the viewer as each character once again pays for their shenanigans.

1968 Films, Beverly Adams, British, British Horror, Burgess Meredith, Freddie Francis, Horror, Jack Palance, Michael Bryant, Peter Cushing, Ursula Howells

Torture Garden-1968

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Torture Garden-1968

Director Freddie Francis

Starring Burgess Meredith, Jack Palance, Peter Cushing

Scott’s Review #1,027

Reviewed May 28, 2020

Grade: B

A horror offering made up of multiple vignettes is a treat, offering numerous stories, especially with some late-1960s British sophistication peppered in.

Torture Garden (1968) contains four stories- Enoch, Terror over Hollywood, Mr. Steinway, and The Man Who Collected Poe, each with some intrigue. The structure may be most comparable to The Twilight Zone television series, but in a British way.

The Terror over Hollywood is my personal favorite.

Burgess Meredith (yes, that Burgess Meredith of the Batman television series) stars as Doctor Diabolo, a sinister con artist who runs an attraction at a fairground sideshow.

Having shown them a handful of tepid haunted-house-style gimmicks to whet their appetites, he promises a frightening experience if they pay extra.

Of course, they are immediately taken, and when they follow him behind a curtain, one by one, they view their fates through a transfixed female deity, Atropos (Clytie Jessop).

The stories commence through a hallucinogenic method.

Below is a summary and review of each vignette.

In Enoch, Colin Williams (Michael Bryant), a greedy playboy with money troubles, takes advantage of his elderly uncle (Maurice Denham) by causing his death and falling under the spell of a man-eating cat.

Colin is determined to find his uncle’s riches, leading him to desperation. The plot is far-fetched, but the black cat with glowing green eyes is memorable, as are the beheadings of a homeless man, a nurse, and finally, the Playboy himself.

When the cat finally puts another person under the spell, the conclusion is satisfying.

Terror over Hollywood travels across the pond to the United States, where it introduces a tale of jealousy, schemes, and intrigue in La La Land.

The vignette most resembles Invasion of the Body Snatchers in theme and is quite compelling.

Carla Hayes (Beverly Adams) is a beautiful, aspiring actress intent on clawing her way to the top by any necessary means. After she ruins her roommate’s dress and steals her date, she embarks on a strange journey that leads her to a role in a film, but there is a price to pay.

Adams is a stellar star who brings life and energy to the story.

Providing the most bizarre of all the vignettes, Mr. Steinway involves a possessed grand piano by the name of Euterpe, who becomes jealous of its owner, Leo’s (John Standing) new lover, Dorothy (Barbara Ewing), and goes on the attack seeking revenge.

The story is about Dorothy, a sideshow patron, so the events are told from her perspective.

The story contains plenty of loopholes, but it’s fascinating to see the enormous, gorgeous piano come to life as a character and push Dorothy out the window, sending her plummeting to her death.

Finally, in The Man Who Collected Poe, a Poe collector (Jack Palance) murders another collector (Peter Cushing) over collectibles he refuses to show him, only to find that the keepsake is the real Edgar Allan Poe (Hedger Wallace).

Seeing both the esteemed real-life figure and horror legend Cushing makes this chapter enjoyable, even though it is the least compelling of the bunch. Knowing that Torture Garden was meant initially to star Cushing and Christopher Lee detracts from the film just a bit.

One can only imagine the possibilities.

In the epilogue, which proves to be a clever twist, the mysterious fifth patron (Michael Ripper) scares the others into fleeing for their lives before revealing that he is a conspirator of Doctor Diabolos.

The group is proven to be merely gullible rubes, left with the belief that a murder has occurred and their fates will come true.

The film presents black magic and the occult in a fun, not a frightening, way. This is both a positive and a negative since witchcraft never felt so family-friendly.

Torture Garden (1968) is neither the best nor the worst horror anthology ever created. The plots are uneven but entertaining and never dull.

The creative additions of a killer piano, a killer cat, and famed storyteller Edgar Allen Poe are worth the price of admission, as is the centerpiece villain played by the great actor Burgess Meredith, who helps keep the plot moving along.

1970 Films, British, British Horror, Freddie Francis, Horror, Horror-Camp, Independent, Independent Horror, Michael Bryant, Pat Heywood, Robert Swann, Slasher, Ursula Howells, Vanessa Howard

Girly-1970

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Girly-1970

Director Freddie Francis

Starring Vanessa Howard, Michael Bryant

Scott’s Review #11

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Reviewed June 14, 2014

Grade: B-

Girly (1970) is an unusual British horror film about an affluent, clearly deranged family who kidnaps victims and forces them to become “members” of the family by participating in game-playing escapades for their delight.

The premise of the film is appealing and intriguing, and it’s unclear how it will play out. The family members (Mumsy, Nanny, Girly, and Sonny) are played with gusto by the cast but are never over the top.

My favorite is “Mumsy”, wickedly played by British actress Ursula Howells.

The film itself has a fairy-tale quality, with the sets of the house they share. The primary victim (a male gigolo) is a miscast (too old, not sexy enough). It begins a cat-and-mouse game of trickery, plotting the family against one another until the inevitable bodies pile up.

The film loses steam midway through, and its ending is unsatisfying.

Why are the victims not able to escape the vast property, which is weak (a 7-foot-tall flimsy fence??)?

“Curious” film that becomes a tad boring towards the conclusion.