Seven Deaths in the Cat's Eye (1973) Movie Review

Trailer here.

Seven Deaths in the Cat's Eye is a 1973 Italian horror movie directed by Antonio Margheriti and starring Jane Birkin, Hiram Keller, Francoise Christophe and Serge Gainsbourg.

The movie begins with someone dragging a dead body into a basement. A ginger cat is watching. Cut to Corringa(Birkin) who is going to stay in Dragonstone Castle in Scotland. She used to visit there with her mother in the past. She meets her mother, Lady Alicia(Dana Ghia) and also her Aunt Mary MacGrieff(Christophe). A woman called Suzanne(Doris Kunstmann) is there also. She is a French teacher. James(Keller) is her cousin who also happens to be there. James who has a pet gorilla also called James. Two more people live in the castle- Dr. Franz(Anton Diffring) and Father Robertson(Venantino Venantini). Mary has little money and she is going to have to sell the castle. Lady Alicia is not going to help her with her money issues. Lady Alicia is smothered with a pillow by an unknown killer.

Corringa sees James at her window and she is creeped out. She hears a cat howling. She looks for the cat. She finds a passageway underneath the castle and discovers the dead body from the beginning of he movie. She passes out. Dr. Franz thinks that Alicia was murdered. The cat watches her funeral and jumps on the coffin. The locals discuss the strange cat. It follows people and there is some story about vampires. Corringa talks to James and he tells her she should leave. She tells him about the body she found. Dr. Franz is having an affair with Suzanne. A man called Angus is murdered. The cat sneaks into Corringa's bed and scratches her. She has a nightmare about it.

A policeman(Gainsbourg) comes to the castle. He shows Dr. Franz the body of Angus. Dr. Franz is worried about the police finding out that he gave Alicia a death certificate stating that she died of natural causes. Corringa tells James that she needs to go to the family tomb and see if her mother is still in her coffin. She does so and discovers that the coffin has been broken. Her mother is no longer in it. James is following her. His gorilla has been let out of its cage, Corringa and James sleep together. Dr.Franz gets killed next. The cat is there. The gorilla gets killed. Mary wants to get rid of Suzanne.

The inspector shows up. He knows that Alicia was murdered. Carringa tells him about the empty coffin. She finds a cufflink in the tomb. It belongs to James. He tells her that he had to cover up the murders. He hides because he thinks that the cops will take him in.The inspector is looking for him. He is hiding in a cave. Suzanne is the next to die. Corringa finds Mary standing over her body. She chases Corringa. They end up in the cave. Corringa finds her mother's body in there. James talks to the inspector and tells him that the killer is in the castle. The priest is the killer. He posed as a priest so he could kill the family members and inherit everything.He is actually part of the MacGrieff family too. The inspector turns up in time to find out the truth.

This is an interesting giallo. There are a lot of red herrings in it but it is fun trying to figure out who the killer is. I liked the kitty too. I will give it a 5/10.

Dead of Night (1977) Movie Review

Dead of Night is a 1977 anthology movie directed by Dan Curtis and starring Ed Begley Jr., Patrick Macnee and Elisha Cook. Jr.

The first story is called Second Chance. It begins with a guy called Frank Cantrell(Begley Jr.) who goes to look at an old car. The car was in an accident in the past and he buys it. He is going to restore it to its former glory. He works on it and drives it. He ends up being transported back to 1926. Someone takes the car and tell him that they own it and he ends up stuck in a place called Cresswell. He goes to sleep and wakes up in his own time. Frank meets his girlfriend's grandparents. The grandad has the same car as Frank. He gives it to Frank on one condition- he gets one last ride in it.  The grandparents tell Frank that they nearly died in the car back in the 1920's. Frank asks them if someone saved them from taking a dangerous turn. He realises that the car is indeed the same one he had bought earlier and the couple who took it from him in the 1920's are his girlfriend's grandparents. They were saved from crashing by him meeting them. If they had died, his girlfriend would never have existed and he wouldn't be with her. The segment ends with Frank and his girlfriend marrying and Frank restoring the car.

The second tale is called No Such Thing as a Vampire. A woman wakes up screaming. She is called Alexis(Anjanette Comer) and she thinks that she is going to die. She believes in the existence of vampires. Her neck is bleeding and she thinks that she has been bitten. Dr Gheria(Macnee) is doubtful about what she says. A man called Michael arrives to help the doctor who explains about her belief in vampires.  He says he has been attacked by a vampire too. The doctor puts something into Michael's tea to knock him out and he draws blood from Alexis and puts in onto Michael's lips. Then he puts him into a coffin. He goes to his servant and tells him to search the house for vampires. They discover Michael in the attic. The servant kills him. It turns out that Michael was Alexis' lover. Dr. Gheria was aware of this and set him up to be killed under orders from Alexis' husband.

The final tale is titled Bobby. It begins with a woman, Alma(Joan Hackett), who is performing a black mass. Her son has died. She calls on the spirits to come and obey her. She wants her dead son back. She hears knocking at the door. She sees her son. He has come back. He tells her that he was picked up on the beach by people. He didn't die after all. He asks her some strange questions. He seems angry at her. They play hide and seek. He turns out the lights and tries to kill her. She wasn't a very good mother to him. He gets a sledgehammer and chases her with it. She shoots him and he falls out of the window. He comes back for her. He pushes her down the stairs. He tells her that he drowned himself to get away from her. He is a demon and her son Bobby sent him back to get revenge.

This is a fun anthology. The stories are good and the cast do a good job. This is an above average TV movie directed by Dan Curtis who also directed the great Burnt Offerings and lots more besides. I recommend this for fans of anthologies. I will give it a 5/10.

The Suspicious Death of a Minor(1975)Movie Review

Trailer here.

The Suspicious Death of a Minor is a 1975 giallo movie directed by Sergio Martino and starring Claudio Cassinelli, Mel Ferrer and Lia Tanzi.

The film starts with a woman, who gets a message. A man comes over to her, he wants to dance with her. Someone is watching her. She kisses the stranger and runs off. The man chases her. She calls someone but there is no answer. She is attacked by a man wearing sunglasses. She goes to see a man. She is murdered. The police come to the scene. They question the landlady. She knows nothing. She is on the phone with someone called Menga.She gets cut off. A strange man pulls a gun on her and demands information about Menga.

An undercover cop called Paolo(Cassinelli) offers a local thief, Giannino, a job. He goes to a place to book a girl as a babysitter. A man comes out and tells him to leave. He picks up a prostitute and tells her he works for a rich guy who wants a young girl. She says she can help. She arranges for a young girl to meet him.He tells her his boss has gone out and questions her. She isn't giving much away. Giannino follows her afterwards. She goes to an old house where she meets her pimp, Menga. He shoots her. Paolo and Giannino fight him but his gun goes off  and he shoots himself. There is a kid there and she is returned to her family.

Paolo sees two guys calling to the house seeking Menga. Paolo pulls a gun on them. They had cash for Menga and Paolo takes it. The police are following the Giannino. Paolo goes to the station. It turns out that the money was a ransom for the kid Menga had. The girl Menga shot is called Marisa. She was going to give information so she was killed. They talk to her dad and finds a picture of her with another girl who was killed. Another girl, called Gloria is is someone Paolo wants to talk to. Paolo is being shadowed by a man who ends up getting hit by a train. Paolo investigates the ransom and asks other prostitutes about it. It seems there's human trafficking going on.

Paolo is in trouble with his superiors. He discovers secret bank account details. He goes to see a banker, Pesce, who is Marisa's uncle. He is upset by her death. He tells the cops he didn't see her much. The man with the sunglasses stabs the landlady but is spotted by a neighbour. Paolo thinks the killer is the same man who killed Marisa. The killer strikes again.Gloria agrees to meet Paolo. She tells him before Marisa died, she had a fight with the uncle. He slept with her and Marisa.A friend of his has an agency and could give the girls money. Paolo spots the sunglasses guy who is there for Gloria. He chases him but falls and is dangling from a ledge. The sunglasses guy is going to kill him when the Giannino shoots him. Paolo goes to see Pesce. Nothing happens. Paolo resigns and continues to investigate on his own. Giannino and Gloria are together when she gets a parcel. It's a bomb and it explodes. Gloria is dead and Giannino too. Paolo is upset. He goes after Pesce who is leaving. The banker sends his minions to get Paolo but he gets shot. Paolo shoots Pesce and walks away.

This film has a lot to it. There are loads of twists and turns in the story and lots of characters. It is an interesting thriller though and very nicely shot. I liked the ending also. I will give this a 5/10.

The Sorcerers(1967) Movie Review

Trailer here.

The Sorcerers is a 1967 horror movie directed by Michael Reeves and starring Ian Ogilvy, Boris Karloff, Catherine Lacey and Susan George.

Professor Monserrat(Karloff) is advertising his services as a hypnotist. He has a plan. A man called Michael(Ogilvy) is at a club with his girlfriend, Nicole(Elizabeth Ercy). The professor and his wife, Estelle(Lacey) have a machine and they need a person to test it out. Michael is walking alone when he meets the Professor. They get chatting and Monserrat offers him an experience he will never forget. Michael follows him back to his house. The Professor has a laboratory and he tells Michael that he is a hypnotist and he has a special machine which he uses for his hypnosis. Michael doesn't seem too worried about it. He gets hypnotised and the experiement is a success. The Professor and his wife can control Michael and his thoughts.  The Professor tells him that he will remember nothing about it when he leaves their house.

Michael goes back to the club and is unaware of what has happened. Estelle wants Michael to bring her a fur coat. They concentrate on him and he leaves his girlfriend to bring them the coat. Estelle enjoys controlling him. Michael tells his girlfriend that he thinks he did something bad but he can't remember it. Michael and Nicole go into the country on a motorbike. Estelle makes him speed on the bike. His friend Alan(Victor Henry) is upset because it was his bike. Michael fights with him. He attacks Alan's boss too. He is acting crazy. Nicole is horrifed by his behaviour. Monserrat is not happy with his wife. She is getting carried away. He tells her that he will stop her. She tells him that he can't.

The Professor tells her that he will go to the police and she trips him up and breaks the machine. She hits him. She makes Michael kill a woman. Nicole and Alan read about it in the paper and they become suspicious of Michael. They look for him. The police are closing in on him too. Michael has no memory of doing anything. They talk to him and tell him what happened. Estelle controls him and makes him pull a knife on them. Alan and Michael fight and the police are on the way. He runs off. He drives off. Estelle is losing her grip on him. The Professor tries to get into his mind. He makes Michael crash the car. It explodes and he dies. In the end, the Professor and Estelle are also burned because of their link to Michael.

This was a fun film and I enjoyed it. The cast were good and there was enough to keep me entertained. I would recommend this, I will give it a 5/10.

The Blood Spattered Bride(1972) Movie Review

Trailer here.

The Blood Spattered Bride is a 1972 horror movie directed by Vicente Aranda and starring Simon Andreu and Maribel Martin.

A woman called Susan(Martin) is newly married and she has an awful vision of someone trying to hurt her at a hotel. When they arrive home, Susan meets her husbands(Andreu) staff and a woman called Carol who is the daughter of one of the servants. Susan spots a woman in the woods near the house. She talks to Carol and Carol tells her that there are portraits of women in the cellar. Susan sees a portrait of a woman called Mircala(Alexandra Bastedo). Her husband tells her about Mircala. She killed her husband on the wedding night. They go to her tomb and Susan sees her. She gives Susan a dagger and she bites her neck. Susan screams. Her husband doesn't see anything. Carol tells them she put a dagger under Susan's pillow. She tells them that she got it from a lady in the woods.  Susan wants to leave.

Mircala comes to Susan at night. She shows her where her husband hid the dagger. She wants Susan to murder her husband. Susan has a vision where she kills her husband with Mircala. It seems to be a dream. The doctor comes to see her. He gives her injection to help her. He tells her husband that she is thinking about myths and legends and she shouldn't be. The dagger is hidden in a clock. The husband thinks Carol hid it. She denies it. The husband buries the dagger on the beach. He sees a woman buried in the sand. She is naked. He brings her home.

The woman meets Susan. She says that her name is Carmila. Susan and Carmila have a connection. Susan begins to act strangely. The husband wants to know what is going on. Susan digs up the dagger and she cuts herself. The doctor is called again and the husband hides the dagger and locks it up. He takes the key with him. The doctor recommends that Susan should see a psychiatrist. The husband tells him about Mircala. The groundskeeper tells the doctor that he saw Susan in the woods with Mircala. Susan slips away at night. The doctor follows. He sees the two women. Mircala drinks Susan's blood. She is turning Susan against her husband. The doctor informs the husband. He sees it for himself.  He sees that Carmila is a vampire. She is using Carol to get her things she needs.

Susan tries to get the dagger without the key. She breaks open the drawer where it is and she grabs it. She kills the doctor. Her husband spots her and Mircala dragging the body away. Mircala orders Susan to kill her husband. He runs away and gets to his car and speeds off. Mircala becomes caught in a trap in the woods. Susan kills the gardener. The husband gets a gun and goes after them. He finds them in a coffin and he shoots holes in it. Carol arrives. She is also a vampire. She tells him that the two women will return. He shoots her too. The film ends with a newpaper headline about a a man who cut out the hearts of three women so it seems to hint that he was found guilty of murdering them. 

This was an ususual film with some good scenes. I enjoyed it overall and I would recommend it for fans of vampire movies. I will give it a 5/10.

Don't Open the Door!(1974)Movie Review

Trailer here.

Don't Open the Door is a 1974 horror movie directed by S.F.Brownrigg and starring Susan Bracken and Larry O'Dwyer.

The movie begins with a woman called Amanda(Bracken) who gets a call to come and visit her grandmother, Harriet, who is not very well. A friend of hers called Nick(Hugh Feagin) comes to visit her and she tells him that she is going to her hometown of Allerton. She hasn't been there for thirteen years after her mother was murdered. Amanda witnessed it but the killer did not kill her too. Amanda goes to visit the grandmother and she meets Doctor Crawther(Jim Harrell). He tells her that Harriet is very ill. Amanda meets Judge Stemple(Gene Ross) and he tells her about a local  man called Claude Kearn(O'Dwyer). The judge tells her that Kearn wants her grandmother's house once she passes away.

Amanda is not happy about her grandmother's state of health. She calls Nick. She receives a weird phone call from someone who is watching her. Grandma mumbles something about a museum. Amanda goes to visit the local museum and she meets Claude. He shows her a mannequin that looks exactly like her mother. She finds this odd.  Afterwards, Kearn visits the judge and they talk about what the judge and Crawther did to Harriet. The Judge goes to visit Amanda and he tells he that he also wants the house. She refuses to sell it. He is not happy with her. Crawther is called to the musuem at night and he is supposed to meet the judge, He gets killed by Kearn.

Kearn is sick. He calls Amanda and he tells her that her mother was evil and that she deserved to die. Amanda is scared. A woman called Annie turns up at the house. She asks about Harriet. Amanda gets another phone call. Kearn threatens her. He wants her to do strange things for him while he plays with his doll. She calls Nick but he is busy and he tells her to get some sleep. Kearn spikes her drink and the Judge shows up . He gets hit on the head by Kearn. Amanda wakes up and she looks for Nick. Kearn calls her again. She tells him that he is sick. The Judge shows up and confronts her. She thinks that he is the one who called her. She tells him about the sick calls. The judge goes to talk to Kearn and meets his end.

Amanda is upset. Nick follows her and she kills him in a moment of madness. She has lost the plot and is crazy. The phone rings and it is Kearn. He won't stop calling her. Amanda just laughs now. She is mad. This was a fun film. It had an interesting story and some weirdness. I recommend it as it is enjoyable. I will give it a 5/10.

Grave of the Vampire(1972) Movie Review

Trailer here.

Grave of the Vampire is a 1972 horror movie directed by John Hayes and starring William Smith and Lyn Peters.

The film opens with a grave opening. It is the grave of a man called Caleb Croft (Michael Pataki). He has come back to life. A couple called Paul and Leslie are in the graveyard and they hear the coffin opening. The corpse attacks them. It bites Paul's neck and it drags Leslie into the grave and rapes her. It then runs off to hide. An old guy goes to the cops and tells them what happened. Lieutenant Panzer(Eric Mason) is on the case. He visits Leslie in hospital and he shows her mugshots. She sees Croft in one of them and she gets upset. It turns out that in life he was a rapist.

Croft kills a woman. Leslie discovers that she is pregnant. The doctor tells her that the baby is not alive and it is not human. He wants her to have an abortion. Leslie will not. Panzer goes to the grave of Croft and he looks around. It is empty. Croft returns and kills Panzer. Leslie gives birth to her baby. It is a boy. The baby enjoys the taste of blood. Leslie cuts herself and draws blood for her son. The boy, James(Smith) grows up and his mother dies. He knows about Caleb Croft, who seems to be his father. He wants to destroy him. He enrols in school and he meets a classmate called Anita. Caleb is still killing people. A man called Professor Lockwood(Pataki) is teaching the class which is about the occult and stuff like that. Anita begins to talk about Caleb Croft.

A woman valled Anne(Peters) is a friend of Anita's. She is in the class also. James likes her more than Anita, They kiss. Anita wants to be a vampire and Professor Lockwood comes to see her. He is actually Caleb Croft. He promises her that he will make her a vampire. He ends up killing her. Anne finds her friend dead. Croft shows up and he confronts her. She screams. James hears her and he comes to help her. Professor Lockwood is having a seance. He chooses Anne as the medium. He calls his wife from the grave. Anita comes through. She wants to possess Anne. She tells everyone that Lockwood is a vampire. James takes Anne away. Lockwood faces the others. He admits to being Caleb Croft. He starts killing people. James and Croft fight. James tells him who he is. He kills his father. Anne comes and he tells her to run as he has become a vampire too. 

This film wasn't great. It was fun to watch, but I found it a little dull in parts. Maybe it just wasn't for me. I will give it a 4/10.

Blade of the Ripper(1971) Movie Review

Trailer here.

Blade of the Ripper a.k.a. The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh is a 1971 Italian giallo directed by Sergio Martino and starring George Hilton and Edwige Fenech.

Julie Wardh(Fenech) is a married woman who is on her way home when she gets stopped by a police man who tells her that there is a killer on the loose. She arrives home and she is met by a present from her ex lover, Jean(Ivan Rassimov). This makes her uncomfortable as they had an abusive releationship. She married another man to get away from him. Her husband is Neil(Alberto de Mendoza) and he is not the most attentive husband. Julie is having dreams of Jean. The killer is at large and he claims another victim. Julie meets her friend, Carol at a party and is introduced to a man called George(Hilton). They like each other immediately. They meet once again and then he turns up at her place. They kiss and get it on. 

Julie gets a call from someone who saw them together. The person demands money to keep quiet. Julie thinks that it is probably Jean. Carol tells her that she will go to meet the blackmailer in her place. This is a huge mistake as the killer is there and he kills Carol. The police investigate. They ask Jean to come to the station. Julie is convinced that he is the murderer. Julie informs them that she was being blackmailed. Jean has an alibi, so they can't hold him. George wants to take her away. The killer taunts Julie. He tries to kill her, but she escapes. She tells Neil what happened. They go over to confront Jean, but find him dead.

Julie is upset by the whole thing. The murderer gets killed by one of his victims so this makes her feel better.

She ends up being kidnapped by Jean, who has faked his death. He turns on the gas and runs off. She is rescued by George and a doctor. They arrive just in time. The doctor tries to save her. Julie is taken to hospital. The doctor later tells George and Neil that Julie has died. Jean is revealed to be working for George. He was hired to kill Julie and make it look like suicide so that her husband could get her life insurance money. Carol was killed so that George could get an inheritance. Jean gets shot by George so that there are no witnesses. Neil and George are working together. They think that they have covered all bases by giving each other an alibi for the killings. They are going to escape when they see Julie. She is not dead after all. She leads the police to them and they end up dying as the police chase them. The doctor figured out that there was something fishy and realised that the murderer was not the original killer but someone else, trying to make Carol's murder look like she was just another victim. Julie survives.

This is a good film with a lot happening. There are a few suspects and two killers and I didn't figure out what was going on until the end. I did enjoy it, though and it was entertaining overall. I always enjoy a mystery and this is an above average one. I will give it a 6/10.

Whirlpool Movie Review

Trailer here.

Whirlpool is a 1970 thriller directed by Jose Ramon Larraz and starring Karl Lanchbury, Vivien Neves, Pia Andersson and Edwin Brown.

A man called Theo(Lanchbury) finds a boot in a lake. He is a photographer. He lives with his aunt Sarah(Andersson) who works in fashion. Sarah meets a woman called Tulia(Neves) and she invites her to stay with her. She tells her that Theo isn't really her nephew. Theo takes pictures of Tulia in the woods. She sees someone watching her and becomes scared. Tulia and Theo spend time together with Sarah. They play strip poker. Tulia and Theo end up spending the night together. Sarah isn't happy about it. Tulia dreams of her friend who was called Ronda. She dreams of Ronda and Theo together. Ronda has disappeared. Mr. Field(Brown)is investigating. Sarah tells Theo she wanted to have a threesome with Tulia, just like they did with Ronda.

 

Mr. Field goes to see Theo and he asks him some questions about Ronda. Theo had a relationship with her. Theo tells him that Ronda was going to Italy. Tulia looks around the house. She sees dolls nailed to the wall. The mysterious man is there too. Theo is buying drugs from a guy called Tom. Tom wants to have sex with Tulia and he almost rapes her. Theo doesn't stop him, he takes photographs. Tulia is very upset. The next day, Sarah and Tulia get naked and Tom photographs it. They have a threesome. Mr. Field is outside. He is watching. He makes a noise and Theo hears it. He goes outside and he finds Mr. Field and kills him. Tulia finds a key to Theo's darkroom. She discovers pictures of Theo and Ronda.

Theo arranged for the mysterious man to rape Ronda and he took photos of it. Tom stabbed her and killed her along with some other local man. Theo goes to kill Tulia now that she knows the truth. She runs off but he catches her and kisses her as he stabs her to death. This was a weird movie. I wasn't sure what to make of it and not much happened besides the sex scenes. There isn't a lot to it. It was okay. I will give it a 4/10.

Orca (1977) Movie Review

Trailer here.

Orca is a 1977 thriller directed by Michael Anderson and starring Richard Harris, Charlotte Rampling, Will Sampson, Bo Derek and Robert Carradine.

A ship is at sea. They spot a shark and they want to capture it A diver falls into the water and a shark is coming. An orca kills it. A woman called Rachel Bedford(Rampling) is giving a lecture on the orca.She is an expert on them. In Newfoundland, a man called Nolan(Harris) is trying to catch an orca. He shoots a female and catches it but they end up killing it and it was pregnant. The male is upset. They throw the baby into the sea. The male orca is after them. It hits the boat. The crew try to move the dead female into the sea. The orca kills one of Nolan's crew. The other orcas mourn the dead female. Nolan contacts Rachel and she tells him that the orca has followed him.

A man called Jacob(Sampson) shows up. He is a hunter. He tells Nolan that the whale will remember what he did to the female. The orca sinks a boat. The local fishermen aren't happy. The fish are being scared away. Rachel tells Nolan that the orca wants to fight him in the sea. Nolan tries to draw it in. He says that he understands the whale's pain. He lost his wife and baby when they died in a drunk driver accident. The orca causes more destruction. The locals want Nolan to kill it. He decides to face it. Rachel warns him not to do it.

The orca is waiting. Orca destroys Nolan's house. It bites off the leg of his friend. Nolan is ready to fight. Rachel goes with him and Jacob does too. The orca is ready to go. It leads them to a certain spot where there is ice. Everyone is nervous. One of the crew gets knocked into the water and killed. Nolan hits it with a harpoon. Jacob is the next to die as ice falls on him. The ship hits an iceberg and starts to sink. The orca strands Nolan on a piece of ice. Nolan slips into the water and the orca kills him. Rachel is left and the orca goes on its way, having satisfied its revenge.

This was a fun film with an impressive cast. I was actually on the side of the orca here. It was right to want vengeance! There were some good scenes in this one and creature features are always enjoyable! This is entertaining and well worth your time. I will give it a 5/10.

Dr.Jekyll and Sister Hyde Movie Review

Trailer here.

Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde is a 1971 horror movie directed by Roy Ward Baker and starring Ralph Bates, Martine Beswick, Gerald Sim and Susan Brodrick.

Dr. Henry Jekyll(Bates) is writing his life story. It begins with him being visited by Professor Robertson(Sim). Jekyll is working on an elixir of life. He is watched by a neighbour called Susan(Brodrick). She likes him. Jekyll seeks bodies for his experiments. He ends up making a deal with two bodysnatchers, Burke and Hare. They bring him a female corpse. He is worried about how they got her. They murdered her. Susan introduces herself to Jekyll and she invites him to join her and her family for dinner, but he refuses. He decides to drink the elixir. It changes him into a woman. Susan hears strange noises and her brother, Howard(Lewis Fiander) checks on him and he finds a woman. Susan is upset by this news.

Jekyll changes back to himself. He runs into Susan and informs her that the woman is his sister. Susan brings him some food. He kills a prostitute after Burke and Hare are caught. He runs into a blind man and gets blood on his cane. The police find the body and call in Professor Robertson. The professor tells them that killer was skilled. Susan drops in to see Jekyll but he throws her out as he is changing. Edwina Hyde(Beswick) makes a dress for herself. She meets Howard. Jekyll is killing women and hoping that the police think it is someone else like Jack the Ripper. Robertson is suspicious.

Edwina goes out and is spotted by Robertson and the police, who are watching the house.  She picks up a drunk woman and she kills her. Jekyll can't control her. She is starting to take over. Robertson calls to see Jekyll but ends up meeting Edwina instead. He talks to her about Jekyll and she seduces him and kills him. Jekyll is horrified when he realises what she has done. Edwina says that she wants him gone. She meets Howard and they become close. Jekyll tells Susan to stay away from Edwina. He says that she could get hurt. Susan goes out alone and Edwina follows her. She wants to kill her. Jekyll stops her. The blind man tells the police about a doctor who carves up bodies just like the ripper. The police know that it is Jekyll. He runs away from them but ends up changing into Edwina and falling to his death.

This is a good film. It is strange because Jekyll's alter ego is a woman. It is also a Hammer movie, so you know it will be worth watching. I think the cast were good and the story keeps you entertained. I definitely recommend this one. I will give it a 6/10.

The Murder Mansion Movie Review

Trailer here.

The Murder Mansion is a 1972 horror/thriller directed by Francisco Lara Polop and starring Analia Gade, Ida Galli and Andres Resino.

Fred(Resino) is on his motorbike driving along. He stops at a pub and he meets a girl called Laura(Lisa Leonardi) and she decides to go along with him. There is a woman- Elsa(Gade) who is also at the pub. She is waiting for her cheating husband, Ernest(Alberto Dalbes). Elsa is supposed to pick him up so they can sign some document. There is a couple who want it. Elsa ends up veering off the road. Fred and Laura meet a stranger on the road who gives them directions to a village. Elsa is wandering around and she sees shadows in the fog. She is scared and she runs. Fred and Laura end up crashing too. Elsa meets them and she says that someone is after her. The group seek shelter and come upon a large house. A lawyer and his wife are there along with another man who they had met on the road earlier.

Everyone is stranded there. A woman appears. She is Martha Clinton(Galli). It turns out that they are in an abandoned village. There is a weird chauffeur hanging around. Martha's aunt owned the house and left it to her. She tells them that there was a chauffeur working there but he died, along with the aunt. Elsa realises that she saw them in the cemetery. They hear a noise in the cellar and Fred wants to investigate. They all do and see scratches on the door.  People start to die . Fred goes down to the cellar and Laura joins him. He tells her that he found a crypt. Elsa wakes up and sees Martha who has changed into the old aunt and the chauffeur is outside. Are they ghosts?

Elsa runs down to the cellar and discovers dead bodies. Fred and Laura see Martha and the chauffeur. There is a fire in the cellar and everyone sees a dead body. Elsa is rescued by Fred. He wats to go to Milan but ends up creeping around outside instead. Elsa and Laura see the head of a dead woman and then they see Martha. There is something going on. Martha has been pretending to be her aunt. Fred gets hurt by the 'ghost' chauffeur. They have a fight. The chauffeur is in on the plan.  A man appears and shoots the baddies. He is Ernest who was in on the plan too. He wanted to drive Elsa insane. She already had a nervous breakdown and he wanted to send her back to the brink of insanity and get her money.Fred and Laura run for help. Elsa is left and she grabs the gun and shoots Ernest dead.

This was a weird movie, but there were plenty of twists and turns to keep you interested. I like a good mystery film and this one will keep you entertained if you don't mind the weirdness. I recommend it and I will give it a 5/10.

Mark of the Devil Movie Review

Trailer here.

Mark of the Devil is a 1970 horror movie directed by Michael Armstrong and starring Herbert Lom, Udo Kier and Olivera Katarina.

The film begins with a witch burning. A man called Albino(Reggie Nalder) is a witch hunter who has taken it upon himself to accuse innocent women of witchcraft. He is told that a resepected witch hunter called Lord Cumberland(Lom) is coming to his village. He has an apprentice called Count Christian(Kier) who is in the village. An executioner, Wilkins(Herbert Fux)will be arriving also. Albino likes a local woman called Vanessa(Katarina). He harasses her but she spits at him. He tries to attack her and she ends up injuring him. He announces that she is a witch. She tells him that he is the devil. Count Christian sees what he is doing and he demands proof of what Albino is saying. There isn't any. Christian and Vanessa talk. Soldiers arrive to help Lord Cumberland.

Albino is jeaous of Christian and Vanessa. He wants her declared as a witch. Christian and Vanessa become close and they kiss. Lord Cumberland arrives in the village. Albino catches Vanessa and he whips her. She is brought in as a witch. The Count states that she is innocent. Cumberland doesn't agree. There is a lot of torture occuring in the village. People are being targeted. A baron is brought in and he is promised freedom if he signs over his estate to the church. Albino is leading his men into people's houses and getting them to do his bidding with the locals. Christian is beginning to lose his faith in Cumberland as he sees all the pain and suffering that he is inflicting on people. He realises that it is corrupt.

Vanessa is in custody and Christian can't get her out. Albino gets into trouble for his deeds and he ends up dead when Cumberland strangles him. Christian witnesses it and this makes him doubt Cumberland. Christian confronts him about it and asks him to spare a family but he won't. This pushes Christian to free Vanessa. He does so and goes back to free more prisoners, but gets caught himself. Vanessa gathers the locals and she tells them that they should get the witch hunters. Lord Cumberland tells his soldiers to kill everyone. The locals come and storm the castle. They free the prisoners. Christian is freed. Cumberland tries to escape. He gets into his coach and he drives off. Christian isn't so lucky. The locals catch him and kill him. Vanessa tries to stop them but she can't. She holds his dead body as the locals go home.

This film is kind of like Witchfinder General but it has more torture scenes and blood in it. The cast are good. The story is interesting and the ending is brutal. You know what you are getting here, but there is actually a story so it isn't just torture scenes. I liked it and I am giving it a 5/10.

The House on Straw Hill Movie Review

Trailer here.

The House on Straw Hill is a 1976 thriller directed by James Kenelm and starring Udo Kier, Linda Hayden and Fiona Richmond.

A woman called Linda(Hayden) is employed as a secretary by an author, Paul Martin(Kier). He is staying in Straw Hill. He has gruesome hallucinations. He is obsessed with locking the windows and doors. His girlfriend is called Suzanne(Richmond) and she leaves him. Paul sees himself bleeding. Linda arrives and is met by Paul at the station. Two locals are after Linda. They harrass her and Paul. He beats them up. Paul tells Linda about his routine. She has a picture of Paul and another man in her suitcase so she isn't all she seems. Linda goes outside exploring and runs into the two locals who rape her. They have a gun. She gets it and shoots both of them dead. Paul hears the gunshot. One of the locals isn't dead yet. He disappears from the field where he was shot.

The housekeeper gets killed.  Paul comes onto Linda but she rejects him. He calls Suzanne and asks her to come back. She arrives and Linda tries to seduce her. Paul catches them.  He ends up crashing his car into the river. Suzanne finds the dead housekeeper. She tries to call the police but someone unplugs the phone. She ends up dying next. Paul returns to the house and Linda is there. She wants to kill Paul as he stole a book from her husband and pretendeed that he wrote it. Her husband killed himself when he realised what Paul did to him. Linda is going to shoot him when she is stabbed by the local guy who was lingering int he field, half dead. He and Linda both die as Paul is left by himself.

This wasn't a great film. There wasn't much in the way of scares or thrills. It was interesting in some parts, but there wasn't enough to keep you entertained. The acting wasn't bad but to be honest, nothing much happens. I will give it a 4/10.