Shudder Saturday: Curse Of The Crimson Altar (1968)

I couldn't understand how I hadn't managed to get around to Curse Of The Crimson Altar before now, but now it's perfectly clear. This isn't a good movie, despite the attachment of some big names and apparently being (loosely) based on "The Dreams In The Witch House". 

The story deals with one Robert Manning (Mark Eden), an antiques dealer on a search for his missing brother. He knows that his brother was at Craxted Lodge, a large house owned by Morley (Christopher Lee). Morley is welcoming enough, as is his niece, Eve (Virginia Wetherell), but it turns out that they may be connected to some strange occult happenings, as explained to our protagonist by Professor John Marsh (Boris Karloff).

Written by Mervyn Haisman and Henry Lincoln, a duo who seemed to do better with TV work than they did with films (in fact, they only have one or two other features credited between them, in amongst the various TV episodes), this is an uninteresting slog that lacks any real thrills or atmosphere. Director Vernon Sewell has a filmography worth exploring, from what I can see, but this is coming along towards the very end of his career, and isn't one of his better efforts. Perhaps relying too much on the stars to carry the weak script, Sewell fails to impress with the blend of very British good manners, some scenes showing groovy individuals happily partying, and occasional nightmares. None of it works in isolation, and none of it works in relation to everything else going on.

The same can be said of the cast members, who are generally unable to do anything to elevate the material. Karloff arguably fares the best, thanks to his unmistakable presence and ability to imbue ridiculous dialogue with a gravitas that it often doesn't merit, but Lee feels a bit underused, which is all the more frustrating when that allows for more screentime for a bland Eden, Wetherell, and a laughable coterie of supporting characters. Michael Gough is also ill-served by the screenplay, and Barbara Steele is at least used in a visually-interesting way that tries to add to the impact of events by giving you a shot of, well, Barbara Steele.

Another film that many may mistakenly believe came from Hammer or Amicus, as it's one of those to come from the smaller stable of Tigon, I would simply remind anyone still tempted to check this out that Christopher Lee himself considered one of the worst of his career. And that man was in some stinkers. I've heard some people praise this, although I genuinely don't understand what won them over (perhaps just the atmosphere and the aesthetic of this kind of very British horror from this time), but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone, with the exception of completists who, like me, always end up having to see these things for themselves.

3/10

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Shivers (1975)

While this may not be the first feature film from writer-director David Cronenberg, it's very much the film that put him on the map as a major talent in the field of horror. Not everyone was impressed with Shivers when it was released, there was some famous outrage from one or two noted critics of the time, and it's easy to see what some found so offensive about it. But it's also easy to see just how assured Cronenberg always is when it comes to mixing the cerebral with the visceral.

The basic plot concerns an invasion/infection of parasites in an apartment block that turns the residents into unabashed, lusty, animalistic beings. This doesn't sit well with anyone uninfected, but it's far from the worst thing that a parasite can do to you, which allows it to spread quite quickly, as more and more people are seduced by those acting under the spell of the parasite. One man (Roger St. Luc, played by Paul Hampton) discovers the full reality of the situation, and tries his best to save the residents before it's too late.

With a heady mix of sex, death, and body horror, this is classic Cronenberg, in terms of the ideas being explored. While not as polished and intriguing as the many movies he would go on to helm, it's a fascinating premise, mainly thanks to the fact that the people infected in the movie seem to go on to have quite a good time of things. I mean . . . . . . . . it's a parasite that basically boosts your sex life, if you find enough other carriers.

Hampton isn't too bad in the lead role, but Cronenberg always seemed to be more concerned with his ideas than the actual acting in a number of his early movies. Allan Kolman and Susan Petrie are both pretty good as a husband and wife, with the former showing the transformative effect of the parasite while the latter worries about just how best to help her ill partner. Joe Silver is another level head amongst the madness, and Barbara Steele has a small, but memorable, role that should please her fans. But it's Lynn Lowry who makes the biggest impression, with this being one of a few movies from this era that really allowed her to shine in the horror genre. She plays a nurse here, helping Hampton to try and gain control of the situation, and she's allowed to take turns at playing cute, strong, scared, and sexy.

Not the best parasite movie. Not the best Cronenberg movie. Not the best horror set in an apartment block. But Shivers remains a unique, and creepy, experience, perhaps due to the fact that Cronenberg identifies more closely with the infected than anyone else onscreen. Well worth adding to your viewing schedule and your collection.

8/10

Get this Arrow release (Region B only) ASAP - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shivers-Dual-Format-DVD-Blu-ray/dp/B00KHSM936/ref=sr_1_1?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1412886620&sr=1-1&keywords=shivers

Pit And The Pendulum (1961)

Another adaptation of some classic Edgar Allan Poe by Roger Corman, and once again starring the magnificent Vincent Price, Pit And The Pendulum is an atmospheric and macabre slice of entertainment, as you would expect considering the people involved.

Price plays Nicholas Medina, a man who has recently lost his wife (Barbara Steele). When her brother (John Kerr) comes to visit, in an attempt to figure out just what really happened, it soon becomes clear that Nicholas is hiding something. But is it something sinister, or is it a past tragedy that has haunted him, and also his sister (Luana Anders), for many years? Perhaps the family doctor (Antony Carbone) can help.

From the cast members (Steele and Anders, at any rate) to the set design to the colour scheme used, Pit And The Pendulum is a gorgeous film, almost as rich and satisfying as The Masque Of The Red Death, a film with many obvious similarities to this one.

The script by Richard Matheson may not stick as rigidly to the material by Poe as purists might like, but it maintains the essence of his work and leads to a finale that feels exactly as it should, in terms of potential terror and nastiness.

Corman directs with confidence, making the most out of a few set-pieces and allowing himself room for some nice artistic flourishes. It's the kind of work that may make fans regret the path that his career took, after he saw how the dollar was easier to get a hold without any qualms about artistic integrity. I'm not knocking the man for the choice that he made, and the many careers that he's helped launch, but I AM sad that only a few of his movies seem to show what he was really capable of.

Price is on his usual top form, gracious and possibly hiding madness behind that charming smile, while Kerr and Carbone pitch their performances just perfectly, playing more level-headed characters without ever being overshadowed by that magnificent central performance. Anders is a ray of loveliness in a rather dark and dire environment, and Steele is given another role that makes the most of her haunting beauty.

Superior horror entertainment from start to finish, and what a finish it is, Pit And The Pendulum is a film that every self-respecting fan of the genre should see. And then buy. And then see again and again.

8/10

http://www.amazon.com/The-Raven-Pendulum-Tales-Terror/dp/B005AMJ36U/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1399588222&sr=8-2&keywords=pit+and+the+pendulum

The Arrow edition, however, is the way to go - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pit-Pendulum-Blu-ray-Vincent-Price/dp/B00IJE1QL6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1402699173&sr=8-1&keywords=pit+and+the+pendulum

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