For It Is Man's Number: sheila keith

Showing posts with label sheila keith. Show all posts

Wednesday, 22 October 2025

Prime Time: House Of The Long Shadows (1983)

Despite the cast, I was never in a rush to watch this horror movie, the final feature directed by Pete Walker. I knew I would get to it eventually though. It's old-fashioned, creaks under the weight of the baggage being moved across every wooden floor, and also has a ridiculous framing device. I couldn't bring myself to dislike it though.

Desi Arnaz Jr. plays Kenneth Magee, a writer who makes a bet with his agent (Richard Todd) that he can hole himself up in dark and isolated house for 24 hours and come out with a novel akin to something produced by the Brontë sisters. It's handy for Magee that his agent has a key to such a location, and the bet is on. The house ends up being populated by a strange mix of characters though. Sheila Keith and John Carradine appear, claiming to be the housekeeping staff. Julie Peasgood appears, claiming to want to keep our lead from danger. Then along come Vincent Price, Peter Cushing, and Christopher Lee. It's a veritable cornucopia of horror movie legends.

Based on a novel, "Seven Keys To Baldpate" by Earl Derr Biggers, which had also been adapted into a successful play by George M. Cohan, the screenplay here, from Michael Armstrong is really just an excuse to make room for the many iconic actors to interact with one another here. This doesn't make for a great movie, necessarily, but it's impossible to watch this as a horror fan and not get some pleasure from it. And I'd argue that any scene involving the bigger names is better than any scene that focuses on Arnaz Jr. (who isn't terrible, but never feels like a good enough leading man).

Walker directs without any real relish, instead seeming to take on the role of mediator responsible for ensuring that all of the performers get their individual moments to shine. The film is about familiarity and comfort ahead of any actual scares, although there is some enjoyable atmosphere created by the central location. Will you care about the actual plot, or what dangers crop up around our "hero"? I doubt it, but that's not really the point anyway.

If you have read this far then you know why you will want to watch this. It's all in the second paragraph. This film allows you some time with some true genre greats, and that's the main thing going for it. Cushing may have to work with a strange speech affectation that stops him from being at his best, but he's still Peter bloody Cushing, a legend and a damn fine actor. Lee is as calm and quietly menacing as he so often could be, and Keith, Carradine, and Price all enjoy delivering an endearing helping of ham. Peasgood is decent enough, and Louise English and Richard Hunter turn up in time to provide more potential victims as the titular house aims to reveal some deadly secrets.

I was hoping this would be a bit better, but I was also aware of it not being beloved by many. It's a decent enough way to kill 102 minutes though, especially if viewed (as it should be) as a loving tribute to a number of the main cast members.

6/10

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Thursday, 3 October 2024

Frightmare (1974)

British director Pete Walker is a great person for horror movie fans to check out. If you haven't yet done so, now is as good a time as any to start exploring his filmography. Often working in the genre with the writer David McGillivray, Walker would often use his horror outings to deliver both twisted darkness and some scathing commentary on aspects of British society in the 1970s (commentary that is sadly as relevant today as it was back when the movies were first released).

Frightmare is the tale of Dorothy and Edmund Yates, an elderly couple who have recently been released from a mental health facility after being sentenced for a grisly crime that included murder and cannibalism. Jackie, Edmund's daughter from a previous marriage, does her bit to help the couple re-adjust, pretending that she has been killing people to supply Dorothy with some illicit food (actually just specific animal parts passed off as bits of human), but it soon becomes apparent that Dorothy is struggling to resist her deadlier impulses. Despite having to keep up a horrible charade, Jackie is mainly a decent person with a strong sense of morals, which is more than can be said for Debbie, the daughter that Dorothy and Edmund had just before their incarceration. The family may be separated, but bonds of blood grow stronger as things move towards a disturbing third act.

Starring the fantastic Sheila Keith in the role of Dorothy (and she also collaborated with Walker more than once or twice) alongside Rupert Davies as Edmund, this is a potentially daffy tale that is lifted by those excellent central performances. Deborah Fairfax is also pretty good as Jackie, which makes up for the comparatively weak turn from the suitably-monikered Kim Butcher in the role of Debbie. Paul Greenwood, Edward Kalinski, Fiona Curzon, Leo Genn, and Gerald Flood are among the smattering of supporting players, and eagle-eyed viewers should recognise Andrew Sachs in a small role.

In case you didn't notice what was under scrutiny here, Walker and McGillivray take aim at a system unable to help those with serious mental health issues. All it can do is keep them away from the public for a while, but that's no good when they are declared ready to re-enter society and effectively ditched by the authorities without any real support or care for their rehabilitation. Perhaps I was being unfair with my criticism of Butcher, who is saddled with the least interesting parts of the screenplay, because both writer and director are very much focused on packaging their scathing critique in a Trojan horse of murder and cannibalism.

Enjoyably gruesome at times, and able to remain consistently entertaining because of these dark deeds being committed by people you would be more likely to see enjoying a quiet afternoon tea than a grisly feast of human flesh, Frightmare is a real highlight from a director who was at the height of his powers throughout this decade. I am not sure if I would pick this as my outright favourite from him, but it's always a strong contender (alongside House Of Whipcord and House Of Mortal Sin).

8/10