British Anthology

 

SCREAMTIME-1984-2 idiot video tape robbers crash the apartment of one of their girlfriends to watch some movies in this anthology. 

In the first story Jack (Robin Bailey), a neglected puppeteer has his puppets burned by his bully masculinity challenged step-son Damien (Jonathan Morris). His bitch wife (Ann Lynn) nags him constantly while defending her son. Both mom and son are beaten to death. When a doctor is killed it looks like one of the puppets is doing the dirty deeds. But it's actually Jack who's crushed to death while terrorizing Damien's girlfriend. 

In the second a young married couple move into a new house. The wife sees a little boy riding a bike on their property. Every time she approaches him he vanishes. A church woman tells her she might have second sight. Later she has a vision of a man killing a family. A weird twist ending proves she might not be crazy. 

In the third, a young man becomes the handyman for two eccentric old ladies who believe in fairies. At night the handyman and his two pals go to rob the place. One guy is killed by a giant gnome. Another is killed by some mummy like creatures who come out of the ground and the ring leader is stabbed with forks and knives by an ancient ancestor. 

In the wrap around scenes a hand comes out of the video screen to kill one guy while one of the puppets shows up to beat up the other. This low budget UK production was co-written and directed by Michael Armstrong (MARK OF THE DEVIL, HORROR HOUSE).

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The Final Four

THE HOUSE OF LONG SHADOWS-An American writer Kenneth McGee (Desi Arnaz Jr.) in England makes a bet with his agent (Richard Todd) that he can write a novel in 24 hrs. while staying at an old Welsh manor. The place is suppose to be deserted but almost immediately he meets the caretakers (John Carradine and Sheila Keith). Then Mary (Julie Peasgood) a blond girl he met earlier at a restaurant shows up. He believes she's a plant by his agent to distract him. Later the mysterious Mr. Rand (Peter Cushing) shows up seeking shelter. Enter Lionel Grisbane (Vincent Price) who announces “I have returned” and says he once lived in the manor. Then Corrigan (Christopher Lee) shows up claiming he's going to buy the property. It turns out the male caretaker is Lord Grisbane, the head of a fallen clan and Grisbane and Corrigan are actually his sons! And the thought to be dead son Roderick has been held prisoner in a locked room on the manor for 40 years! A bickering couple who also show up just seem to be there to get killed. Of course it turns out Corrigan is the insane Roderick and wants revenge on Lionel who committed a murder Roderick got the blame for. He hacks his brother to death (the best scene). If this all sounds familiar it's based on the famous Gothic story “Seven Keys To Baldpate” by Earl Derr Biggers which has been filmed many times over the years (including THE OLD DARK HOUSE by James Whale in 1932). 

It's great to finally have these 4 horror icons in a movie together but it could have been better. Too much time is focused on Lucy and Ricky's son. 

Director Pete Walker started out making porno movies and later made unconventional horror stuff likeTHE CONFESSIONAL and HOUSE OF WHIPCORD. He retired from making films after LONG SHADOWS. Screenwriter Michael Armstrong wrote and directed the infamous MARK OF THE DEVIL and the not so infamous HORROR HOUSE with Frankie Avalon. 

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Horror House

HAUNTED HOUSE OF HORROR-1969-In this British production from Hammer rival Tigon, a group of mod young people in London get bored with their party and decide to go out in a deserted mansion in the countryside.

The group includes their nominal leader Chris (American Frankie Avalon), his girlfriend Sheila (Jill Haworth),two timing hipster Gary (Mark Wynter) and the women he's two timing with Dorothy (Carol Dilworth) and Sylvia (Gina Warwick). Creeping around outside is Inspector Bradley (Dennis Price), the older jilted lover of Sylvia's who still wants them to be a couple. When the group arrives, Richard (Julian Barnes) tells a story of why a ghost haunts the place but they can't decide whether to have coffee, booze, an orgy or a seance'. After Sylvia leaves, Gary is bloodily hacked to death. The murder seems to point at the Inspector (who the rest of the group is unaware of) but Chris convinces the others it could be one of them and they should dispose of the body.

 Hmmmm...?? Suspicious behavoir..no? 

Three days later the police are investigating and the group acts nervous and paranoid. When the inspector goes back to the old house he's killed.The group decides to go back and find clues 
themselves as to who might be the murderer and much time is spend with Chris and Richard debating why a person might kill until it's revealed that Richard is the killer (he's afraid of the dark) 
and poor Beach Blanket Frankie gets stabbed in the crotch! 

This dumb, talky run of the mill horror story was made by writer/director Michael Armstrong who one year later made the more infamous MARK OF THE DEVIL. Avalon had been in the Otto Preminger bomb SKIDOO the year before. Haworth had 
made her film debut in EXODUS and had been in the original Broadway cast of CABERET but by '69 her career was in decline. 

I've always read that the Price role was suppose to be played by Boris Karloff but he became ill (he died in Feb. of '69). Price was 54 at the time (he died in '73 at 58) and I found the older man/younger woman relationship a little strained but Karloff would have been 80 around that time! Obviously (I hope) the role had been re-written! 

Also known as HORROR HOUSE and THE DARK.

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