THE AMICUS COLLECTION DARK SKY FILMS

The Amicus Collection- were three more beautiful words ever spoken for us lovers of classic 70's Brit horror? Amicus was responsible for producing some of the most memorable classic tradition horror films of the seventies. Consider this a second chance to play catch up if you haven’t already picked these discs up. I’m reprinting my earlier reviews of each DVD which are offered here with the same bonus features as before. The only new thing you’ll get is a nifty if flimsy cardboard box that bears the mug of Peter Cushing. Fans of Peter Cushing, cheesy werewolf cinema, dated gore effects, horror anthologies, Herbert Lom, Britt Eklund, Patrick Magee and Barry Morse, Charlotte Rampling, 70’s exploitation cinema, Michael Gambon and Roy Ward Baker and British Horror Cinema in general. So, no pressure.

And Now The Screaming Starts? I remember howling the night we watched this Amicus classic to celebrate my birthday. Forget that Peter Cushing is in this film. Forget that there are actually some pretty goods shocks in it. Next time you are feeling silly get And Now The Screaming Starts and discover that delicate balance kitsch of genuinely well-crafted filmmaking that creates Amicus fans. Those other things make a low level sort of fandom inevitable but there’s no denying that Amicus movies have their own vibe that draws people back. This story has it all. Set in 1795 we meet two newlyweds moving into an ancestral mansion. When the bride claims to have been raped by a malevolent spirit and begins seeing visions of eyeless corpses and disembodied hands all assume she is mad. Only until they have confronted the supernatural reality of the situation are they able to win their battle against the forces of evil threatening to swallow them. The special effects in this film are great. And by great I mean greatly entertaining. The crawling hand is particularly well done and made me want to go and find all those other crawling hand movies from the sixties and seventies. Believe it or not there are actually quite a few. Cushing is pretty much wasted here in an unsympathetic but not very dynamic role as a Doctor who attempts to use reason and logic to combat what we already know to be a case of supernatural threat. But the rest of the cast is wonderful and the story surprisingly mysterious. You’ll probably figure it out before the end but it may take you longer than you’d think.

There are a lot of horror anthologies from the sixties and early seventies. Tales from the Crypt, Vault of Horror, The House that Dripped Blood, Tales of Terror, Black Sabbath and Trilogy of Terror are all worth most any horror fans time and money. A general rule of thumb is that horror anthologies in general contain at least one good or even outstanding story that makes viewing worthwhile. That’s certainly true of Asylum. Three stories are oven into a larger one in which the patients of a mental hospital are interviewed by a man hoping to become the next director. If that man can find the former director among the patients he will be given the position. But as he goes from ghastly revelation to revelation he can only be sure of one thing. Something is wrong, very wrong at Dunmoor Asylum for the criminally insane! Of the three Amicus titles offered in the box set one makes the best use of Peter Cushing in a macabre role in which he attempts to raise his son from the dead via an occultic garment he commissions. Robert Powell, most famous for his portrayal of Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar, plays the job applicant while the rest of the roles are filled in by a distinguished cast including Herbert Lom, Britt Eklund, Patrick Magee and Barry Morse. Even a young Charlotte Rampling is present. The best of the stories involves an unfaithful and finally murderous husband who dismembers his wife only to find himself going to pieces. In another a man claims the power to instill inanimate objects with his life force. The last involves a best friend who may or may not exist. Asylum is a film utterly of it’s time bridging the gap between modern and classic horror while reeking of the Gothic atmosphere that makes older horror films so much fun. The DVD features a good commentary from the legendary Roy Ward Baker and cameraman Neil Binney a featurette on Amicus itself, trailers, photo gallery and liner notes.

The Beast Must Die! is based on one of the best werewolf stories ever written And There Shall Be No Darkness by James Blish. A wonderfully romantic tale No Darkness takes place on a secluded estate. A millionaire and big game hunter invites several guests for a weekend party only to announce at dinner that he suspects one is a werewolf. Having conquered all other game he makes it his mission to hunt the creature down. Blish weaves a beautiful tale of love and loss through an adventurous plot that still packs a punch for today’s reader while the movie offers up a sort of TV quality whodunit. The short story offers a better tale on all counts but the film is a romp. Amicus had a special gift for unintentional humor. Almost all their films are either quite good or hilariously dated. The soundtrack alone had most of us giggling throughout with its twangy guitars and early 70’s synth beats. And the cast really is amazing. Harry Potter fans will recognize a young Dumbledore a.k.a. Michael Gambon. Also appearing are character actor Anton Diffring who is highly recognizable as the villainous Brit or Nazi in many genre films, the inimitable Peter Cushing and Marlene Clark who played Ganja in Ganja and Hess. The DVD includes a Director commentary, trailers, photo gallery, vintage Directing the Beast featurette and a special tribute to Cushing