(1970)
Dir - Alan Gibson
Overall: MEH
Deviating itself quite a bit in structure and tone from Jenni Hall's Ask Agamemmon novel for which it it based, Goodbye Gemini is a strange, occasionally annoying thriller in the vein of others near the turn of the 60s which portrayed London's bohemian counter culture as unflatteringly as possible. Whether it was intended or not, the film is loaded from top to bottom with unlikable characters. The young hippies are spoiled, violent brats and the older gentleman are either sleazy, sexual deviants or in Michael Redgrave's case, (in one of his last roles), they just appear to be bored. It does not help that at the heart of the cinematic version of the story, the incestuous relationship between the twins takes center stage instead of the more interesting, tripped out, non-linear dream sequences of the novel that more underplayed the exploitative elements. Alan Gibson would go on to direct the last two Christopher Lee Dracula films for Hammer, but aside from a few decent moments that serve as exceptions, there is not enough style over substance with Gemini to lift it over its rather abundant, unpleasant qualities.
(1972)
Dir - Jim O'Connolly
Overall: MEH
The only redeemable elements to Jim O'Connolly's Tower of Evil are many of the visual ones as the film has some nice, atmospheric sets, gruesome murders, and slimy, decomposed corpses for us to look at. The opening is somewhat promising as well since the movie's setting is properly introduced in the most creepy of ways. Very sadly though, the story itself is insultingly moronic. A slasher movie with all of the stupid, stupid cliches in full-throttle, this is the type of crap where nearly everything that happens shows a severe lack of sound judgement on the character's, (and screenwriter's), part. Everyone suspects a maniac is running about so characters wonder around by themselves, (unarmed of course), split up at the dumbest possible time, (unarmed of course), tell each other their imagination is playing tricks on them when they claim to see something, decide to bone each other while all of this is going on, laugh manically when they find hidden treasure, keep vital information from each other, and of course the mongoloid killer is astronomically proficient at outsmarting nearly everyone until the end. You could say more about it, but really why bother?
(1973)
Dir - Peter Sasdy
Overall: MEH
Promising to a point yet sloppily handled in several respects, Peter Sasdy's Nothing But the Night, (The Devil's Undead), is another Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee staring vehicle where the two wonderful actors at least share plenty of scenes together. The bulk of the film is rather dull. There is a mystery as to who is killing a bunch of people, Lee and Cushing are there to uncover said mystery, and it goes on for quite a long time before the movie almost inexplicably unveils the true agenda of its premise for an awkward finish. What ends up happening is quite sinister on paper, but there lies the problem since in the actual execution, it is a botched effort. Clumsy editing equipped with the tedious nature of the pacing in general makes the creepy reveal more "huh?" than anything. It springs up rather suddenly, with characters discovering it even more randomly as things only get more curious from there since the final scene is a conflicting mess of what should be disturbing yet is instead rather goofy and weird. There are some nice, sinister twists and the talent is certainly present, (Sasdy made Countess Dracula after all and again, Lee and Cushing), but it is still unmistakably flawed.
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