Monday, August 28, 2023

70's British Horror Part Twenty-Four

VENOM
(1971)
Dir - Peter Sykes
Overall: MEH

Certainly not the most gripping of horror films, Peter Sykes sophomore full-length from behind the lens Venom, (Spider's Venom, The Legend of Spider Forest), suffers from a confused plot which undercuts its potential suspense.  On paper, the combination of folk horror, Nazi crime film, and mad scientist romp might sound interesting if still positively messy, but unfortunately the latter attribute is the only one that applies here.  While there are superstitions villagers doing superstitious villager things, the script from Donald and Derek Ford does a piss-pour job of establishing any stakes.  Simon Brent's protagonist just bounces between getting willingly seduced by an up-to-no-good Nazi babe, (Sheila Allan), while chasing around the more allusive Neda Arnerić who nobody in town seems to want to divulge any information on.  Up until about the last twenty minutes of the running time, this is all that seems to be taking place and at that point, the gloves fly off with a barrage of half-baked ideas thrown aggressively at the audience.  It results in a disappointing finale to be sure, but despite the lousy story and bouts of inappropriate romantic music on the soundtrack, Sykes and cinematographer Peter Jessop try to stage some evocative shots here and there which as one could guess, is hardly enough to save the whole.
 
BLUE BLOOD
(1973)
Dir - Andrew Sinclair
Overall: MEH

Andrew Sinclair's Blue Blood, (an adaptation of Alexander Thymn's novel The Carry-Cot), is a rushed and inconcise psychological horror film, yet it also serves as one of numerous genre vehicles that contain a command performance from Oliver Reed.  Here, Reed portrays a perplexing and intimidating butler who is either utilizing black magic to gain lordship over the property that he is employed at or he is just dealing with a slew of mentally unstable people.  Part of the problem lies in a series of almost subliminal, Satanic ceremony sequences that are slap-dashed throughout the movie as it is never clear if they are supernaturally projected visions, mere nightmares, or just stylistic flourishes on the filmmaker's part.  Character's inconsistent behavior is yet another curious issue as they are logically concerned with certain troubling revelations, (most of which seem to spring up out of nowhere as if several scenes are missing), while at other times behaving as if they are under some sort of diabolical spell.  There seems to be a method to such aloof madness here, but it is hardly conveyed in a successful manner and becomes merely a well-decorated and artfully shot bit of celluloid with some underlying themes that are as vaguely sinister as they are impenetrable.  Reed's prissy English accent and no nonsense mannerisms are a hoot though.

REQUIEM FOR A VILLAGE
(1975)
Dir - David Gladwell
Overall: MEH
 
The barely full-length debut from David Gladwell, Requiem for a Village is a singular, meditative montage film with no decipherable narrative.  On the one hand, it is presented almost as a documentary on unassuming townsfolk who go about various, mundane moments in their life such as celebrating a low-key wedding, having a council meeting, and making horseshoes.  Yet a different way to interpret it is as a Tarkovsky-esque series of conjured memories which may or may not be from an elderly graveyard keeper who is occasionally shown muttering to himself while maintaining his duties.  Some of the sequences appear to be flashbacks, but such things are never made clear as there is no plot line to follow, with sparse amounts of dialog merely showing up as fly on the wall moments.  Interjecting with the tranquil mood and simple images though are surreal moments like people emerging from their graves in slow motion and a rape sequence near the end.  With all of the curious pieces combined, the film may present a non-bias view of country life; beauty, warts, and dreams all in harmony with each other.  It meanders too much to properly recommend, but it definitely stands as a unique work with very thinly-veiled folk horror elements for those who are curious to check out something that exists in its own universe.

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