House of Mortal Sin (1976)

User Rating:

6.0/10   

Director:

Pete Walker

Writers:

David McGillivray (writer)
Pete Walker (writer)

Release Date:

March 1977 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

Tortured by desires his vows forbid...master of a house of mortal sin!

Plot:

A troubled young girl goes to confession at the local church. Unfortunately, the sexually frustrated priest she confesses to becomes obsessed with her...

Plot Keywords:

Priest | Confession | Murder | Church | Blackmail

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Anthony Sharp	...	Father Xavier Meldrum
Susan Penhaligon	...	Jenny Welch
Stephanie Beacham	...	Vanessa Welch
Norman Eshley	...	Father Bernard Cutler
Sheila Keith	...	Miss Brabazon
Hilda Barry	...	Mrs. Meldrum
Stewart Bevan	...	Terry (as Stuart Bevan)
Julia McCarthy	...	Mrs. Davey
Jon Yule	...	Robert
Mervyn Johns	...	Father Duggan
Kim Butcher	...	Valerie
Victor Winding	...	Dr. Gaudio
Bill Kerr	...	Davey
Ivor Salter	...	Gravedigger
Jack Allen

Also Known As:

The Confessional (USA)
The Confessional Murders (UK) (reissue title)

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:R | USA:R | UK:X (original rating) | UK:18 (video rating)

Trivia:

Originally Peter Cushing was offered to play Father Xavier Meldrum and at the time there were some rumours that Cushing hated the script. In 1983, when Cushing acted in Walker's final film, The House of Long Shadows, Walker learned that Cushing actually liked the script, but had other film commitments.

Quotes:

Miss Brabazon: [to Meldrum's infirm mother] He's gone out again, I'm afraid... you're all alone again... with me.

A very British slasher effort - tea with vicar and a dose of gore.

Disappointing Pete Walker film which flirts with a variety of good ideas but manages to fumble all of them.

Story has vulnerable young woman (Penhaligon) going to Confession, where she is harassed by the priest whose fatherly concerns have a sinister element. He turns out to be a crazed killer, stemming from his mother (yawn!!) who still lives with him in a semi-vegetable state.

Plot goes into a poor-mans 'Rosemary's Baby' scenario, Penhaligon unable to convince anyone of the truth, with the Priest above suspicion because of his position.

Film labours its point that religious restrictions have fashioned Father Meldrum into a killer, while the younger Priest who tries to help is too wet for the audience to respond to. All this leaves Stephanie Beacham as the best thing here. At least the film doesn't cop-out at the end, but by then we are past caring. A film students favourite, but more interesting to study than to watch.