Sultan of Horror Reviews

Cold Eyes of Fear (1971)

Very average Giallo with a few good moments.

[5 August 2001]

This is an average example of the Italian Giallo, the story set in London, switching between a solicitor's office and his stately house, which is occupied by his solicitor nephew and a prostitute.

The plot is fairly good, involving an elaborate revenge on the elder solicitor for a wrongful judgement some years earlier. This film has some good twists but is tense only at times. It seems to drag and much more could have been made of the frightful atmosphere in the house. Instead, we have over-used extreme close-ups and plenty of screaming and shouting.

Not a bad film by any means, but there are plenty better examples of the genre.

House of Whipcord (1974)

Bleak, cold, disturbing British sexploitation for the genre enthusiasts only.

[4 August 2001]

This early 70's classic from Pete Walker is essentially a classic sexploitation exercise wrapped in a horror packaging.

A dark and disturbing piece, this film is set in a creepy and foreboding house where a couple are running an illegal and immoral correction centre. Young females seen by the old school as sluts are lured to the house, imprisoned and eventually flogged and hanged for their sins.

There is no gore on show here; instead the unsettling feeling is delivered by the cold green filtered scenes and the real underlying menace that Walker manages to inject into the film. The plot is pretty good with some nice twists throughout.

Ultimate fear is slightly diminished by the fact that one of the lead characters is familiar for being the narrator of the 70's childrens TV programme, "Mr Benn".

Frightmare (1974)

A dark and disturbing slice of classic British horror

[1 May 2000]

This film is typical of early Seventies British horror in its style and format, though this is much more dark, morbid and disturbing than the average example.

The film features a psychotic woman with a penchant for cannibalism, and her equally disturbed family, hiding out as a recluse in a remote English farmhouse following her release from 15 years in an institution.

A few items of gore are presented here (the UK version will be cut by three minutes), but the real beauty of this film is its dark and unnerving undertones, along with its shocking and feel-bad finalé.

Horror Hospital (1973)

Great piece of classic cult British 70's horror

[11 March 2000]

A fine British 70's Horror with outstanding performances from both Gough and Askwith. A young guy decides to get away for a short spell at a relaxing health resort, only to discover that he becomes trapped and that it is no ordinary health resort! Very dark, very camp, a quite memorable film of it's era.

Death Line (1972)

Fine 70's British horror in the creepy underground

[11 March 2000]

A great example of early 70's British horror, this film tackles some unpleasant deaths centred around Russell Square underground station. Those who find the London underground an eerie place will love this film; the director (Sherman) manages to convey a decidedly creepy undertone throughout. When uncovered, we are given an insight into the culprit's life and are encouraged to feel sadness. Nice performances from Pleasance and Lee (albeit a very short one).

The Dentist (1996)

A peculiar but fair 80's style US Horror

[19 February 2000]

The Dentist is a strange film; the plot to me does not relate to the synopsis on the cassette sleeve. An insane dentist spots his wife having an affair with a swimming pool maintenance man and takes out his revenge on various patients.

The plot is weak and the horror elements are few and far between, but the beautiful effects in the scenes of teeth extraction are worth a watch.

This film is in the style of the 1980s US video-only horror flick. Not a first rate film, but a must-see for lovers of weird horror cinema.

The Fifth Cord (1971)

Nice 70's Italian giallo, typical of its genre

[19 February 2000]

Very typical early 1970s Italian giallo, in which a journalist (with a drink problem) tries to solve a series of murders with a common theme. As with all good films of this type, a nice twist is provided at the end, with the protagonist giving a voice-over summary.

Murder scenes are not the finest in this genre, but some appear fairly unnerving as they are shown in complete silence. One is not shown at all due to a two second cut (UK BBFC version).

This is an average film of its type, but nevertheless of a good standard.