Fright (1971)

Director: Peter Collinson
Starring: Susan George, Ian Bannen, Honor Blackman, and John Gregson .UK. 1h 27m

AKA The Baby Minder or Girl in the Dark

Often credited as the starting block for all Babysitter horror movies, this British cult classic really challenges it’s audience as much as it’s production challenges the actors. They say the best horrors are the ones where you can place yourself in the situation, and there’s nothing quite as frightening as being trapped in unfamiliar surroundings with a deranged lunatic trying to get to you while you look after someone else’s child. And this is where Susan George finds herself in Peter Collinsons cultured horror.

Collinson is probably best known for The Italian Job (1969) but only 2 years later he came back swinging with this taught thriller that verges into the Slasher territory. A young babysitter Amanda (George) settles into the Lloyd residence, the Lloyds display a lot of nervousness about their rare night out, but what dark family secret could they possibly be hiding.

Pe+et / Peter (2011)

Director: Skip Kite
Starring: Walt Kissack, Gary Sharkey, Ada, Lewis. UK. 1h 24m

Peter Sutcliffe has had a terrible reputation for a long time, and despite his feelings of remorse in this latter years public opinion hasn’t changed much. This drama is supposed to take you into the mind of one of the UK’s most notorious serial killers, using real archive footage it pieces together the biggest manhunt as well as dramatising Peters inner thoughts while he attempts to reflect internally.

The Devil’s Doorway (2018)

 

Director: Aislinn Clarke
Starring: Lalor Roddy, Helena Bereen, Lauren Coe, Ciaran Flynn . Ireland / UK. 1h 17m

This found footage horror is set in the swinging 60’s but it isn’t influences by mini skirts and being hip instead the women involved are quite different, Devils Doorway sees Father Thomas Riley (Roddy) and Father John Thornton (Flynn)  despatched by the vatican to investigate reports of a miracle in a Catholic asylum based in the wilderness of Northern Ireland.

At this remote asylum for immoral women, the statues of the Virgin Mary have been weeping blood. The two priests open their investigation by filming each other, the younger, Father John arms himself with a 16mm camera to record their findings and often interrogates father Thomas about his life and beliefs as a priest, after some adjustments they head to the vast home and begin their investigation but are confronted by some fiercely protective nuns who see their presence as insulting and can’t wait to see the backs of them.

Apostle (2018)

Director: Gareth Evans.
Starring. Dan Stevens, Lucy Boynton, Mark Lewis Jones, Bill Milner, Kristine Froseth, Paul Higgins, Michael Sheen. USA. 2h 10m.

Gareth Evans’ Apostle is a troubled journey into the dark nature of man being forced upon the nature around him in the guise of a new religious cult who have hauled up on a remote island. Evan’s previous projects are considerably different in nature, mostly the Raid (2012) and Raid 2 (2014), which saw a lot of action and violence, although he did perfect sidestep into horror in the V/H/S 2 (2013) anthology when he co directed the Safe Haven segment but again his horror came with a fast pace. But in this epic horror, he manages to divide the film into something more brooding before it picks up speed and descends into a casserole of blood or torture.  Much like Panos Cosmatos Mandy (2018). When you think you’ve “got” the movie, suddenly there’s a shift into something unexpected and there’s not going back.

Wilde (1997)

Possibly one of the more anticipated biographies of the decade, not only have we reached an age where once thought sordid taboos can be openly expressed but we have also have an actor at our disposal who not only physically resembles Wilde but has also been through similar scandals and tribulations due to his fantastic mind and eccentricities.

The movie starts Oscar Wilde giving a lecture in Colorado in 1882 despite his bizarre persona he is welcomed by the silver miners and his tour becomes a great success, on returning to the UK he marries his long-term sweetheart Constance Lloyd (Jennifer Ehle) and the young couple have two sons in quick succession. He is soon introduced to  Robbie Ross (Michael Sheen) and then Lord Alfred “Bosie” Douglas (Jude Law) while discovering his homosexuality while dealing with a long suffering wife and raising children.

With a delicate approach this detailed account of Wilde discovering his sexuality is literally all the film covers. It seems obsessed with the man’s sexuality more than anything else. apart from a narrative of Fry reading The Selfish Giant which is an interesting choice there is hardly any mention of his works and no scenes of him hunched over books writing.. nothing is said about the man’s creativity but the lens here is zero’d in on his dick.. basically.

The narrative and subject aside the film is well acted and dressed beautifully, one of the downsides is the lack of imagination of in the later scenes after Wilde’s incarceration. Stephen Fry was clearly built for this role and while he adds finesse and charm to this deeply interesting character, the film itself is structured poorly, Empire having no discernible Direction, comes across as a cheap TV and film which doesn’t do his performance any justice. Overall I feel a great opportunity was wildly missed here.

Rating 4/10

R – Milk (2008)
L – Writer Biographies, Artist Biographies
A – How accurate do biographies have to be?
5s – Michael Sheen, Jude Law
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