Reviews (13)

Doug Mcclure + The Lost World = High Adventure!
I loved this movie as a kid and I still love it now. Despite not having Harryhausen quality dinosaur effects, for the time, the effects are generally pretty good. Definitely better than the effects featured in many other movies of that type of the time and way above those in "At The Earth's Core". The acting is pretty good all around, especially the German captain and his sneering first mate, Dietz. And of course, no film of this type would be complete without the incomparable Doug McClure!

This movie really imparts an excellent sense of adventure as both a war drama and a fight for survival in the lost world of Caprona. They aren't stingy with the dinosaurs either as the sequel, 'The People That Time Forgot' is. All in all, this is a fun movie that really captures the essence of what dinosaur films of the current period like the Jurassic Park sequels are missing - a sense of adventure and a soul.

My Favorite When Teamed With Its Sequel!
As one other reviewer put it, I love to pay a visit to Caprona! I loved these movies in the 70's. In the eighties, an artistic producer at an independent station in Miami would show both The Land That Time Forgot and The People That Time Forgot on consecutive Saturday and Sunday late nights! Bring out the Pizza! In addition to the atmospheric qualities of the sets and settings of these two films (much of which is on-location) they have another timeless quality: excellent music. Land Time Forgot has a distinctive moody tone to its score. People Time Forgot has a dynamic opening and closing theme which is used re-currently throughout the film. Doug McClure is perfect as Bowen Tyler, and yes, he is in the sequel, which anchors the two films perfectly. Supporting casts in both films are excellent, and hey! I thought the dinosaurs were great! The submarine special effects are worthy of Derrick Meddings, and the Amphibian Plane effects in the sequel are equally impressive. The "Forgot" part of the titles are eloquently staged in "Land" when the submarine steams upriver; and in "People" when the pilot, Hogan, starts to go stir-crazy back at the Ampibian campsite. BTW, Patrick Wayne and Sarah Douglas shine in the sequel as much as our heroes do in the first flick. I agree with others: It's time for these two to come out in wide-screen DVD--preferrably together! One more note: READ THE BOOKS! They are available separately or together. And surprise! They are actually a trilogy: The Land That Time Forgot, The People That Time Forgot, and Out Of Time's Abyss. Thanks, Mr. Burroughs!

Brilliant Characters and Wonderful Story
I love this film. I wish they would release it on DVD. Yes the special efects are laughable, but this film has a lasting appeal because the characters are very well developed and well defined, and the story is wonderful and mesmerizing. This film has an intagible quality about it that makes it perfect escapist fare, and whenever I watch it I go back into my childhood "comfort zone" so to speak. If you're ever weary of the world and the pressures of work and life, pop in this film and escape to another world of wondrous imagintation.

It is also very educational for a child. I love it when von Schoenhertz and the English girl (who is very pretty by the way) who is a botanist are discussing the bacteria they found on Caprona. It succinctly presents the difference in perspectives between "German metaphysics" as she says, and "British empiricism" as von Schoenhertz says. Then they get into an argument over conduct of the Great War. She accuses the Germans of brutality, but von Schoenhertz presents his very Germanic, Neitzschean rebuttal by going off on how she is naive and "life is founded upon killing and destruction" and "the sea is teeming with living things that prey upon one another to survive." That's very philosphical stuff for such a movie, and a great way to get kids interested in these things. It's cool too because Dietz represents the brutal German the English girl accuses von Schoenhertz of being, when in fact von Schonehertz is actually more the reflective, scientific German in the vein of Schopenhauer, Freud and Jung and he is in many ways more civilized than anyone else in the film. He is the elder, wise father figure. The British are portryaed as pragamatic, rational and generally compassionate -- the diplomats. But who Burroughs really exalts above all others is Mr. Tyler, the American. He is the brash, young (as America itself is comparitively) man who exudes the physical, masculine side of life -- he is the virile Alpha male who acts and leads, the hero. Despite his basically boorish character, the English girl cannot help but to be very attracted to him even though she has much more in common with von Schoenhertz, the Thinker.

It's an interesting position that Rice Borroughs takes, namely that in his day and age, the value of the alpha male hero and his "animal magnetism" exceeds that of the more introverted, reflective man of von Shcoenhertz. This is understandable given the feeling in Britain at the time that the manliness of the nation was ebbing away and they had better recapture that masculine spirit or fade away. It's also interesting that Burroughs sees the American Tyler and hence America itself as a possible saviour of the Anglo-Saxon "civilization" or "race" or more specifically the old and tired mother of Great Britain which in its perceived malaise was losing ground to and being threatened by the more brutal, energetic and meticulous Germans. It's all very metaphorical. Given what happened in the Great War and then some 25 years later in WWII, he seems to have been very prophetic.

In any event, there is a huge subtext to this seemingly simple film, and a rich thematic exposition. It presents archetypeal themes and perspectives, and this is why I believe the film (and the book) holds up so well and is even a testament to history DESPITE the lame special effects, which, when compared to such heady stuff as the themes presented, are inconsequential to the value of the film.

God Save the Queen! Sorry, my Anglophilia carried me away there:-)

An Edgar Rice Burroughs adventure with man eating dinosaurs
It is rather amazing that having used Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan of the Apes for dozens of movies over the course of almost the entire century, Hollywood finally went back to ERB's novels to find another property for a film and ignored the John Carter of Mars series and went for "The Land That Time Forgot," a rather second-rate potboiler. But if you forgive the cheap special effects (be kind, it is a 1975 film) this is not a bad adventure story. Burroughs basically wrote his own version of "The Lost World" as a German U-Boat sinks a British ship whose crew manages to take over the submarine. Traveling to South America they find a lost continent where there are dinosaurs and cavemen (ergo, "The Land That Time Forgot"), neither of whom has any respect for civilized human beings.

Doug McClure stars as American adventurer Bowen Tyler in this British production. McClure and director Kevin Connor would make two other similar films based on Burroughs novels, "At the Earth's Core," from the more ambitious Pelucidar series and a sequel to this film "The People That Time Forgot." Along for the ride are the beautiful and brainy biologist in distress, Lisa Clayton (Susan Penhaligon), U-Boat Captain Von Schoenvorts (John McEnery) and his cunning second in command Deitz (Anthony Ainley), along with a savy Brit named Bradley (Keith Barron) who manages to be put off by being eaten by the dinosaurs longer than most of his mates. Of course not only do these people have to watch out for dinosaurs and cavemen, they have to watch out for each other. "The Land That Time Forgot" is a film that teaches its young British audience that even during World War I when the Germans were not Nazis you still could not trust them.

The story is basic adventure, with Tyler and company facing one peril after another. The script is decent, given the going ons; Michael Morcock worked on the script along with James Cawthorn, so there is an inherent assumption that all of the good stuff belongs to the noted fantasy writer. There is an attempt to get into some of ERB's reasoning for the existence of "Caprona," as the lost continent is called, but it only muddles the film until the action gets going again. The cast takes the situation seriously, which is a prerequisite in any film like this, but while the action is above average the special effects are tacky. The dinosaurs are laughable and the miniatures are not much better. Still, you get an indication of how much fun the action-adventures elements are (for this particular genre and this particular time) when the film still gets 4 stars despite the hokey dinosaurs.

A real classic
Whenever I read reviews in movie guides I am saddened to see this film is given a hard time. Alright, so the dinosaurs aren't Harryhausen/Jurassic Park fare, but they're certainly a lot better than most other low-budget dinosaur/monster movies of their time (or since then, for that matter). A group of shipwrecked WW1 navymen board and take over the German U-boat which sunk their vessel. Before long, however, they are hopelessly lost, are forced to co-operate as they come across a lost island.

What really makes this film stand out is its superb atmosphere, its sense of drama, its believable characters, its well-staged battle sequences (both human and prehistoric), and its storyline involving an island as a living thing. A real classic, and one in the eye for those who scoff at the British film industry. ... Read more

Reviews (26)

Very blunt, very disturbing.
All of the stops were pulled out from this nearly forgotten horror classic, set during the English Civil War. Very twisted, extremely straight-forward, it defies some of the standards of its time.

Full of murder, rape, and torture, the story follows Matthew Hopkins (Vincent Price) on his journey to collect money for the finding and executing of those who have made a pact with the devil. His barbaric assistant tortures and beats the confessions out of helpless women and old men, while Hopkins has his own way of beating out confessions out of the younger, more attractive women.

The film follows the anguish of the victims of Hopkins, particularly the husbands of the women he's taken advantage of and killed. The "hero" of the film, Ian Ogilvy, is a soldier in Cromwell's army. He becomes obsessed with killing Hopkins after he learns of how Hopkins has raped his wife and killed her father.

Chilling historical commentary, there are no happy endings and silver-linings in this brutally honest film. The unforgetable ending of the film will shock you. If you watch closely, you will find out the haunting secret of Matthew Hopkins.

Graphic and violent tale of a 17th century witch-hunter
Although Vincent Price stars in a leading role in "Conqueror Worm" don't let that fool you, this is not a horror movie in the sense that it doesn't deal with the supernatural. Price plays a straight up role as real-life witch-hunter Mathew Hopkins. Set in Cromwell's England during the years of civil war, Conqueror Worm is an excellent historical drama whose horrific effects come from what human beings do to other human beings.

The movie itself is a told in a straightforward textbook manner. The first part introduces the main players and their relationship. Hopkins and his cruel assistant and the priest, his niece and her fiance, a soldier in Cromwell's New Model Army. The second act creates the issue at hand, namely Hopkins cruel torture and killing of the priest, his taking advantage of his niece and her rape by the assistant. The final act is the chase, the soldier tracks Hopkins and ends in a harrowing finale.

The simple formula above is successful because of good writing, directing and acting by all players. Conqueror Worm, made in 1969, is still graphic in it's depiction of sexual and physical violence.

An excellent film- highly recommended.

The Best British Western Ever ¿ The Witchfinder General
... or maybe the best horror western ever. What you make of this will depend on two things. How much you like old British horror and how much you know about the production of this particular film. When you realize that this is the last production of a young talented Director, Michael Reeves, who died (25 - accidental overdose) on the path to being one of the all time greatest film directors, and that this is his third, last and best film, you will under its value (as an example of his talent watch the shot in this film of young children cooking potatoes in the ashes of a 'witch' that has just been burned). It is a notch above your average late 1960s early 1970s horror films. In fact it is a notch above nearly every British film making it one of the British modern classics.

The story is based on the real life times and crimes of the lawyer and Witchfinder General - Mathew Hopkins, who set about destroying alleged witches across England with the full power of the law. This film depicts the various acts of torture and trials conducted on witches making it an extremely important historical document (as a note the Western influence comes from the gallant long countryside horseback riding shots, mobs in the villages and things like gallows being erected in the same vein as the cowboy movies in the USA of that era. It WORKS extremely well!) It is also certainly the best rendition of such grim persecutions to date on the screen (US viewers should think Salem Witch Trials x 100).

There is an interesting plot involving a young soldier whose fiancée's father - a priest, is put on trial for witchcraft while the soldier is away. When the soldier returns he vows to track down Hopkins for the crimes he has committed against his wife and father and so the movie is essentially a story of revenge as this soldier chases Hopkins across the countryside passing through villages where Hopkins has been.

Some find this film hard to watch because of this subplot but stick with it because after the first twenty minutes or so the film really takes off. This is also Vincent Price in his best role ever and some would say his best work although the production values are somewhat low (a very restrictive budget with a young director practically making it by himself). Many of the scenes are underexposed, dirty, bad cuts, lots of zooms (a no-no in cinematography these days), daft credits that almost underexpose Hopkins face in the background and other elements of film making associated with tight finances. However ALL of the fight sequences and torture sequences are very well done. In fact some of those scenes had to be cut!

The real gem in this movie though is to know how much it has been through. The director set out to make one of the most violent films ever conceived in the UK. The UK censors immediately cut it to ribbons saying that it would shock the viewers too much. Also the US censors agreed that the violence should be toned down considerably but agreed that the US version could contain different takes with nude women. This led to several versions of the film over the years.

This review refers to the superb DVD version of the film. You can only currently get it on PAL but it contains 2 versions of the films, excellent bonus materials including documentaries, Empire Magazine's Kim Newman provides excellent production notes (best seen on any DVD to date), trailers and biographies. It is dirt cheap. Get it!

Anyway the DVD has 2 versions - The Directors Cut (featuring NO nude women and all the restored cuts) and the Export Version (featuring nude women and all the restored cuts). The VHS version is CUT. However this decade one scene was restored that was originally omitted from the screen version - of the infamous boot in the eye sequence. So all new VHS versions of the film have this restored... but the DVD has also restored - (1) A priest being tortured, (2) A women being slapped, (3)An extended version of the river dunking, (4)A witch missing her eye being tied up and burnt alive, (5)A woman being tortured and (6) the notorious axing sequence. Unfortunately these cut scenes had to be restored from a poor quality tape recording in the Director's own personal collection, so these cut scenes look very different from the quality of the actual film - however this is only a minor point given that the film is over 30 years old and was made on a shoe-string budget. The fact that we get to see these cuts at all on a DVD in SUBLIME for fans!

So for the first time ever - The Fully Restored - Witchfinder General as it was meant to be seen is now available!

CLASSIC!

A fierce horror film with historical implications...
England has a civil war between the Royalist and the Parliament Party that are fighting for power over the country. Matthew Hopkins and his aid John Stearne exploit the situation of the war as they travel around finding witches to kill in the name of God, which in essence is a way for them to live out their sadistic behaviors. Many poor individuals fall under brutal torture by Hopkins and Stearne which often leads them into confessing witchcraft. The two servants of God make one mistake as they kill a priest that is good friends with a soldier and also rape the soldier's future wife. Conqueror Worm
(UK Title: Witchfinder General) is a fierce horror film with historical implications to the failure of Christianity and witch hunts. The film will leave the audience with distaste for the action of humankind that was sanctioned by Christian Church. In the end, Witchfinder General offers a satisfactory cinematic experience that gives a cause for the audience to ponder our past, current, and future actions.

a disturbing and heart pounding film
first off, i'll come out and say that i don't care about the petty feuds between Vincent and the director, or the star and director of any movie! from what i've learned, Reeves was acting like he was a hot shot and by 1968 Vincent was a LEGEND and knew his way around acting and when he questioned the director about something, Reeves coldly replied that Vincent was clueless and his entire career was meaningless. now, had this been a stuffy or an egotistical celebrity i wouldn't have a problem but my god, Vincent Price? He was one of the least egotistical people in the profession and he didn't take himself seriously, and because of this it allowed him to spoof himself in the later years and have fun with his image. Reeves also never visited or checked up on Vincent after an accident happened on the set: Vincent fell off a horse and Reeves purposely ignored Vincent hoping the anger would come across on film! this 1968 film on witch-craft and Matthew Hopkins shows what a great actor Vincent was. Who else had the versatility to do this intense film but yet a year prior he was cavorting around as Dr. Goldfoot in two films as well as appearing as Egghead on the TV show "Batman"! Vincent is often ignored and his LONG career (1935-1992) is constantly being down-played by critics who prescribe the silly notion that horror movies are bad and anyone who gets a kick out of them are bad for society. such garbage! Matthew Hopkins, as played by Vincent, isn't lovable or hammy as we all love Vincent to be...this is probably the only role of his where the viewer has no sympathy and you cheer on his eventual comeuppance and this one is a doozy! it IS a horror movie because it has all the elements: violence, evil, blood, death, intensity, scream queens, and atmosphere...and because this is an AIP film there are several shots of nude women but it's all in context of the story so don't anyone out there yell "X rated" or something silly like that. This movie inspired Vincent's 1970 film "Cry of the Banshee", which i also love. another witch-craft/voo-doo film from this era from Vincent is the wonderful "Oblong Box". but "Conqueror Worm" a/k/a "Witchfinder General" is fantastic. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Very entertaining!
Well, I am a mom of two little girls (ages 6 & 7), and we all love this movie. It is so entertaining, and the little girl in the film is a great role model for kids of all ages -- very independent, feisty and smart! I don't watch movies much, but when I see one I really like (like this one), I feel it only right to say something about it for other parents and kids. I found this one at my local video store and my kids watch it at least twice a year. The actors are great, the story line is entertaining, and the costumes magical. With all of the trash out there being made for kids, you won't want to miss this one. Enjoy! P.S. If you are looking for quality family movies, a couple of my other family favorites are "The Three Little Pigs" starring Billy Crystal & Jeff Goldblum (so funny!) and the animated movie, "Kiki's Delivery Service".

Through the Looking-Glass, In A More Childish Way!
Having been a hard searching person for the sequel, I stumbled upon the first part and decided to throw it into the large video collection I own. It has a great impression of Lewis Carroll's Alice stories, but with a modern twist. Jaime Reneé Smith plays out a young girl who recently gets an antique mirror from her dead grandmother. She discovers soon that it is a magical passageway to a world unlike her own. The special FX are good, the acting is pretty good but some of the story is very future-istic. I mean, catching children from other planets! FUTURE-ISTIC! But otherwise, this is a movie kids will cherish over and over again. I liked it, and so will you.

I Loved This Video!
It's When This Little girl find out that her mirror is a passage way into another world. Little Kids will LOVE it! END END ... Read more

Reviews (23)

At The Earth's Core
This film is about two Victorian scientists, Peter Cushing and Doug McClure, who use their drilling machine to discover a world within the Earth's core. They are captured by a warrior race, and enslaved with humans, but help start a rebellion and destroy the monsters ruling them. The special effects and monsters are good. The film ends with the two heroes returning back to their time.

What a guilty pleasure!
This is one of those rubber-monster movies that is so clumsily made and filled with stupid movie physics so common to this genre, but I love it! Sorry, I can't help it, but watching this one, and more like it(also recommended: THE PEOPLE THAT TIME FORGOT and HUMANOIDS FROM THE DEEP for more laughfests!) is funnier than any so-called comedy these days! Peter Cushing is Dr Abner Perry, a mad Victorian scientist who invents the Iron Mole, a steam-powered drilling machine(?!) financed by David Innes, a token American played by Doug McClure, a mainstay of 1970s B-monster-flix. When they get lost drilling they wind up, quite literally, at the earth's core and encounter telepathic dinosaurs with lions' tails(honestly), rock bridges over lava flow which cavemen cross with bare feet, an exploding fire-breathing toad . . . and Caroline Munro is on hand as Princess Dia. Basically our heroes have to help the cavemen defeat the Majar beasts(telepathic dinos) and a race of apemen which resemble cast-offs who failed the auditions for Planet of The Apes!
Cushing absolutely revels in his role as Dr Perry. Throughout his movie career, he made all kinds of weird and wonderfully amusing horror flicks and even played the big-screen incarnation of Dr Who in two Brit productions. He knows it, and in this one he can't help but act tongue-in-cheek, which works and is fun to watch.
The SFX are truly Godzilla-style in execution. We get close-ups of men in rubber suits that make them look bigger, Majar creatures on wires(you can see them), exploding mushrooms, a killer plant made from paintbrushes and a pink lava sky! 'This cannot be the Rhondda Valley!' Mr Cushing exclaims. And later on, he asserts to the creatures: 'You cannot mesmerise me, I'm British!' Great stuff!
Oh, and Caroline Munro, who made a great Bond villainness in THE SPY WHO LOVED ME a year later, looks delicious in a loincloth bikini. So, overall, if you love this sort of thing to poke fun at, you can't go far wrong. I get a strange satisfaction out of watching bad movies at times, and this is one of my cheesiest entries in my list of 'guilty pleasure' flix. One could also say that it might have inspired THE CORE(2003), a forthcoming disaster epic with equally silly physics!

Entertaining and a classic.
This movie starts good, but it get static, silly and stiff toward the mid-end of it. Overall: Fair to Good.

Another classic!
When I was a kid, Doug Maclure movies were a Sunday afternoon tradition. Giant rubber dinosaurs and paper mache monsters. Awesome!!! Still as much fun to watch today as they were 20 years ago.

"Come on Doc.....it can't be much further!"
Despite some of the more negative reviews for this movie, I found it really enjoyable! Sure, the monster special effects technology is not comparable with Jurassic Park, but keep in mind that this movie was made in the 1970's! Doug McClure and Peter Cushing made a very good team in this action-packed adventure film! The movie starts out in the Victorian age as scientist; Dr. Abner Perry (Peter Cushing) and his Geologic Engineering student; David Innes (Doug McClure) are embarking on a mission to test a manned underground drilling machine called "The Iron Mole". When the "Iron mole" goes off-course, the teacher and student duo end up in a place "like nothing on Earth", as stated by David Innes.
David and Dr. Perry end up getting captured and enslaved with humans, by Sagaths, the soldiers for the Majars who rule in the city of Pellucidar.
After finding a way to escape from the caves of the Sagaths, David, aided by a new human friend; Rah, returns to free the slaves and rescue Dr. Perry. The human tribes unite and Dr. Perry trains the tribesman on the skills of Archery, in order to revolt against the Majars and Sagaths, and destroy them.
I loved the comradery between David and Dr. Perry, and the protective nature that David showed for the doctor when they were being roughly treated by the Sagaths and all through the movie. David even, helped physically hold the doctor upright, on the long trip into the caves as they were being pulled along on a long chain of human captives, saying "Come on doc,...it can't be much further". David is a real gentleman, and he also was very courageous and protective for the woman he fell in love with, Princess Dia. He even fought for her protection against ugly men who attempted to "man handle" her!
The movie was filled with humor that may have been unintentional, by the "air-headed" character of Dr. Perry, and the "serious natured character" of David Innes. The antics of Doug McClure and Peter Cushing in this film, for example, when they were being chased by a giant "eagle-looking" bird, after crash landing at the earth's core, was comparable to the antics of the "Three Stooges". I couldn't help but laugh! I enjoyed this movie so much, I watch it frequently! It seems that I pick up on things that I did not previously notice before, the more times that I watch it! A fun and entertaining movie overall! Andrea Lynn Burcham ... Read more

Amazon.com

This 1970 Billy Wilder comedy-drama about a major defeat in the career of Sherlock Holmes may have little to do with the legacy of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, but in its uncut form it happens to be one of the finest films of the decade. Robert Stephens makes a perfectly splendid Holmes, brilliant, sophisticated, and deeply flawed, while Colin Blakely plays Dr. Watson as a drinker and ladies' man with more personality and intelligence than is often granted him by filmmakers. The case (which has some echoes of Doyle's story "The Bruce-Partington Plans") begins with Holmes aiding the distressed Madame Valladon (Geneviève Page), who is searching for her missing husband. The inquiry shifts to Scotland, and despite a stern warning from the hero's brother, Mycroft Holmes (Christopher Lee), Sherlock pursues events that reveal a top-secret government plan. Lush, energetic, funny, gorgeous to look at, and ultimately tragic, the film is layered with Wilder's familiar collision of cynicism and yearning, hope and betrayal, grace and isolation. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (30)

Billy Wilder is a wonderful director, after all . . .
Why a mess like IRMA LA DOUCE makes a profit and a lovely film like this sinks without a trace is a mystery bigger than anything on display in this "lost" case of Sherlock Holmes, which involves the Truth About The Loch Ness Monster, some very sinister monks, and a lovely woman (Genvieve Page) who drags Holmes into the middle of it all (Well, she does show up on his doorstep stark naked in the middle of night. What's a gentleman, even one who's a bit of a misogynist, supposed to do?). Robert Stephens brings wit, melancholy, and anger to the role, keeping all of these elements of Holmes' personality at play simultaneously, and he is matched splendidly by Colin Blakely's Dr. Watson, who's smarter than Nigel Bruce's Watson and more fun than Conan Doyle's. Page is poised, charming, and ambiguous as the heroine, just the sort of girl to hold Holme's interest. There's also a wonderful supporting performance by Christopher Lee as Holmes' brother Mycroft, a sputtering mixture of affection and aggravation for his impetuous younger brother. And all of this is played against the backround of a splendid score by Miklos Rosza, adapted from his Second Violin Concerto (even if you don't like the movie, try and get a recording of the music). Just when movies like KISS ME, STUPID and THE FORTUNE COOKIE make you wonder if Wilder ever knew what he was doing, along comes a film like this, which reminds you that yes, he knew EXACTLY what he was doing--some of the time, at any rate . . .

Something's Been Lost Over the Years...
Let me preface this with the introduction to the "Deleted Scenes" extra on the disc because it describes the film as Wilder had intended:

"The original screenplay as described by Billy Wilder was a symphony in four movements. Following a modern day prologue (represented here in still photos and script pages) the intent was to illustrate four stories that Dr. Watson optednot to have published in the 'Strand Magazine'.

"Wilder wanted to explain Holmes' distrust of women, his drug addiction, his relationship with Dr. Watson; and, at the same time reveal Holmes' human side. The completed version would run approximately three hours, including an intermission. Upon its release in 1970, Wilder's symphony was presented with only two of its four movements."

Two biographies I've read confirm that Wilder cried openly when he saw the final product.

This Deleted Scenes section is most intriguing as it meticulously reconstructs as much as possible the four "movements" of Wilder's "symphony" which are titled: "Original Prologue" (including an appearance by 'Dr. Watson' circa 1970), "The Curious Case of the Upside Down Room", "The Adventure of the Dumbfounded Detective/Holmes Recounts an Affair of the Past" and finally "The Dreadful Business of the Naked Honeymooners". As mentioned above, still photos and script pages were used - and a lot of actual filmed footage which is presented with subtitles because the soundtrack could not be located. Taking all of this into consideration, I'm not all that sure that the three-hour version would have worked; and the final cut released by the studio is something of a disappointment.

The opening scene nicely introduces a somewhat different interpretation of the main characters, with Holmes complaining that Watson is always exaggerating his exploits and putting words into his mouth; and diluting his "seven-percent solution" of morphine to five. Then they're off to the final performance of Petrova in The Russian Ballet, after which Rogozgin (Clive Revill), Petrova's manager advises that she's retiring.

"She's been dancing since she was three-years-old...now she is thirty-eight."

"I must say, she doesn't look thirty-eight!"

"That's because she is forty-nine."

(And that, unfortunately, is one of a mere handful of jokes in the screenplay.)

Petrova also wants to have a "beautiful and brilliant child"; she has the beauty, and Holmes has the brains. But something's afoot! This extended 20-minute scene is meant to confirm Holmes' homosexuality and deny that the heterosexual Watson has been his secret lover. The problem is that it doesn't have anything to do with the basic plot, which doesn't kick in for a full thirty minutes. It may have "balanced" Wilder's symphony concept, but out of that context it's totally extraneous.

And by comparison to Arthur Conan Doyle's plots, this one is pretty skimpy. It was probably intended as a simple framework to hold your interest while the deleted scenes were to enlighten you about the "private life" elements. This also makes the title of the film misleading. I won't go into the details of the plot or bring up any spoilers for those who want to see it, except to say that it is shamefully simplistic.

The acting is topnotch all around and Robert Stevens makes an excellent Holmes, though Colin Blakeley's Watson is sometimes too blustery and exasperated; at times you almost expect to hear that "blowing-off-steam-whistle" sound affect associated with Lou Costello and Oliver Hardy. Christopher Lee as Holmes' brother, Mycroft, steals the few scenes he's in.

He also provides and interesting extra titled "Christopher Lee: Mr. Holmes, Mr. Wilder" in which he recalls a few behind-the-scenes tales of working with Wilder (whom he greatly admires), and brief overview of the Holmes legend, some of which was seen on the "The Hound of the Baskervilles" DVD released last year. This is followed by a 30-minute interview Ernest Walker, the film's editor who provides some interesting information on meeting and working with Wilder. There's also the usual Photo Gallery and Trailer.

The best part of the film is the beautifully poignant score by Miklos Rozsa, which I wish had been offered as an isolated track. The cinematography is by Christopher Challis ("Sink the Bismarck!", "Two for the Road", "Arabesque", "Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines") - but it's hard to judge his contribution because of the poor quality of the transfer. It looks washed out with dull colors; and several transition scenes (probably reel ends) take on a fogged-up appearance, though not one suggesting a London "shroud". In fact, the film itself isn't much better that the found footage used for the reconstructed scenes. This is surprising coming from MGM whose "Women in Love" DVD is spectacularly lush. For that matter, so are the transfers in their Midnite Movie series. It may have been the original "Private Life..." film stock; but most of the Midnight Movies are cheap exploitation and horror films and I find it hard to believe that, say, Roger Corman, had better film than Wilder.

I must be in the minority because on imdb, "The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes" has a rating of 7.3 rating (with over 500 votes; and hereAmazon 22 reviews averages a 4 ½ out of 5.

Perhaps I should have bought Wilder's "Kiss Me, Stupid" instead.

Wilder's Sherlock Mystery...
Wilder spices up the personality of Sherlock Holmes as the master detective enters another remarkable journey into the world of mystery and crime. It all begins with a beautiful lady who appears out of nowhere at Holmes' front door, and it seems as if she suffers from amnesia and a lost husband. However, these mysteries are old news for a genius such as Sherlock Holmes and his companion Dr. Watson. Private Life of Sherlock Holmes is an interesting film, but the overall picture lacks the usual spice that Wilder used to combine into his creations.

A Grand Film and DVD but We Still Want the Missing Parts
First the good news: Billy Wilder's wonderfully comic--and tragic--examination of the romantic life of "the world's greatest consulting detective," Sherlock Holmes, is reproduced beautifully in this terrific and long overdue DVD. Indeed, "The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes" has never looked better or more complete on the small screen, as it is presented here in a digitally remastered widescreen format that preserves the integrity of director and co-writer Wilder's original vision. As fans of the film know, Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond fill in the blanks regarding the sexual orientation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famous literary creation (a hot topic among intellectuals in the late 1960s) with both a sparkling wit and grand sense of respect for the subject matter. In the film, Holmes embarks on his most scandalous case, which includes the search for a missing engineer, the discovery of secrets of state, and his burgeoning love for a mysterious woman who might not be who she claims. With his lisp and penchant for sarcasm, Robert Stephens' Holmes is less the classical hero than in previous screen versions, going so far as to chide Watson (played wonderfully by Colin Blakely) for embellishing both his habits and physical stature in his "Strand Magazine" articles, yet Stephens' Holmes retains the keen mind, loyal affability, and vulnerable spirit we have come to admire. The supporting cast, which includes Christopher Lee as Mycroft Holmes, is excellent, but it is the production, including Miklos Rosza's hauntingly luscious score, that helps propel the film to greatness. Now, the bad news: As most fans know, Wilder wanted this film to be more than three hours long and contain several other adventures that would complete this heretofore unknown set of cases whose "delicate and sometimes scandalous nature" made them unsuitable for print. Unfortunately, the studio forced him to cut much of that footage, only some of which is included here (and without sound; in other cases, stills of filmed scenes are intercut with pages of the script and recorded dialogue). The result is that those of us who have waited for years to see the film as the brilliant Wilder had intended it have to make due with the bits and pieces included here. What a shame that, once again, marketing interfered with the artistic process.

So much was LOST!
This film is a cult classic and well deserving of that status. It's one of my favourite films and for YEARS we were promised the excised footage would be replaced and we could finally see this marvellous film in the form Billy Wilder meant it to be. Well, I am sure like all fans of the film, we waited with hope that NOW they would include all these scenes. And while the film transfer is great and I was sad to see there is NO footage to speak of to be added. There are snippets of film of other adventures, stills flashed over a poor soundtrack, but according to MGM there is no extra scenes, they have been lost.

WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT!

The film is still a must for Billy Wilder, Robert Stephens, Chris Lee or Sherlock Holmes Fans. But just do not expect all the lost footage to be restored.

It is a very very funny look at Holmes, a more human look perhaps. This is a mirthful look at the adventures of Sherlock Holmes, lovingly portrayed with a twinkle in his eye by the late great Sir Robert Stephens. The adventures are fun (the ones we see) but mainly centre around a woman's missing husband. Toss in several hundred canaries, the Loch Ness Monster, missing midgets - the Tumbling Pickaloes to be precise - the mysterious red runner, Queen Victoria, some Trappist monks, an ageing ballerina that does not 'look 39' - that is because she is 49!! -who wants Holmes to father her child and an amnesiac damsel in distress that temps Holmes, all done with the best British wit and droll sense of humour...and you have a mix that cannot miss.

Incisive writing and direction, this fill pay homage to Holmes and Watson, with tongue firmly planted in cheek...

Even so, the currently version is a true gem, and so overlooked,
all we have left of Billy Wilder genius vision. ... Read more

Amazon.com

In Hollywood's hands, who knows what might have happened in this Jonathan Swift classic. Such concerns can be shelved when the BBC's doing the moviemaking. Gulliver in Lilliput, shot in characteristically weird BBC style, is a delightfully acted and deliberately restrained (but not too restrained) adaptation of Lemuel Gulliver's most mesmerizing travel adventure. The plot will be familiar to anyone awake for a semester of freshman English lit: Ship's surgeon Gulliver goes overboard and washes ashore on the mythical island of Lilliput, where a cast of teensy-weensy kooks--each barely bigger than his baby toe--has tied him down as a security measure. The Lilliputians are a paranoid lot--the wildly narcissistic emperor and his self-congratulatory empress initially take Gulliver for a spy from a neighboring land with which they are warring over the proper way to crack an egg, but thrill-seeking Lelanda helps the man-mountain ingratiate himself to the bickering, bumbling royals. Flattery's the key: flinging around words like "effulgent" to describe the emperor's eyes scores him full acceptance and a following of compliment-chasers. But his shenanigan is short-lived. When the bottom drops out, Gulliver must beat it, leaving brave Lelanda behind and feeling curiously brokenhearted. The film's special effects aren't spectacular by today's standards, but the sets are inspired and the costumes great to look at. Most important, Swift's circa-1700 sense of humor translates through time and generations. For kids 8 and older, it's a jump on future homework; for those who've already done their reading, it's a light, laugh-along refresher course. --Tammy La Gorce ... Read more

Description

Bryan Forbes creates an atmosphere of unrelenting suspense in the eerie tale of a professional medium who convinces her weak-willed husband to kidnap a wealthy child for ransom.The fame and publicity she desperately craves will be hers when she helps the police find the child through a seance.The tension and suspense build to a painful level in Seance on a Wet Afternoon, which brought wide acclaim to Kim Stanley and Richard Attenborough for their superlative acting. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

"GOING OFF ONE'S ROCKER"
Unforgettable! Watching Kim Stanley slowly disconnecting her fragile mind from dull gray suburbia circa 1964. As Myra, aptly surnamed Savage and Bill [Richard Attenborough - very unsavage] it's quite like "Keeping Up Appearances" [the Brit. sitcom] curdled.

Dull, meanningless lives behind drab windowshades, part of cloned suburbia houses.....fantastic escapes into the occult, all pretense, or it it? Their lives are dried-up, our Medium to rarely accurate Myra concocts this kidnapping scheme that goes horribly wrong ...... a child is taken, neatly tucked away in their home, but the child turns ill and could die.

Memories of a scratchy victrola incessantly playing "Wings of a Dove", possibly a few table rappings - - - this movie becomes creepier and creepier, and its not the dead - its the living as dead! Not a horror movie, more of a "Portrait of a Lady going Nuts". It's equally quite sad to see how the husband deals with all of this.

Kim Stanley leaves you breathless - a magnificent, but rarely seen talent.

Companions? "The Haunting" [original version], Ingmar Bergman's "Through A Glass Darkly".

A DVD release - intact, with good sound restoration would be lovely, with a suitable sherry, or cup of tea! Either way, save this one for a rainy afternoon, alone!

A FINE, OFF-BEAT FILM.
A very unusual film which plays like a documentary in its approach with hidden cameras in public places. Stanley plays a woman who is on the brink of insanity. She is a psychic who claims contact with the "other side" through her late son, a stillborn child. Because her business is flagging and for the sake of her reputation, Stanley persuades her adoring but essentially weak husband to participate in a twistedly bizarre scheme which concerns the kidnapping of a young girl...This is one of Kim Stanley's rare and wonderful appearances on film, and quite probably her best performance. The subject matter was considered too distasteful by Simone Signoret, who was offered the lead; Margaret Lockwood was then considered, but it was decided that her audience appeal by 1964 had greatly diminished. Although Stanley lost the AA to Julie Andrews for MARY POPPINS, she did covet the New York Film Critic Award for Best Actress.

Greatest Film Performance to Date
I have seen well over a thousand films--including all the most critically acclaimed--but I have yet to see a film performance equalling Kim Stanley's in Seance on a Wet Afternoon. It is truly compelling and to highlight all the other many attributes of the film would detract from what is Stanley's astounding achievement. And just to think that Julie Andrews in Mary Poppins won the Academy Award over Stanley should give everyone pause to assess the real meaning of "Oscar". What more can be said?

"Yes, dear."
"Seance on a Wet Afternoon" is a psychological thriller involving a miserable, middle-aged, middle-class couple. Following the death of their child, Myra (Kim Stanley) becomes a psychic, and her long-suffering husband, Billy, (Richard Attenborough) tolerates and even encourages his wife's exploration of the after-life. Seances held in the darkened living room seem to be a fairly harmless thing, but when Myra concocts a kidnapping scheme to publicize her talents, Billy agrees to help. The plan is to kidnap the daughter of a wealthy London businessman, and Myra intends to 'solve' the mystery of the child's whereabouts using her psychic powers. Naturally, things go wrong.

The relationship between Myra and Billy occupies most of the film, and while a handful of other actors briefly appear, Myra and Billy create most of the drama, and most of the film takes place inside their gloomy home. Myra is domineering, exploitive, and out-of-control, and Billy--the ultimate, hen-pecked husband--is completely under-her-thumb. Their relationship is a study of the power structure within marriage. Myra is an annoying, hideous creature, but Billy loves her. It is through Billy's love and his desire to protect that Myra is empowered, and Billy is exploited and humiliated.

I was flipping through my film guide one day when I noticed the high rating this film I was received, and I was rather intrigued by the film's plot. I'd never heard of the film before, but I was determined to track down a copy. I was not a bit disappointed. The film is black and white, and even although it lacks any of the special effects that modern films include (the kidnap vehicle is a motorbike and side-car), the story held my interest all the way to the unexpected ending. It is the acting that takes this film out of the realm of the average, and the film reminded me of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" for its unmerciful dissection of domestic hell in all of its glory. Kim Stanley really threw herself into the role of Myra. She's at times gloating, but always on the edge of hysteria, and this pushes to the surface when she doesn't get her way. There is one scene when Billy stands behind Myra--only his eyes are visible--Billy's facial expressions are blocked out by Myra's head. Attenborough acts with his eyes, and I thought his performance was magnificent-displacedhuman

Loses a star for the DVD features
This is a 5 star film across the board: terse screenplay, stunning performances, haunting John Barry score, wonderfully understated cinematography, but the transfer was terrible. The audio transfer is the worst. The television had to be turned way up and, as the other reviewer said, then certain parts would be very shrill and make the set vibrate. The little hairs and other things that appear when transferring old film negatives don't bother me as much as poor audio. I really wanted to hear commentary from anyone on this disc, I am also a big fan of subtitles (I don't know why). All that being said, I still have to give it 4 stars. This movie is just that good. I found myself literally on the edge of my seat at times, that's a very rare and wonderful thing.

M ... Read more

Reviews (15)

"GOING OFF ONE'S ROCKER"
Unforgettable! Watching Kim Stanley slowly disconnecting her fragile mind from dull gray suburbia circa 1964. As Myra, aptly surnamed Savage and Bill [Richard Attenborough - very unsavage] it's quite like "Keeping Up Appearances" [the Brit. sitcom] curdled.

Dull, meanningless lives behind drab windowshades, part of cloned suburbia houses.....fantastic escapes into the occult, all pretense, or it it? Their lives are dried-up, our Medium to rarely accurate Myra concocts this kidnapping scheme that goes horribly wrong ...... a child is taken, neatly tucked away in their home, but the child turns ill and could die.

Memories of a scratchy victrola incessantly playing "Wings of a Dove", possibly a few table rappings - - - this movie becomes creepier and creepier, and its not the dead - its the living as dead! Not a horror movie, more of a "Portrait of a Lady going Nuts". It's equally quite sad to see how the husband deals with all of this.

Kim Stanley leaves you breathless - a magnificent, but rarely seen talent.

Companions? "The Haunting" [original version], Ingmar Bergman's "Through A Glass Darkly".

A DVD release - intact, with good sound restoration would be lovely, with a suitable sherry, or cup of tea! Either way, save this one for a rainy afternoon, alone!

A FINE, OFF-BEAT FILM.
A very unusual film which plays like a documentary in its approach with hidden cameras in public places. Stanley plays a woman who is on the brink of insanity. She is a psychic who claims contact with the "other side" through her late son, a stillborn child. Because her business is flagging and for the sake of her reputation, Stanley persuades her adoring but essentially weak husband to participate in a twistedly bizarre scheme which concerns the kidnapping of a young girl...This is one of Kim Stanley's rare and wonderful appearances on film, and quite probably her best performance. The subject matter was considered too distasteful by Simone Signoret, who was offered the lead; Margaret Lockwood was then considered, but it was decided that her audience appeal by 1964 had greatly diminished. Although Stanley lost the AA to Julie Andrews for MARY POPPINS, she did covet the New York Film Critic Award for Best Actress.

Greatest Film Performance to Date
I have seen well over a thousand films--including all the most critically acclaimed--but I have yet to see a film performance equalling Kim Stanley's in Seance on a Wet Afternoon. It is truly compelling and to highlight all the other many attributes of the film would detract from what is Stanley's astounding achievement. And just to think that Julie Andrews in Mary Poppins won the Academy Award over Stanley should give everyone pause to assess the real meaning of "Oscar". What more can be said?

"Yes, dear."
"Seance on a Wet Afternoon" is a psychological thriller involving a miserable, middle-aged, middle-class couple. Following the death of their child, Myra (Kim Stanley) becomes a psychic, and her long-suffering husband, Billy, (Richard Attenborough) tolerates and even encourages his wife's exploration of the after-life. Seances held in the darkened living room seem to be a fairly harmless thing, but when Myra concocts a kidnapping scheme to publicize her talents, Billy agrees to help. The plan is to kidnap the daughter of a wealthy London businessman, and Myra intends to 'solve' the mystery of the child's whereabouts using her psychic powers. Naturally, things go wrong.

The relationship between Myra and Billy occupies most of the film, and while a handful of other actors briefly appear, Myra and Billy create most of the drama, and most of the film takes place inside their gloomy home. Myra is domineering, exploitive, and out-of-control, and Billy--the ultimate, hen-pecked husband--is completely under-her-thumb. Their relationship is a study of the power structure within marriage. Myra is an annoying, hideous creature, but Billy loves her. It is through Billy's love and his desire to protect that Myra is empowered, and Billy is exploited and humiliated.

I was flipping through my film guide one day when I noticed the high rating this film I was received, and I was rather intrigued by the film's plot. I'd never heard of the film before, but I was determined to track down a copy. I was not a bit disappointed. The film is black and white, and even although it lacks any of the special effects that modern films include (the kidnap vehicle is a motorbike and side-car), the story held my interest all the way to the unexpected ending. It is the acting that takes this film out of the realm of the average, and the film reminded me of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" for its unmerciful dissection of domestic hell in all of its glory. Kim Stanley really threw herself into the role of Myra. She's at times gloating, but always on the edge of hysteria, and this pushes to the surface when she doesn't get her way. There is one scene when Billy stands behind Myra--only his eyes are visible--Billy's facial expressions are blocked out by Myra's head. Attenborough acts with his eyes, and I thought his performance was magnificent-displacedhuman

Loses a star for the DVD features
This is a 5 star film across the board: terse screenplay, stunning performances, haunting John Barry score, wonderfully understated cinematography, but the transfer was terrible. The audio transfer is the worst. The television had to be turned way up and, as the other reviewer said, then certain parts would be very shrill and make the set vibrate. The little hairs and other things that appear when transferring old film negatives don't bother me as much as poor audio. I really wanted to hear commentary from anyone on this disc, I am also a big fan of subtitles (I don't know why). All that being said, I still have to give it 4 stars. This movie is just that good. I found myself literally on the edge of my seat at times, that's a very rare and wonderful thing.

M ... Read more

Reviews (5)

a howling good time
Cry of the Banshee is probably the least popular Vincent Price horror film but it's one of my favorites. aside from Price's usual great acting, what sells me on the movie is the mood and atmosphere of the film. i see nothing wrong with AIP capitalizing on the witchcraft genre with this, "The Oblong Box", and "Conqueror Worm". i liked all those movies, too. the trouble that most people have is that the stereotypical 'Vincent Price' isn't to be seen in these witch hunter flicks and for some reason, people can't learn to curl up on a cold day or a stormy night and plop in this rainy day movie and simply enjoy it for the entertainment. so what if the storyline sounds run of the mill or boring? on this film, Price plays Lord Edward Whitman whose family is cursed by Oona, a local witch. The Whitman boys and the only daughter look strinkingly similar to walk-ons and bit players on "The Oblong Box" and "Conqueror Worm"...well, the story tells about Oona sending a banshee to shack up with the Whitman's. i love the scene in which Price whips the stranger/banshee after catching him messing around with the daughter! i loved the hilarious ending that shows Price hop into his horse and buggy without noticing the driver falling over dead! the 'new' driver is none other than the banshee and as the horse and carriage speed off into the country side, we hear Price yelling "Bully Boy? Bully Boy..." and we see a close-up on the Banshee grinning! in a nut shell, Vincent Price films are always filled with great ACTING...this always wins over a bad script in my opinion. i feel that Vincent was right on the mark as the leader of this sadistic family and his cruel performance doesn't let you have any sympathy for him until the scene in which his entire family has been killed and you're rooting him on to go and kill Oona! this doesn't rank on the same level as the Roger Corman directed Poe films and it's unfair to compare "Cry of the Banshee" to any of them. for one thing, Banshee and the other witch-hunter films are in another genre and deserve to be compared with other witch movies...i'm afraid that many people see blood and gore and assume 'horror' which isn't the case on the witch-hunter movies. these are more like religious cult than true horror.

Not worth watching
Cry of the Banshee represents a low point in Vincent Price's acting career. I suppose that this is considered one of his Poe-based movies since they throw on a Poe quote at the beginning, but it has no real ties to the other movies in this series.

Similar to the flawed but still far superior Conqueror Worm, this movie has Vincent Price as the magistrate of a village who revels in his cruelty towards supposed witches. When he angers a real witch, a curse is visited upon him. If this sounds interesting in theory, it is not in execution.

Price looks like he is walking through his role, and despite his wooden acting, he is still the best in the bunch. Bad acting and writing makes this movie bad enough, but what kills it is that it's boring.

The only mildly interesting thing about this movie is the opening credit sequence, with Monty Python-style animation by Terry Gilliam, but even this misleads you into thinking that this movie might have some humor, which it doesn't. The only other good thing about this movie is it is relatively short (90 minutes) so it does eventually come to an end.

Vincent Price....shame on you!
Surprisingly, I did not care for this one much. I usually love my Vincent Price movies like "Pit and the Pendulum", "House of Wax" & "Fall of the the House of Usher". I guess I had a hard time with Vincent Price and the partial nudity thing. The whole thing didn't make much sense. The ending was just as silly as the beginning. Oh, well.....off to the video graveyard!

The Price is right; the movie ain't
Vincent Price is the only reason this cheesy flick gets the extra star. He's always a joy to watch. The supporting cast is all right, with Hilary Dwyer a standout in the thankless ingenue role.

The basic plot is not bad, but the cheap production values defeat it.

Monty Python fans alert: Terry Gilliam did the credit sequence artwork.

Pass me the greasepaint, I need a monster
You know those great classic horror films that grab your interest right away and hold you glued to the screen for the nexthour and a half or so? Well, this film is not one of those, but it is not one of the other kind either. This film can best be described as uneven, although the good slightly outweighs the bad.

The plot is Vincent Price and his soldiers break up a pagan ceremony (complete with lots of young people dancing around in bedsheets) and kill a couple of the participants. The woman they say is a witch puts a curse on Price and his family, she also sommons a "man" who is supposed to bring this revenge around. Price and his followers hear strange sounds that they at first think are howls of a wolf, although they sound more like cross between a warped audio tape and someone stomach after they ate something that did not agree with them at all. Eventually the curse goes into effect and Price tries to figure out what is going on and how to stop it.

The story is nothing new and puts together aspects of previous Price classics Masque of the red death and the Conqueror Worm. The costumes, sets and acting are overall good. The film has some good action and some scary parts, but the parts with the witch and sound of the banshee just makes me shake my head and wonder what the producer thought was beneficial about these scenes? The idea of a banshee is very interesting to me, but the horrible sounds are not impressive. When I actually see the creature, I could not believe their budget only allowed them halloween grease paint probably purchased at a local drug store. The film could have been called cry of the wolf or werewolf because they completely lose sight of what a banshee is. However, they do pull this one out with a good ending and by using Vincent Price more than a lot of films did at this point in his career.

In all fairness, I would have given this film two and a half is I could because it is certainly interesting enough to be average. This is one of three Vincent price films directed by Gordon Hessler and it is definitely better than the boring Oblong box and the sci-fi/horror stinker Scream and scream again. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Beautiful, poignant
A breathtaking movie of stunning brilliance that utterly dazzled me with its poignant, haunting view of the world of vengeful ducks. This was utterly robbed at the Academy Awards and is shamefully underrated. All those snotty critics who panned this movie should be publicly hung in front of their spouses and children. This comforted my three husbands in their dying days and I will be forever grateful to the people who made this luscious film for that small bit of warmth in my loved ones' bittersweet, fading lives. I mailed the director a duck once, but he never responded... I hope he received that and the bouquet of dead roses.

This is a good kids' flick.
Watch the little guy named "Rudy." For a first-time actor, he's pretty cool. For those of you who recognize "Mary Margaret" (Jamie Renee Smith), you probably also caught her in "Dante's Peak," with Pierce Brosnan and Linda Hamilton. "Fowl Play" is a pretty good kids' flick - it is the sequel to "Magic in the Mirror," but you can understand "Fowl Play" without seeing the first edition. Corny, Three Stooges-type comedy, but enjoyable nevertheless. ... Read more

Reviews (26)

Very blunt, very disturbing.
All of the stops were pulled out from this nearly forgotten horror classic, set during the English Civil War. Very twisted, extremely straight-forward, it defies some of the standards of its time.

Full of murder, rape, and torture, the story follows Matthew Hopkins (Vincent Price) on his journey to collect money for the finding and executing of those who have made a pact with the devil. His barbaric assistant tortures and beats the confessions out of helpless women and old men, while Hopkins has his own way of beating out confessions out of the younger, more attractive women.

The film follows the anguish of the victims of Hopkins, particularly the husbands of the women he's taken advantage of and killed. The "hero" of the film, Ian Ogilvy, is a soldier in Cromwell's army. He becomes obsessed with killing Hopkins after he learns of how Hopkins has raped his wife and killed her father.

Chilling historical commentary, there are no happy endings and silver-linings in this brutally honest film. The unforgetable ending of the film will shock you. If you watch closely, you will find out the haunting secret of Matthew Hopkins.

Graphic and violent tale of a 17th century witch-hunter
Although Vincent Price stars in a leading role in "Conqueror Worm" don't let that fool you, this is not a horror movie in the sense that it doesn't deal with the supernatural. Price plays a straight up role as real-life witch-hunter Mathew Hopkins. Set in Cromwell's England during the years of civil war, Conqueror Worm is an excellent historical drama whose horrific effects come from what human beings do to other human beings.

The movie itself is a told in a straightforward textbook manner. The first part introduces the main players and their relationship. Hopkins and his cruel assistant and the priest, his niece and her fiance, a soldier in Cromwell's New Model Army. The second act creates the issue at hand, namely Hopkins cruel torture and killing of the priest, his taking advantage of his niece and her rape by the assistant. The final act is the chase, the soldier tracks Hopkins and ends in a harrowing finale.

The simple formula above is successful because of good writing, directing and acting by all players. Conqueror Worm, made in 1969, is still graphic in it's depiction of sexual and physical violence.

An excellent film- highly recommended.

The Best British Western Ever ¿ The Witchfinder General
... or maybe the best horror western ever. What you make of this will depend on two things. How much you like old British horror and how much you know about the production of this particular film. When you realize that this is the last production of a young talented Director, Michael Reeves, who died (25 - accidental overdose) on the path to being one of the all time greatest film directors, and that this is his third, last and best film, you will under its value (as an example of his talent watch the shot in this film of young children cooking potatoes in the ashes of a 'witch' that has just been burned). It is a notch above your average late 1960s early 1970s horror films. In fact it is a notch above nearly every British film making it one of the British modern classics.

The story is based on the real life times and crimes of the lawyer and Witchfinder General - Mathew Hopkins, who set about destroying alleged witches across England with the full power of the law. This film depicts the various acts of torture and trials conducted on witches making it an extremely important historical document (as a note the Western influence comes from the gallant long countryside horseback riding shots, mobs in the villages and things like gallows being erected in the same vein as the cowboy movies in the USA of that era. It WORKS extremely well!) It is also certainly the best rendition of such grim persecutions to date on the screen (US viewers should think Salem Witch Trials x 100).

There is an interesting plot involving a young soldier whose fiancée's father - a priest, is put on trial for witchcraft while the soldier is away. When the soldier returns he vows to track down Hopkins for the crimes he has committed against his wife and father and so the movie is essentially a story of revenge as this soldier chases Hopkins across the countryside passing through villages where Hopkins has been.

Some find this film hard to watch because of this subplot but stick with it because after the first twenty minutes or so the film really takes off. This is also Vincent Price in his best role ever and some would say his best work although the production values are somewhat low (a very restrictive budget with a young director practically making it by himself). Many of the scenes are underexposed, dirty, bad cuts, lots of zooms (a no-no in cinematography these days), daft credits that almost underexpose Hopkins face in the background and other elements of film making associated with tight finances. However ALL of the fight sequences and torture sequences are very well done. In fact some of those scenes had to be cut!

The real gem in this movie though is to know how much it has been through. The director set out to make one of the most violent films ever conceived in the UK. The UK censors immediately cut it to ribbons saying that it would shock the viewers too much. Also the US censors agreed that the violence should be toned down considerably but agreed that the US version could contain different takes with nude women. This led to several versions of the film over the years.

This review refers to the superb DVD version of the film. You can only currently get it on PAL but it contains 2 versions of the films, excellent bonus materials including documentaries, Empire Magazine's Kim Newman provides excellent production notes (best seen on any DVD to date), trailers and biographies. It is dirt cheap. Get it!

Anyway the DVD has 2 versions - The Directors Cut (featuring NO nude women and all the restored cuts) and the Export Version (featuring nude women and all the restored cuts). The VHS version is CUT. However this decade one scene was restored that was originally omitted from the screen version - of the infamous boot in the eye sequence. So all new VHS versions of the film have this restored... but the DVD has also restored - (1) A priest being tortured, (2) A women being slapped, (3)An extended version of the river dunking, (4)A witch missing her eye being tied up and burnt alive, (5)A woman being tortured and (6) the notorious axing sequence. Unfortunately these cut scenes had to be restored from a poor quality tape recording in the Director's own personal collection, so these cut scenes look very different from the quality of the actual film - however this is only a minor point given that the film is over 30 years old and was made on a shoe-string budget. The fact that we get to see these cuts at all on a DVD in SUBLIME for fans!

So for the first time ever - The Fully Restored - Witchfinder General as it was meant to be seen is now available!

CLASSIC!

A fierce horror film with historical implications...
England has a civil war between the Royalist and the Parliament Party that are fighting for power over the country. Matthew Hopkins and his aid John Stearne exploit the situation of the war as they travel around finding witches to kill in the name of God, which in essence is a way for them to live out their sadistic behaviors. Many poor individuals fall under brutal torture by Hopkins and Stearne which often leads them into confessing witchcraft. The two servants of God make one mistake as they kill a priest that is good friends with a soldier and also rape the soldier's future wife. Conqueror Worm
(UK Title: Witchfinder General) is a fierce horror film with historical implications to the failure of Christianity and witch hunts. The film will leave the audience with distaste for the action of humankind that was sanctioned by Christian Church. In the end, Witchfinder General offers a satisfactory cinematic experience that gives a cause for the audience to ponder our past, current, and future actions.

a disturbing and heart pounding film
first off, i'll come out and say that i don't care about the petty feuds between Vincent and the director, or the star and director of any movie! from what i've learned, Reeves was acting like he was a hot shot and by 1968 Vincent was a LEGEND and knew his way around acting and when he questioned the director about something, Reeves coldly replied that Vincent was clueless and his entire career was meaningless. now, had this been a stuffy or an egotistical celebrity i wouldn't have a problem but my god, Vincent Price? He was one of the least egotistical people in the profession and he didn't take himself seriously, and because of this it allowed him to spoof himself in the later years and have fun with his image. Reeves also never visited or checked up on Vincent after an accident happened on the set: Vincent fell off a horse and Reeves purposely ignored Vincent hoping the anger would come across on film! this 1968 film on witch-craft and Matthew Hopkins shows what a great actor Vincent was. Who else had the versatility to do this intense film but yet a year prior he was cavorting around as Dr. Goldfoot in two films as well as appearing as Egghead on the TV show "Batman"! Vincent is often ignored and his LONG career (1935-1992) is constantly being down-played by critics who prescribe the silly notion that horror movies are bad and anyone who gets a kick out of them are bad for society. such garbage! Matthew Hopkins, as played by Vincent, isn't lovable or hammy as we all love Vincent to be...this is probably the only role of his where the viewer has no sympathy and you cheer on his eventual comeuppance and this one is a doozy! it IS a horror movie because it has all the elements: violence, evil, blood, death, intensity, scream queens, and atmosphere...and because this is an AIP film there are several shots of nude women but it's all in context of the story so don't anyone out there yell "X rated" or something silly like that. This movie inspired Vincent's 1970 film "Cry of the Banshee", which i also love. another witch-craft/voo-doo film from this era from Vincent is the wonderful "Oblong Box". but "Conqueror Worm" a/k/a "Witchfinder General" is fantastic. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

a howling good time
Cry of the Banshee is probably the least popular Vincent Price horror film but it's one of my favorites. aside from Price's usual great acting, what sells me on the movie is the mood and atmosphere of the film. i see nothing wrong with AIP capitalizing on the witchcraft genre with this, "The Oblong Box", and "Conqueror Worm". i liked all those movies, too. the trouble that most people have is that the stereotypical 'Vincent Price' isn't to be seen in these witch hunter flicks and for some reason, people can't learn to curl up on a cold day or a stormy night and plop in this rainy day movie and simply enjoy it for the entertainment. so what if the storyline sounds run of the mill or boring? on this film, Price plays Lord Edward Whitman whose family is cursed by Oona, a local witch. The Whitman boys and the only daughter look strinkingly similar to walk-ons and bit players on "The Oblong Box" and "Conqueror Worm"...well, the story tells about Oona sending a banshee to shack up with the Whitman's. i love the scene in which Price whips the stranger/banshee after catching him messing around with the daughter! i loved the hilarious ending that shows Price hop into his horse and buggy without noticing the driver falling over dead! the 'new' driver is none other than the banshee and as the horse and carriage speed off into the country side, we hear Price yelling "Bully Boy? Bully Boy..." and we see a close-up on the Banshee grinning! in a nut shell, Vincent Price films are always filled with great ACTING...this always wins over a bad script in my opinion. i feel that Vincent was right on the mark as the leader of this sadistic family and his cruel performance doesn't let you have any sympathy for him until the scene in which his entire family has been killed and you're rooting him on to go and kill Oona! this doesn't rank on the same level as the Roger Corman directed Poe films and it's unfair to compare "Cry of the Banshee" to any of them. for one thing, Banshee and the other witch-hunter films are in another genre and deserve to be compared with other witch movies...i'm afraid that many people see blood and gore and assume 'horror' which isn't the case on the witch-hunter movies. these are more like religious cult than true horror.

Not worth watching
Cry of the Banshee represents a low point in Vincent Price's acting career. I suppose that this is considered one of his Poe-based movies since they throw on a Poe quote at the beginning, but it has no real ties to the other movies in this series.

Similar to the flawed but still far superior Conqueror Worm, this movie has Vincent Price as the magistrate of a village who revels in his cruelty towards supposed witches. When he angers a real witch, a curse is visited upon him. If this sounds interesting in theory, it is not in execution.

Price looks like he is walking through his role, and despite his wooden acting, he is still the best in the bunch. Bad acting and writing makes this movie bad enough, but what kills it is that it's boring.

The only mildly interesting thing about this movie is the opening credit sequence, with Monty Python-style animation by Terry Gilliam, but even this misleads you into thinking that this movie might have some humor, which it doesn't. The only other good thing about this movie is it is relatively short (90 minutes) so it does eventually come to an end.

Vincent Price....shame on you!
Surprisingly, I did not care for this one much. I usually love my Vincent Price movies like "Pit and the Pendulum", "House of Wax" & "Fall of the the House of Usher". I guess I had a hard time with Vincent Price and the partial nudity thing. The whole thing didn't make much sense. The ending was just as silly as the beginning. Oh, well.....off to the video graveyard!

The Price is right; the movie ain't
Vincent Price is the only reason this cheesy flick gets the extra star. He's always a joy to watch. The supporting cast is all right, with Hilary Dwyer a standout in the thankless ingenue role.

The basic plot is not bad, but the cheap production values defeat it.

Monty Python fans alert: Terry Gilliam did the credit sequence artwork.

Pass me the greasepaint, I need a monster
You know those great classic horror films that grab your interest right away and hold you glued to the screen for the nexthour and a half or so? Well, this film is not one of those, but it is not one of the other kind either. This film can best be described as uneven, although the good slightly outweighs the bad.

The plot is Vincent Price and his soldiers break up a pagan ceremony (complete with lots of young people dancing around in bedsheets) and kill a couple of the participants. The woman they say is a witch puts a curse on Price and his family, she also sommons a "man" who is supposed to bring this revenge around. Price and his followers hear strange sounds that they at first think are howls of a wolf, although they sound more like cross between a warped audio tape and someone stomach after they ate something that did not agree with them at all. Eventually the curse goes into effect and Price tries to figure out what is going on and how to stop it.

The story is nothing new and puts together aspects of previous Price classics Masque of the red death and the Conqueror Worm. The costumes, sets and acting are overall good. The film has some good action and some scary parts, but the parts with the witch and sound of the banshee just makes me shake my head and wonder what the producer thought was beneficial about these scenes? The idea of a banshee is very interesting to me, but the horrible sounds are not impressive. When I actually see the creature, I could not believe their budget only allowed them halloween grease paint probably purchased at a local drug store. The film could have been called cry of the wolf or werewolf because they completely lose sight of what a banshee is. However, they do pull this one out with a good ending and by using Vincent Price more than a lot of films did at this point in his career.

In all fairness, I would have given this film two and a half is I could because it is certainly interesting enough to be average. This is one of three Vincent price films directed by Gordon Hessler and it is definitely better than the boring Oblong box and the sci-fi/horror stinker Scream and scream again. ... Read more