Reviews (3)

Great movie
This is a good heart warming movie. Very realistic and not over dramatized. Great family movie and again Haley Mills does a wonderful job. It is about a girl who is called Rusty and how she was sent away during the war. She then returns home but finds that things are much different in England then from America where she has been staying for the last 5 or 6 years.
A heartwarming story.

A Brilliant Disney Movie Concerning Culture Shock!!
This Disney Movie concerns a young lady by the name of Rusty(Hayley Carr)who was sent to America in exile during WW2 from her native England for her safety.She then returns back to England 5 years later to a family she hardly remembers facing a culture Shock to an elitest,rigid English upperclass boarding school with snobbish classmates who snub her acquired American mannerisms, facing a difficult culture shock.Eventually, Rusty overcomes those obstacles with an adventurous spirit,courage and humor.Actress Haley Mills portrays the mother in this heartwarming family classic!!

A Brilliant Masterpiece!!!
Because I am a huge Hayley Mills fan, I thought this was one of the best movies that I had ever seen. This movie was very heart-warming. It tells the story of growing up and going through changes and how one young girl handled these changes. I would recommend this movie to anyone; this truly is a movie for all ages. ... Read more

Description

Best known for his role as the 'Pink Panther'; this was Peter Sellers last film. Sellers plays two roles - the evil Fu Manchu and his nemesis, Scotland Yard's Nayland Smith. Manchu is celebrating his 168th birthday when one of his assistants spills the last of his anti-aging potion. He sends his assistants out to gather the materials needed to make more potion - including the Star of Leningrad Diamond. This alerts the authorities who set up a plan to get Manchu to kidnap a decoy Queen of England. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

OH MY GOSH!
this is unbelivabley MY GRANDFATHER!!!!!!!!! amaxzing isn't it, but sometime he scares me, this is an amazing film, I am not a bads person but someitme i have bad plots as well, this film has the best camera affect, best makeup (look at manchus face, hes screaming "damn im sexy"), you cant deny his amazing looks wich i picked up frum him, AMASING!

a diabolically criminally funny spoof
THE FIENDISH PLOT OF DR. FU MANCHU [hereinafter "Fu"] is a diabolically, criminally funny spoof of the preceding Fu villain movies. The opening scene was foretelling. Sellers, as a vintage Fu, is celebrating his 168th birthday. His crowd of sinister lackeys are singing "Happy Birthday." Fu calls for his life sustaining elixer to have a swig which would carry him over for another year. The elixer is brought into the chamber by an extremely familiar servant. This servant . . . uh, er let's call him Kato for want of a better name . . . well his robe catches fire and he douses the flame with all of the elixer. Now, Fu must replace the diamond ingredient elixer by stealing a couple of rare diamonds. After stealing one diamond, the action swings into a Chinese Fire Drill version of Pink Panther. To stop Fu, retired agent Nyland Smith, played by Oriental expert Sellers, is brought out of retirement. An FBI agent, Joe Capone played by Sid Caesar, becomes part of the Scotland Yard scenery. It was his job to belittle the Brits and draw his gun on cue. Agent Smith decides that Fu will kidnap the Royal Family; that they needed doubles to perform Royalty's civic functions. Those doubles were recruited from the police force and had to audition for the role. As auditioning Constable Alice Rage, Helen Mirren, did an a la Shirley Temple tap-dance number, singing "On the Good Ship Lollipop." I nearly choked on my popcorn from laughing. She won the role of Queen. Later in the film, I doubled up while she sang, "Daddy Wouldn't Buy Me a Bow-Wow." In a scene memorable of Jules Verne--or Bond for that matter--Agent Smith flies his cottage by balloon entitled, "Spirit of Wiltshire." This was Seller's final movie. Too bad that many of his fans, including myself, missed this very funny one at the box office. And, for sure, Helen Mirren was a Wow.

The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu
VHS in Spanish with subtitles and wasn't what I ordered. It was ordered new. VERY UNHAPPY with Video.

Campy, Satirical and Fiendishly Funny!
This movie is one that will either become one of your favorites or will cause you to ask yourself why it was even made. The difference lies in your previous exposure to the "Fu Manchu" mystique. For those of us who have previously read of the "Yellow Peril" and the "Vast Underground Conspiracy" the movie is a wildly funny romp through a fictional world where every oriental is working to enslave the human race. For those who have not read the original works by Sax Rohmer many of the most hilarious scenes and comments will slip by unnoticed. It is still a very entertaining movie, however, and is well worth watching, if only for the outrageously campy ending.

Very Funny. Fine Family Fun!
My parents hate this movie, and I don't know why. Peter Sellers is an actor beyond compare. This movie is one of the best evermade. It's a little campy but that's okay because that's what was intended! ... Read more

Reviews (9)

A word about VHS versions of A Summer Story
I echo everything everyone has said. A wonderful movie. Successful in all it aspired to: Story, Cinematography, Acting, Soundtrack, Direction, Editing all work sublimely. One of the 25 DVD's I would buy (but as of this writing not on DVD - or VHS anymore for that matter).

I wanted to mention my experience with 2 VHS versions of this movie. The first time I saw it, I rented it, and it made a huge impression. I always wanted to own a copy but could never find one. Then, years later, to my shock while browsing a mall video store there it was - for $9.99 no less! A miracle. Unfortunately, when I took it home and viewed it, it was an edited version that had parts cut out that were important to the film (not just the R-rated stuff). The tape was EP (low quality) as well. The film was much less effective, in fact I discarded the copy I hated seeing it altered so much!

Going from memory: the edited version I got was by ITC and had a closeup of Imogen Stubbs on the cover. The good version I remember renting had James Wilby and Imogen Stubbs on the cover embracing.

There may be more versions and variations then those 2. My suggestion (especially if you have to pay $$$) is to find a used rental copy release.

A heart-warming tale that will stay with you forever....
I found this video on sale at my local video store several years ago and purchased it on a whim. I didn't know anything about it but was familiar enough with the stars Imogen Stubbs and James Wilby - being a huge fan of British dramas myself. All I can say is that this was one of the best impulsive purchases I have ever made, having found a gem of a movie that I absolutely love.

The movie starts out with a young barrister Mr. Ashton (James Wilby) and his best friend romping around the English countryside. Due to a leg injury, Ashton is forced to seek the help of nearby cottagers and they are taken in for a few days. The family is poor and very country-bumpkin-ish but pretty and innocent Megan David (Imogen Stubbs) catches the eye of Mr. Ashton and a flirtation of sorts takes place. Ashton decides to stay longer and he and Megan fall in love, much to the chagrin of Megan's aunt and her family. Mr. Ashton is then packed off but not until he promises to come back and take Megan with him.

What happens next is a chain of events that will leave you in wild anticipation over the fate of Mr. Ashton and Megan. While I will not reveal vital plot details, I have to say that - like the other reviewers - this film had a profound emotional impact on me and left me in tears. I cannot watch this film now without shedding a tear and I am so glad that I bought this film when I did so that I (and my family and friends) could watch it over and over again. This is one of those powerful films that show you what it is to love and lose, and shows the consequences of choices that one makes and how a person's choices affect the lives of others.

I highly recommend this film to everyone. It is one of those unforgettable films that will make a powerful emotional impact on anyone who sees it. A must see!

Diamond in the Rough--A Summer Story
The first time I saw this movie was in 1989, and could not find a copy until very recently. This movie provides you an opportunity to experience joy, innnocence, beauty and heart wrenching loss all within a couple of hours.

I must agree with all the other reviews in terms of the movie's impact, and will add that this movie is very hard to locate, so if you have a chance, get it and you will not be disappointed. While it seems slow for a time, the final 15-20 minutes will leave your emotions in tatters...being one of the most effective movie endings I have ever seen. A must see.

An Extremely Effective Movie
I was a young man by myself in the big city when this movie was released. One lonely Wednesday evening, I went to the multiplex to see the latest Chuck Norris flick. Something was wrong with the projector, and the film broke repeatedly. Finally, the theater manager entered and offered everyone a free ticket for any future showing -- and if you wanted to stay and watch any other movie presently playing there, just help yourself.

I looked down the hallway and saw a couple of Disney films and a cartoon, and something called A Summer Story. I'd never heard of it, but it was about to begin so I hurried inside, what the hey. The music was pretty, and the scenery too, and then the plot kicked into gear. Megan David appeared on the scene, and I was completely overwhelmed by her beauty, absolutely thunder-struck. Other reviewers have revealed plot details, so I will not -- but when the film's climax arrived, I started sobbing and blowing my nose and I just couldn't stop. It was pitiful, nothing like that had ever happened to me, and I would have been terribly embarrassed had everyone else in the theater not been doing exactly the same thing. I finally got a grip again, later, outside in the parking lot, after it was all over.

Years and years passed, and I acquired a wife and stepkids, a girl (11) and a boy (9). One night, I rented A Summer Story for them, and told them absolutely nothing about it. When the film's climax arrived, they all bawled their eyes out, just plain puddled up and squalled -- which is exactly what the director intended for audiences to do, we're talking Kleenex City. If judged upon the success of its intended purpose, A Summer Story is a remarkably effective piece of film-making.

You definitely need to see it once. Then, show it to a loved one, don't tell him/her what to expect, and sit back and enjoy.

Fear and longing
If you want to be reminded of how good and pure life can be, as well as how cruel and sad, then watch this movie. That's the best advice I can give anybody. And when you are done, and your eyes are dry, then for at least a moment, you can believe that life is more than possesions, more than money, more than everything around us. Such reminders are rare today indeed. ... Read more

Description

In this science fiction masterpiece of terror, members of a strange youth cult are being drawn to Ringstone Round hoping to be transported to another world. Dr. Bernard Quatermass tries to convince unbelieving authorities that their world is about to become the killing field for thousands of young innocents. There seems no end to the massacre from the skies - but united world scientists may yet have a solution. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Huffity Puffity Ringstone Round!
This is a haunting 4 episode BBC television show from 1979. A true classic with Quatermass back for his final & most difficult task. As with all of Nigel Kneal's Quatermass works this has great imagination and depth. As far as production values, I believe that Hammer and the BBC worked harder and were more creative due to lack of big budget funding. They make great use of their budget and allow the characters to develop. Hollywood's mega-budget, computer generated effect-laden, unimaginative refuse will never stand up against movies like this one (or Quatermass and the Pit or Quatermass II). Ideas, imagination and substance are what we need today not bland Lucasfilm special effects and Hollywood movies that pander to today's tasteless moviegoers. Bring back Eastmancolor & Technicolor 35mm 70mm film; it looks 100% better than anything released within the past 20 years!!

This 2 VHS set should be given to the folks at Anchor Bay for DVD release. They are the only people who know how to handle this type of film. The VHS looks very good but a Anamorphic DVD transfer would do it justice. Go buy this VHS set and all of the Hammer Anchor Bay releases today and enter the world of true filmaking and imagination!!

Nigel Kneale's finest work (praise indeed!)
This is possibly the bleakest and most chilling television serial in the history of British TV. It posits an all-too believable vision of a decayed society a few years from now: rampant crime, useless governments, huge numbers of people hooked on the hope that occult beliefs will save them. Vast numbers of young people begin gathering at ancient sites, like stone circles, and disappear. Elderly scientist, Professor Bernard Quatermass, leaves retirement and seclusion to seek his lost grand-daughetr in a world that disgusts him. His researches into the mass disappearnces lead him to some of the most shocking speculations ever portrayed on film or TV. Mills is superb as a decent burnt out old man whose energy and powers gradually return as he realises the earth is in imminent danger. Nigel Kneale's script is magnificent and is wonderfully reinforced by haunting music and some great set pieces. Some members of the cast are slightly weak, but on the whole the large supprorting cast is strong. The insights into the nature of society, irrational cults, crime, mass movements and the generation gap flow through a gripping, thought-provoking serial. hack director Piers Haggard even manages to do a decent job with a limited, though sufficient, budget.

A magnificent serial, not to be confused with its shortened, 2 hour version, nowhere near as satisfactory. If you love dark, intelligent works along the lines of Kneale's other Hammer stories, or Wells, Wyndham, Algernon Blackwood, Lovecraft 8with far more brains), gritty 1970s BBC productions, then this is unmissable.

If you're looking for juvenile fun - forget it.

Gripping, intelligent science fiction.
It's a given among science fiction aficionados that the three theatrically released Quatermass films are among the best of British science fiction. This rarely seen, final installment of the series does nothing to tarnish its reputation. Available up till now in a severly truncated version, the complete 4-hour mini-series is now available, and well worth getting.
The premise of 'Quatermass' has to do with an alien 'force' (a beam of energy), originating from a distant part of the universe, which "harvests" human beings. It seems that the beings behind this 'force' visited Earth 5,000 years previously, leaving a collective fright among the human population. As a result of that event, the early peoples constructed megaliths (Stonehenge, Ringstone Round, etc.) to mark places where the aliens landed, and where they left transmitters or beacons under the earth. As the film begins, we see a world in decay. Social and environmental calamaties have been rife, with barbaric tribalism resurgent. Young people seem to be in the grip of some kind of collective madness, compelled to mass at these megalithic locations. It seems that that the alien 'collectors' are drawn to the physiology of younger humans (this assumes great significance as the film progresses). The young, anxious to leave behind this bleak environment, believe they will be taken to another planet (they call themselves 'Planet People').
When large crowds of the young arrive at the various locations, a strange beam emanates from the sky to the location. Puff, they are all gone, leaving only charred dust. This is, as we learn, the "gathering time" for this 'harvest'. Quatermass (well played by John Mills) discovers the truth, and and sets out to combat the malevolent force. He's also searching for his granddaughter, who has run away and joined the Planet People. This subplot assumes a key role during the film's ending.
While this was a television release, it does an outstanding job (within its budgetary limits) of depicting an unsettling world. Nobody does a better job of creating a socially and environmentally depressing setting than the Brits. Reminiscent of the milieu portrayed in such films as 'A Clockwork Orange', the ominous feel generated by the film is hard to match. While much of the film occurs during daytime, this simply adds to the unnerving effect created.
This is the kind of science fiction that does not rely on glitzy special effects or fast-paced action. Rather, it draws the viewer in and dispenses the chills slowly, building the suspense and horror methodically. This is truly the thinking person's science fiction.
I agree with another reviewer that it would be nice for Anchor Bay to release this on DVD. However, even within the technical limitations of videotape (and the age of the production itself), the film transfer is remarkably good. Scenes where the sky is "sick", for example, show subtle transitions from blue to a putrid green. If it ever is released on DVD, I'll snatch it up. In the meantime, however, it is enough just to be able to finally see this engrossing film in any format. If you're a fan of the other Quatermass films, you will want to add this to your collection.

A dose of Quatermass
"The Quatermass Conclusion" is the fourth movie-length installment in the long-lived "Professor Quatermass" series of films, the first of which appeared fifty years ago with Brian Donlevy in the title role. That was "The Creeping Unknown," which remains scary even after the sad jading of our collective special-effects appetite. Donlevy reprised the Quatermass character in the 1958 sequel, known in the United States as "The Enemy from Space." Andrew Keir took over for the 1967 "Quatermass and the Pit," called "Five Million Years to Earth" for transatlantic audiences. It wasn't until 1979 that screenwriter Nigel Kneale managed to get a fourth Quatermass story on film, this time as a BBC "mini-series" in four parts featuring John Mills as a by now aged protagonist. This is conceptually the most ambitious of the Quatermass stories: Kneale sets it in a world afflicted everywhere by social and economic collapse and - this is a key element in the unfolding story - the withdrawal of young people, especially adolescents, from all communal ties. The landscape swarms with packs of juvenile "Space People," as they call themselves, dressed in flower-child fashion awaiting their deliverance to a paradise planet. They believe that their redemption will occur at the ancient megalithic sites and it is to these that they gravitate. Redemption it is not. Quatermass, coming to London from the countryside to seek a lost grandchild and drawn into the investigation of events, theorizes about "the harvesting of mankind." He is aided by an astrophysicist played by Simon McCorkindale, whom many viewers will recognize as a screen presence of the time. This is the most apocalyptic of the Quatermass stories, more so even than "Quatermass and the Pit," with its mass revival of ancient Martian "race memories" in the human population of London, and with its subsequent mad "cleansing of the Martian hives." The images of British society - and by implication all societies all over the world - in its material and moral downward-spiral are stark and disturbing. A few scenes of a near-earth space station and of a space shuttle in distant orbit are unnecessary in that they look toy-like and detract from rather than add to the verisimilitude of the production, but this is quibbling. The atmosphere over the four hours of the story becomes increasingly desperate and grim. Essential equipment breaks down and is irreparable; key people die in riots. The climax smacks of the nihilism that I associate with the 1970s, but it could be interpreted as throwing Quatermass into the role of redeemer, complete with martyric self-sacrifice. A brief epilogue seems tacked on, as though the producers could not accept the uncompromising final scene of Kneale's script - but it does allow for some détente, which might be needed in the moment. Recommended for its far-above-average intelligence: "The Quatermass Conclusion" refreshingly does away with the hoary cliché that the young, and only the young, can save the world.

This is the one!!
........yep! this is the one, at age 8yrs, turned me on to real science fiction!
The thinking man's Dr.Who... This is real enough to be disturbing, even today. One can see this happening, some 35+ years after it was filmed.
Society hasn't changed that much, the concepts are brilliant, even the link back to the Middle Age nursery rhyme....

Go on!! Buy it!! You'll see what REAL science fiction should be!! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

What kind of ending is that?
whoever thought that the ending of this movie was close to appropriate needs to think about the story. The BEST part of this book was when Aaron and Mary finally get together and he gets to claim his daughter. I was so angry about the ending here that it ruined to rest of the movie(which was sort of enjoyable). i came into watching this movie honestly not expecting much(i usually dont w/TV movies based on books), and still i managed to be terribly disappointed. they should have ended it the right way, instead of leaving us with a feeling of these two people still empty... the movie and book are called FULFILLMENT....learn how to depict it.

Disappointing
The movie left out the best part of the book. The ending where Mary and Jonathan finally get together after Aaron's death. In the movie Jonathan leaves and Mary raises their daughter alone, never telling her that Jonathan is really her father, not her uncle.

Based on a novel by Laveryl Spencer
I am a huge Spencer fan. I found the movie to follow along with the book right up until the end. The ending was far different from that of the book, and I was very disapointed in the change. I also feel that the movie would loose all appeal to someone who had not read and loved the novel. Most of its appeal to me was seeing how the characters I already knew and loved were depicted on screen. There was really no pleasure in the film past that. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

A word about VHS versions of A Summer Story
I echo everything everyone has said. A wonderful movie. Successful in all it aspired to: Story, Cinematography, Acting, Soundtrack, Direction, Editing all work sublimely. One of the 25 DVD's I would buy (but as of this writing not on DVD - or VHS anymore for that matter).

I wanted to mention my experience with 2 VHS versions of this movie. The first time I saw it, I rented it, and it made a huge impression. I always wanted to own a copy but could never find one. Then, years later, to my shock while browsing a mall video store there it was - for $9.99 no less! A miracle. Unfortunately, when I took it home and viewed it, it was an edited version that had parts cut out that were important to the film (not just the R-rated stuff). The tape was EP (low quality) as well. The film was much less effective, in fact I discarded the copy I hated seeing it altered so much!

Going from memory: the edited version I got was by ITC and had a closeup of Imogen Stubbs on the cover. The good version I remember renting had James Wilby and Imogen Stubbs on the cover embracing.

There may be more versions and variations then those 2. My suggestion (especially if you have to pay $$$) is to find a used rental copy release.

A heart-warming tale that will stay with you forever....
I found this video on sale at my local video store several years ago and purchased it on a whim. I didn't know anything about it but was familiar enough with the stars Imogen Stubbs and James Wilby - being a huge fan of British dramas myself. All I can say is that this was one of the best impulsive purchases I have ever made, having found a gem of a movie that I absolutely love.

The movie starts out with a young barrister Mr. Ashton (James Wilby) and his best friend romping around the English countryside. Due to a leg injury, Ashton is forced to seek the help of nearby cottagers and they are taken in for a few days. The family is poor and very country-bumpkin-ish but pretty and innocent Megan David (Imogen Stubbs) catches the eye of Mr. Ashton and a flirtation of sorts takes place. Ashton decides to stay longer and he and Megan fall in love, much to the chagrin of Megan's aunt and her family. Mr. Ashton is then packed off but not until he promises to come back and take Megan with him.

What happens next is a chain of events that will leave you in wild anticipation over the fate of Mr. Ashton and Megan. While I will not reveal vital plot details, I have to say that - like the other reviewers - this film had a profound emotional impact on me and left me in tears. I cannot watch this film now without shedding a tear and I am so glad that I bought this film when I did so that I (and my family and friends) could watch it over and over again. This is one of those powerful films that show you what it is to love and lose, and shows the consequences of choices that one makes and how a person's choices affect the lives of others.

I highly recommend this film to everyone. It is one of those unforgettable films that will make a powerful emotional impact on anyone who sees it. A must see!

Diamond in the Rough--A Summer Story
The first time I saw this movie was in 1989, and could not find a copy until very recently. This movie provides you an opportunity to experience joy, innnocence, beauty and heart wrenching loss all within a couple of hours.

I must agree with all the other reviews in terms of the movie's impact, and will add that this movie is very hard to locate, so if you have a chance, get it and you will not be disappointed. While it seems slow for a time, the final 15-20 minutes will leave your emotions in tatters...being one of the most effective movie endings I have ever seen. A must see.

An Extremely Effective Movie
I was a young man by myself in the big city when this movie was released. One lonely Wednesday evening, I went to the multiplex to see the latest Chuck Norris flick. Something was wrong with the projector, and the film broke repeatedly. Finally, the theater manager entered and offered everyone a free ticket for any future showing -- and if you wanted to stay and watch any other movie presently playing there, just help yourself.

I looked down the hallway and saw a couple of Disney films and a cartoon, and something called A Summer Story. I'd never heard of it, but it was about to begin so I hurried inside, what the hey. The music was pretty, and the scenery too, and then the plot kicked into gear. Megan David appeared on the scene, and I was completely overwhelmed by her beauty, absolutely thunder-struck. Other reviewers have revealed plot details, so I will not -- but when the film's climax arrived, I started sobbing and blowing my nose and I just couldn't stop. It was pitiful, nothing like that had ever happened to me, and I would have been terribly embarrassed had everyone else in the theater not been doing exactly the same thing. I finally got a grip again, later, outside in the parking lot, after it was all over.

Years and years passed, and I acquired a wife and stepkids, a girl (11) and a boy (9). One night, I rented A Summer Story for them, and told them absolutely nothing about it. When the film's climax arrived, they all bawled their eyes out, just plain puddled up and squalled -- which is exactly what the director intended for audiences to do, we're talking Kleenex City. If judged upon the success of its intended purpose, A Summer Story is a remarkably effective piece of film-making.

You definitely need to see it once. Then, show it to a loved one, don't tell him/her what to expect, and sit back and enjoy.

Fear and longing
If you want to be reminded of how good and pure life can be, as well as how cruel and sad, then watch this movie. That's the best advice I can give anybody. And when you are done, and your eyes are dry, then for at least a moment, you can believe that life is more than possesions, more than money, more than everything around us. Such reminders are rare today indeed. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Creepy period British horror film
The Blood on Satan's Claw is an odd little British film. In 1970, Hammer Films was still king of British Horror. Along comes UA Britain and produces this unique film from apparently original material.

It's the late 1600's or early 1700's in the British countryside. While plowing his fields, a farmer unearths a bizarre looking skull - it is neither human nor animal. Times being what they are, the farmer is convinced it is demonic (he will be proved correct). The farmer goes to the town magistrate and emplores him to come see the skull. Of course, the skull is gone. Then the wierdness really begins. Floorboards move. Hair grows on people where it shouldn't - and overnight! An animal's furry claw appears where a man's hand should be. Then the children in the village begin acting oddly and following a beautiful young girl named Angel, who is anything but.

The Blood on Satan's Claw is not the most linear of films. It has its gaps. That's not to say this isn't a good film - because it is. It has a very intense feel to it and I can remember as a child watching this film and having nightmares for nights afterward. As with even the worst of Britain's period films, this film is very high on mood and the acting is quite good.

I believe when released, this received Britain's X rating (which is the equivalent of our R rating). However, that was over thirty years ago and times and ratings are different. By today's standards this film would receive a PG rating, since it has only a modicum of blood and a bit of female flesh, but no four letter words.

I encourage you to check this film out and see if you don't want to sleep with the lights on.

Classic atmospheric horror
I grew up seeing this movie on late night TV and unlike many horror films that impressed me as a naive child, this one still works. Scary but never cheesy it has a definite mood and chilling essence. This may sound weird but the cover of Black Sabbath's first album reminds me of this film, creates the same 'feel'.

It's also a definite parable for our times, how children overcome by 'demons' - ie. drugs, poverty, gangs, mental illness, are just as capable of evil as any adult.

Good Old Fashion Gruesomeness
Ah yes... I remember those Saturday nights as a child, staying up late to watch "Elvira, Mistress of the Dark and Movie Macabre." This was one of my favorite late night ghoul-fest films, taking place in a creepy medieval village filled with the possessed teen of Satan! I remember it being a lot of fun, so I will purchase it and see if it's as much fun 15 years later! Another good movie from the 70's (or 80's?) is "Eyes of Fire" which popped into my memory just last week. Why don't they make creepy films like this anymore?

There's something very strange afoot.
One of the creepiest British horror films I've ever seen takes place in 17th century England. Good and honest farmer Ralph Gower, is plowing the fields when he accidentally unearths a bizarre skull. It was human-like, with fur. More like a fiend's, he says. He leads the local magistrate to the site, but the skull has vanished. And that's nothing compared to what happens later.

Peter Edmonton, master of the house where Ralph works, brings home his bride-to-be, Rosalyn, but in the middle of the night, she falls under the influence of some power and is shipped to the madhouse. Peter's aunt, attacked by Rosalyn, vanishes, and the unconsolable Peter, wakes up one night to find a furred and clawed hand at his throat. He takes a sword and hacks at the hand, only to find out he's cut off his own hand!

The judge leaves for the city for further investigation, taking a book of ancient folklore with him. In his absence, his parish degenerates. The children stop attending school, which annoys the Reverend Fallowfield, a stern looking man, but an animal lover (he has a pet rabbit). He is later falsely accused of rape and murder. Children, led by the ravishing blonde Angel Blake, begin sacrificing others to a demonic presence. Others grow strange clumps of fur on them, and they are most on the sacrificial hit list.

The judge returns, but warns the village, "This parish is diseased," mentioning undreamt of measures. The villagers have faith in this village leader, and being their guardian, does not let them down.

This must take place during the reign of King William III, as the judge offers a hateful toast: "I give you his Catholic majesty, King James III. May God bless him and keep him in exile." There never was a James III, and James II was deposed in 1688. Surely that's whom the judge meant, yes?

There are several familiar faces from British productions, especially Doctor Who. Anthony Ainley (Reverend Fallowfield) is best known as Sir Charles Seymour in Upstairs Downstairs and the Master in Doctor Who (1981-1989). Wendy Padbury (Kathy Vesper) played Zoe, the Second Doctor's last female companion. This movie came out a year after she left Who.

James Hayter (Middleton) was Mr. Tebbs for a season of Are You Being Served?, and Simon Williams (Peter) was Captain James Bellamy in Are You Being Served? as well as Group Captain Gilmore in Remembrance Of The Daleks, and played the title role in Sherlock Holmes and The Eligible Bachelor. Talk about an all-star lineup!

I could be wrong but towards the end, at the village gathering, there's one villager who says "guns ain't no use against the devil." He could be Geoffrey Hughes, (Onslow in Keeping Up Appearances). And of the two girls who come to collect Mark Vespers, the one on the left looks like Roberta Tovey (Susan in the two Doctor Who movies). None of the minor characters are in the credit listing so it's kind of frustrating.

This was one of Patrick Wymark's last films, as he died soon afterwards. He plays the judge as a firm but fair man who is determined to rid his parish of the evil that has taken over.

Creaking floorboards, ominous bumps and thumps, and scary music from Marc Wilkinson. An eerie and disturbing thriller set in the English countryside, effectively capturing village life in the dying days of the 17th century.

Beautifully atmospheric horror yarn.
This rather gruesome (but not gross-out) horror yarn has a vivid period setting, enhanced by fine photography and acting. In 17th century rural England, big trouble starts when a farm boy unearths a strange skull. Soon, the local children are into worshipping the resurrected demon. No classic, but one of the better horror films of the Seventies. Watch for Milton Reed (the British Tor Johnson) in a small role. (The R rating is due to some brief female nudity, which you undoubtedly did not see if you saw the film on non-cable TV.) ... Read more

Reviews (7)

OH MY GOSH!
this is unbelivabley MY GRANDFATHER!!!!!!!!! amaxzing isn't it, but sometime he scares me, this is an amazing film, I am not a bads person but someitme i have bad plots as well, this film has the best camera affect, best makeup (look at manchus face, hes screaming "damn im sexy"), you cant deny his amazing looks wich i picked up frum him, AMASING!

a diabolically criminally funny spoof
THE FIENDISH PLOT OF DR. FU MANCHU [hereinafter "Fu"] is a diabolically, criminally funny spoof of the preceding Fu villain movies. The opening scene was foretelling. Sellers, as a vintage Fu, is celebrating his 168th birthday. His crowd of sinister lackeys are singing "Happy Birthday." Fu calls for his life sustaining elixer to have a swig which would carry him over for another year. The elixer is brought into the chamber by an extremely familiar servant. This servant . . . uh, er let's call him Kato for want of a better name . . . well his robe catches fire and he douses the flame with all of the elixer. Now, Fu must replace the diamond ingredient elixer by stealing a couple of rare diamonds. After stealing one diamond, the action swings into a Chinese Fire Drill version of Pink Panther. To stop Fu, retired agent Nyland Smith, played by Oriental expert Sellers, is brought out of retirement. An FBI agent, Joe Capone played by Sid Caesar, becomes part of the Scotland Yard scenery. It was his job to belittle the Brits and draw his gun on cue. Agent Smith decides that Fu will kidnap the Royal Family; that they needed doubles to perform Royalty's civic functions. Those doubles were recruited from the police force and had to audition for the role. As auditioning Constable Alice Rage, Helen Mirren, did an a la Shirley Temple tap-dance number, singing "On the Good Ship Lollipop." I nearly choked on my popcorn from laughing. She won the role of Queen. Later in the film, I doubled up while she sang, "Daddy Wouldn't Buy Me a Bow-Wow." In a scene memorable of Jules Verne--or Bond for that matter--Agent Smith flies his cottage by balloon entitled, "Spirit of Wiltshire." This was Seller's final movie. Too bad that many of his fans, including myself, missed this very funny one at the box office. And, for sure, Helen Mirren was a Wow.

The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu
VHS in Spanish with subtitles and wasn't what I ordered. It was ordered new. VERY UNHAPPY with Video.

Campy, Satirical and Fiendishly Funny!
This movie is one that will either become one of your favorites or will cause you to ask yourself why it was even made. The difference lies in your previous exposure to the "Fu Manchu" mystique. For those of us who have previously read of the "Yellow Peril" and the "Vast Underground Conspiracy" the movie is a wildly funny romp through a fictional world where every oriental is working to enslave the human race. For those who have not read the original works by Sax Rohmer many of the most hilarious scenes and comments will slip by unnoticed. It is still a very entertaining movie, however, and is well worth watching, if only for the outrageously campy ending.

Very Funny. Fine Family Fun!
My parents hate this movie, and I don't know why. Peter Sellers is an actor beyond compare. This movie is one of the best evermade. It's a little campy but that's okay because that's what was intended! ... Read more

Reviews (7)

OH MY GOSH!
this is unbelivabley MY GRANDFATHER!!!!!!!!! amaxzing isn't it, but sometime he scares me, this is an amazing film, I am not a bads person but someitme i have bad plots as well, this film has the best camera affect, best makeup (look at manchus face, hes screaming "damn im sexy"), you cant deny his amazing looks wich i picked up frum him, AMASING!

a diabolically criminally funny spoof
THE FIENDISH PLOT OF DR. FU MANCHU [hereinafter "Fu"] is a diabolically, criminally funny spoof of the preceding Fu villain movies. The opening scene was foretelling. Sellers, as a vintage Fu, is celebrating his 168th birthday. His crowd of sinister lackeys are singing "Happy Birthday." Fu calls for his life sustaining elixer to have a swig which would carry him over for another year. The elixer is brought into the chamber by an extremely familiar servant. This servant . . . uh, er let's call him Kato for want of a better name . . . well his robe catches fire and he douses the flame with all of the elixer. Now, Fu must replace the diamond ingredient elixer by stealing a couple of rare diamonds. After stealing one diamond, the action swings into a Chinese Fire Drill version of Pink Panther. To stop Fu, retired agent Nyland Smith, played by Oriental expert Sellers, is brought out of retirement. An FBI agent, Joe Capone played by Sid Caesar, becomes part of the Scotland Yard scenery. It was his job to belittle the Brits and draw his gun on cue. Agent Smith decides that Fu will kidnap the Royal Family; that they needed doubles to perform Royalty's civic functions. Those doubles were recruited from the police force and had to audition for the role. As auditioning Constable Alice Rage, Helen Mirren, did an a la Shirley Temple tap-dance number, singing "On the Good Ship Lollipop." I nearly choked on my popcorn from laughing. She won the role of Queen. Later in the film, I doubled up while she sang, "Daddy Wouldn't Buy Me a Bow-Wow." In a scene memorable of Jules Verne--or Bond for that matter--Agent Smith flies his cottage by balloon entitled, "Spirit of Wiltshire." This was Seller's final movie. Too bad that many of his fans, including myself, missed this very funny one at the box office. And, for sure, Helen Mirren was a Wow.

The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu
VHS in Spanish with subtitles and wasn't what I ordered. It was ordered new. VERY UNHAPPY with Video.

Campy, Satirical and Fiendishly Funny!
This movie is one that will either become one of your favorites or will cause you to ask yourself why it was even made. The difference lies in your previous exposure to the "Fu Manchu" mystique. For those of us who have previously read of the "Yellow Peril" and the "Vast Underground Conspiracy" the movie is a wildly funny romp through a fictional world where every oriental is working to enslave the human race. For those who have not read the original works by Sax Rohmer many of the most hilarious scenes and comments will slip by unnoticed. It is still a very entertaining movie, however, and is well worth watching, if only for the outrageously campy ending.

Very Funny. Fine Family Fun!
My parents hate this movie, and I don't know why. Peter Sellers is an actor beyond compare. This movie is one of the best evermade. It's a little campy but that's okay because that's what was intended! ... Read more