FRIGHTMARE (1974)
aka FRIGHTMARE II
Directed by Pete Walker
Image Entertainment DVD
THE FILM
In 1962, The Crystals sang, "He's
a rebel and he'll never ever be
understood." The Phil Spector
production was a runaway #1 hit
in the U.S., but peaked at #19 on
the UK pop charts. Guess the Brits
weren't as receptive to the "rebel"
concept, huh? Enter P. Walker, UK
arse-kicker.
British director Pete Walker jumped
from sexploitation to horror in
the early 1970s, with the sole intention
of stirring things up. Lashing out
at the stale state of 70s UK horror,
Walker rebelled with a series of
downbeat shockers, usually laced
with social themes and a taste for
the nasty. Unlike Norman J. Warren
(Satan's
Slave), another British
director making his mark around
the same time, Walker's films are
not mindless gutter romps. There's
an artistry to his work; fluid,
studied camera movements project
the gore and talented actors gurgle
up through the grit. Pete's work
is an overseas penpal to the abrasive
American underground of the mid
1970s. If Bob Clark (Black Christmas,
Deathdream) sealed the
envelope, then Pete Walker was the
guy who licked the stamps. Widely
considered Walker’s most consistent
film, Frightmare is a real
pip. Low budget horror just doesn't
get much fresher than this.
Hey Jackie, what's in the bloody
bag?! The likable Jackie (Deborah
Fairfax) lives in a flat with her
delinquent little sister, Debbie
(Kim Butcher). Debbie's got a flair
for violence and getting her way.
As the days fly by, Jackie finds
it harder and harder to control
her sis's sass. So what's the deal?
Where is Jackie sneaking off to
in the middle of the night? Why
is she so secretive about her family?
And where are Mom and Pop?! The
enjoyment behind Frightmare
banks on not knowing what's coming
next. So that's all you're going
to get. One thing's for sure: you'll
never look at creepy old ladies
the same way again. Chomp, chomp.
All together, Frightmare
is a marvel of effectively layered
techniques. It's genuinely shocking
(the climax/ending most prominently),
embossed with slight social concepts
(nature vs. nurture, failings of
the justice system), and filled
with terrific direction (intentionally
abrupt edits, lively camera work).
The script unfolds evenly as the
film progresses, unveiling puzzles
and building tension as each gory
dilemma passes. As for the actors?
Not a rotten egg in the bunch. That’s
a key point too. The leads deliver
deranged material that would fall
flat in less-than-proficient hands
(again, have a look at Norman J.
Warren's Terror
for a stellar example). The combination
of unquestionable creepiness and
admirable intelligence adds up to
a rare bird indeed. Frightmare
is a horror film that retains the
competency to derail you, even thirty
years after its release.
Today, Pete Walker remains a little
known name in the province of 70s
horror. Maybe Phil Spector was right.
Then again, after witnessing a film
like Frightmare, I couldn’t
care less if anyone else in the
world understands it. I’m
just glad I do.
AUDIO AND VIDEO
Presented full frame, the film looks
quite excellent. Crisp as a button
and very light on damage. There's
a bit of slight ghosting during
darker scenes, but I emphasize the
"slight." The mono sound
was perfectly clear and enjoyable.
EXTRAS
This is an early DVD release. A
chapter stop screen that doubles
as a main menu? Beware of Y2K.
FINAL THOUGHTS
No doubt about it. Pete Walker's
Frightmare is a masterpiece
of grim horror, an overlooked eye-opener
with a chip on its shoulder and
attitude to spare. Be thankful for
this one; horror films with this
much power are few and far between.
— Joseph A. Ziemba, 10.21.05 |
Who's on her party line?
Cinema slump
Hiya, Jackie!
Heed the cards
|
