TOWER OF EVIL Overview of lurid ’70s proto-slasher

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‘An evening of pleasure turns into an evening of terror‘

Tower of Evil is a 1972 British horror movie written and directed by Jim O’Connolly, screenwriter of The Night time Caller. Within the US it was initially launched as Horror of Snape Island.

The film stars Bryant Haliday (Satan Doll), Jill Haworth (It!; The Mutations), Dennis Worth (Horror Hospital) and Robin Askwith (Queen Kong; Horror Hospital).

In 2019, Scorpion Releasing issued Tower of Evil on Blu-ray from a model new scan with color correction of the unique interpositive in addition to extra clear up on the audio. Scorpion reissued movie with the identical specs and particular options on March 16, 2021:

Audio commentary by the late producer Richard Gordon, moderated by Tom Weaver
Interviews with actress Seretta Wilson, composer Kenneth V. Jones, and editor Henry Richardson
Play Film in Katarina’s Nightmare Theater Mode
Subtitles for the listening to impaired
Unique trailer

Plot:

Snape Island, an undisclosed outcrop of Britain, shrouded in fog, attracts a gaggle of attractive (subsequently doomed) teenagers to reside it up massive time, close to the looming tower of the title, really a lighthouse.

In the meantime, two archaeologists are fairly positive the lighthouse has an historic Phoenician treasure inside its partitions, a relic of worshippers of the God Baal; a non-public investigator arrives to attempt to clear the title of the surviving lady who has been accused of murdering her mates.

The 2-story strands ultimately merge and the murderous presence emerges to take care of the meddling intruders…

Our evaluation:
Shot for $400,000 at Shepperton Studios in Surrey and paired on its preliminary UK launch on a double-bill with Hammer’s Demons of the Thoughts, Tower of Evil is in some respects a missed alternative, extra gruesomely graphic and eyebrow-raising impolite than a lot of the British horror output of the time. Retrospectively, it’s a terrific movie however one which, on the time, merely appeared gratuitous for the sake of it.

The notion of attractive, dope-smoking youngsters being violently dispatched, appears an concept older than the hills however Tower of Evil has an excellent declare to be one of many first.

The creaky starting with its cardboard miniature of the lighthouse bodes badly however this proto-slasher is rarely lower than partaking, although it lurches into being unnecessarily talky and even perhaps tries to be a bit too intelligent from the center onwards.

Director O’Connolly had a comparatively slim profession as a prime canine however had proved himself greater than succesful with each Berserk and Valley of the Gwangi underneath his belt. Having examined the horror water, he definitely doesn’t maintain again with copious quantities of nudity and a few grisly killings, surprisingly sturdy for the time.

Although the script (by George Baxt who additionally scripted Circus of Horrors) could be very ‘of the time’ with some reasonably cringe-worthy ‘drug communicate’ and overly Americanised chat (full with totally pointless dubbed Yank accents) which appears out of kilter with the resolutely British forged, this lends it a strangeness and attraction that later slashers largely omit.

Dealing with the toing and froing of the plot is a dizzying forged of recognisable faces; Dennis Worth doesn’t cling round for lengthy however his earlier roles within the likes of Twins of Evil and Horror of Frankenstein, lend the movie sure credence.

Bryant Haliday (Satan Doll; The Projected Man) is an odd alternative for what is actually the lead half however to criticise anybody’s appearing could be to reasonably misjudge the sort of movie you’re watching. Haworth, alas, is spherical about the one feminine to maintain her garments on, although Candace Glendenning – later in Devil’s Slave – obliges. Different recognisable faces embody John Hamill, beforehand seen in Trog, The Beast within the Cellar and apocalyptic doom flick No Blade of Grass and star of Psychomania, Seretta Wilson.

Robin Askwith appears a weird alternative however equips himself greater than adequately. The movie comes off the again of light-weight TV work however begins a string of extra ‘considerate’ roles together with 4 Dimensions of Greta and Horror Hospital. ‘Considerate’ is probably the incorrect phrase. Again in ‘cheeky chappie’ mode, Askwith went on to come across Queen Kong (1976).

Europe struggled to work out tips on how to market the film; Germany renamed it Der Turm der Lebenden Leichen (“Tower of the Residing Corpses”- inventive license, contemplating the dearth of zombies) and in Italy, it was known as Perché il dio fenicio continua advert uccidere? (“Why Does the Phoenician God Proceed to Kill?”) – a usually vibrant rechristening.

In Britain, Tower of Evil was considerably ridiculed for being too graphic and too ridiculous, with nothing up to date to match it with; historical past has been greater than obliging, although, while not good, it’s entertaining and even considerably trailblazing in its fashion and content material.
Daz Lawrence, MOVIES and MANIA

Trailer: 

Releases:
In 1981, the movie was cheekily reissued within the US as Past the Fog to cash-in on John Carpenter’s The Fog.

On 14 December 2015, the movie was re-released within the UK on Blu-ray and DVD by Screenbound Footage with the next particular options:
Commentary from producer Richard Gordon and movie historian Tom Weaver
Retrospective featurette with Jonathan Rigby, creator of English Gothic
Gallery
Trailers

Purchase Blu-ray: Amazon.co.uk

Solid and characters:
Bryant Haliday … Brent
Jill Haworth … Rose Mason
Mark Edwards … Adam
Jack Watson … Hamp
Anna Palk … Nora
Derek Fowlds … Dan
Dennis Worth … Bakewell
Anthony Valentine … Dr Simpson
Gary Hamilton … Brom
George Coulouris … John Gurney
William Lucas … Inspector Hawk
John Hamill … Gary
Candace Glendenning … Penny
Robin Askwith … Des
Seretta Wilson … Mae
Fredric Abbott … Saul
Mark McBride … Michael
Marianne Stone … Nurse

Purchase: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

Purchase: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

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