Better Late Then Never

Clever and entertaining enough to recommend even to members of the 1%

A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

This effective shocker from the early '70s is well worth watching. The beginning is excellent, with the discovery of the dead naked people - check out the head rolling down the stairs - and also very graphic for its time, both in the portrayal of sex and gore (something to be expected, seeing as this is a '70s film where moral principles were quickly disappearing down the drain). It's certainly an arresting way to begin a film.The somewhat clichéd story is enlivened by the presence of popular actors - Dennis Price and Anthony Valentine appear in small roles, as well as Bryant Halliday (Halliday appeared in a couple of horror films during the '60s, THE DEVIL DOLL and THE PROJECTED MAN). Robin Askwith, who made a name for himself with a number of sex films in the 1970s, appears in a typical role - taking his clothes off and acting badly once again.There are a number of effective shocks, such as the decaying corpse and the giggling, manic laughter. While some parts are enjoyably cheesy now, you won't be disappointed if you see this under-rated chiller which plays a bit like a slasher film, with teenagers being killed in violent ways. If this seventies schlock isn't your cup of tea, then "go dig" something else. While the monster may not be very scary (let's face it, it's a dirty bloke covered in hair and dandruff) the spooky giggling is sure to send a chill down anyone's spine!

"Tower of Evil" is a humdrum British horror/exploitation effort which has found new popularity recently due to its similarity with '80s slashers. It's the familiar thing: a group heads out to an isolated area - an island off the English coast - and are offed one by one. They do drugs, have sex, and suggest to one another that "splitting up" might be the best way to handle the situation.Their reason for being on the island in the first place in singularly ridiculous. They're archaeologists on the hunt for Phoenician treasure. Phoenicia was a Middle Eastern region, so what is this treasure doing in the British isles? This would be ridiculous enough, but the movie actually shows you an example of this treasure - a sword supposedly made out of gold, looking less realistic than if they'd covered it in gold-coloured spray paint. The big discovery they make on the island looks to be made out of papier mache.I missed whatever explanation was given for there being a killer on the island; I'm sure it's not important. The movie begins after another group has visited this island and all been killed minus one. Flashbacks reveal this plot point in a culmination of non-stop screaming. You can feel the director trying to make something jarring and shocking of this sequence but instead it is merely irritating. I found myself wondering, first, "When are they going to stop screaming?" and, second, "I wish they would stop that screaming!" I had to turn the volume down.One thing that the Brits managed to do better than the Americans is nudity, and this has quite a bit of that. It's not terribly violent, and Timmy Lea himself, Robin Askwith, has a small role, doing an inexplicable American accent. Don't be fooled, though: this isn't "Confessions of an Archaeologist". There's nudity but no humour, and not much other reason for watching.

SPOILER ALERT! A group of researchers travel to a remote island of the English coast to investigate the brutal murders of three Americans. They uncover a half-dead man, his completely dead wife and their cycloptic son. Also in the mix is an ancient ruin where sacrifices have taken place. A real piece of junk directed by Jim O'Connolly. The island, in long shots, is a miniature and the whole film is decidedly, and obviously, studio-bound. The cast is a bland mix of no-names save for Jill Haworth, slumming it after working with the likes of Preminger, Marais and (on Broadway) Hal Prince. Anna Palk, a Stephanie Beacham lookalike, adds some spark as a bitchy pothead. As bad as they come.

A bunch of kids are found murdered on a remote island. Only one is alive and totally insane. It's determined that she killed everyone else. Another group travels out to the island to see what happened and find out that she didn't do it. Something is loose on the island and starts to hunt them down...A pretty dull horror film. All the characters are unpleasant (you WANT them all dead), the acting is bad, there are horrible 1970s fashions and the killings are (for the most part) pretty mild. Also you see a bunch of British actors all trying (badly) to fake American accents (the kids who are killed first). Heck, one guy had to be dubbed in! There is plenty of nudity--the girls show their chests, the boys only their butts. What really kills this film though is the confused script which has the characters doing incredibly stupid things.SPOILERS AHEAD!!! They all know a killer is with them on the island so they immediately separate leaving the women alone; a woman stands and just screams endlessly as her boyfriend gets hacked up in front of her (this happens TWICE!) and a woman tries to escape from the killer by running upstairs. Also these people seem to get over the deaths of their companions very quickly. Look how Dan gets over his wife's death and how they all react to Bron's dead body. SPOILERS END!!!The DVD transfer from Elite is great--widescreen, good print and in strong color...but the movie just isn't good. I heard this helped kill the British film industry--it's easy to see why! I give it a 4.