A Twisty Thriller!
Let’s be completely honest. Hammer is primarily known for making gory, bright red blood homages to classic Universal Monsters and horror films that have more than their fair share of T & A. Once in awhile, however, cinemaphiles manage to find a Hammer film that’s not only genuinely suspenseful, but brilliantly directed and full of wonderful cinematography. One of those films is 1961’s Scream of Fear.
Released and known as Taste of Fear in the UK, this film is nothing short of wonderful. Directed by Seth Holt with amazing cinematography from Douglas Slocombe, this movie takes the viewer on a tense, suspenseful quest to find out what really happened to Penny Appleby’s dad and who may or may not have murdered him.
In the film, Penny arrives at her estranged father’s estate having not been in his life for the last ten years. She’s picked up by a handsome driver named Robert who brings her to meet her stepmother, Jane, for the first time. Penny forms an uneasy bond with Jane, a woman that appears nice enough on the surface, but as things happen during her stay at the estate, Penny begins to believe that Jane….or someone else, might have murdered her father. She confides in Robert and he agrees to help her get to the bottom of the issue….or does he? Thrown in for good measure is the mysterious family doctor, Gerrard, whose presence only adds to poor Penny’s confusion. I honestly can’t say much more about the meatier aspects of the plot or I risk spoiling this film. It’s definitely not a film that you want spoiled prior to viewing.
Full of long moments of silence, amazing wide shots both inside the home and around the French Riviera, and intense closeups of eyes, dead bodies, and more, this film is simply beautiful to watch. The suspense is built to dizzying heights and then quickly released only to have more suspenseful moments arise. Seth Holt and Douglas Slocombe absolutely outdid themselves with this film!
The cast is amazing as well. Susan Strasberg is the essence of cool and the center of insanity throughout the film as Penny. Ann Todd’s sinisterly sweet portrayal of Jane is also great. Ronald Lewis is amazing as the dashingly handsome and loyal driver, Robert, who works every angle that he can in order to find out the truth about the death of Penny’s father. Christopher Lee might have a small role as Dr. Gerrard, but his brief moments on the screen are played to perfection.
For a real shocker that keeps you guessing and cinematography and direction that will amaze you, give Scream of Fear a look. I’ll have another review for you tomorrow. Be sure to stop by, read my post, and let me know what you think in the comments. Thanks for checking out my post.
Ken's Alternate Universe! 