TALES THAT WITNESS MADNESS

 

This is a 1973 British anthology horror film directed by Freddie Francis.....but it does not come from Amicus. World Film Services was so impressed with THE CREEPING FLESH that they allowed Francis to develop this project from a script by Jennifer Jayne, an actress who had worked for the director in a few of his other features. (For this movie Jayne was billed on-screen as Jay Fairbank.) 

The film features four tales, and the opening linking segment takes place at a mysterious clinic. A VIP (Jack Hawkins, dubbed by Charles Gray) arrives at the clinic to investigate the findings of a doctor (Donald Pleasence) who is working to verify the "reality" of truth. The doctor shows the VIP four different patients, and tells the reasons why they have been committed. 

The first tale is "Mr. Tiger". A young boy (Russell Lewis) is stuck with very argumentative parents (Georgia Brown & Donald Houston). The boy's only friend is a tiger, which only he can see....but the animal soon makes its presence known quite firmly. The next story is "Penny Farthing", which concerns an antique dealer (Peter McEnery) who receives an inheritance from an aunt that includes a penny farthing cycle and a framed picture of a ancestor called Uncle Albert. The portrait exerts a strange power over the dealer, forcing him to mount the penny farthing and go back in time when Uncle Albert was a young man. The dealer and his girlfriend (Suzy Kendall) try to fight this power. 

The third tale is "Mel". The leading character in this one (Michael Jayston) finds an unusual-looking tree in the forest, and proceeds to bring it into his ultra-modern home and set it up in his living room. His high-class wife (Joan Collins) isn't thrilled with the idea, especially since the tree has a bit of a resemblance to a human female. The wife grows jealous over the tree....but the hunk of wood isn't impressed with her, either. 

The final story "Luau", won't gain any accolades from Pacific Islander groups. A Hawaiian author (Michael Petrovitch) is charged by his dying mother to complete a pagan sacrificial ceremony in order to prevent his family from being cursed. The author's agent (Kim Novak) happens to have a teenage daughter (Mary Tamm) who is technically still a maiden, so......

I recently obtained a cheap DVD of TALES THAT WITNESS MADNESS. I had never seen it, mainly due to the fact that I had never read anything positive about it. In tone and style it feels very much like one of the Amicus anthologies, and it has a fine cast, but none of the stories is all that noteworthy. The ending of each tale is very predictable, and the characters in them are not memorable. 

The one notable part of TALES THAT WITNESS MADNESS is the tree segment. What makes the segment work is the idea that Joan Collins--one of the most blatant man-eaters in movies and TV--has to compete with a tree. That very idea is ridiculous, and Collins plays it as if she can't believe it either. At one point in the tale there's a dream sequence in which Collins is trapped in an expressionistic forest, as all sorts of branches and limbs reach out to attack her. The sequence is enlivened by some colored lighting effects, and it has a very Mario Bava-type of feel to it. What makes the sequence stand out even more is that, from my understanding, it is the tree that is having the dream! Unfortunately very little in the rest of the film stands out. 

In his book THE MEN WHO MADE THE MONSTERS, Paul Jensen included a chapter on Freddie Francis. In that chapter, Jensen states that Francis didn't even think that TALES THAT WITNESS MADNESS was a horror film when he was making it, and that he also thought the movie was more of a dark comedy. According to Jensen, Francis added some retakes after the producers thought it didn't have enough of a horror element. TALES THAT WITNESS MADNESS isn't all that scary--the viewer knows basically how each story is going to end--and it doesn't come off as comedic, sardonic, or ironic. (If those were the vibes Francis was reaching for, he missed by a mile.) 

The overall acting does veer toward hammy at times (was that part of the dark comedic element?). Seeing Kim Novak in a film like this is certainly unique (her role was originally going to be played by Rita Hayworth), but, like all the other characters in this movie, her part is underdeveloped. 

The linking story gets rather confusing at the end--there's even a suggestion that the stories didn't actually happen. Donald Pleasence does just enough to put over the idea that his doctor is probably crazier than his patients. 

I've no doubt that someday TALES THAT WITNESS MADNESS will get the super-duper home video 4K treatment, with loads of extras trying to convince that this is an overlooked classic (there's plenty of other Golden Age of British Horror features that already have). Freddie Francis had already made a couple of the best British horror anthologies when he helmed this, but a lackluster air hangs over the entire proceedings. TALES THAT WITNESS MADNESS is mainly for those who have the need to see every English Gothic film, and those who are fans of either Freddie Francis or Kim Novak. 

CHILDREN OF THE WICKER MAN

 

On the surface, the 2024 documentary CHILDREN OF THE WICKER MAN is an examination of the making of a 1973 folk horror movie that has gained massive critical acclaim. It is more accurate, however, to point out that it's really about two brothers (from different mothers) struggling to come to grips with how they feel about their father. 

The brothers are Justin and Dominic Hardy, and their father was Robin Hardy, the man who directed THE WICKER MAN, a picture now considered one of the greatest horror films ever made. Justin and Dominic Hardy, along with Chris Nunn, are credited as directors of CHILDREN OF THE WICKER MAN. 

The brothers were inspired to make this film after getting access to a large collection of their father's personal papers. The brothers delve into the papers to trace the production history of THE WICKER MAN and they also venture to Scotland to visit many of the movie's shooting locations. They also interview several people who worked on the film. Their findings establish that it was a chaotic production with all sorts of financial difficulties and egos getting in the way. (In later life Robin Hardy was celebrated at various festivals and screenings for his direction of THE WICKER MAN, but CHILDREN shows that many who worked alongside him during the shoot thought he was in over his head--even though Hardy had plenty of experience on commercials he had never helmed a feature film before.) The documentary also goes into THE WICKER MAN's original reception (or lack thereof), and how it grew into a cult item. 

CHILDREN really shines when it focuses on the Hardy family drama. There's no doubt Robin Hardy had a complicated personal life--he was married five times and he had eight children. He also had numerous financial issues that affected his family and friends. As the documentary goes along, we see how Justin and Dominic Hardy try to come to some sort of mental resolution over their feelings about their father and his cinematic legacy. 

My take on THE WICKER MAN is that it certainly is a unique and unsettling film, especially when one watches it for the very first time, but I wouldn't give it the oft-used label "the CITIZEN KANE of horror movies". The human dynamics behind THE WICKER MAN take center stage in this documentary. At the end of it Robin Hardy remains an enigma, much like the film that he is best known for. CHILDREN OF THE WICKER MAN shows that behind any creative endeavor there are real people, and how these people interact with and treat one another has far more repercussions than any movie's legacy. 

THE LONG ARM

 

The last film in Kino's BRIT NOIR COLLECTION II Blu-ray set I need to cover is THE LONG ARM, released in America as THE THIRD KEY. It was produced by Ealing Studios, and released in 1956. The movie reunites director Charles Frend and actor Jack Hawkins, who worked together on the fine WWII picture THE CRUEL SEA. 

THE LONG ARM is more of a police procedural than a all-out noir, but it does have a number of nighttime set sequences with lonely rain-slicked streets, and it uses plenty of actual locations, giving it a gritty and down-to-earth feel. The story revolves around Scotland Yard Superintendent Tom Halliday (Jack Hawkins), who is engaged on an investigation of a spate of safe robberies. Halliday is resolutely determined to catch the culprits behind the thefts, especially when a man is killed in a hit & run by the vandals after one of the robberies. 

Jack Hawkins brings his solid, no-nonsense bearing to the role of Halliday. The Superintendent is shown to be a dogged investigator, but we are also introduced to his wife and young son, and we see him breaking in a new Detective Sergeant (John Stratton). Halliday is a thorough professional, but Hawkins gives the viewer a glimpse into his human side. Much screen time is devoted to all the various procedures used by Scotland Yard to track down criminals, and Hawkins spends so much time and effort in catching his quarry that the viewer can't help but want to see him succeed. 

Halliday encounters several character types during his investigation, and they are all enacted by a solid cast including Ursula Howells, Geoffrey Keen, and Ian Bannen. None of the supporting players particularly stand out, but I think this was due to the story being presented in a more realistic manner. There's nothing really unbelievable or over-the-top in THE LONG ARM. Halliday is no Dirty Harry, but he does take part in a mini-action sequence at the end which fits in well with the movie's overall tone. Gerard Schurmann's music score adds greatly to the drama. 

Out of all the three movies in the BRIT NOIR COLLECTION II set, THE LONG ARM is the best. It is also the best looking overall--the black & white visuals are very sharp here. The BRIT NOIR COLLECTION II set has audio commentaries for each film, and the set has two discs. 

Kino has already announced BRIT NOIR COLLECTION III and IV (they must have rights to a bunch of 1950s and 60s British films). As in the first set, I believe the definition of noir is used rather loosely here, but for Region A folks we're getting introduced to a number of well-made rare British films that are filled with fine acting talent. 

THE INTRUDER (1953)

 

It's back to Kino's BRIT NOIR COLLECTION II Blu-ray set with a look at 1953's THE INTRUDER, produced by British Lion and directed by Guy Hamilton. 

Once again I have to question the classification of a movie as noir. THE INTRUDER is more of a melodrama dealing with how war and military service affects individuals. The story begins with a stockbroker named Merton (Jack Hawkins) coming home from a golf outing to find that there's a burglar on the premises. Merton is shocked when he recognizes the perpetrator as Ginger Edwards (Michael Medwin), a man who served under him during World War II. Edwards runs away before he can be caught, and Merton decides to track him down on his own, hoping to find out why such a fine soldier has been reduced to theft. 

THE INTRUDER takes on an almost anthology feel as Merton encounters a number of men from his former brigade and asks them about Edwards. There are a number of flashbacks to WWII throughout the film, and each is almost a mini-story in its own--there's even a comic vignette. When we finally get to the sequence explaining what has happened to Edwards since he came home from the war, it comes off too abruptly--the fellow's entire life falls apart literally in a few scenes. I believe the story would have worked better if more time had been spent setting up and detailing Edwards' plight. 

Jack Hawkins provides his usual stalwart presence, and he's backed up by a typically commendable British supporting cast of the period, featuring the likes of Dennis Price and George Cole. (Hammer fans will recognize Michael Ripper and Duncan Lamont in small roles.) 

This was Guy Hamilton's second feature as a director. (Ironically his first one, THE RINGER, is included in Kino's BRIT NOIR COLLECTION I set.) He does well juggling all the flashbacks and the present day scenes. The golf course shown at the beginning of this movie would be used by Hamilton again for a famous sequence in GOLDFINGER. 

One would assume that THE INTRUDER is a dark, brooding tale about one man's downfall, but it winds up being an ensemble piece dealing with a group of men who served together during WWII. This film's climax in particular is much more positive than that of most American noirs made around the same time. 

Book Review: METRO-GOLDWYN-VAMPIRE

 

Greg Mank gives readers another fast-paced ride down the dark corridors of classic Hollywood with his third novel METRO-GOLDWYN-VAMPIRE. 

The story is set in late 1934. MGM is getting ready to shoot director Tod Browning's latest thriller, a remake of his silent-era production LONDON AFTER MIDNIGHT. Recent events off the set, however, are far more horrifying than anything Browning could dream up. A number of young women are being savagely murdered--and the victims have one major thing in common: they all auditioned for a part in Browning's new opus...the role of "Luna the Bat Girl". 

Against his better judgement, private investigator Porter Down gets involved in the case (he has a problematic relationship with the movie industry, particularly the folks at MGM). Down has faced danger many times in his adventurous life, but what he experiences in METRO-GOLDWYN-VAMPIRE literally brings him to the edge of madness. 

Once again the author puts his massive knowledge of Hollywood history and his vivid imagination to excellent use in fashioning a 1930s Gothic horror mystery that is decidedly creepy. METRO-GOLDWYN-VAMPIRE features an exceedingly nasty occultist and his "creation", a blasphemous being that just might be the most loathsome thing Porter Down has ever faced off against. 

This novel also gives film buffs plenty to geek over, with appearances by historical figures such as Browning, Bela Lugosi, Elizabeth Allan, Guy Endore, William Randolph Hearst, Marion Davies, and Thelma Todd. 

METRO-GOLDWYN-VAMPIRE is over 400 pages, but once you start reading it, you'll find it hard to put down. If you are an old movie buff willing to delve into the ghoulish and the gruesome, this book is perfect summer reading. 

Book Review: VAMPIRE OVER LONDON--Bela Lugosi In Britain

 

I purchased this volume a couple weeks ago at the 2026 Summer Monster Bash Conference. 

Perhaps no other actor's profile has been affected by various myths and legends as that of Bela Lugosi. Many of these fables are still all over the internet, to the point where one must be very wary when reading something about Lugosi on social media. 

VAMPIRE OVER LONDON--Bela Lugosi In Britain, is a heavily researched, minutely detailed book that deals in facts, not legend. Written by Frank Dello Stritto and Andi Brooks, the volume takes a deep dive into the 1951 British stage tour of DRACULA starring Lugosi, and the three films the actor made in England (MYSTERY OF THE MARY CELESTE, THE DARK EYES OF LONDON, and MOTHER RILEY MEETS THE VAMPIRE). 

Legend says that the 1951 DRACULA tour was so unsuccessful that Bela and his wife Lillian went broke and were basically stranded in England, forcing Lugosi to take part in the terrible MOTHER RILEY movie just to raise enough money to get home. The authors reveal that Lugosi spent nearly six months touring on stage in the U.K as the Count, giving 229 performances despite physical travails and worries over his career. 

A number of people that were actually involved in the tour, either on stage or off, have been interviewed for this book, along with many folks who were blessed to witness one of Bela's performances. They state that despite Bela being in his late 60s, he was still a compelling and captivating figure on stage. 

The book also gives an almost day-by-day portrait of Lugosi during a tumultuous period in his life. Bela was a complicated individual, but he still had plenty of Old World European charm, and despite his frustrations over typecasting, he could easily slip into his Dracula persona when he needed publicity. 

VAMPIRE OVER LONDON also shines a much-needed spotlight on Lillian Lugosi. Out of all of Lugosi's wives, Lillian lasted the longest, and this book shows that she was Bela's one-woman entourage, taking care of him and watching over him at all times. It's no coincidence that after Bela and Lillian split up the actor's life went downhill. 

VAMPIRE OVER LONDON is nearly 500 pages long, and it is jammed packed with material and heavily illustrated, with many rare photos of Lugosi. The book has a number of appendices that give even more knowledge on Lugosi's overall appearances on stage as the Count, and how critics at the time reacted to the 1951 British stage tour. 

This volume is an absolute must for Bela Lugosi fans. We will never know what it must have been like to see Lugosi play Dracula on stage, but VAMPIRE OVER LONDON gives the reader as close of an approximation of that experience as one could have. It also gives us a much better idea of what Bela was like as a human being. The book is published by Cult Movie Press. 

THE SPACE CHILDREN

 

The title of this film is somewhat of a misnomer--there are no space children in it, and no children in it actually go out in space. THE SPACE CHILDREN is a 1958 science-fiction tale produced by William Alland and directed by Jack Arnold. Alland and Arnold together made some of the most notable genre films in the 1950s for Universal, but on this one they were working under the auspices of Paramount. 

THE SPACE CHILDREN takes place at a top secret military base on the California coast. An important launch is being prepared there of a satellite that will be carrying advanced weaponry. During the run up to the launch, a number of strange occurrences take place. A being from outer space, a being that resembles a glowing, growing, pulsating brain, has been making contact with a group of children of the civilian workers on the base. The point of this contact is to stop the weapon from being launched into orbit. 

THE SPACE CHILDREN has a few things in common with another William Alland-Jack Arnold film, IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE, and it also calls to mind VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED, even though the children in that film are far more lethal. The 'being" is using innocent humans to achieve its goal, but it isn't overtly threatening or dangerous (except in one instance). There's very little FX in THE SPACE CHILDREN, and the expected clash between the military and the being never comes to pass. 

In the science-fiction films he directed Jack Arnold usually made much use of the terrain the stories were located in, and he does this plenty in THE SPACE CHILDREN. There's plenty of scenes showing characters going back and forth over the rocky shore, and the sound of the pounding surf is a constant throughout. Arnold even trots out one of his favorite tricks, the "character being unexpectedly grabbed from off-screen" jump scare. Arnold's use of the environment is rather pronounced here, probably due to the fact that there isn't much to the plot. The movie only lasts about 68 minutes, and it could have easily been turned into a half-hour TV show. 

Due to the short length of the film we never get to really know any of the kids--they're a generic group of bright-eyed youngsters, but none of them stands out. (Michel Ray as Bud, the sort-of-leader of the kids, does show an unusual maturity.) None of the adult characters stand out either--the parents of the kids are overly emotional and argumentative, another way of reminding us that only innocent children would be able to understand an alien force that just wants us to stop destroying ourselves. (It is mentioned that there are children all over the world who are in the same situation, but due to this film's low budget, we are never shown any of this.) 

The cast is notable for the presence of four performers best known for their roles in classic TV shows: Raymond Bailey (Mr. Drysdale on THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES), Russell Johnson (The Professor on GILLIGAN'S ISLAND), Jackie Coogan (Uncle Fester on THE ADDAMS FAMILY) and Johnny Crawford (the son of THE RIFLEMAN). Russell Johnson plays against type as the parent who is a drunken lout (he's also the only character killed by the being in order to stop him from beating his stepson). Johnson's part is such an obvious jerk that one wonders how in the heck he has a job at a top-secret military base. 

It's fairly accurate to say that William Alland and Jack Arnold were trying to make a gentler kind of 1950s sci-fi story, with an anti-nuclear weapons message. It's a decent effort, but it's not on the same level as the earlier sci-fi tales made by Alland and Arnold. The budget is too low, and there's just not enough going on in the story to make it memorable.