DIE SCREAMING MARIANNE

DIE SCREAMING MARIANNE (1971). Director: Pete Walker.

Marianne Evans (Susan George) is supposed to be marrying Sebastian (Christopher Sandford) when she finds out that someone stupidly filled in the name of their friend, Eli (Barry Evans), on the marriage certificate -- and it's legal. Sebastian only wanted to marry Marianne because he knows that she's heir to a fortune which is coveted by her father (Leo Genn), and half-sister, Hildegarde (Judy Huxtable). Hildegarde unaccountably has a hankering for the unattractive father, but all of the characters in this are a little weird -- without being terribly interesting. They all wind up on the father's estate where unpleasant things occur. Director Pete Walker normally put together horror items like House of Whipcord but this is more of an un-thrilling thriller with a very low-grade production. George is unlikable as both actress and character, Huxtable is adequate, Evans is somewhat appealing, and Genn [Personal Affair] was probably wondering how he wound up in this mess.

Verdict: Not worth a single scream. *1/2.

HOUSE OF WHIPCORD

HOUSE OF WHIPCORD (1974). Director: Pete Walker.

Anne-Marie (Penny Irving) falls for a guy who calls himself "Mark E. DeSade" (Robert Tayman). Unfortunately, Anne-Marie doesn't get the reference, and she goes off with him to meet his parents. Said parents turn out to be a demented former judge (Patrick Barr) and his wife (Barbara Markham), who, with the assistance of two female prison guards, capture and punish "loose" and immoral women for their alleged betterment. House of Whipcord is not the super-sadistic, gruesome field day that one might imagine  -- and some might have preferred -- but it isn't badly acted and holds the attention, although it should have been trimmed of at least twenty minutes. The older actors make more of an impression, with Sheila Keith vivid as the somewhat butch matron, Walker. Director Pete Walker, in the meantime, also directed Schizo, The Comeback (in which Keith was also quite effective), and several other horror films.

Verdict: Not terrible, just kind of ho-hum. **.