I watched this again last night for the first time in perhaps fifteen to twenty years. I was amazed at how close it held my attention. This definitely holds up as the single best of the Amicus anthologies. There is a morbid atmosphere of dread throughout the entire film (most of the film appears to take place - or was filmed - during the fall or winter), a pall of gloom over the picture that is rarely equalled, I think. This is, in part, due to the concisely written tales that waste little time with extraneous information; the minimal use of an effective and low-key music score (allowing for plenty of use of additional atmospheric sounds, such as the wind and sound of footsteps treading the snow during the first Christmas segment); the quick editing that does not allow moments of horror to drag out interminably, but end abruptly (i.e. cutting away to Ralph Richardson), thus increasing their impact; and, of course, the outstanding cast. Unlike many other Amicus anthology efforts, not one tale is wasted. They are all outstanding, with the only possible exception being the "Monkey's Paw"-derived episode which also provides the one quirky element of the picture - death riding a motorcycle! - but this is salvaged by a particularly grusome and very memorable conclusion. Out of a terrific cast who each provide memorable performances - Richardson, Peter Cushing, Nigel Patrick and Patrick Magee are particularly excellent. Cushing turns his small role into a genuinely moving portrayal of a lonely widower (which I think was filmed not long after his own wife's death). I'd rate this brief vignette as containing one of his finest performances, and his makeup at the conclusion (unlike Ian Hendry's, unfortunately) is particularly hideous. Perhaps the finest performance in the entire film comes from Nigel Patrick as the hard, unsympathetic Major revelling in his command over a Home for the Blind in the final episode (complimented by the eccentric Patrick Magee in another one of his memorable characterizations.
The film is, in my opinion, a classic. Now where is the dvd?
The film is, in my opinion, a classic. Now where is the dvd?
