Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #39337 in DVD
• Released on: 2003-12-01
• Rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
• Formats: Box set, PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 5
• Running time: 455 minutes

Synopsis
In 'And Now The Screaming Starts' a young married couple are thrown into a web of fear when they move into an eerie house that is subject to an evil curse and inhabited by a dismembered hand. 'Doctor Terror's House Of Horror' tells how Doctor Terror catches a train and persuades five passengers to have their fortunes told using the Tarot Cards. In 'The House That Dripped Blood' an investigator looks into the strange goings-on in an empty house. 'Asylum' consists of four tales of terror which are revealed to a new doctor by four mental asylum inmates. Each tale leads to a puzzling mystery which is solved during the final tale. 'The Beast Must Die' finds a rich sportsman who invites a number of guests to his house with the knowledge that one of them is a werewolf. The film features a novel 'guess who' sequence at the end.

Customer Reviews

Choose with Caution
Note Well: Anchor Bay released a box-set The Amicus Box Set - Limited Edition [1965] ; that includes the three films offered on this one plus: "Dr Terror's House of Horrors"-(1965), & "The House That Dripped Blood"-(1970); both films these films are Amicus classics.

Nonetheless; the three films offered here are worthwhile having if you enjoy other films made by Amicus, who were one of Hammer's principle rivals in their day. All three films have the usual excellent performances from Peter Cushing; albeit he doesn't have much screen time in any of them.

For those of you whose idea of fun viewing are those films that in 1980's would have been classified as "Video Nasties"; there is nothing made by Amicus, that would scare you; at least on a visceral & shock level.

The titles really do not do them justice. I'll briefly mention each in turn without intending to give away plot-spoilers:

The first film "Asylum", is from 1972. The script-writer Robert Bloch(who wrote the novel "Psycho") intended the film to be called: "Which One is Dr.Starr?", the stubborn producer Max J.Rosenberg who, along with Milton Subotsky owned Amicus Productions insisted on lurid titles for all their films to bring in the crowds, which deceives the "blood n'guts addicts" and gets them overlooked by the people who prefer something in the tradition of Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker and Robert Louis Stevenson.

Asylum; is one of the compendium films, that this studio was renowned for.
it has four short macabre stories woven into a central connecting story.

A young psychiatrist,played by Robert Powell goes to a small(always convenient for strict budgets!) high-security psychiatric hospital, to apply for a job as the resident consultant. He is set a dubious test for his aptitude by the cynical resident senior consultant, played by the late Patrick Magee (see Tales from the Crypt/Vault of Horror (REGION 1) (NTSC); for an excellent performance by this actor), Powell is told that he has to guess which inmate was formerly a psychiatrist . In his interviewing the patients we are then taken into each one of their stories, that bare witness to their psychosis.

It is directed by Roy Ward Baker who did films for Hammer:The Vampire Lovers [1970], Scars Of Dracula [1970],Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde [1971] (REGION 1) (NTSC).

The next film from 1973, also directed by Roy Ward Baker, that would have been called "The Curse of Ffengriffin"; was changed by Rosenberg to "And Now The Screaming Starts"; This is a single supernatural tale. A young bride,Stephanie Beacham, is given an inappropriate start to her marriage by naive bride-groom,& heir to a family curse; played by Ian Ogilvy. Not remarkably innovative, but amusing viewing if you enjoy relatively contemporary antiques of the Fantasy B-Movie Cinema. You could find a lot worse out there on Video with little exertion.

The last film is the weakest of the three in my opinion, from 1974 it should have been called "The Werewolf Break"(You'd see why!), but came to us as "The Beast Must Die". It is a "whodunit", with the culprit being shaggy & canine. Warning: There is a gimmick inserted, integral to the film, which is what makes this film most memorable, you might find it cringe making, really funny, or bemusing.

Still fun, it shows that the makers were losing touch with the young, even on the B-Movie Circuit. The sun had already begun to set in America, for Amicus,and their main rival Hammer in 1968, with the likes of really horrific B-flicks, such as George Romero's "Night of The living Dead". I mention this to put the Amicus films here considered in context; not as a detraction of them, the fact that this studio lasted well into the 1970's, shows that not everyone wanted to be disgusted by "sickoflicks".

If you are fond of what I think, can reasonably called Old School Fantasy/ Macabre, not really Horror films, you will probably enjoy most Amicus Films. Also available are: Torture Garden [1967] (REGION 1) (NTSC), and I, Monster [1971] (Region 1) (NTSC).

Particularly striking; is that Amicus films rely more on the actors participating, and fine cinematography than any special-effects. I reckon if I did not love them, I would find them boring or at best laughable. Streetwise kids of today wouldn't find anything to frighten them one iota in these films.

If you're fond of Amicus; don't miss this!
Peter Cushing appears in all of them, though not taking the majority of screen time in any given one, he performs excellently in each of them.

If you're primarily concerned about this selection of five films from the Milton Subotsky & Max J. Rosenberg partnership; being presented to you in a coffin shaped cardboard box, then you can buy each of them individually, you could probably find them floating about the WWW; second-hand perhaps for less than this box-set, with a little patience.

However I was not deterred by the packaging. All five DVD's provided me with hours of Escapist amusement , you might agree that most of you will have experienced more convincing horror in your own lives, than you'll find in any Amicus film. Perhaps this strengthens their appeal on a sub-conscious level (apologies for my pretentiousness) .

Note Well: Don't be mislead by the lurid titles, The producers Rosenberg & Subotsky, stubbornly insisted on them being called as such to attract the attention of kids, & adult teenagers too, the titles don't do the actual films any justice. Moreover they are misleading, so if your idea of fun is frenzied incestuous, psychopaths; torturing pretty girls & the defenseless naive to death, with domestic or woodmen's tools in orgies of sexual violation, blood & guts; It is highly doubtful you'll find anything to satiate your penchant in Amicus films.
In my early teens' in 1980's during the Margaret Thatcher & Mary Whitehouse witch-hunts, the titles of Amicus films, got them mistaken by my parents for "Video-Nasties", as a result they wouldn't let me watch them. If they had been released under the titles as the script-writers intended, it would I reckon have been a different matter, considering I was allowed to watch anything stemming from respected & allegedly decent authors such as Bram Stoker, Mary Shelley, R.L. Stevenson .etc. The actual lives of these artists, such as historical & social-biography relates, does not bare out the facts, If you consider Frankentein, Dracula, Dr.Jekyll & Mr.Hyde to be wholesome nightmare fantasies, you won't be offended by these films.

I'll attempt to give you an impression of each film, without plot-spoilers.

Film 1: "Dr Terror's House of Horror's (1965)"; was the first Subotsky & Rosenberg (who were the pulse & possessors of Amicus Productions, as a company if not necessarily each film individually) venture, to my knowledge, it was originally titled " The Carriage of Dr.Schreck", which I think is more apt.

This was the first of the "Amicus compendium films", which was the style that they were famous for.

The theme: Passengers catching a train from a St.Pancrasesque Station, to somewhere beyond the borough of St.Pancras, have their futures foretold by Tarot wielding Dr.Shreck; "psychic, mystic, extraordinaire", played by Peter Cushing, visions are revealed for the passengers gazing into the cards, amongst the unfortunates are, Christopher Lee, Roy Castle, & Donald Sutherland; How about that for a motley crew?

Freddie Francis directs, who did another film for Amicus in 1967Torture Garden [1967], he was already renowned, & and greatly admired for his work as a cinematographer (you might enjoy, The Innocents [1961]),

Film 2: "The House That Dripped Blood (1970)" . There isn't any blood shed in the whole film. The director Peter Duffell, intended the film to be called "Death & The Maiden", if you watch it baring that in mind, you'll be less disappointed at the absence of gore, if that's what turns you on. While it'll probably not strike seasoned film-goers of the Supernatural genre as especially original, it has some neat twists I thought. It was scripted by Robert Bloch who wrote the novel"Psycho".Psycho.

The theme: Strange events happen to various people who rent a cottage in rural England, through an estate agent called Stoker! Amongst the lessees are, Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Denholm Elliott, & Jon Pertwee. This film was for me genuinely eerie in parts, and also the most humorous, of the five. The soundtrack has some chilling chords in places, notably the segment with Mr.Lee, was outstanding.

Film 3: "Asylum (1972)" also a compendium, was scripted by Robert Bloch, as " Which One is Dr.Starr?" The film has a great musical score, by Douglas Gamley, which has been used more than once by other film-makers since.

The theme: A young psychiatrist applying for the job of consultant, at a rural psychiatric hospital, Shepperton Studios, is set a dubious test by the senior registrar, to gauge his aptitude for employment. The doctors are Robert Powell, & Patrick Magee. The inmates are Barbara Parkins, Charlotte Rampling, Barry Morse, and Herbert Lom.

Film 4: "And Now The Screaming Starts(1973)". If this film arouses any shrieks from you it'll tend toward the laughter end of the spectrum, (by '73' there were already really nasty films in circulation, less of a Sickofeast in Britain with the BBFC nannying us). Nonetheless I really enjoyed it, through good team work of director,cinematographer,editor & cast. Fun late night viewing if you're an insomniac who shares my idea of comfortable time wasting.

The theme: 18th Century newlyweds, are in for a honeylessmoon, it is based on a novel called "Fengriffin" by David Case. The director again, is Roy Ward Baker, who wanted the film to be called "The Bride of Fengriffin". The dialogue impressed me in places. Participating are, Stephanie Beacham, Ian Ogilvy, Patrick Magee. Mr. Cushing, doesn't appear until Act 2. Still well worth waiting for, complete with a wig that might have been based on Jon Pertwee's real caput-foliage.

Film 5: "The Beast Must Die(1974)" which might have been called "The Werewolf Break", for a reason that will become obvious upon viewing, a gimmick thay you may find cringe-making, laughable,& bemusing rolled into one.

The theme: an Agatha Christiesque whodunnit shaggy-wolf story. To my mind this one is the weakest film of the set but, not badly done. Acting are Calvin Lockhart, Charles Gray, Michael Gambon, & ofcourse Mr.Cushing.

The plethora of extra features (I couldn't have written this article without them) include Audio Commentaries on all of them with the directors, & other crew members, a couple of the DVD's offer two Audio Commentaries. A documentary on Amicus is also in the offering.

Thankyou for your time, I apologize if I bored you, regardless of me, I wish you happy viewing. Selfishly I wouldn't wish any of these films to go out of print.

Good ol' fashioned spooky movies!
Having bought this box set for a present for my fiancee (she shares my love of the "Hammer-style" horror movies we grew up with), I sat down to watch them with much anticipation!

It's got to be said, Anchor Bay have done a fantastic job in the conversion to DVD; the films are presented (for, I believe, the first time) uncut and in their original cinema format - not the bodged-and-hacked-down versions shown on TV. Although these movies are very tame compared to more recent horrors, all of them provide their fair share of genuinely spooky moments in a way forgotten by today's film-makers - by building suspense and atmosphere with the clever direction and use of lighting, music etc., not by throwing buckets of blood around. It would be unfair to choose a favourite, but Roy Ward Baker's assured direction of Asylum puts the film just ahead for me.

Each film is enhanced by a number of well written and produced extras - biographies, director's commentaries etc.etc - and these add immense enjoyment to the movies, even if you don't class yourself as a film buff there's plenty to interest. The clever "coffin" packaging is immaculate, and adds an old-style spookiness to the ensemble.

The only naff thing is the specially written booklet to accompany the set - it looks as though it has been thrown together in a rush, with paragraphs mixed-up and repeated throughout the eight pages. It is a real afterthought, an insult to the film-makers craftsmanship displayed within the features - and I would rather it had been left out than clutter up the box. That aside, the box easily earns its 4 stars