Blu-ray Review: Corruption (1968) Peter Cushing

Unseen for many years, certainly in an uncut form, this is a welcome disc from Grindhouse Releasing. Peter Cushing, the softly spoken, gentleman of horror plays it nasty here as Sir John Rowan, a surgeon who is horrified when his younger girlfriend, Lynn (future Crossroads star Sue Lloyd), a former model, is facially burnt at a party. The fact that he is partly responsible due to fighting with an over zealous photographer (played by Confessions star Anthony Booth) no doubt spurs him on to commit some of his ghastly actions later. Using his medical skills, and access to the morgue, he acquires the pituitary gland of a recently deceased young lady, and concocts a serum, which he injects as well as using a high-tech laser, which works wonders at removing the burnt tissue, but burns through almost everything else! (this is several years before real-life laser surgery would become the norm) - an item which will play a large part in the action later.

 

The operation is a success - although only for a short time, and Sir John soon has to find new donours - as fresh as possible. These include a prostitute (in the films most graphic and infamous scene - more on that later) and a lovely looking young girl on a train (Carry On and Hammer starlet Valerie Van Ost). Severing their heads in order to obtain the glands and keep his love looking beautiful.

 

While away at their seaside holiday home in Seaford, East Sussex they come across a young girl who may fit the bill as a donor. Terry (Wendy Varnals) is seemingly alone, and accepts their invitation to stay. Unfortunately, she has a different agenda, as her husband Rik (Billy Murray, future star of The Bill, Dead Cert, Stalker and Strippers vs Werewolves) and his cohorts have their own plans. Which leads to a manic final act which pre-dates the surge of home invasion films seen in the 70s (such as A Clockwork Orange and The House on the Edge of the Park) and now prevalent in modern horror.

There's a few more faces to watch out for, not least Kate O'Mara looking stunning as Lynn's sister, Val, Vanessa Howard (Mumsy, Nanny, Sonny & Girly and This, That and the Other) in the opening swinging party scene as a wannabe model who takes a shine to Sir John and king of the bit-parts David Lodge, who is completely out of place as a simple minded thug in Cosmo Smallpiece (*look him up if you're too young to know or not from the UK*) glasses (watch closely to see the holes drilled in the thick glass so he could see) but was cast as he was a friend of the director, Robert Hartford-Davis. His other films include The Black Torment (1964), Incense for the Damned (aka Blood Suckers, 1970) and The Sandwich Man (1966), a glorious comedy starring the cream of British talent and headlined by Michael Bentine, from his own story. It was written by the brothers Donald and Derek Ford. Derek later wrote scripts on his own, mainly in the sexploitation field and directed several including the aforementioned This, That and the Other and Keep It Up, Jack.

 

Despite being a very 60s film, there's plenty to shock and surprise here. Many people are horrified by Cushing's involvement in such a sleazy epic - he himself tried to play it down saying it wasn't as graphic at script level - but he is perfect as the acclaimed surgeon whose love and guilt make him do hideous things. The violence is startlingly effective, and repulsive. It is deliberately shot to provoke the most visceral response. Cushing's close-ups often through a fish-eye lens to distort his appearance. Making him a grotesque, sweating monster. The prostitute murder was filmed several times for the different film markets. The more common version, seen in the UK and US features Jan Waters, in bath robe and undergarments and killed swiftly but nastily by Sir John's hidden scalpel (the reveal is brilliant) while a much more graphic version has Marian Collins strip down to her tights before a brutal and bloody struggle with the surgeon running his blooded hands over her naked breasts before beginning to remove her head. For the first time, we get the chance to see both versions of the scene (and other differences) as this brilliant release features them as an extra on the DVD in the package, and as an option to view within the "continental" version of the film on the outstanding Blu-ray. Apparently another version was also filmed for Japan which had the violence but no nudity, but this seems to be missing from the vaults so is only alluded to on the excellent commentary (from horror historian/writer Jonathan Rigby and Cushing biographer David Miller).

 

The HD version is a revelation visually. The colours are so vibrant and lurid they literally pop from the screen. It's not a film for everyone (although I wouldn't go as far as the original publicity department and proclaim it's "not a woman's picture") but if you have a penchant for some sick thrills it will certainly satisfy. In keeping with the film, the Grindhouse Releasing Blu-ray has a reversible version of its sleazy cover; one with the victim clothed, one with her breasts on display. Bravo!
8 out of 10

Retro review: Gums (1976) saucy spoof of Jaws!

 

For those who thought the "art" of the porn parody began with the likes of Shaving Ryan's Privates, Edward Penishands (which I only ever came across - ahem - in an unsubtitled, undubbed German version) and the current glut of lazily titled skin flicks, cast your mind back to Flesh Gordon (1974), and Gums (1976), which may well have been the first of the bunch to spoof a currently popular movie.

Opening with a familiar scenario of two love birds running down the beach, stripping off. Only here we get a brightly lit, full on jiggle-fest (both female and male) before the fella goes out for a swim, only to be attacked by an unseen presence in the water. Enjoying the experience at first, he is then cut off in his prime when his meat and two veg are sucked right off. Turns out there's a mermaid (Terri Hall) in the waters, and it's down to a crack - or at least crackpot - team to save the town and keep the beaches open. Step forward Nazi Captain Carl Clitoris (Brother Theodore, Massage Parlor Murders!, The 'Burbs), Sheriff Rooster Coxswain (spelt Cockswain on the back of his jacket, however, Paul Styles in his only film role) and, in the Hooper role of Dr. Sy Smegma is Robert Kerman (later to appear in both Cannibal Holocaust and Ferox and billed here as Richard Lair), with his ever present blow up doll. Amid the fun, there's plenty of bonking, sucking and genital removal (comic, not in the Ferox way!) and even some doggy sex for you nature lovers.

Quite an obscure film, which is reminiscent of films such as Kentucky Fried Movie in its irreverence. Some gags work, and some sink like the Titanic. Filmed as a hardcore film, the DVD release (US only) is the shorter, edited version which incorporates crudely drawn cartoon images optically over any naughty action. That is not to say there's not still a fair share of nudity and smut still on display. The cast (especially the already crackers Brother Theodore) all go as far over the top as possible, which can be a little grating, but at just over an hour in length it doesn't outstay its welcome. The best gag of the film is the sudden replacement of the actors with Mr Punch type puppets, complete with (censored) spunky cocks! The underwater scenes of Hall (who also appeared in the bizarre Alice in Wonderland: An X-Rated Musical Fantasy) swimming, with no attempt to disguise the backdrops on the sides of the swimming pool, make Zombie Lake's underwater scenes look like James Cameron's Ghosts of the Abyss.

It probably deserves to sink without trace, but the fact the film got made, without litigation from Universal - the music is very similar to John Williams' classic score - is remarkable, and it obviously takes it's lead from Russ Meyer and Mel Brooks in making a Nazi character a prominent comical focus. It would be about 30 years before the porn industry would tackle Jaws again, in the surprisingly well made This Ain't Jaws - a XXX parody ("We're gonna need a bigger cock")

 

Worth checking out for those interested in 70s comedy porn, and no doubt would be hilarious if you've had a few too many and watched with a bunch of mates.
5 out of 10

The Human Centipede 2 (Full Sequence) (2011)

"Stop them tears - you're just making daddy's willy harder"

When the BBFC announced a few months ago that they were refusing a certificate to Tom Six's sequel to his original hit, the interweb was buzzing with outrage. Firstly, that anything should be banned in this day and age, and secondly, as they gave their reasons in a very graphic spoiler laden write up, it made the film to sound unacceptably sick and totally unappealing.

Now we have the chance to see what the fuss was about (albeit minus 32 separate cuts amounting to just over 2 and a half minutes). To be honest, after reading the BBFC blurb I didn't particularly WANT to see it. I wasn't a big fan of the first one for a start, I found it quite over rated (yes, people DID rave about it). Then came the first proper trailer (not the rubbish audience reaction one). It actually looked intriguing. The BBFC failed to tell you it was in black and white. Not that it makes it instantly "arty" although that may have been the intention. It was just the main character, Martin (Lawrence R. Harvey - who is brilliant) was SO damn strange and scary to start with, that I felt I should see it. 

Martin is obsessed with the first film. He watches it continuously while at work as a security guard in an underground car park and keeps a nicely bound scrapbook of the film which he lovingly illustrates. He has an uncaring, overbearing, unhinged mother (Viven Bridson) and has obviously suffered some abuse as a child (hence the opening quote - a jaw dropping piece of dialogue voiced by Harvey himself, the only time we get to hear his voice) for which he is urged to see the equally strange and perverted psychiatrist Dr. Sebring (Bill Hutchins). 

you see, this is more scary than any ass to mouth!

Martin has other plans, though. He is taking a leaf from the first film's 100% medically accurate book and plans to make his own 12 man (and woman) centipede. Only without any medical know how or instruments. Staple gun and gaffa tape ok for you? Another major drawback for the odd little chap is he seems to be unable to do anything without almost collapsing from an asthma attack (as a sufferer myself, I should be outraged and offended by this, but I found it amusing).

look closer, it's his foot.. not what you were thinking...

The problem with the film is the whole meta aspect. To show a guy SO obsessed with a work of fiction that he wants to commit the atrocities is pandering to the argument that people who want to ban always use. 

It would have been a much more effective film just having Martin as a sicko fantasising about doing sick things rather than emulating a film. Having one of the original actress from the first film play herself (duped into coming to Martin thinking she is up for a Quentin Tarrantino role) was a pretty good stroke, though.

On the plus sides, Martin is one creepy guy, and the fact he doesn't utter a word (aside from a few grunts) and yet he obviously does in reality (his mother mentions several times "is this that sick film you keep going on about?". He is the ultimate film monster. In looks and deeds. It's a shame it's the usual abused upbringing that's used as a reason for him being like that. That said, watching the mother and son relationship reminded me of David and Maureen Sowerbutts in the wonderful Psychoville TV series.

The black and white photography makes it watchable, too, although you do get the feeling that Six was trying too hard to make the film have the same feel as Eraserhead (1977) or Pi (1998) but falling far short of the brilliance of those classics, but nice try, and it is one of the film's redeeming features. 

The cuts don't seem to have harmed the film from what I can see, it still makes you squirm and is very sick, with more than enough to keep the 'gore is better than story' bunch happy. it just lacks the tension build up to make the shocks work as more than just gross out moments. Just think yourself lucky Six didn't film in 3D. Wait until the 'digestion' scenes to find out why! 

One can only think Six is rubbing his hands together at the publicity the film has received thanks to the BBFC (although their decision to release it with cuts may have hurt their "banned in the UK" US publicity), as the film would have probably just had a small core audience without it. I may be wrong, but I'm pretty sure the first film went straight to DVD and was screening on the UK Sci-Fi channel (sorry refuse to call it SyFy or whatever the silly name is now) pretty much straight after it's release, with only word of mouth (or was that word of mouth to anus?) giving it it's publicity?

In conclusion, the film is not as bad as people are making out, nor as bad as I feared it would be, but I don't think I'll be rushing to see it again. 5 out of 10. (would have been higher if it hadn't been for the whole meta-centipede angle)

UPDATE : I have (despite saying I wasn't going to rush and see it again) now purchased the uncut US Blu-ray, and re-watching the film found it a much more satisfying and enjoyable experience (even if it was still horrific and uncomfortable - if that makes sense?) I still stand by my dislike of the meta-aspect in principal - purely because it garnered too much negative press and bias. I have, however decided the rating should be

8 out of 10.