Fright (1972)

Surprisingly incoherent and boring

Better Late Then Never

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

The Susan George fan club president is here again (just kidding!) and my review of FRIGHT focuses more on whether or not this is a picture worthy of this lovely young starlet who unfortunately did not choose her parts well, and ended up in less conventional movies. And got dubbed (a) a sexpot (b) "poor Susan, always getting raped".FRIGHT, by today's standards, and by the kind of slasher flicks to follow in the wake of HALLOWEEN, is hardly a frightening movie. So if that's what you're looking for, you'd be well advised to stay clear. I wanted a good movie with suspense showing off Susan George to full advantage, and that is what I got, she is absolutely darling in this 1971 movie. At her best. Though I'd always have a special fondness for LOLA, better known as TWINKY. And DIRTY MARY CRAZY LARRY shall forever remain THE Susan George movie. But lookswise Susan's at the top of her game here. Did I say darling?The It girl of the late Sixties and early Seventies, Susan George was the best the silver screen had to offer at that time. Even today she'd hold her own looking the way she does in FRIGHT compared against the best of contemporary Hollywood. So just imagine her effect on the hearts and minds of men and women alike back in 1971! A blonde bombshell, and a very, very likable one too. Always cheeky in a very cute way, especially in FRIGHT, DIE SCREAMING MARIANNE and LOLA, Susan represents this reviewer's ideal dream girl, and it is saddening that alas! fate ruined her career with health obstacles. But for a time back there, she was the ultimate screen goddess, and her youthful exuberance will forever shine in my heart and mind forever. If you'd observe closely, she wasn't really Playboy pretty, more girl next door with just a fantastic figure and a really great hairstyle. Some people have a lot owed to choosing a great hairstyle, Farrah Fawcett- Majors, Jennifer Aniston... Include Susan George here. I did say darling, did I not?As for the picture, it really started off on the right track, but gets derailed and loses steam with an unconvincing villain and a script that falls far short as the story progresses. And that scene where she is trying to escape all busty-looking is filmed wrong. Unconvincing. Contrived. Film sexiness as sexiness, don't do it this way, it ruins all credibility and ruined my enjoyment of the movie as I from then on saw through all its mistakes.Honor Blackman was quite disappointing as well. Really, I can say a lot of good things about this movie: Susan's eyes, Susan's hair, Susan's legs. Without Susan, I'd not have bothered. Put it this way: Anything remotely likable about this movie besides Susan George? No. ZILCH.But, wow, nice chick. Unforgettable.

The plot-line of Fright is very similar to the idea used by John Carpenter for his box-office smash Halloween (1978) several years later. After all its story can be boiled down to one sentence - a baby-sitter is terrorised by a psychopath who has escaped from an asylum. Consequently, Fright could be considered alongside the likes of Black Christmas (1974) as a proto-slasher of sorts. It's definitely quite a nasty movie for its era. It starts out as a psychological thriller and turns into a house invasion movie. And like most from the latter sub-genre it gets somewhat disturbing and exploitative in the process. Unfortunately, this transition also marks the point in which the film loses a bit of quality. The first half in which an unknown ominous person is stalking around outside the house is very strong and actually tense and scary. But once the action moves to within the house things do go a bit flat. The unknown quality that elevated the earlier scares is replaced with less interesting shock material. It also bothered me a bit that the babysitter acted a little too stupidly to be entirely believable. Her boyfriend staggers into the house bloodied and half-dead and a mysterious man follows a few seconds later and she never considers that he may be the lunatic responsible! And then later on the film finishes with an abrupt ending that doesn't entirely work unfortunately.But, criticisms aside, this is still a pretty fine psychological thriller. Its director Peter Collinson would go on to direct another film from that genre the following year, namely Straight on Till Morning. He made that one for the famous British studio Hammer and it was one of the most pleasingly atypical offerings they ever turned out. Both films certainly show Collinson had a handle on generating suspense. Fright benefits additionally from a very good cast. Susan George is ridiculously cute and puts in an impressive performance. Like her work in the same year's Straw Dogs, this is another tough role where she has to go through some pretty nasty scenes. Ian Bannen plays her maniac tormentor and Honor Blackman of The Avengers fame is his ex-wife. We also have Dennis Waterman and George Cole star together for the first time; they would of course go on to be a TV double act in the 80's series Minder.The film is quite notable too for featuring enacted terror scenes involving a child which would simply never be allowed to be filmed now. Amongst others, at one point Bannen holds him aggressively with a shard of glass against his neck. Okay, it was a prop and not actually glass but nevertheless I'm pretty sure that sort of scene would not be permitted to be filmed nowadays. So like many older genre pictures, this one is a window into another time where different rules applied. I would ultimately recommend this film with some reservations. It has a few problem areas but it more than makes up for those with some genuine chills, the delectable Susan George and a pleasing early 70's vibe.

"Fright" starts off extremely well. Susan George is a very pretty girl who comes over to babysit while the lady and gentleman of the house spend an evening out. The setup of this film is done very skillfully, and I was rapt with interest as the groundwork was laid for the terror to come. As Susan spends the first quarter-hour alone in the house, there is a growing sense of foreboding...and then, much to my disappointment, the film proceeds to slowly jump the shark. The source of the film's evil menace—which should deliver the paralyzing fright that the film's title promises—is far more annoying than horrific, and modern-day viewers are apt to be bewildered by the police response (if you can call it that), which involve standing around outside the house talking somewhat loudly. What a terrible pity this movie couldn't follow through on what starts out so well. Although Susan George is quite easy on the eyes.

Being a fan of UK 70's horror I was pleased to be able to obtain a copy of the Anchor Bay DVD of this film for next to nothing. Again it's another of those films that isn't yet available in the UK, but has been out in the USA for a couple of years,strange!! I had seen mixed reviews of this, and apart from a basic understanding that it had a similar plot to 'Halloween' and starred Susan George,I didn't know what to expect really.Some people reckoned the film dragged and others said the cinematography was dated.Well I have to say having viewed the film I disagree with both of those points. I thoroughly enjoyed this film, and was engrossed in it as soon as it started.Apart from George Cole(who just does his usual thing) all the performances are excellent, and an air of menace is soon built up.Thoroughly recommended for devotees of UK horror.The quality of the print on the Anchor Bay DVD must be praised as well, superb.