The Amicus Collection – DVD Review

Film, Reviews

Available at Amazon.com

Asylum
Director:
Roy Ward Baker

Cast:
Peter Cushing….Smith
Britt Ekland….Lucy
Herbert Lom….Byron
Patrick Magee….Dr. Rutherford
Barry Morse…Bruno
Charlotte Rampling….Barbara

Dark Sky Films presents Asylum. Screenplay by Robert Bloch. Running time: 89 minutes. Rated PG. Theatrical release: Nov. 17, 1972.

And Now the Screaming Starts!
Director:
Roy Ward Baker

Cast:
Peter Cushing….Dr. Pope
Herbert Lom….Henry Fengriffen
Patrick Magee….Dr. Whittle
Stephanie Beacham….Catherine Fengriffen

Dark Sky Fillms presents And Now the Screaming Starts!. Screenplay by Roger Marshall. Running time: 91 minutes. Rated R. Theatrical release: April 27, 1973.

The Beast Must Die
Director:
Paul Annett

Cast:
Peter Cushing….Dr. Christopher Lundgren
Calvin Lockhart….Tom Newcliffe
Marlene Clark….Caroline Newcliffe
Charles Gray….Arthur Bennington
Michael Gambon…Jan Jamokowski

Dark Sky Films presents The Beast Must Die. Screenplay by Michael Winder. Running time: 92 minutes. Rated PG. Theatrical release: April, 1974.

Dark Sky Films and MPI Home Video present The Amicus Collection. Three movies on Three DVDs. DVD released Oct. 30, 2007.

The Movies

Hammer has always been perceived as the source of English horror films. But they weren’t the only scary studio on the British Isles. Amicus also had a long run producing fright-fests across the pond. It’s easy to mistake an Amicus film for Hammer Horror if you start watching after the opening credits. Both studios shared actors and filmmakers. All three films in The Amicus Collection feature Hammer icon Peter Cushing. Two of the films in the set were directed by Roy Ward Baker. He had helmed Scars of Dracula and The Vampire Lovers for Hammer.

It would be wrong to term Amicus as the poor cousin of Hammer since both studios were pretty tight with a budget. Amicus focused on producing horror anthology films. This tactic allowed them to land big names without having to pay big salaries. The famous talent only needed to work for a week or less.

Asylum is a traditional Amicus anthology film. The framing story has Dr. Martin (Robert Powell) up for the position of asylum director. Part of his job interview is to figure out which of five incurable patients was the former director. Each tells a story that dissolves into a short film. Barbara Parkins describes how her lover chopped up his wife so they could be together. The dismembered spouse puts all her packaged parts to work for revenge. Peter Cushing hires Barry Morse (Lt. Philip Gerard from The Fugitive) to tailor an enchanted suit that brings the dead back to life. Charlotte Rampling’s perky best friend (Britt Ekland) helps her escape the clutches of her overbearing parents. Turns out the best friend has a naughty streak. Herbert Lom (Pink Panther) makes mini-robots of his old colleagues. He wants to be God. No need to spoil who the former director was.

And Now the Screaming Starts! has Amicus creating an English period piece set in 1795. A young bride is brought to her husband’s country estate. Turns out that besides the normal creepy things found in a droughty manor, there’s a detached hand creeping around. Even with such a distraction, the bride gets knocked up quick. A doctor played by Peter Cushing arrives to take care of the pregnant bride and the supernatural business. We learn how the roaming hand became detached thanks to the handy work of Herbert Lom. There’s a great shot when she “trapsâ€? the hand with a knife.

The Beast Must Die has Tom Newcliffe invite a few people to his remote mansion for an exotic hunting trip. He’s got plans to put a bullet in one of his guests. This is not merely a rip-off of The Most Dangerous Game. Turns out one of them is a werewolf and that’s what the host wants to claim as his trophy. Before the final act, there’s “The Werewolf Break.â€? The narrator runs through the suspects and we get 30 seconds to give our answer. They don’t explain what you win for a correct guess other than spoiling it for the clueless viewers. The acting talent of Cushing, Charles Gray (The Rocky Horror Picture Show) and Michael Gambon (The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover) is over shadowed by Calvin Lockhart in the role of Newcliffe. He’s on the verge of a heart attack in each scene. Lockhart would be a perfect thespian for a Tyler Perry film. The werewolf isn’t quite up to the standards of American Werewolf in London special effects. It’s a German Shepherd in a fur coat stolen from Zsa Zsa Gabor, but he does look fierce in the fight scenes.

The three films in The Amicus Collection are a proper introduction to the production company’s vault. If you’re a fan of disembodied cinema, you’ll be blissed with two films featuring creeping hands. Fans of werewolf movies will be let down by the lack of major Lycanthropy transformation action in The Beast Must Die. The cheesy “Werewolf Beakâ€? and Lockhart’s overkill performance saves it from being forgettable. Peter Cushing reminds us in his trio of roles that he was more than Darth Vader’s co-worker on the Death Star. He knew how to scare without sucking on scuba tank. While Amicus doesn’t have the legacy of Hammer, this trio proves they were more than a pretender to the British Fright Throne.

The DVD

VIDEO:
Asylum and And Now the Screaming Starts! are 1.85:1 anamorphic. The Beast Must Die is 1.78:1 anamorphic. The transfers are good although the color reflects early Seventies film stock.

AUDIO:
The soundtracks are Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono. Each movie has commentary tracks. The Beast Must Die has director Paul Annett talking with Jonathan Southcott. Arnett mentions how he had to keep Calvin Lockhart from overplaying his role. Asylum has Roy Ward Baker and Neil Binney discuss aspects of the film. Herbert Lom was only on location for a single day. And Now the Screaming Starts has Baker talking with actor Stephanie Beacham. Baker pointing out scenes with Herbert Lom were directed without him around. A second commentary is done by actor Ian Ogilvy. The subtitles are in English.

EXTRAS:
Directing the Beast (12:57) is a recent interview with director Paul Annett. He shares his memories of producers Max Rosenberg and Milton Subotsky. Neither were fond of the project. He tells the secret of Peter Cushing’s white gloves. He dishes the dirt about the dog that played the werewolf. Annett was not pleased with the “Werewolf Break.â€?

Inside the Fear Factory (19:57) gives the history of Amicus and how two guys from New York ended up making movie in swinging London. Max Rosenberg, one of the founders, says he and partner Milton Subotsky developed Curse of Frankenstein for Hammer, but were ripped off. This screw job inspired them to start their own studio. Freddie Francis discusses his time with Amicus. Francis has praise for his work with Peter Cushing. He doesn’t have the same respect for the stars of The Deadly Bees. Roy Ward Baker barely remembers seeing the producers on the set.

Biographies are text screens about cast and crew.

Photo Gallery has production stills and international posters for each release.

The DVD Lounge’s Ratings for The Amicus Collection
CATEGORY
RATING
(OUT OF 10)
THE MOVIES

7
THE VIDEO

8
THE AUDIO

8
THE EXTRAS

7
REPLAY VALUE

8
OVERALL
7
(NOT AN AVERAGE)

The Inside Pulse
If you’re a fan of Micheal Caine’s The Hand, you’ll embrace two of these films. Amicus knew how to make dismembered parts spook.

Joe Corey is the writer and director of "Danger! Health Films" currently streaming on Night Flight and Amazon Prime. He's the author of "The Seven Secrets of Great Walmart People Greeters." This is the last how to get a job book you'll ever need. He was Associate Producer of the documentary "Moving Midway." He's worked as local crew on several reality shows including Candid Camera, American's Most Wanted, Extreme Makeover Home Edition and ESPN's Gaters. He's been featured on The Today Show and CBS's 48 Hours. Dom DeLuise once said, "Joe, you look like an axe murderer." He was in charge of research and programming at the Moving Image Archive.