MOVIES & MANIA score:
‘If you happen to go down within the woods right this moment…’
Assault is a 1970 British horror thriller movie directed by Sidney Hayers (Lethal Strangers; Revenge; Night time of the Eagle; Circus of Horrors) from a screenplay by John Kruse (Revenge; Hell Drivers), primarily based on the novel The Ravine by Kendal Younger. Additionally launched as Within the Satan’s Backyard
The film stars Suzy Kendall (Tales That Witness Insanity; Torso), Frank Finlay (Lifeforce; Homicide by Decree; The Lethal Bees; et al), Freddie Jones (Firestarter; Vampira; Frankenstein Should Be Destroyed; et al), Tony Beckley (When a Stranger Calls; The Fiend; The Misplaced Continent), Lesley-Anne Down (Gates of Darkness; From Past the Grave; Countess Dracula) and James Laurenson (The Chilly Mild of Day; The Flip of the Screw (1974); The Monster Membership).
Our assessment:
It is a beautiful restoration of a British ‘Giallo‘. Effectively, if it have been Italian they’d be calling it a Giallo. It’s from the suitable interval, has a faceless maniac who carnally assaults after which kills, and wears black leather-based gloves whereas they’re doing it. There’s no J&B however hey – you may’t have all the things.
We do, nonetheless, have Frank Finlay as a police inspector investigating the assault of native schoolgirl Lesley-Anne Down in Satan’s Finish Wooden (The same destiny would befall Miss Down within the Michael J. Chicken-written Out of the Unknown TV episode ‘To Lay A Ghost’ with much more disturbing penalties however thankfully for the actress this didn’t grow to be a pattern). The assault has left her mute and an inmate of the native hospital the place she’s being sorted by psychiatrist James Laurenson.
When a second lady is discovered carnally assaulted and murdered the police discover they might have an eyewitness within the type of college artwork trainer Suzy Kendall (but once more saddled with one of many worst wardrobes in Nineteen Seventies horror movie historical past, and that’s saying one thing), who concocts an elaborate plan to catch the killer by getting the native newspaper editor (a splendidly sleazy Freddie Jones) to print a narrative suggesting her portray of the killer will probably be revealed in 4 days’ time. However regardless of maintaining watch will the police be capable to cease Suzy being the subsequent sufferer?
Assault is likely to be thought of a part of a sub-sub-genre of early ’70s British horror cinema which additionally contains Robert Fuest’s And Quickly the Darkness (1970) and the Assault crew’s personal Revenge (1971). Assault isn’t fairly as grim, gloomy and hysterical as Revenge however you may inform that author John Kruse, director Sidney Hayers and Carry On producer Peter Rogers (Carry On Screaming!) are working as much as it with their very British try on the sort of lurid crime thriller the Italians made their very own for the subsequent couple of years. Composer Eric Rogers, additionally greatest identified for the Carry Ons, gives a music rating that’s particularly excessive and comes throughout a bit like Stick with it Slashing.
The forged is an fascinating mixture of acquainted British faces, amongst them James Cosmo in an early position, deliciously sleazy / barely mad Tony Beckley because the husband of headmistress Dilys Hamlett, Anthony Ainley from The Blood on Devil’s Claw as the top of the hospital, the ever-present Marianne Stone as a hospital matron, and a really younger David Essex as a biker in want of some cotton wool.
Community’s restoration (in affiliation with the BFI) seems to be unbelievable – there’s no approach this movie may have regarded this good when it performed in cinemas. Extras are restricted to a trailer and nonetheless gallery however that is such a superbly introduced piece of lurid early Nineteen Seventies British exploitation cinema that it’s well worth the value anyway.
John Llewellyn Probert, visitor reviewer by way of Home of Mortal Cinema
Purchase Community Blu-ray: Amazon.co.uk
Purchase Community DVD: Amazon.co.uk
Selection dialogue:
Detective Chief Superintendent Velyan: “It’s loopy, completely loopy. It’s so loopy it would work.”
YouTube visitor assessment by The Midnight Woodsman:
Trailer:
Solid and credit:
Suzy Kendall … Julie West
Frank Finlay … Detective Chief Superintendent Velyan
Freddie Jones … Denning the Reporter
James Laurenson … Greg Lomax
Lesley-Anne Down … Tessa Hurst
Tony Beckley … Leslie Sanford
Anthony Ainley … Mr Bartell
Dilys Hamlett … Mrs Sanford
James Cosmo … Detective Sgt. Beale – A Gap within the Floor; Malevolent; Estranged; Darkish Indicators; Citadel; Hammer Home of Horror TV sequence; The Stone Tape; Doomwatch
Patrick Jordan … Sergeant Milton
Allan Cuthbertson … Coroner – The Physique Stealers; The Mind (1962); The Stranglers of Bombay
Anabel Littledale … Susan Miller
Tom Chatto … Police Physician
Equipment Taylor … Physician
Jan Butlin … Day Receptionist
William Hoyland … Chemist in Hospital
John Swindells … Desk Sergeant
Jill Carey … Night time Receptionist
David Essex … Man in Chemist Store
Valerie Shute … Woman in Chemist Store
John Stone … Hearth Chief
Siobhan Quinlan … Jenny Greenaway
Marianne Stone … Matron
Janet Lynn … Woman in Library
Filming areas:
Black Park, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England
Harehatch Lane, Egypt, Buckinghamshire, England
Heatherden Corridor, Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England
London Highway and Windsor Finish, Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, England
Manufacturing and launch:
Principal pictures commenced on sixth June 1970. Having been awarded an ‘X’ certificates by censorship physique the BBFC on 14th October 1970, Assault was launched by the Rank Organisation on eleventh February 1971.
Alternate titles:
The Creepers – US video launch title
Useless Thriller
Within the Satan’s Backyard – US Hemisphere launch title
Devil’s Playthings – US re-release title
Terrore al London School
Tower of Terror – US TV title
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