Die Nacht des kalten Grauens

This is a fairly interesting picture with lots of British faces and a gorgeous young Susan George playing the babysitter. Ian Bannen's acting doesn't bear close inspection at the best of times, but here his characterisation seems appropriate. This is a seventies film so flares are much in evidence and Dennis Waterman has some wicked side burns. Also check out the amusing restaurant scene where diners in velvet dinner-wear are grooving and shimmering to a guy playing a jazzy number on a Hammond organ. Overall though, an interesting yarn.

This movie scared the crap out of me when I first saw it as young teenager.

Susan George was really good in as the babysitter (Amanda). She is terrorized by the baby's estranged father. This movie has a really creepy feeling to it. It was filmed in England, and most of the really old houses there just seem to have that eerie look about them. This is a movie worth checking out......

Fright (1971) is directed by Peter Collinson, a largely under-rated film-maker who received his only positive notices for the film The Italian Job, though in reality he made a fair few good films such as Innocent Bystanders and The Earthling.

The story is simple, but fairly engrossing: a young babysitter in a lonely mansion is terrorised by an escaped homicidal lunatic. The babysitter is nicely played by Susan George and the maniac is very convincingly portrayed by Ian Bannen.

The film starts out just fine, with some careful and genuinely suspenseful build up scenes. Every now and then, we are fed another clue that someone unpleasant is hanging around outside the mansion... Dennis Waterman is assaulted whilst walking through the grounds; we see a cloudy figure sneaking past the kitchen door as George boils the kettle, etc. The film is pretty scary early on, and I'm not embarrassed to admit that the hairs on my neck were prickling a bit.

However, it all goes wrong later on. The maniac turns up about a third of the way in and the effective suspense suddenly gives way to sadism and over-the-top hysterics. Bannen, as mentioned earlier, plays the part very well, but the lines he has to speak and his actions are ludicrously and needlessly savage. I know he's meant to be a bad man, but his nastiness just seems too excessive. Collinson forgets to keep the suspense ticking over and lunges for the audiences jugular, dragging down what could have a great little thriller and turning into a mere exploitation shocker.

Looking for a dark, moody, even solemn movie? Give this one a turn. Fright is a thriller that relies more on sheer spookiness than out-and-out action.

Young Amanda is left alone to baby sit at a house in rural England. In the dead of night everything seems to put her on edge; noises outside the windows, a light bulb goes out, the creaking of the old house. Amanda tries to tell herself she is only being a chicken about it all, but what if there really is someone outside? What would she do-- if there was a knock at the door or a pale face peering through the window? That's just what she'll find out.

The title of this film turns out to be quite fitting as Fright grows from spooky atmosphere to intense suspense and finally a dramatic conclusion that's almost saddening. Collinson's direction is splendidly tight and builds to tremendous tension. Kudos go to a great cast, a haunting theme song, and to writer Tudor Gates for being the first to come up with the babysitter vs. madman thriller.

A dark film if there ever was one, Fright is a powerful and atmospheric thriller that should please anyone seeking some good chills without gory violence.

*** out of ****

You might call this a slasher prototype (since it resembles something of "Halloween" and "When A Stranger Calls"), as your generic staples are there and in full flight. However it's not terribly successful in making it totally effective, but anything with Honor Blackman and the lovely Susan George in a short purple skirt has got to be worth your time. Of course! Being a very minimal production, the Gothic set-pieces are tight and the story quite simple-minded (babysitter terrorised by a escaped homicidal lunatic who returns to his family home for one night), where its all about hysteria and claustrophobic tension in a forlorn staging. The main problem it was just too uneven. Good uneasy first half, let down by a weak, bloated second half. Some plastered jolts, and atmospheric touches worked (mainly those vivid sound effects), but definitely there were moments that didn't have much impact, and fell in the risible bracket. Not helping was the script completely plods along. Peter Collinson's terse direction, along with Ian Wilson's skillful cinematography and Harry Robertson's whimsically edgy musical score build upon the creaky, and moody old-school atmosphere. The dark, gloomy isolated house (you cant go wrong there!) is well-used in many of the set-ups, and they achieve many unique placements (reflections to silhouettes) with the characters. Collinson's framing is first-rate. A busty Susan George (who gets some scenes with her bra-exposed) is superb in her well-rounded performance of conveying the frightening despair that basically overwhelms her. On the other hand Ian Bannen's spaced out, muttering psychotic loony was a bit hit-and-miss. Honor Blackman scores points as the up-tight mother. George Cole, John Gregson and Dennis Waterman provide sturdy support. Passable little horror flick.