Tormented

That Bert I. Gordon made some wacky flicks!

This film definitely has a dark, somber mood and rightly so. Is it really happening too Tom or is guilty conscience and insanity taking over? Despite the hindering of special effects at the time, the apparition scenes are pretty funny. Sandy really did grow up a lot during this movie. Was it a message of how the best laid plans end up crumbling like dust in the wind? Hey, can you blame Tom for falling for Vi? Oh, was there unintended humor when Tom asks the blind housekeeper if she saw something, and when she reminds him of her handicap, he says, "Sorry, I forgot.?" I always crack up at that one scene and anytime the beatnik shows up.

"No habla beatnik!"

If you're looking for first-class or even second-class acting, this is not your movie. However, if you're familiar with and like other Allied Artists B-movie horror entries circa 1960, this one fits the bill. It's somewhat like a Beatnik version of the tell-tale heart.

Tom is a rising jazz pianist about to marry a girl from a prominent family. Unfortunately his ex-lover, buxom nightclub singer Vi, refuses to let go and threatens to show Tom's fianceé the letters he wrote her. Tom is afraid of exposure - I suppose his sheltered fiancé would be shocked! shocked I say! to find out that a 35 year old man is not a virgin! Vi leans against the railing of the old lighthouse they are arguing in and the railing breaks. Tom has a few seconds to save her as she clings to the railing screaming for help. However Tom was against saving her before he was for it and he lets her drop to her death. Now technically he has done nothing wrong - she did fall on her own - and if he went to the police now and said she fell he might get away with it. But he just walks away, leaves the lighthouse, leaves the body in the sea, and figures nobody will ever know... but his conscience knows.

So suddenly what should be a happy time in his life is filled with visions of his dead lover. Sometimes it's her hand trying on his fiancée's engagement ring, sometimes it's her head rebuking him, sometimes it's her whole body in a ghostly apparition popping up in engagement party photographs. However, only he sees these things - for awhile. As someone else said, at first you can somewhat sympathize with Tom, but as Vi's "head" predicts, he goes from bad to worse to cover up his crime, until at the end he is contemplating the most horrific act imaginable.

The acting here, except for Richard Carlson as Tom and Juli Redding as Vi, is so wooden you could build a bonfire out of the performances, but it all just fits in so well to the spartan Allied Artists early 60's horror atmosphere that I didn't mind. Even Ms. Redding has some weird Marilyn Monroe vibe going, but it's all part of the fun. The really weird part is the large section of the film dedicated to Tom's future sister-in-law - all of nine - doing her prepubescent best to win Tom away from her sister.

If you like films like "The Hypnotic Eye" and "Macabre" give this one a try, just realize it's much more camp and cheese than horror.

Tom Stewart (Richard Carlson) is about to marry sweet Meg Hubbard (Legene Sanders). So, a week before the wedding he decides to break it off with big-breasted girlfriend Vi (Juli Reding). A WEEK BEFORE the wedding??!!!??? Hey, why so soon Tom? Why not do it on your honeymoon? She threatens to blackmail him with love letters. She tells him this while they're on top of a deserted lighthouse on a remote island. Great timing Vi. She falls to her death--Tom could have saved her, but doesn't. Next thing you know her ghost is tormenting him--parts of her body appear to him (but no one else), he hears her voice, sees her in pictures and begins going crazy. But is she really come back from the dead or is he out of his mind?

Silly, but I enjoyed it. I was never really bored and the story throws every ghost story cliché at you with blaring music and amusing special effects. There were even a few very creepy moments in there and Richard Carlson gives an excellent performance.

Even the crappy video transfer I saw didn't hurt--it was also 5 minutes shorter than it's reported running time and there were obvious bits missing and scratches all throughout the print. Purportedly, Something Weird Video said this was a new transfer. Oh really? I find that hard to believe.

Still, it's a cheesy, fun, little horror film. Take it for what it is--don't go in expecting some classic.

On a small island community lives a pianist Tom Stewart who's planning to marry his wealthy girlfriend Meg Hubbard. Although after having a confrontation with his old squeeze Vi Mason on a lighthouse, Tom standbys and watches her take a fall from a loose railing. Although, Tom could have saved her, but since she said that she wouldn't let him go and marry his new girlfriend. He saw this as opportunity to get rid of her, so he could get on with his new life. But that wasn't quite the case, as now a vengeful spirit in the shape of Vi has returned to constantly interrupt Tom's plans and new life.

Poor Tom, as he has got a lot on his plate to comprehend and it doesn't seem to be getting any better. I guess he'll learn the hard way. Bert I. Gordon's "Tormented" is a pleasant surprise that sets-up a mature, atmospheric ghost story that handles itself rather sincerely, despite it's obtrusively dodgy special effects. But this factor of the film only heightens its charm and burly nature. The B-grade production might show it's cheap origins, but it makes up for it with its strangely spooky atmosphere and interestingly glum story that builds up the anxiety levels and offers up a few surprises. While, the off-coloured plot is filled with inconsistencies and slows down in spots, but I never found it boring and a change in character (and events) makes it immensely gripping. When it comes to the film's conclusion it's fairly far-fetched, but it's definitely a striking note to finish out on. I was expecting something really leaden from the cast, but to my surprise everyone was acceptably fine in their roles. Richard Carlson plays the neurotic Tom whose guilt slowly overwhelms his mind with Juli Reding's beauty turned nagging ghost Viv both turning in splendid performances. Sandy Gordon's performance is that of high quality as the innocent little girl Sandy Hubbard who gets caught up in this ordeal. Mr B.I.G.'s direction is adequate enough and makes the most out of the moody setting with the ear-splitting score managing to channel out an eerie cloud that smothers the flick. Watching this, I see that restless spirits don't make great companions and will totally drive you up the wall… that's if you have treated them unfairly though.

"Tormented" is a tolerable minor entry that does deserve more credit.

Of course, I was ten years old in 1960 and back then disembodied talking heads, mysterious winds that attack weddings and kill all the flowers, and a white-ish, translucent ghost woman who swoops directly at you was pretty decent entertainment. Us kids ate this stuff up during the matinée; then, all the teens and adults arrived in the evening and I was captured by that delicious shared experience of shouted-out banter, witticisms and wise-cracks to appreciative audience laughter. Now and again a scene was intense enough to elicit some girl screams and the whole place would crack up.

See, this is the problem with writing 'dated' b-horror commentary. We're talking about the olden days here. Ya kinda had to be there. Just try recommending this to the average young adult of today! I can imagine how he'd be looking at you if he actually watched it - I'm laughing my ass off already. Yep, most of the people in this world are gonna rate this melodramatic dinosaur pretty darn low.......and yet, recently viewed, the final scene - the final 'movement' of the scorned woman was still chilling to me. Okay, so I'm a total melvin.

Anyway, if you've got the right eyes, this is a kitschy, 'modern' haunting in glorious black and white, complete with the very middest level of late fifties' special effs. If that encourages you to watch it, you are a kindred spirit, no matter your age