Le phare de l'angoisse

I bought this movie at my local video store the other day for the whooping sum of 94 cents. I figured I could`nt lose. About 10 minutes in I was thinking that I had thrown away 94 cents and was about to eject it from the VCR and throw it in the trash. However, it began to show some promise in the thrills and suspense area so I continued to watch and ended up very pleased to add this film to my collection. Even though there is nothing original about this movie (psycho killer stalks people on an island with large knife) it is well made and well acted by a cast of unknowns. At times the suspense is riveting. I would recommend this movie for at least a one time watch.

Lighthouse (AKA: Dead of Night) is directed by Simon Hunter and written by Graeme Scarfe. It stars James Purefoy, Rachel Shelley, Christopher Adamson, Don Warrington & Paul Brooke. The plot sees a prison ship on its way to the remote Marshelsea Island Prison run aground and sunk. The survivors, a mixture of cons and prison staff, struggle ashore a tiny island that's only function is to house a lighthouse. Thanking their lucky stars for surviving the wreck it's not long before they realise their luck has quickly run out. For psychotic serial killer Leo Rook has made it ashore before them and he has no intention of letting any of them survive the night.

Funded by Arts Council money, Hunter's movie took some time to make it on to the screen. What began in 1994 ended with a video release in the US (as Dead of Night) in 2000 and then two years later it got a limited theatrical release in the UK. As a slasher movie, and a generic one at that, Lighthouse doesn't veer from the norm. However, it's still a very tidy effort that gains the maximum impact from its truly eerie setting. This dark and rocky little island that is intermittently lit by the Lighthouse is perfect for stalk and slash shenanigans. And so it proves. Yes the characters are too one note and not given the best of dialogue to churn out, but for its look and nicely handled set pieces the film ends up better than average.

The cast, in spite of said bad dialogue, are more than adequate, particularly the game Shelley and the enjoyable Brooke. However, it's Adamson as nut-case Rook that leaves the best impression. As a killer Rook is really just a British version of Jason Vorhees or Michael Myers, but with his calm unflustered movements about the island, resplendent in bizarre white shoes, Rook manages to terrify and intrigue in equal measure. Why he is the way he is is not known, but this adds to the air of mystery that surrounds the man who likes to collect heads for decoration purposes! Of the set pieces, the finale is noisily OTT but works well, even if Hunter's use of slow-mo smacks of pointless pretencions. But it's with the quiet tension filled scenes where Lighthouse earns its spurs, one in the bathroom is as good as it gets for this type of film, while another involving a lifeboat down on the sand is also hold your breath enjoyable. Shot by Tony Imi on location in Cornwall & Hastings, the film is also visually appealing for those who like a grainy noir like sheen to their horror. With Hunter clearly in that frame of mind judging by his nice usage of the off kilter shot. While Debbie Wiseman's surging score has a very 50s feel to it.

It's safe to say that anyone looking for something new in this now tired of horror sub-genres will be disappointed. But the look, the feel, the setting and no shortage of the claret; more than makes up for its adherence to genre staples. 6.5/10

Visually it looked great, but it fell into madman hacks people to death in unimaginative ways with no suspense or caring for characters crap video territory very quickly. It's all been done before and a million times better in loads of other straight to video slasher shockers. Tony Imi was too good for them!

Many modern slasher flicks are somewhat campy and understandably so as writing a genuinely scary variant of a film type we've already seen many times isn't easy.

The Lighthouse takes itself seriously so at least deserves credit for trying although the result isn't anything special. The killer ultimately is another silent, emotionless type, the hero naturally happens to be someone accused of murder who isn't guilty.

Essentially a ship crashes leaving the criminals and officers to try surviving. Some manage to reach the nearby lighthouse. The only problem is the serial killer Leo Rook has escaped and already killed the lighthouse workers.

Actually there are good suspense scenes as certain characters try to avoid the killer. Unfortunately for slasher fans, the kills aren't terribly creative. At least it has good pacing and thus avoids being boring.

With Lighthouse at last we see a lottery funded co production that is trying to appeal to a mass market. Hunter has with this film managed to demonstrate that he is adept at handling action and tension while keeping the chit chat to a minimum. Some of the performances are below par but with the money he had £i.5 million we can see where Hunter has put it and it is obviously not on the performers. Notable exceptions being Don Warrington and Paul Brooke. Where the money has gone is on the set peices which are well planned and show sadistic delight in the subject matter. The production design is superb although perhaps let down by some indiffrerent cinematography in places. The film brings nothing new to the genre but Hunter does a good job with his first film. Perhaps the saddest aspect to all this is that it is inevitable that Hunter will cross the pond and work within the Hollywood system. A good watch