Taste of Fear

Any fan of Hitchcock(ian) suspense and/or horror should track down this film...you won't be disappointed. This is one film where the actors really seemed to love being in their perspective roles...this is full of unexpected thrills! unpredictable twists and turns...this one will keep you guessing and watching. Don't miss it!

Considering the movie is essentially a single set, 4 actors, and a "dead man", it's a heck-uva good little thriller. Credit should go to writer Sangster, director Holt, and 4 excellent performances, especially Strasberg's vulnerable young woman. Okay, the whole story is pretty contrived with a number of unexpected twists, but the measure of a thriller is how well you're glued to your seat, and this one uses epoxy.

So, what's up with Penny's (Strasberg) dad. He keeps turning up in odd places like the bottom of a pool. For a guy who looks dead, he sure gets around. And what's with step-mom Jane (Todd) always fussing around in the background, along with her friend the doctor. If I were Penny, I wouldn't let Christopher Lee's doc anywhere near my neck. Good thing Penny has the handsome chauffeur Bob (Lewis) on her side, because that wheelchair keeps going off- track. For some reason, the movie, especially the rancid pool, kept reminding me of the French classic Les Diabolique (1954).

I'm rather curious, however, about actor Ronald Lewis, a strong presence, and perhaps the only actor of the period to appear in a male bikini. He was a suicide at a relatively young age, suggesting a backstory of some kind—too bad IMDb couldn't provide more. Anyway, the movie manages to prove that sunny new mansions can be just as creepy as old dark ones, and that the ritzy French Riviera may not be a good place to vacation, especially if you're trying to get an ocean view from the cliffs.

Atmospheric Hammer thriller with great sets (including a deceptively deep pool!). It feels a little slow in the middle, as it covers familiar "Gaslight"-type territory, but the final stretch has several clever twists which are worth waiting for, and a killer ending (no pun intended). Susan Strasberg is very good in the lead; perhaps the movie's only mistake is Christopher Lee's French accent! *** out of 4.

God bless the internet and god bless DVD. The reason I say that is because once hidden gems like this film are now being discovered by a bigger audience. Taste Of Fear (AKA:Scream Of Fear) is produced out of that bastion of British horror, Hammer Films, it's directed by Seth Holt (The Nanny), written by Jimmy Sangster (X:The Unknown/The Curse Of Frankenstein) and stars Susan Strasberg, Ronald Lewis, Ann Todd & that cornerstone of Hammer Horror, Christopher Lee.

Shot in moody black & white by Holt and cinematographer Douglas Slocombe, and eerily scored by Clifton Parker, the story sees a young paralysed woman return to her family home in France to visit her father who she hasn't seen for years; and to finally meet her new step-mother. Upon arrival she is informed that her father has had to go away on business, which becomes a problem as she starts to see his dead body, first in the summer house, then in the lounge! The mind can play tricks, especially to the traumatised, but she's convinced that what she is seeing is real. Even the family doctor (Lee in a suitably suspicious role) thinks there are mental issues here. Undaunted she enlists the help of friendly chauffeur Bob and sets about unravelling either her mind, or the mystery that lurks at the Appleby home.

The film opens with an attention grabbing sequence as police drag a lake for a body, from there on the film becomes essentially a four character piece. Now it's been said in some quarters that this structure telegraphs where the film is going to end up. There's a tiny bit of truth in that but there are at least three twisty kickers here to steer this far away from charges of predictability. In fact the finale has a double whammy that is most rewarding. The whole film pulses with atmosphere and is cloaked in shadows and low tone conversations. The sound work here is also top quality, the constant jabber of the crickets gnaw away at the ears, while the swish of the nearby sea instills a calm that ultimately sets up a false sense of security. The acting is on the money too, be it Strasberg perfectly conveying a multitude of emotions from her wheelchair, or Todd doing a nice line in the "too good to be true?" wholesome step-mom routine. All parties ensure that the story is built up right and that the pay off provides maximum impact.

Christopher Lee once said that this was one of the best Hammer Horror film's he was ever involved with, that's a fine selling point to be sure. A different kind of Hammer Horror, one that drips with dread and thrives on its mystery elements. Taste Of Fear is highly recommended to genre fans who prefer psychological chillers over blood letting and overkilled boo jump movies. 8/10

Scream of Fear aka Taste of Fear (1961) is a marvelous, unknown (at least to me) Hammer film. The story concerns a girl in a wheelchair going to live with her Dad whom she hasn't seen in years. Upon arrival, she meets her stepmother for the first time and is informed that her Dad is away on business. That night, she investigates a strange light in the summer house and discovers here dead father. In her horrified state, she falls into the pool. After she's revived, an investigation of the summer house reveals nothing. As the strange events continue to occur, the local doctor begins to doubt her sanity. But, with the help of the chauffeur, she's determined to get to the bottom of the mystery before she is either killed or driven insane. Anymore of the story would ruin it for anyone who hasn't seen the movie.

I've seen some call Scream of Fear "predictable". While I agree to a certain extent, there are enough twists and turns in the plot to keep most anyone guessing. While I may have seen some of the events coming, I could have never guessed the ending. To me, it was an "edge of the seat" movie from start to finish.

The acting is first rate. All four of the major characters are brilliantly played. Susan Strasberg is convincingly fragile as the wheelchair-bound Penny Appleby. Ronald Lewis and Ann Todd are perfect as the chauffeur and stepmother, respectively. And, although all he does is come to dinner and talk psycho mumbo jumbo, Christoper Lee is mysterious and convincing as Dr. Gerrard.

Everything else about this film, from the beautiful black & white photography to the creepy score, is perfect. I've really got nothing bad to say.