The Comeback

After having unleashed no less than FOUR genuine cult-shockers upon the British horror market in collaboration with David McGillivray ("House of Whipcord", "Frightmare", "House of Mortal Sin" and "Schizo"), Pete Walker falls back on the writing skills of Murray Smith, with whom he made his very first horror film ("Die Screaming Marianne") as well as a couple of light-headed sex-comedies. Smith's imagination isn't as offensive or twisted as McGillivray's, and thus "The Comeback" is an overall politically correct horror effort. That DOESN'T mean it's bad or unmemorable, mind you! The story's subject matter is fairly original, the character drawings are morbidly eccentric and Walker masterfully alters long scenes of suspense with some of the grossest killings in 70's cinema I've ever seen. Real life singer Jack Jones stars as crooner Nick Cooper, working hard on making a comeback after he divorced his dominating wife Gail. His former record producer still believes in his qualities and even arranged for Nick to live in a large mansion, complete with two loyal – albeit oddly behaving – servants at his disposal. Troubles appear when the rotting corpse of Nick's ex-wife, who has been violently murdered in their former penthouse, begins to haunt him at night along with petrifying sobbing sounds of a small child. It soon begins to look like someone intends to boycott Nick's new career and even hurt him personally. Despite most of the red herrings and sub plots being implausible and far-fetched, the whodunit-element of "The Comeback" keeps you alert and interested up until the satisfying denouement (that I didn't see coming, I may add). The faster the ending approached, I began to fear that Murray Smith would make the same mistake as he did in "Die Screaming Marianne" – loose control and drown in all the deceptive plot twists -, but experienced director Walker neatly fits everything back together during the shlocky finale. He also makes great use of terrifically sinister set pieces, like the creepy penthouse and the totally uncanny rooms in the mansion. The film contains multiple homage references to classic films (although some people tend to call them rip-offs), such as "Psycho" and "Citizen Kane" and I wondrously even loved the corny song called "Traces of a long forgotten tune". The acting is adequate, although Sheila Keith's performance is a cut above the rest as usual. "The Comeback" was one of Pete Walker's last achievements, followed by only two more movies. His work may very well be an acquired taste, but I definitely consider him to be among the most talented horror filmmakers that were active in Europe.

Nick Cooper (Jack Jones) is a singer in desperate need of a comeback. So he holes up at a creepy country estate (that's your first mistake right there) hoping to be inspired. He instead finds himself tortured by the restless spirit of his murdered wife (get it? She COMES BACK?).

The film features New Zealand star Pamela Stephenson (Bloodbath at the House of Death, History of the World, Part I), who can be depended upon to show great nudity, and she briefly exposes herself here.

Not too crazy about the ending. but you do get to see Charlie's Angels' Bosley in full drag.

Watch closely, as Jack Jones sings in the new film American Hustle.

Being famous can have its drawbacks. Famous singer Jack Jones plays Nick Cooper, a well-known pop singer who relocates to a London estate to start recording music again following his divorce from his wife Gail(Holly Palance). Little does he know while he was flying to England, his ex-wife is brutally murdered. While he was trying to reclaim his past fame, the people he is staying with have a secret that is even well- hidden from Nick. The stay at the estate was not very pleasant to him. He would hear moans, sobbing, and crying from within, and the caretakers take his complaints very lightly. Not only that his wife gets killed, his friend Harry (Peter Turner) gets stabbed as well. So when Nick began to start losing his mind, the insanity points out to the people he is staying with. To me, that estate was nothing more than tourist trap. Jack Jones has put a performance on both music and the big screen. David Doyle has been well known as John Bosley on "Charlie's Angels". This movie is quite subtle, and not too violent. Has plenty of suspense though. This one is great for the music buffs. 2 out of 5 stars

There are certainly are a few (so called)well made, big budget horror films that are not as entertaining as this one. Jack Jones gives it all he's got as an actor and looks like he is having a ball. All in all IMHO an enjoyable piece of late night hokum.

Perhaps the most terrifying thing about this late 70's British set horror is that it features bill owen, he of u.k old folks fave tv show 'last of the summer wine' fame, amongst it's cast. Anyone familiar with bill's family friendly sitcom work, will be perturbed to find him appearing in a film that features various stabbings , a shot of actress Pamela stevenson's bare behind and a scene where a character describes his favourite breast size.This is truly as far from Sunday teatime tv as you can possibly get. Bill's casting aside, this is standard pete walker fare, it's all bawdy, bloody fun for 90 minutes and then back to reality with the vaguest recollection of what you just saw. Don't get me wrong pete walker, like his contemporary Norman j Warren did offer a very distinctive British flavour to 1970's horror cinema and his film's were never less than enjoyable, it's just 'the comeback's tale of singer returning to the limelight, whilst being tormented by a bloodthirsty killer, feels to me like every other script for his work and that is that it's underwritten and the finished film undercooked.