The Ghoul

At a party in the 1920s, two dizzy couples challenge each other to a car race to Land's End. But the race ends in fog near a lonely, dark mansion where Peter Cushing offers hospitality at a gruesome price!

A seriously underrated horror film that boasts some great atmosphere, swirling mists across the moor, the dread and an engaging story, but the pace can be slow at times. However, generally this is a good chiller that also features some gory moments, if only towards the end. Loved the 1920's setting. Peter Cushing acts superbly, like usual, and looks quite melancholic. His wife had died recently. In the scene the woman in the photo is his wife.

Those of you who love a good mystery should love this movie. After a party for the rich, 2 couples at the party decide to race to lands end in Cornwall. Soon one of the cars breaks down, one is off the road and they are in trouble. One of the women goes into a mansion to ask for help and it's clear that she's unwelcome. Peter Cushing plays Dr Lawrence who hides a dark secret in the attic. Cushing is quite dull in his role but he comes back at the end. John Hurt is completely miscast as the grumpy and perverted gardener. He actually plays the role very well and it's fun to see him do something interesting. He also invented a great new slap. He raises his hand and brings it down to chop the persons face with his fingers. I tried it and it's very painful! It shall be referred to as 'The ghoul slap'. As for the movie, the rest of the cast is on good form and Ian McCulloch stars in a pre 'Zombi 2' role. Still, he tries to take on the ghoul at the end and fails miserably. The atmosphere is superb with marshes and fog although the movie does run at a slow pace. Killings are the usual with stabbing's and shootings although some scenes have great special fx for gore. Particularly Ian McCulloch's demise. It is well worth a watch although it is very dodgy and quite slow. 5.5 out of 10.

I sort of liked this one, but mainly because of the performances of Peter Cushing and John Hurt. Also, Ian McCullough is rather good in it too. However, if you have seen the movie "The Oblong Box" and "The Dunwich Horror" you will know where this one is going. No surprises are in store for you and there really are few murders so it is not exactly a gore fest. So the only thing this one really has going is the actors I have already mentioned and if you do not really care for them I would have to suggest you skip this one. The ending to this one is also very much like the ending to "The Oblong Box" where you wait to see the face of the killer and in the end it is really not all that big a deal. Still though, the movie manages to not to be to boring, well to me anyway and if you are a big Peter Cushing fan you may want to check it out.

England during the 1920s.At a party, two bored men challenge each other to a car race to Land's End.But one of the cars breaks down.Daphne Wells-Hunter walks to the nearby country estate to find help and meets Dr Lawrence,a former missionary to India,who lives in seclusion there. But then she is killed by the bald,cadaverous man that Lawrence keeps locked in an upstairs room and her companion is pushed over the cliff in the car.Their friends come looking for them and refuse to believe Lawrence's explanation that it was an accident.Interesting British production from Tyburn Films,founded by Kevin Francis.Not much is ever explained about cannibalistic ghoul hidden on the attic.The atmosphere of strangeness amid the mist-flowing moors is certainly well evoked and Peter Cushing gives a memorable performance as always.I have seen this film for the first time as a kid and it really creeped me out.8 out of 10.

This is the first film from Tyburn Productions (a supposed latter-day successor to Hammer and Amicus; they also had Peter Cushing starring in Legend of the Werewolf(1975) and Masks of Death(1984)).

This has to rank as one of Peter Cushing's most memorable performances - his role is portrayed with such dedicated nervousness and emotion, that the viewer immediately gets his sympathy.

The female photographs used in the movie are of his real wife Helen, who had passed away in 1971. The tears that Peter Cushing sheds in this film are for real and it did affect the rest of the cast quite deeply.

Aside from this, the plot stumbles along with yawning gaps of pointless dialogue and actionless scenes, until the Ghoul is revealed at the end. It's not really worth the wait!

Watch it only for a dedicated professional at work who steals all the scenes and makes a poor film seem passable.