Stalker

One reviewer claims this isn't a horror film then seeks to justify that comment by saying there's very little gore. Dear me, when did good horror require gore? If done with a bit of style, atmosphere, decent acting and a proper understanding of and respect for the genre, then it's not needed at all. The interesting thing is that the writer and director is none other than Martin Kemp. The man has gone from child actor to pop start to cinematic gangster to soap star to music revivalist to screenwriter and director...and like everything else he's done, he's been successful! Interesting too that he would know much about the infamous Hose on Straw Hill/Expose film of the mid-70s. Perhaps other reviewers would question that films horror veracity too? Here Kemp remakes with a considerable twist (albeit a somewhat clichéd one) and even brings back Linda Hayden who played a younger, saucier character back in the day. From the original film to Hammer Dracula to the awesome 'Blood On Satan's Claw', Linda is always a welcome contributor. Convincing performances from Jane March and Billy 'The Bill' Murray also help and it's mice to see the excellent Colin Salmon, though he seems less comfortable. In short, a psycho thriller type horror film that isn't particularly original but successfully evokes the feel of mid-70s independent British horror. I hope that Kemp makes more of these.

First of all everyone should know this is not anything even close to what you would expect from a film named "Stalker". It involves a writer under pressure for her second book, her first was a #1 Bestseller so people were eager to see what's next. The author, rumored to have had a recent breakdown, has also had a very tragic childhood. We are given flashbacks from what appears to be her childhood but it all doesn't make full sense until near end. It is a short film at around 70 minutes and I was getting kind of bored around mid point, but then the unveiling of the classic twist which we have seen many times before. So all in all it was a decent effort but was nothing to run out & try to track down or pay to view for that matter. It was an average movie & I had no problem spending some time watching it. I'm not really sure how to rate it mainly due to it's lack of originality. I'll say 5-6/10. However this is not a horror movie at all it has been MISLABELED there is very little gore & very very little tension till the final minutes. So if you're looking for that as I was, you will be sadly disappointed.

STALKER is the Martin Kemp-directed remake of the notorious video nasty THE HOUSE ON STRAW HILL, a sordid tale of depravity and murder that came out in the mid-'70s. Thankfully enough has been changed in this story to make it an effective shocker in its own right, one that even fans of the original film will find has surprises in store.

Truth be told, I quite liked this movie. It's no classic but it is a solid little thriller and, given it's a low budget British B-movie, the quality is a lot better than you'd expect. The dull Anna Brecon stars as a mousy writer who goes off to live in a remote country cottage to work on her new novel, only to fall foul of a psychopath.

STALKER benefits from effective direction, some shocking moments of violence, and decent performances from the supporting cast. Best of all is Jane March (COLOUR OF NIGHT) playing the secretary and having a ball with the role. Dependable character actors like Billy Murray and Colin Salmon turn up and are most welcome, and there's even a minor part for Linda Hayden, who of course starred in the original film. STALKER is a film that kept me interested throughout, and that's a rare enough thing for a low budget film these days.

A question I ask rhetorically. An interesting 70s shocker/video nasty with a unique cast, Udo Kier, Linda Hayden and Fiona Richmond, and loaded with rape, softcore sex, simulated masturbation and slashing. Did it need an updated remake? Not to mention I Spit On Your Grave, Mothers Day, House on Sorority Row, Black Christmas and many more low-budget slashers shot in the 70s and 80s that producers decided to remake in watered down versions for no reason.

What I don't understand is why Linda Hayden would trash this film and then appear in the remake.

Not to be confused with the 1970s Soviet film where three men wander off in to the Russian wilderness and do absolutely nothing for four hours STALKER is no less unentertaining . Based upon a British horror movie from 35 years earlier whose only claim to fame it was banned by the BBFC . It features a plot about a female writer working on her second novel but instead of getting on with the task of writing a book she sits in the garden , sips a glass of wine , has a bath , lies in bed and does a hundred other mundane things , none of which involve typing stuff up on a lap top . There might be something about to happen because creepy music plays out on the soundtrack . Ms Writer sits down in a chair , creepy music . Ms Writer stares at a computer , creepy music . Ms Writer brushes her teeth , creepy music . In fact no matter what happens creepy music is the star of the movie . Considering the director of STALKER is Martin Kemp the talented pretty boy from Spandau Ballet this might be the reason for it