Tormented

Of course, I was ten years old in 1960 and back then disembodied talking heads, mysterious winds that attack weddings and kill all the flowers, and a white-ish, translucent ghost woman who swoops directly at you was pretty decent entertainment. Us kids ate this stuff up during the matinée; then, all the teens and adults arrived in the evening and I was captured by that delicious shared experience of shouted-out banter, witticisms and wise-cracks to appreciative audience laughter. Now and again a scene was intense enough to elicit some girl screams and the whole place would crack up.

See, this is the problem with writing 'dated' b-horror commentary. We're talking about the olden days here. Ya kinda had to be there. Just try recommending this to the average young adult of today! I can imagine how he'd be looking at you if he actually watched it - I'm laughing my ass off already. Yep, most of the people in this world are gonna rate this melodramatic dinosaur pretty darn low.......and yet, recently viewed, the final scene - the final 'movement' of the scorned woman was still chilling to me. Okay, so I'm a total melvin.

Anyway, if you've got the right eyes, this is a kitschy, 'modern' haunting in glorious black and white, complete with the very middest level of late fifties' special effs. If that encourages you to watch it, you are a kindred spirit, no matter your age

Bert I. Gordon - cleverly shortened as B.I.G - is a notorious director/producer/writer whose films are too often automatically categorized as 'awful' and textbook material for spoof-shows as MST3K. Even 'Tormented' featured in the legendary show and I, for one, think this was really unjustified. Underneath all the cheapness and inferior production values of this project homes a modestly grim and slick thriller. The plot handles about a successful piano player (Tom) who lives on a remote island community. He's all set to wed a rich high society girl but first he has to get rid of his Marilyn Monroe-like mistress Vi. Things seem to turn out fine when she falls off the lighthouse but Vi comes back to haunt Tom; body part by body part. This thriller with obvious Freudian influences is quite atmospheric and features interesting sub-plots and a few genuine frights. It only suffers from too many scenes in which the protagonist (Richard Carlson) wanders around the beach talking to himself. It's not a bad film at all and most people probably just refer to it as a turkey because Gordon directed it. Whether his films feature giant fake mutated animals (Empire of the Ants, Food of the Gods) or not, they all get labeled the same way. Cinema is a hypocrite industry, my friends. It's up to you to give this 'Tormented' a look and realize it should be rated slightly higher.

Tom Stewart (Richard Carlson) is about to marry sweet Meg Hubbard (Legene Sanders). So, a week before the wedding he decides to break it off with big-breasted girlfriend Vi (Juli Reding). A WEEK BEFORE the wedding??!!!??? Hey, why so soon Tom? Why not do it on your honeymoon? She threatens to blackmail him with love letters. She tells him this while they're on top of a deserted lighthouse on a remote island. Great timing Vi. She falls to her death--Tom could have saved her, but doesn't. Next thing you know her ghost is tormenting him--parts of her body appear to him (but no one else), he hears her voice, sees her in pictures and begins going crazy. But is she really come back from the dead or is he out of his mind?

Silly, but I enjoyed it. I was never really bored and the story throws every ghost story cliché at you with blaring music and amusing special effects. There were even a few very creepy moments in there and Richard Carlson gives an excellent performance.

Even the crappy video transfer I saw didn't hurt--it was also 5 minutes shorter than it's reported running time and there were obvious bits missing and scratches all throughout the print. Purportedly, Something Weird Video said this was a new transfer. Oh really? I find that hard to believe.

Still, it's a cheesy, fun, little horror film. Take it for what it is--don't go in expecting some classic.

On a small island community lives a pianist Tom Stewart who's planning to marry his wealthy girlfriend Meg Hubbard. Although after having a confrontation with his old squeeze Vi Mason on a lighthouse, Tom standbys and watches her take a fall from a loose railing. Although, Tom could have saved her, but since she said that she wouldn't let him go and marry his new girlfriend. He saw this as opportunity to get rid of her, so he could get on with his new life. But that wasn't quite the case, as now a vengeful spirit in the shape of Vi has returned to constantly interrupt Tom's plans and new life.

Poor Tom, as he has got a lot on his plate to comprehend and it doesn't seem to be getting any better. I guess he'll learn the hard way. Bert I. Gordon's "Tormented" is a pleasant surprise that sets-up a mature, atmospheric ghost story that handles itself rather sincerely, despite it's obtrusively dodgy special effects. But this factor of the film only heightens its charm and burly nature. The B-grade production might show it's cheap origins, but it makes up for it with its strangely spooky atmosphere and interestingly glum story that builds up the anxiety levels and offers up a few surprises. While, the off-coloured plot is filled with inconsistencies and slows down in spots, but I never found it boring and a change in character (and events) makes it immensely gripping. When it comes to the film's conclusion it's fairly far-fetched, but it's definitely a striking note to finish out on. I was expecting something really leaden from the cast, but to my surprise everyone was acceptably fine in their roles. Richard Carlson plays the neurotic Tom whose guilt slowly overwhelms his mind with Juli Reding's beauty turned nagging ghost Viv both turning in splendid performances. Sandy Gordon's performance is that of high quality as the innocent little girl Sandy Hubbard who gets caught up in this ordeal. Mr B.I.G.'s direction is adequate enough and makes the most out of the moody setting with the ear-splitting score managing to channel out an eerie cloud that smothers the flick. Watching this, I see that restless spirits don't make great companions and will totally drive you up the wall… that's if you have treated them unfairly though.

"Tormented" is a tolerable minor entry that does deserve more credit.

That Bert I. Gordon made some wacky flicks!

This film definitely has a dark, somber mood and rightly so. Is it really happening too Tom or is guilty conscience and insanity taking over? Despite the hindering of special effects at the time, the apparition scenes are pretty funny. Sandy really did grow up a lot during this movie. Was it a message of how the best laid plans end up crumbling like dust in the wind? Hey, can you blame Tom for falling for Vi? Oh, was there unintended humor when Tom asks the blind housekeeper if she saw something, and when she reminds him of her handicap, he says, "Sorry, I forgot.?" I always crack up at that one scene and anytime the beatnik shows up.

"No habla beatnik!"