La nuit des alligators

Review of The Penthouse 1967. Crocodiles Live in the Sewer! This movie is about crocodiles but it is a talkie. One reviewer put it: 'crocodiles can live buried in the hardened mud for two years'. This movie introduces the twist that crocodiles can live in the sewer. Some captivating dialogue. No action. Ratings: Crocodile: 8; Black Monolith with apes: 0; Monkeys on a typewriter: 0.

ADDENDUM: The "Alligator Monologue" terror scene is available at COMPETITOR. OOGA BOOGAl!

At about minute 40, the home invader runs out of material to terrorize the bound human female. Like a Medicine Ape Storyteller of old, his mind grabs for a preposterous premise ..."and crocodiles live in the sewer." Which is actually a terrifying thought to those who live above said infested sewers. And to those 40 stories up in The Penthouse, apparently. Or, the human male home invader ran out of material in his said pea-brain and chose to extrapolate and enrich the "crocodiles live in sewers" bit as his next piece de resistance for the purposes of terrifying The Penthouse female for another 30 minutes? Great material for some of us thirsting for new ideas about crocs. But bad theory generally.

This movie has been added to the "Some Humans Are Wily"/"Hostage Narrative" Genre Category.

We'll find another link of this scheme in Collinson's filmography by watching OPEN SEASON, FRIGHT, STRAIGHT ON TILL MORNING which the story is not the same but the atmosphere, distrubing, nasty, making the audiences very uncomfortable. But if you have seen FUNNY GAMES - both versions - you'll also think about PENTHOUSE. Among the best home invasion topics films ever. But prepare not to watch this with the parents in law or the youngest in the family. Delicious, nasty, excellent, repugnant. A pure masterpiece. The ending, the very moral ending made me think a little about SNOW THERAPY, around some kind of couple analysis.... The only difference is that in this movie, it is not question of an avalanche but a couple of punks disturbing the peace. If you can go beyond this film if you accept it, maybe you'll succeed with CLOCKWORK ORANGE.

This is the only movie I regret not having got up and walked out! Although it is some 30 years since I had the misfortune of seeing this film in the cinema, I have never forgotten what a thoroughly unpleasant experience it was -- with unlikeable characters and stupidly unbelievable circumstances. I can forgive all sorts of things in a film if there is at least one redeeming quality, but you can look in vain for it here. I am amazed that its rating is as high as it is since I would have given it a minus rating were this possible.

One of the best English movies. Static, everything is only happening in an apartment, but what a story, what a valuable interpretation, all the actors are absolutely exceptional. The best part I've seen Martine Beswick. The best role for Suzy Kendall, which was of a rare beauty, what a gorgeous ass, a pity that she did not show her front beauty too... Terence Morgan also saw him in those two films with Surcouf as Lord Blackwood, but I already think this Bruce Victor was his most accomplished character ever. Tony Beckley, an exceptional actor, I saw him in very good films: "Chimes at Midnight" (1965), "The Italian Job"(1969)(directed by the same Peter Collinson), "Get Carter"(1971). Norman Rodway was also an exceptional actor, also featured in "Chimes at Midnight"(1965) and many other movies. A simply great movie!

Two thugs, armed with nothing more than a a very small knife, take over a couple's 'love nest' almost at will. They then proceed to 'terrorize' them which consists of nothing more than talking for the next ninety minutes. The only action comes, literally, when one of the thugs takes a sausage out of the refrigerator and eats it.

There is a certain stylish quality mixed in with some 60's kitsch that,at the beginning, gives it a certain avant-garde quality. This though is soon killed by it's very pedestrian script. The thugs go from being child like to dumb and the couple is just plain boring. Why we should have any concern for these people is about as nebulous as to why any of this is even happening. The whole thing is stretched out so much that one is incredulous to believe that the director really thought any viewer would find this even remotely gripping or suspenseful.

Flat and forgettable. The only distinction this has is to see just how boring and uninvolving a film purported to be a 'thriller' can be. It's hard to imagine that there could be anything worse.