Crucible Of Terror

Rating:
Summary: Bad treatment of a classic psychotronic film.
Review: A good bad film is a thing to treasure, as with this dark gem that shows character actor Ronald Lacey years before he stalked the screen as the Nazi interrogator in Raiders of the Lost Ark. However, this has ten minutes of the original footage edited out and it spoils the whole thing. To discuss it further is pointless. I have heard similar treatment has struck some classic Hammer films as they made their way here. I am very disappointed.

Rating:
Summary: This New Release Does The Film Justice!
Review: A psychotronic gem and a rather original tale in the "mad artist" subgenre of horror film, this is the first version of "Crucible of Terror" not to suffer from ghastly editing and bad prints that have so far been the norm. Having seen the entire film while vacationing in London, I can say that this is 99% intact but I am not complaining about the missing 1%. The print is clear and some of the more erotic and disturbing scenes have not been hacked out. Character actor Ronald Lacey is a hoot as the embittered toad of a son to an equally piggish and megalomaniacal reclusive artist played by former BBC DJ Mike Raven. Raven definitely looks the part and a whole slew of other British character actors round out this macabre tale of art, obsession, and murder most foul. Recommended for lovers of bizarre low-budget cinema!

Rating:
Summary: An acceptable time-killer for hard-core horror fans only.
Review: This British horror film is slow-moving and takes a long time to get to its "possession" theme. Worse, this video is taken from a poor print. It has that washed-out, old color film look, like some old 16mm TV print.

Actress Mary Maude is wasted here, basically just sitting around with the other characters waiting for something to happen. She was much better (and had a meatier role as a sadistic lesbian disciplinarian) in the 1969 Spanish horror film, THE HOUSE THAT SCREAMED. Actually, her cameo as a witch-hunter's wife in TERROR (1979) was meatier then in this tepid film.

I'm giving this film 1 star, plus another for Mary Maude, plus another because, well, because it's a horror film and I like even slow-moving, washed out horror films. Non-genre fans might be less generous.

Rating:
Summary: This New Release Does The Film Justice!
Review: This British horror film is slow-moving and takes a long time to get to its "possession" theme. Worse, this video is taken from a poor print. It has that washed-out, old color film look, like some old 16mm TV print.

Actress Mary Maude is wasted here, basically just sitting around with the other characters waiting for something to happen. She was much better (and had a meatier role as a sadistic lesbian disciplinarian) in the 1969 Spanish horror film, THE HOUSE THAT SCREAMED. Actually, her cameo as a witch-hunter's wife in TERROR (1979) was meatier then in this tepid film.

I'm giving this film 1 star, plus another for Mary Maude, plus another because, well, because it's a horror film and I like even slow-moving, washed out horror films. Non-genre fans might be less generous.