Rating: 
Summary: don't buy this
Review: don't pay attention to these other reviews this movie stinks: period. it is one of the worse movies i've seen and if amazon would have a decent return policy i would send it back in a flash. there is nothing scary or jumpy about this movie. stay away.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Eurohorror title from the 70's! 3.5 Stars!
Review: FRIGHTMARE is a classic example of great entertainment. It has all the elements of a horror film- it is shocking, violent, and scary as hell! The story follows a young woman and her half sister, whose parents were committed to an asylum in 1957. They were released in 1974, and are considerably sane- for a time. The mother (played wonderfully by actress Sheila Keith), who shows some signs of returning cannibalism (which is why she was committed in the first place), offers tarot card readings to lonely customers. She massacres them, and soon we find that the daughter of the father (she was not Keith's daughter, her mother was the woman before Keith came along) has suddenly become just like her stepmother. The girl disappears, and her stepsister (the young woman), goes looking for her, along with her boyfriend, Graham. The movie is great, but the DVD itself is a disappointment. There are absolutely NO extras whatsoever, if you don't count scene selection, which isn't an extra anyway, as most DVDs contain that feature. But if you are looking to buy a movie packed with extras, this is not the one for you. If you buy this, buy it for the movie, not for the extras. All in all, the presentation on the disc is crisp and clear, and the sound is great- perfectly representing this classic. If you are a fan of this film, a fan of films with gore, or are just a fan of Pete Walker's work, get this- you will be surprised how good it is! But remember: Don't get it because you are looking for extras, because there are NONE. This has become a subsequent thing with Image's The EuroShock Collection, so be careful when you buy them- you may find that they also have no extra features available. But again on the movie- if you have seen it and loved it, or are just interested in viewing it, go ahead and buy it. To me, it is a great deal, and I don't bother counting the extras if I really like the movie. I just get it and be done with it. But if you are the kind of person who includes the extras with the price tag, you may feel you are getting ripped off. If this is so, don't get the disc. You may want to wait until a better version with features becomes released-- if it ever does.
Rating: 
Summary: Classic shocker from exploitation's heyday
Review: One of the great exploitation titles of all time, "Frightmare" (1974) has often been described as the UK's answer to "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre" (1974) due to its bleak scenario and uncompromising violence. More importantly, the film established one of horrordom's most distinctive villains, the deceptively fragile Dorothy Yates, an elderly serial killer who was making a meal of her victims long before Thomas Harris brought Hannibal Lecter to mainstream attention. Sentenced to an asylum in 1957 for acts of cannibalism along with her husband Edmund (Rupert Davies), who conspired to hide her crimes from the world, Dorothy (Sheila Keith) is released fifteen years later and soon slips back into her old ways, luring unwary victims to her isolated farmhouse with promises of Tarot readings before stabbing them to death with various household implements. Edmund's daughter from a previous marriage (Deborah Fairfax) suspects Drothy is still insane and is forced to enlist the help of her psychiatrist boyfriend (Paul Greenwood). But the Yates' have another daughter (the aptly named Kim Butcher!), conceived just before their incarceration, and she's already beginning to show disturbing signs of following in her mother's footsteps... Having infuriated tabloid hacks with his barely-disguised assault on the Festival of Light in "House of Whipcord" (1974), director Pete Walker conceived the notion of cannibalism in the Home Counties (!) and commissioned a script from "Whipcord" scribe David McGillivray, a movie critic-turned-scriptwriter who later became an outspoken opponent of British film censorship (watch for his brief, wordless cameo as a white-coated doctor). The result is one of the best British horror movies of the 1970's. True, there's a little too much chat in drab apartments and some of the fashions have dated badly, but the film's antiquated charm is difficult to resist. Most of the action takes place at night, concealing a multitude of low-budget sins behind a gloomy visual style, though most of the film's Grand Guignol horrors are confined to the Yates' crumbling farm, an Olde Worlde slaughterhouse far removed from the bright lights of the big city. Walker has described his approach as 'modern Gothique', an unsettling antidote to the safe, predictable (but still enjoyable) Hammer formula, and perfectly suited to an era defined by its social and political turmoil. Production-wise, the film is competent but unexceptional. The young leads are OK, nothing more, though Kim Butcher is suitably unpleasant as the sociopathic daughter, and there are brief, throwaway cameos from British movie stalwarts Leo Genn ("The Wooden Horse", 1950) and Gerald Flood ("Patton", 1970), both cast purely for their marquee value. Veteran character actor Rupert Davies is particularly impressive as the distraught husband who is incapable (and ultimately unwilling) to curtail his beloved wife's monstrous cravings. Immensely popular at the time due to his role on British TV as Inspector Maigret, he was singled out for special attention by outraged critics when the film opened in London, appalled by his involvement in such 'lowbrow' material, though it wasn't the first time this 'respectable' actor had dabbled in the exploitation arena (see also "Dracula Has Risen from the Grave" [1968], "Matthew Hopkins Witchfinder General" [1968], "The Oblong Box" [1969], etc.). As it turned out, "Frightmare" was Davies' last film - he died in 1976. But the true star of the show is Sheila Keith, an unpretentious, supremely gifted acrtress who came late to the film business and stayed just long enough to leave an indelible impression on cult movie fans everywhere. As portrayed here, Dorothy Yates' pathetic frailty conceals a ruthless psychopath, capable of the most horrendous atrocities, and the demonic expression which transforms Keith's face as she stalks her helpless victims is as blood-freezing as anything in the grne. Nowhere is this more evident than in an extraordinary sequence - completely unexpected in a British horror movie at the time - when Keith uses an electric drill to mutilate the head of a corpse which she's hidden in the barn... Image's region-free DVD is derived from a PAL master at 25fps running 82m 36s (86m 2s at 24fps). Aside from a small amount of print damage and some missing frames - so brief as to be virtually unnoticeable - picture quality is vivid and colorful. Aspect ratio is full-frame 1.33:1 and there's no evidence of cropping, though the theatrical ratio may have been 1.66:1. The 1.0 mono sound is forceful but undistinguished. Sadly, there are no captions and no extras of any kind, and it's a shame Image weren't able to secure the original UK trailer, an exploitation gem which refused to show more than a few brief moments of footage from the film, claiming the rest of it was too shocking for public exhibition!! Ah, those were the days...
Rating: 
Summary: One video nasty, please!
Review: Pete Walker's exploitation classics are a lot of fun to watch. I have only seen two at this point, his women in prison entry "The House of Whipcord" and "Frightmare." The former film is a seedy little picture that purportedly seeks to examine the dangers inherent in letting corporeal punishment and the legal system operate outside the bounds of society. That's the overt theme, but "House of Whipcord" is really an excuse to show a lot of young, scantily clad women with long hair enduring numerous brutalities behind the walls of a private prison. Walker pulled that film off with a bit of flair, I thought, so when I noticed he directed "Frightmare" I knew I needed to check it out. The two films couldn't be more different in execution and tone, but there is a passing resemblance between the two, i.e. both movies deal with the failures of the justice system. In "Whipcord," this meant extralegal activities of a decidedly unwholesome character. "Frightmare" examines what happens when approved legal mechanisms fail to rehabilitate the worst society has to offer. Yep, according to this film even those wretches addicted to dining on their fellow human beings can easily earn a second chance at free living.
Edmund Yates (Rupert Davies) and his wife Dorothy (Sheila Keith) are just your average, everyday elderly couple looking to live out their remaining years in the comfort of a nice home. Unfortunately, we quickly learn that something isn't right with these two. They spent quite a few years in the confines of a mental asylum thanks to Dorothy's insatiable appetite for tarot cards and snacking on her fellow creatures. Edmund ended up incarcerated too, not because he took part in his wife's unsavory activities but because he knew what went on in the house and refused to stop it. Love makes us do silly things, doesn't it? Anyway, the authorities declare Dorothy cured and promptly release the couple back into society. As questionable as this release is, who can blame the good doctors and administrators at the asylum? Even if Dorothy somehow got a craving again, which she won't because of the curative abilities of modern psychology, both of these people are so old that they could hardly pose a threat to other citizens. It takes a lot of energy to hunt down humans, right? Wrong. According to Walker's film, all you need is good bait (an ad in the local papers offering a tarot card reading) and something heavy lying around the house with which to conk potential victims on the noggin.
Alas, Edmund and Dorothy had two children before they entered the asylum. Daughter Jackie (Deborah Fairfax) now lives in the city with her younger sister Deborah (Kim Butcher). Jackie worked hard to shield her younger sibling from the horrors committed by their parents, and is convinced Deborah has no recollections of the unpleasantness or of the parents themselves. Unfortunately, the younger daughter is a major delinquent. She hangs out with a very rough crowd at the local pubs, and even goes so far as to goad her boyfriend into beating a bartender to a bloody pulp for refusing to serve her a drink. As we'll find out much later, Deborah is prepared to go much further than her ruffian friends where trouble is concerned. In the meantime, the two sisters battle incessantly about Deborah's problems, about her propensity for staying out at all hours of the night and her inability to listen to her older sister's advice. Jackie worries her sibling could end up in serious trouble with the authorities, a legitimate concern considering there has been a minor run in already. When Jackie meets a nice young man named Graham (Paul Greenwood), she tries to hide her embarrassing past from him. Suspicious that she might be seeing someone else, Graham follows her around and finds out far too late the bloody truth behind the Yates clan. As for Jackie, she discovers her efforts to keep sis out of the mix failed miserably.
Gore and black humor is the name of the game in "Frightmare." "She's had a very serious relapse, I'm afraid," says Edmund Yates about his wife, in an understatement of hilarious yet frightening dimensions. As Dorothy slips back into her old lifestyle, the sauce starts to flow as thick as a river, especially when the old gal gets her hands on a power drill. The movie is so bloody, in fact, that it isn't surprising the British censors went after it with a pair of garden shears. Not that I agree with censoring something as minor as a horror movie, but the grue does occasionally achieve high levels. More important than the gory effects, however, is the performance of Sheila Keith as the depraved Dorothy. She oscillates between a lovey dovey attitude with her husband to pure nastiness with her victims, and it eventually becomes quite clear that this woman never had any intention of curtailing her grotesque habits. She is, rather, a schemer who treats strangers poorly because they represent nothing but food to her. When was the last time you treated a cow with respect? It's to Keith's credit that her nuanced performance keeps us in the dark as long as it does regarding the true, unredeemed nature of her character.
Sadly, the DVD version of the film contains no extras. The picture quality isn't so hot, either. But none of that will matter after you finish watching this pitch-black horror picture. "Frightmare" contains everything a hardcore horror aficionado loves: gore, kooky characters in the throes of lunacy, great lines, good performances, nice looking young women, and a spooky conclusion that doesn't wrap things up in a tidy package. Between "The House of Whipcord" and "Frightmare," I would choose this film every time.
Rating:
Summary: Not too bad; Sheila Keith is clearly the star
Review: Servicable Brit horror entry in the early '70s about an elderly couple who was put away several years ago for cannibalism; the husband wants to put it behind him but the wife (Sheila Keith) can't help but lure visitors with promises of Tarot readings, which turn out, of course, to be dinner with the guests on the menu. And their 2 daughters are in the thick of it. Keith is lots of fun in this Pete Walker entry, which is miles better than his House Of Whipcord (also starring Keith). Not very gory, as British critics might try to persuade you to believe (only slightly cut for VHS release), and not great either, but worthwhile for Keith's enjoyable performance. Should be remade someday, with more gore, of course.
Rating:
Summary: How old is this movie ?
Review: Tension. Good make-up effects (for the time). And a great ending... How old is this movie ? I only ask because it took my wife a couple of hours at bedtime after watching this, before she could sleep.....(Well? - I wonder.) Pete Walker at his peak.
Rating:
Summary: Lots of fun, pretty scary
Review: This Brit slasher flick created some chills. The story concerns a grandmotherly type being released from an insane asylum because she is cured. Any fan of this genre can tell right away that the cure didn't take as granny gets her jollies making people bloody. The film creates a few tense moments and there are some scenes of gore; however, it's a BIG strech to compare it to "Texas Chainsaw Massacre". This film is not a horror classic, but if you just want cheap '70's drive in shocker trash then this one is recommended. The DVD plays well, full screen, nice sound but has no extras.
Rating:
Summary: Disturbing and compelling
Review: This is a movie most people hate or admire, but it's very hard to love. Pete Walker no doubt wanted to make his own "Texas chainsaw massacre" and, at the same time, some sort of statement about families gone bad (in this case REALLY bad), all in exploitation movie format. "Frightmare" is a truly depressing, shocking and disturbing movie, primarily because it manages to make it's goings-on seem a little bit plausible. The performances are natural and unaffected, the murders unpleasant (but not as gory as you think they are at a first viewing) and the 70's settings grey and bleak. At the heart of the movie, and it's greatest strength, is Sheila Keith! Her performance as Dorothy Yates is truly chilling and yet strangely sympathetic. Her savage attacks on her victims and, moments later, her timid knitting-mother style, chilled me to the bone. The final family confrontation in the attic truly is one of british cinemas most disturbing moments. Rupert Davies as her weak and suffering husband is also strong, but more subdued (it couldn't be otherwise). You are at the edge of your seat almost during the whole movie because you feel that almost no one is save from the slaughter (and how right you are!). Pete Walker never did anything approaching this level ever again (though he tried hard and had Mrs Keith cast as a murderess two more times). However, be warned, this is not for every taste (no pun intented).
Rating:
Summary: Disturbing and compelling
Review: This is a movie most people hate or admire, but it's very hard to love. Pete Walker no doubt wanted to make his own "Texas chainsaw massacre" and, at the same time, some sort of statement about families gone bad (in this case REALLY bad), all in exploitation movie format. "Frightmare" is a truly depressing, shocking and disturbing movie, primarily because it manages to make it's goings-on seem a little bit plausible. The performances are natural and unaffected, the murders unpleasant (but not as gory as you think they are at a first viewing) and the 70's settings grey and bleak. At the heart of the movie, and it's greatest strength, is Sheila Keith! Her performance as Dorothy Yates is truly chilling and yet strangely sympathetic. Her savage attacks on her victims and, moments later, her timid knitting-mother style, chilled me to the bone. The final family confrontation in the attic truly is one of british cinemas most disturbing moments. Rupert Davies as her weak and suffering husband is also strong, but more subdued (it couldn't be otherwise). You are at the edge of your seat almost during the whole movie because you feel that almost no one is save from the slaughter (and how right you are!). Pete Walker never did anything approaching this level ever again (though he tried hard and had Mrs Keith cast as a murderess two more times). However, be warned, this is not for every taste (no pun intented).
Rating:
Summary: A FRIGHTMARE SCENARIO
Review: THIS IS GREAT MOVIE.IT MOVES AT A CRACKING PACE (INTO TOP GEAR FOR THE LAST HALF AN HOUR),HAS PLENTY OF BROODING,CLAUSTROPHOBIC SCENES AND SOME TREMENDOUS EDGY PERFORMANCES.IT IS FIRMLY ROOTED FASHION WISE IN THE 70'S,BUT IF YOU CONSIDER THAT A DRAWBACK,DON'T,THE STRONG NARRATIVE AND BRUTAL,MENACING VIBE COMBINE TO MAKE A TIMELESS CHILLER.A PERFECT MIDNIGHT MOVIE.
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