Tower of Evil

Back in 1981, I was fourteen and already in love with horror movies, though I had to resort to the get-an-adult-stranger-to-buy-you-a-ticket technique when it was rated "R." As I had loved "The Fog" and had seen it twice in the theater (once by myself) I simply had to go see a movie called "Beyond The Fog" when an ad appeared in Newsday (the Long Island newspaper). Remember, this is long before the internet. (This ad that I saw back then is included in a collage of posters and ads found on the inside of the jacket.) What I didn't know back then was this was a nearly ten year old British film that had been retitled and re-marketed to trick people like me in to thinking it WAS a sequel to "The Fog." When you see this film, imagine what it must have been like for a fourteen year old with no prior clue to see this movie unfurl on the screen. It begins with some salty dogs approaching an island in thick fog, hinting at having to do some morbid task. They disembark and walk in to the fog, heading to a decrepit Lighthouse, discovering a naked dead body on the way (still seems like it could a sequel, though the look of the film stock would be a dead give away to me now). Inside the Lighthouse they find a man impaled with a ceremonial sword and a woman whose severed head falls down a flight of stairs. Then, suddenly, a crazed topless girl springs out of a closet as the door is opened and stabs the older salty dog to death. It was at this point that I started to think "What the hell? THIS is a sequel to The Fog?" This is just in the first few minutes.Now, all these years later and with a lifetime of knowledge gained about past horror films, I can judge it more objectively and appreciate the film for what it is. The atmosphere, accomplished on mostly small sets, is remarkable even when it occasionally isn't entirely convincing due to some low budget effects designed to show the scope of the island beyond the sets. The interiors are especially creepy and authentic feeling (especially the unnervingly inhospitable, almost medieval looking walls of the Lighthouse). If I had to think of another film that has a similarly queasy atmosphere I'd pick "Dungeons of Harrow" (though that film had much, much lower production values and there's no "toy boat" in this film). The cinematography and production design are quite good (and the blu ray does a great job of showcasing both). The acting is mostly good as well, as none of the cast has an amateurish feel, with the exception of the strangely dressed "Bram" who seems like he's on vacation from a 70's glam rock band (he was actually starring in a UK production of "Hair" at the time). His character doesn't feel anywhere near as authentic as the rest of the cast (he's the hardest to "believe" as a genuine person), and he also winds up behaving mostly like an ass, though it seems like we are supposed to like him. I think.Some things that make this film interesting today are:The Cast:Bryant Halliday - MST3K fans will immediately recognize him from the infamous "Devil Doll" and "The Projected Man". (No, Lembach is not staying and Ventriloquist's dummies can't have ham.)Derek Fowlds - well known as a lead character in the classic British tv series "Yes, Minister" - others may recognize his likable, heavy lidded face from his other extensive credits. ("Yes, Minister" is considered one of the finest UK TV shows of all time, and rightly so)George Coulouris - a well known actor who lends authenticity to the opening scenes but isn't in the film for long.PLUS a bunch of very attractive young people who don't mind getting naked, much in the mold that became known as the "teen slasher" genre. But keep in mind this film was actually made in 1971, so along with Bava's "Bay of Blood" it can be argued that "Tower" is one of the very first of the "attractive young people get slaughtered" genre that would become so familiar (though "Tower" is less graphic than Bava's film).The sheer amount of nudity is unusual and there is some unexpectedly frank dialogue (ex. a female lead talks about masturbation). This includes the men, though full frontal was obviously not an option at that time. Seeing this in a film of this kind, made at the time that it was (the color of the film stock, the fashions and hairstyles all reinforce the period) is somewhat jarring and unique. Nakedness has always had a cinematic element that can add vulnerability to potential victims, or recalls a primal animal aspect, in addition to the obvious titillation, and that works well here in the setting of rocky, dark Snape Island and its abandoned Lighthouse. It also ties in to a story detail having to do with the island's history and the worship of a God of Fertility, sowing a conceptual seed that somehow Snape Island may bring out passions in its visitors, and may have contributed to past tragedies and the murders committed since. A rather creepy statue of Ba'al figures in to the story, but it's better for me to not explain much about that.The character of Saul (oddly named in the context of this movie) I personally suspect was a nod to James Whale's "The Old Dark House," though I have no production information to back it. I won't explain much more about that either for spoiler reasons, but listen for the unnerving, maniacal laughter.ABOUT THE BLURAY -The image looks great, it's sharp and solid colors faithfully display the character of the film stock of the time. It is described as a 16X9 Anamorphic (1:78:1) widescreen master from the original interpositive. There is little noticeable print damage or dust, I stopped looking for imperfections after the first few minutes and just got sucked in. The sound is clear and I thoroughly enjoyed watching "Tower," it no doubt looks much better than the print I saw in the theater all those years ago. However, Scorpion made a very odd choice in featuring "Katarina's Nightmare Theater" which is meant, I guess, to be like a modern Vampira/Zacherle style sketch/horror host show framing the movie. To me, it is worthless and more than a little embarrassing to watch. Thankfully, you can skip it all together and just play the film without it. Be warned, however, that if you choose to watch the trailers for other Scorpion releases on the disc, for some reason the chapter encoding jumps to Katarina's summing up of the film at the end if you are skipping through those trailers, and she immediately spoils the plot for "Tower," which might prove frustrating. While David Del Valle, whom I've never heard of, has some interesting things to say about the film his interview is shot in an ugly, amateurish fashion with a terribly keyed background. In general the whole "Katarina" inclusion is unfortunate, as if it belongs on a film with less virtues than "Tower" has.If you are a fan or collector of horror films from past periods in film, this is well worth a purchase in my opinion. People with no particular interest in the history of the genre who only tend to like modern horror will probably find less of value and be distracted by the limitations of the budget. But be clear, "Tower" is not a cheap looking film, especially within the genre. In fact I was quite impressed by the fact that a good deal of care was clearly taken by the filmmakers. This wasn't a cynical dash for cash or budget programmer banged out by careless businessmen. The makers clearly worked to get the most out of their budget and did a professional job. "Tower of Evil" is a somewhat misleading title (is a lighthouse a tower?) but so was "Beyond the Fog" as my 14 year old self could tell you. "Horror on Snape Island" is by far the best and most appropriate title this film ever had, and the surprise for me is that it is a much better film than I thought it would be. I'm rating it four stars for being a genuine curiosity with atmosphere as thick as pea soup, and an excellent transfer. One star is docked, not because of the awful "Katarina" stuff but because the film has some deficiencies, some of which are apparent at the climax. Overall, it's a film that was obviously made by people who cared and most likely did the best they could with what they had. And thus a film that could have been disposable became something that I think is now deserving of cult status, and deserves to be seen by more people. My fourteen year old self forgives the distributors who pulled that little "Fog" stunt.

you need this film in your collection

A naked screaming woman kills a salty old sea dog with a butcher knife. Now that how you start a horror movie. After discovering three naked and dead teens and one hopelessly mad one on Snape Island a group of scientists/treasure hunters head to the island to unlock its secrets and find its Phoenician gold. These are 70s scientists instead of bringing trowels and ground penetrating radar they bring dynamite to blast their way to treasure. The relationships between the scientists are like a Sunday after a swingers’ weekend further adding to the tensions before the bodies start piling up as the secrets of Snape Island are revealed.Fun grindhouse variation on the Old Dark House with a cast of familiar and reliable British horror actors. The creepy lighthouse has heaps of mood with his gloomy interiors and sounds of whistling winds. It loses some of its crazy energy halfway through after we’ve seen off the first group of sexed up far out groovy teens and the psychedelic psychiatrist’s hypnotism techniques settling into a far more recognizable Old Dark House style of movie. It’s still tons of fun as the bodies pile up before an inferno of a finale.

I was more than pleasantly surprised by this film, and subsequently glad that I bought it for my collection. It's a precursor of sorts in the slasher genre; part of it utilizes a staple in slasher flicks, that of stranding a group of people in one location then picking them off one by one. In this case, they do this twice. The first group is comprised of young couples not afraid to get naked and cavort. The lone survivor is accused of murdering her friends and immediately subjected to bright lights, hypnotism, and drugs. Meanwhile, this horrific situation notwithstanding, another group makes their way to the island hoping to uncover a treasure trove. They soon meet the same fate as the first group. Will any of them survive to trespass another day!? This island has more than one secret hidden beneath its lighthouse.I thought this was a hoot. The plot, fresh then, is now quite familiar and overused to some extent. I appreciated its slight overtures of horror. It has a certain style, beginning with a foggy boat ride aboard the Sea Ghost. The lighthouse is creepy, the people are creepy, and there's a mystery.............. Paraffin plays a key role.

This movie is a pleasure to view even after all these years. The print looks great and it retains a great spooky atmosphere. The acting is fine by any standards and the sets are great. When this was shown on television they had to cut out the nudity and sex scene. This of course has them intact and the print looks great. Elite did a good job with this one. There are no real extras though but at least this cool horror exploitation flick is on dvd and available. I remember seeing this as a kid and it's just as good today as then. The story features two different groups of people who meet a mad slasher on the island and the story is well put together and logical. This is great 1970's horror from the uk and it should be enjoyed by any gothic horror fan. One thing a movie like this proves is that you don't need sudden back and forth jumping that is so popular with some movie makers today to build suspense and thrills.

Stylish island lighthouse psycho killer on the loose movie, with some great old world sets, dramatically punctual music, Great Picture quality and Sound is Great. Wind, screams and old squeaking wooded doors fills this movie with personality.

Brilliant slice of rare British 70's exploitation, plenty of flesh and blood on show (for it's time) in an atmospheric and totally bonkers tale of mystery, murder and mutilation in a seemingly deserted lighthouse on a fogbound rock. Controversial then sadly dismissed in it's day, great to see this UK trash classic get the release it deserves.

Great value DVD with good extras. Good, atmospheric old school movie, like a classic episode of Doctor Who with added gore and boobs!

Great little film this but the sound quality on the OEG DVD is nasty hence a deduction of one star.

Great movie, I really enjoyed the atmosphere and picture

Following the murder of three American tourists on the fog enshrouded Snape Island, a survivor is found and rescued, but not before the poor, deranged Penny(Candace Glendenning) has offed one of her rescuers. As she has regressed into a catatonic state, Penny undergoes regular psychotherapy sessions to try to unlock what exactly happened to her friends.Meanwhile, a Phoenecian spear found embedded in poor Des(Robin Askwith), leads a group of randy archealogists to the same Snape Island in search of bigger treasures. However, it seems that Penny wasn't responsible for the deaths of her friends after all, and our plucky gang of treasure seekers might be in terrible danger from the horrors on Snape Island...The title of my review might seem a little strange, but it's impossible not to think of Hanna Barbera's intrepid sleuths as our heroes search the caves for clues. All we need is a wisecracking dog, with a penchant for Balony sandwiches to make my strange fantasy complete. After all, there might be a large quota of tits and bums on show in Tower Of Evil, but what exactly did Fred and Daphne get up too whilst the geekier members of the Mystery Gang were searching for clues?Anyway, I digress. I think I have been very unfair on this primitive slasher in the past. The first time I saw it, I really had not time for it, but I must have been in a very unforgiving mood, as it's great fun, daft and has more gore and sexual innuendo than most Brit horrors contained in the early 1970's. There is a lot of free love going on, and unlike Hammer's forays into softcore sex, the rampant mysogyny is absent.The most interesting aspect is Tower Of Evil could be seen as a primitive proto-slasher, as all the necessary plot pointers are present and correct. This would make a great double bill with The Haunted House Of Horror, another pioneering British horror with elements of the slasher film.The opening scenes with father and son John and Hamp Gurney(George Coulouris and Jack Watson) approaching the foggy island, are highly atmospheric, and the grim discoveries they find once mooring their boat are quite disconcerting. The rest of the film has a lot to live up to, and for the most part it succeeds, despite becoming rather over talky at times.The cast all perform well, with Askwith's buttocks giving probably the most vibrant/vibrating performance, Richard Gordon regular Bryant Halliday playing an enigmatic member of the expedition, and great British character actors such as Dennis Price, Anthony Valentine and Wiliam Lucas turn up to be given very little to do. There is an excellent music score and the film makes the most of its budgetary limitations.Probably a great film to watch with a few mates and more than a few beers. It certainly gets the two thumbs up from me, despite there being no extras on this release. Keith Topping was right! 4 out of 5.