Crucible of Horror (1971)

Also known as "The Corpse" and "The Velvet House," "Crucible of Horror" is a definite choice for those out there sick of the slasher film.

Walter (Michael Gough) is the obsessive compulsive patriarch of an English family. His wife Edith (Yvonne Mitchell) is a dreamy would-be artist whacked out on prescription medication. Sharon Gurney is their sixteen year old rebelling daughter Jane. Michael Gough's real life son, Simon Gough, plays his father's yes-man son Rupert, always agreeing, and discussing business affairs. Walter works in an insurance firm, but dominates his household. He opens everyone's mail, and does not have a kind word for anyone. Jane steals some money from the golfing club, and Walter takes all she has saved, then beats her with a riding crop. It is no wonder that the women conspire to do away with their sole source of unhappiness.

Michael Gough is far from Batman's kindly butler, who he would later portray. His character is despicable, and you immediately hate him. This may pose a problem. You eventually want the women to succeed at their plan, but the film makers put them on the same level as Walter. Gurney and Mitchell are very good as Walter's abused victims. Simon Gough sucks up to his father very well. Ritelis throws in a couple of dream sequences that do not work- Edith sees alter-egos, and then sees herself floating in a pond. This never gels with the waking life, and seems redundant. I wish the ending had a little more meat to it, since most of the actions beforehand did not warrant such ambiguity. A giant shocker of a surprise may have worked better than one that will leave you scratching your head. Despite the cons, I am recommending this. Most of the action of the first half of the film takes place in the family's London home, and is claustrophobic and rife with tension. These are great scenes, and a music score that sounds just like those old Universal Studios horror films really helps. The cast here is good, I just wished for more.

Stats:
(1971) 91 min. (7/10)
-Directed by Viktors Ritelis
-Written by Olaf Pooley
-Cast: Michael Gough, Yvonne Mitchell, Sharon Gurney, Simon Gough, David Butler, Olaf Pooley, Nicholas Jones, Mary Hignett, Howard Goorney
(R)