Tower of Evil (1972)

User Rating:

5.0/10   

Director:

Jim O'Connolly

Writers:

George Baxt (novel)
Jim O'Connolly (writer)

Release Date:

1 May 1974 (West Germany)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

They came, they saw, they died!

Plot:

Some experienced and accustomed archeologists are searching for an old and mystic Phoenician treasure...

Plot Keywords:

Treasure | Explosion | Fisherman | Severed Head | Deformed

Cast

Bryant Haliday	...	Evan Brent
Jill Haworth	...	Rose Mason
Anna Palk	...	Nora Winthrop
William Lucas	...	Superintendent Hawk
Anthony Valentine	...	Dr. Simpson
Jack Watson	...	Hamp Gurney
Mark Edwards	...	Adam Masters
Derek Fowlds	...	Dan Winthrop
John Hamill	...	Gary
Gary Hamilton	...	Brom
Candace Glendenning	...	Penelope 'Penny' Read
Dennis Price	...	Laurence Bakewell
George Coulouris	...	John Gurney
Robin Askwith	...	Des
Seretta Wilson	...	Mae Harvey

Also Known As:

Beyond the Fog (USA) (reissue title)
Horror of Snape Island (Canada: English title)
Horror on Snape Island

Runtime:

89 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Norway:18 (video rating) (1982) | Italy:VM14 | New Zealand:R16 | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Canada:R (Ontario) | Finland:(Banned) (1972) | UK:18 (video rating) (1993) | UK:X (original rating) (cut) | UK:X (original rating) | USA:R | Australia:R | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Shepperton Studios, Shepperton, Surrey, England, UK

Company:

Grenadier Films

Trivia:

For the films fiery finale stuntman Mark McBride had to be set ablaze while wearing a fire-retardant suit. While the suit protected McBride from the flames he suddenly passed out on the burning set, because the heat nearly suffocated him inside the suit. The shocked crew members rushed in and saved him.

Movie Connections:

Edited into Mad Ron's Prevues from Hell (1987) (V)

Not bad horror / mystery.

A fisherman and his father set foot on the foreboding Snape Island to discover the aftermath of a massacre, not to mention a severely traumatized (and appreciably naked) female survivor who stabs the father to death. The subsequent investigation leads to the discovery of an ancient artifact on the island, and then a museums' expedition to the island to explore it further. (All of this while doctors attempt to break through the survivors' catatonia). The team finds themselves menaced by a mysterious assailant.

I found this an enjoyable horror / mystery with a definite edge to it. Director Jim O'Connolly creates good atmosphere and tension, and pulls off a great reveal of the crazed island resident. The island is a very impressive study in blatant doom and gloom; it looks ominous right from the get go. The movie has great settings and just the right look. Doses of grisly violence, sex, and intrigue also add to the mix. The movies' little twists may not come off as all that surprising, but they're enjoyable nonetheless.

The solid British cast does well at selling the material. Standing out are such performers as Bryant Halliday, Jack Watson, and Dennis Price. Both Jill Haworth and Anna Palk are quite sexy, as is Candace Glendenning in the small role of the traumatized Penny.

Creepy, raw, and brutal horror in a nicely bleak location, "Tower of Evil" is a good deal of fun.

7/10