Pete Walker Movies
British director specializing in exploitation and horror films, including Girls for Men Only (1967), School for Sex (1968), Die Screaming, Marianne (1971), The Flesh and Blood Show (1972), House of Whipcord (1974), and House of the Long Shadows (1983). ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
A love affair turns dangerous when a young man discovers his girl has been hiding something from him in this drama, a change of pace for British horror man Pete Walker. Ginny (Alison Elliott) and her best friend Carol (Debbie Linden) are hitchhiking one day when a truck driver picks them up. The trucker takes a shine to Carol, and after a visit to a coffee shop, Ginny is left thumbing a ride on her own. Mike (James Aubrey), who saw Ginny while getting some coffee, gives her a lift and offers to take her out to dinner. Initially wary, Ginny accepts, and within a few days the two are dating steadily. Mike is a songwriter who writes commercial jingles and works with a successful pop group called Bad Accident, while Ginny is a student looking towards a career in fashion design. After spending a few nights together, all seems to be well with the new couple, until Mike learns pretty Ginny's secret -- while she looks to be 19 or 20, she's actually only 14 years old. Mike tries to call off their relationship, but he and Ginny are too attracted to one another to stay away, and they cautiously continue to see one another until Ginny's parents (Mark Burns and Juliet Harmer) become aware of the sexual nature of their relationship. Ginny's father contacts the police, and under the pressure of interrogation Ginny tells the authorities that Mike forced her to be intimate with him; while Mike was prepared to be charged with having sex with a minor, he becomes distraught when he learns Ginny has also accused him of rape. Home Before Midnight also features Chris Jagger (Mick Jagger's brother) as a member of Bad Accident. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1982
In this umpteenth remake of the George M. Cohan-Earl Derr Biggers play Seven Keys to Baldpate, Desi Arnaz Jr. plays Kenneth Magee, the young writer who bets that he can bat out a mystery play in one evening. Magee squirrels himself away in a forbidding old mansion where, unbeknownst to him, a bizarre family reunion is scheduled to commence. As the participants begin dropping like flies, Magee finds himself in the middle of a genuine mystery. At least, he thinks he does. At least, the audience thinks he thinks he does. Of historical importance is the fact that House of Long Shadows represents the only co-starring effort of those titans of terror Vincent Price, Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee and John Carradine. The highlight is the cozy tete-a-tete between Price and Cushing during the climactic party scene. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Vincent Price, Christopher Lee, (more)
- 1982
- R
The highlights of two benefit concerts staged in support of Amnesty International are collected in this British performance film, which features ample helpings of both music and comedy. The members of the Monty Python comedy troupe serve as headliners, performing live variations on some of their most famous sketches. Additional humor is provided by such luminaries as Peter Cook, while the musical segments include performances by Pete Townshend, Eric Clapton, and Sting, amongst others. While all of the performers deliver the goods, the film's overall effectiveness is unfortunately limited by the purely functional direction and often poor image quality. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Pete Townshend, Rowan Atkinson, (more)
British sado-exploitation guru Pete Walker directed this mundane horror-mystery about an American pop star (Jack Jones) who, after a long hiatus, decides to return to England in an attempt to jump-start his career and finds himself immersed in a supernatural mystery involving the grisly murder of his estranged wife at their London flat. Through revelations provided by his wife's ghost, he attempts to solve the murder -- which may have been committed by something not entirely human. Although nowhere near as bloody as Walker's notorious cult classics Schizo or The Confessional, this is still rather gruesome stuff, enlivened somewhat by the presence of Pamela Stephenson as the latest object of Jones' affection. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Jones, Pamela Stephenson, (more)
Frightmare director Pete Walker follows-up his 1976 shocker The Confessional with this grim tale of a beautiful figure skater who falls victim to a murderous stalker. Samantha Gray was just a young girl when her mother was murdered right before her eyes. Years later, Samantha (Lynne Frederick) has grown into a talented skating star. Samantha is engaged to the man of her dreams, but when their wedding announcement draws the attention of an obsessed fan her joy quickly fades to horror. Now Samantha can't leave the house without feeling like she's being followed. When her friends begin to fall prey to a mysterious killer, Samantha becomes convinced that the stalker is someone she knows and trusts. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
British sleaze artist Pete Walker applies his characteristic sleazy, ultra-violent touch to this audacious, Catholic-bashing tale. A deranged, sex-mad priest (Anthony Sharpe) exploits the sanctity of his office as a means of harassing young women who confide their sins in his confessional, recording their confessions in order to blackmail them into doing his vile bidding. Eventually, evidence of these transgressions reaches other members of his parish (including his mother), prompting him to bump them off in creative ways, utilizing the trappings of his profession -- strangulation by rosary, arsenic-laced communion wafers, bludgeoning by incense burner, etc. Much criticism has been leveled against this film for its unabashed attacks on Catholicism, but it's really Walker's trademark amoral approach to filmmaking that elicits a strong urge to take a hot bath after viewing. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
In this British exploitation film, an elderly husband and wife begin torturing young women whose behavior offends their puritan sensibilities. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- 1975
- R
Secret agent Tiffany Jones masquerades as a model when not out saving the world in this espionage/sex farce. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
This ghoulishly fun Grand Guignol horror piece from director Pete Walker features a tour-de-force performance by Sheila Keith as Dorothy Yates, who was committed to a mental hospital in 1957 for a series of cannibal-killings along with her devoted husband Edmund (Rupert Davies). They are judged sane and released 18 years later, whereupon they take up residence at an old farm. Edmund's daughter Jackie lives in the city, where she tries to take care of her wild sister Debbie (Kim Butcher), visiting only occasionally and not suspecting a thing. It isn't until Jackie's new psychiatrist boyfriend Graham (Paul Greenwood) starts poking around that she learns the truth. The truth is that Dorothy, far from cured, is drawing people to her home -- through classified ads promising Tarot readings -- and murdering them with metal pokers, electric drills and pitchforks. Not only that, but young Debbie turns out to be a chip off the old butcher-block herself, leading to a gory and harrowing finale. Sheila Keith is outstanding as the crazed Dorothy, and Davies is similarly terrific in a low-key turn as her doting husband, turning a blind eye to his beloved's homicidal lunacy until it is far too late to stop it. A creepy, entertaining bloodbath, Frightmare is highly recommended for horror fans. This 1974 film was rereleased on video in the U.S. during the early 80s and named 'Frightmare II' to advertise it as the sequel to an unrelated film, the 1983 Frightmare directed by Norman Thaddeus Vane. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
This sick little horror film from British gore/exploitation director Pete Walker finds a group of actors summoned by an anonymous producer to take part in a gruesome Grand Guignol play being staged at an isolated resort, only to find that their characters' elaborately staged theatrical deaths are designed to do them in for real. It is revealed that their unseen benefactor is a former stage performer, driven psychotic after catching another actor in bed with his wife, who now seeks symbolic retribution against all actors for their immoral behavior. Though not quite as sleazy as some of Walker's later work, this is still fairly gruesome stuff. The same theme gets vastly superior treatment in the following year's Theatre of Blood, featuring a tour-de-force performance from Vincent Price. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- 1970
Moon (Michael Latimer) is the mercenary hired to steal 90 million dollars in gold from an Arab country decimated by political chaos. Sex, violence and mayhem accompany the group of double-crossing heavies who covet the purloined loot. Burgess (George Belbin) is the crook who poses as a cop, and Nixon (Derek Aylward) is the criminal who poses as a policeman. A bevy of females willingly submit to seduction, and a sadistic homosexual murderer trails Moon and his malevolent gang for the gold in this uneven crime drama. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Latimer, Luan Peters, (more)
- 1970
In this crime drama, a playboy gambler has a passionate one-night stand with a beautiful woman. During the night, he briefly leaves and when he returns, finds her dead. Not wanting his name in the papers, the man tries to avoid the police. He soon finds himself victimized by extortionists, headed by his own boss and the girl, who only feigned death. They try to force him into breaking a notorious crimelord out of prison, but he is not so easily swayed. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
The first horror film from notorious British director Pete Walker, this is a brutal but rather pedestrian pulp thriller about a fetching young go-go dancer (Susan George, in her first starring role) who is stalked in and around an isolated house by ruthless assassins determined to prevent her from reaching her 21st birthday. It seems Marianne is in line for a sizable inheritance from the man she claims is her father -- a crooked magistrate whose career is threatened by her very existence. As if that weren't enough, knowledge of the girl's newfound wealth inspires a team of would-be kidnappers who show up at the villa to beef up the body count. Fans of Walker's blood-drenched thrillers might detect a glimmer of burgeoning talent here, but the suspense is hampered by a clunky script and silly dialogue, and the lovely George is probably just warming up for the following year's Straw Dogs. Also known as Die Beautiful, Marianne! ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
Two teenagers leave their small village behind and travel to London to make a life for themselves in the big city. Joe (Robin Askwith) convinces his girlfriend Carol (Janet Lynn) he has a job waiting in the motor trade and other connections. They spend the night together in a hotel and are swindled out of their money. Joe has no trouble convincing Carol to become a prostitute, and she continues the practice after landing a job as a successful model. Carol and Joe get work in pornographic films before they consider moving back to the quiet village once again. The seamy side of West End London is graphically illustrated. Jess Conrad, Stubby Kaye, Harry Baird and Pearl Hackney also appear in this exploitation film. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Janet Lynn, Robin Askwith, (more)
- 1967
The subject matter being taught at this girls' school consists of teaching the ladies how to find rich husbands and separate them from their dough. ~ All Movie Guide
