Frank Forsyth Movies

Based on Quentin Crisp's autobiography, the once-controversial picture The Naked Civil Servant stars John Hurt as Crisp, a flamboyant character who publicly declared his homosexuality during the brutally homophobic and misogynistic England of the 1930s and '40s -- a time when this alternative lifestyle was still an offense punishable by imprisonment in Great Britain. (The man dyed his hair and wore makeup in an era when women were looked on with disapproval for such behavior!) Director Jack Gold handles the material with taste, discretion, and a generous supply of humor; it thus might seem bizarre to a contemporary viewer that anyone could be offended by this, but remember that the world was a different place in 1975. More than a few PBS subscribers threatened to yank their support when this British TV film was first offered to American viewers in the spring of that year. Fortunately, many others were willing to see beyond the film's controversial subject matter and revel in the excellence of the production and its participants; one of the film's biggest and most influential fans was none other than Milton Berle. Carl Davis, best known for his symphonic silent-movie restoration scores, composed the music. Hurt drew equal controversy later that same year for his work in another British drama-turned-PBS special -- when he played the psychotic Caligula in Herbert Wise's epic miniseries I, Claudius. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This creepy, atmospheric horror film from England's Amicus Productions dispenses with much of the tongue-in-cheek presentation of their popular '70s horror anthologies (such as Asylum and Dr. Terror's House of Horrors) in favor of a more adult-oriented approach. The story begins in the 18th century, as a young stable hand tries to prevent nobleman Fengriffen (Herbert Lom) from raping a young servant girl -- who happens to be the stable hand's wife -- and for this transgression has his hand lopped off. Flash forward to the present, where Fengriffen's ancestor (Ian Ogilvy) and his wife (Stephanie Beacham), now living on the ancestral estate, are haunted by the servant's vengeful spirit, as well as the severed hand itself, which roams the gloomy corridors of the mansion. Most video versions are taken from the TV print, which is missing some scenes of violence and nudity. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide

The phenomenon of Tales from the Crypt seems to have no endings, only changes. This successful pun-filled style of presenting ironic horror tales had its beginnings in William Gaine's E.C. comic series. At one time, outlandish E.C. Comics were at the heart of a national furor over the "evils" of comic books, which were thought to lead to moral degeneracy. The big comic-book publishers were frightened into freezing E.C. out of their distribution network, which killed the business. This British movie was based on the Tales from the Crypt series, which spawned several subsequent movies (and many imitators), at least one television series, and a whole new wave of comic books. Released in 1972, this movie has five episodes based on Gaines' stories, each introduced by Sir Ralph Richardson as the eerily cheery Crypt Keeper. His comedic approach to the role was misunderstood at the time, as reviewers expected a more solemn approach to horror. In "All Through the House," Santa Claus is someone to avoid. In "Reflection of Death" it takes some people a while to realize the truth about themselves. In "Poetic Justice" death cannot prevent one man's revenge. The episode "Blind Alley" demonstrates a new use for razor blades. "Wish You Were Here" cautions against taking native artifacts lightly (among other things). Among the stars featured are Peter Cushing, Joan Collins and Patrick Magee. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

When he inadvertently contacts an alien race, astronomer Dr. Joe Burke, accompanied by his building and those within it, is transported to another galaxy. Upon arrival, the humans see a futuristic scenario of Earth's fate, as this barbaric world was once a civilized society. Terrornauts is based on a Will F. Jenkins novel, The Wailing Asteroid which Jenkins published under his pseudonym of Murray Leinster. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide

In this sci-fi drama, an alien spaceship breaks down and crashes on the moon. These creatures need help to make repairs and so use their powers to possess a few scientists and use them as slaves. Unfortunately for them, one scientist has a metal plate in his head and cannot be controlled. It is he who travels to the moon and has a little chat with the aliens and suggests they might get more help, if they simply asked for it. The story is based on Joseph Millard's book The Gods Hate Kansas. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Though based on an Edgar Wallace novel, Traitor's Gate was not part of the long-running British series of second features based on the works of Wallace. Albert Lieven plays a London businessman who doubles as a high-tech crook. He organizes an elite gang of thieves to steal the crown jewels. Their escape at sea is complicated by the rivalry between Lieven and his brother Gary Raymond. Traitor's Gate provides an interesting contrast to The Jokers (67), a "mod" comedy in which another pair of brothers pilfer the crown jewels. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Not to be confused with David Hewitt's abominable Dr. Terror's Gallery of Horrors (AKA The Blood Suckers), this clever horror omnibus is one of the better early anthologies from Amicus Productions, thanks to Freddie Francis' stylish direction and a tongue-in-cheek approach from writer Milton Subotsky (who would later apply the same sardonic treatment to the EC Comics-based productions Tales from the Crypt and The Vault of Horror). The framing story is set in a train car, where five passengers have their fortunes told by the all-seeing Dr. Schreck (Peter Cushing), who refers to his ominous tarot deck as his "House of Horrors." Their respective stories involve all manner of occult happenings: a jazz musician's involvement with a voodoo curse; an estate haunted by a werewolf; a doctor (Donald Sutherland) who suspects that his wife has become a vampire; a cottage besieged by a monster kudzu vine; and the most entertaining segment, in which arrogant art critic Christopher Lee is avidly pursued by a snubbed artist's severed hand. In the end, it doesn't take a jaded horror buff to deduce Schreck's true identity or the ultimate destination of the train passengers, but it's a fun ride nonetheless. Not all of the stories work (the vampire story's "twist" ending is rather silly, the voodoo tale painfully dated), and the effects are generally sub-par, but Francis keeps the pace snappy throughout, giving the entire film a throwaway, Halloween spook-house feel. Hammer horror fans will certainly find this a keeper on the strength of Cushing and Lee's performances. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide

Adapted from the Robert Bloch short story "The Skull of the Marquis de Sade," this inventive gothic chiller from Amicus stars Peter Cushing as Professor Maitland, a collector obsessed with obtaining artifacts reputed to have occult powers -- including the title object, believed to be from the crypt of the notorious French nobleman. Shortly after the Professor brings home his latest find, the skull begins making nightly rounds (the gliding camera peers through the eye sockets for the nifty "skull-cam" point-of-view shots) before eventally dominating Maitland's will. Despite the potentially cheesy premise (which sounds better suited to a William Castle project), the film is remarkably subtle and spooky thanks to the deft hand of director Freddie Francis and an excellent performance from Cushing. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide

Britain's long-running (some would say interminable) series of "Carry On" comedies managed to satirize virtually every film genre ever conceived over three decades. Since espionage dramas were hot in 1964, it was inevitable that the unwary world would be treated to Carry on Spying. The "maguffin" in this yarn is the top-secret Formula X, which has been pilfered by that insidious organization S.T.E.N.C.H. (Society for Total Extinction of Non-Existent Humans). Enter the heroes, the men and women of British Operational Security--better known as B.O.S.H. The good guys are understaffed, thus novice agent Kenneth Williams is put in charge of smashing the evil machinations of Dr. Crow (Judith Furse) and The Fat Man (Eric Pohlmann). The level of wit in Carry on Spying is sustained by the character name of leading lady Barbara Windsor, who plays the delectable Daphne Honeybutt. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The seventh film in the long-running "Carry On" series (24 more were to follow), this chapter features Sidney James as Charlie, owner of the Speedee Cab Company. Business has been good for Charlie, so good that it's been a source of great aggravation for his wife Peggy (Hattie Jacques), who complains that he never spends any time with her anymore. When Charlie misses taking his wife out on their anniversary because he's busy with work, Peggy decides that she's had enough, and she fights fire with fire by starting her own taxi service, Glamcabs. Unlike the other cab companies in town, Glamcabs' fleet of drivers are exclusively beautiful women in skimpy uniforms, which not surprisingly makes them the taxi of choice for men in town. Glamcabs takes a big bite out of Speedee's business, which leads to an all-out war between Charlie and Peggy. The "Carry On" gang followed this with Carry On Spying; two more "Carry On" titles hit theaters before the end of 1964. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

In this British drama, a seventeen-year-old girl flees from her dreadful home and hitchhikes to London's Soho district. There, a carnival fortune teller befriends her and helps her get a job waiting tables. Her new boss makes sexual advances and the girl rejects him. She in turn makes a successful play for an aspiring singer. He impregnates her and they marry. They decide to move to Canada, but they need cash so the singer burglarizes their employer's home. Unfortunately, the employer awakens during the theft and shoots the singer. The wounded singer retaliates and kills his boss; he then steals a car, grabs his wife, and flees with the police in hot pursuit. They move in closer and the cornered killer tries to hold them at bay until he drops dead from blood loss. His wife sobs beside his crumpled form. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide