Ghost Story: Tough of Madness

 

This is a horror anthology TV series from the 1970's, originally named "Ghost Story" and later it changed the title to "Circle of Fear". Each episode has a different tale of the spooky kind, and sometimes nightmarish. It was hosted by a fictional gentleman character named Winston Essex, owner of a haunted hotel, who introduced the stories. The next episode is "Touch of Madness", directed by Robert Day and stars Sabastian Cabot, Geraldine Page and Rip Torn.

A dying woman leaves a message for her daughter, Janet, and soon after she died, Janet returns to her mother's house. The place is condemned for being so rundown but Janet finds it beautiful, inside and outside in the exterior and garden. Her uncle and aunt remain in the house as eerie residents but the house is still considered unliveable. Certain things don't add up when her own room looks different at night after she wakes up, seeing it full of cobwebs and rats.

The main leads Geraldine Page and Rip Torn were married during this filming. The soundtrack is "Golden Memories" written by Ian Jack, while the singer is Shelby Flint "Joey". While it seems like a straightforward story, it's got hidden clues and small easter eggs, such as the items in the rooms, the music, references to Edgar Allan Poe and nursery rhymes, which implies subtle nightmares.   

I rate this a dusty old house dark strawberry:

Blood Strawberry

Ghost Story: Elegy for a Vampire

 This is a horror anthology TV series from the 1970's, originally named "Ghost Story" and later it changed the title to "Circle of Fear". Each episode has a different tale of the spooky kind, and sometimes nightmarish. It was hosted by a fictional gentleman character named Winston Essex, owner of a haunted hotel, who introduced the stories. The next episode is "Cry of the Cat", directed by Don McDougall and stars Sabastian Cabot, Hal Linden and Marlyn Mason.

At a university campus, the students have been terrified when a girl was found dead, with her blood drained and only wounds on her neck. The vampire is already known straight away and he's one of the teachers, who has a good reputation and is well liked among everyone. No mystery there and no surprises. A woman is drawn to him until she learns his dark secret.

One of the most deepest aspects of the story is about the books written by deceased Professor Pendergast, who wrote about vampires and the connection with a blood disorder. This happens to be THE most interesting character of the episode even tough he's dead! This episode was loosely based on a short story by Elizabeth M. Walters (I plan to review her work in the near future). 

I rate this a blood dripping strawberry for vampirism!

Blood Strawberry

Ghost Story: Cry of the Cat

This is a horror anthology TV series from the 1970's, originally named "Ghost Story" and later it changed the title to "Circle of Fear". Each episode has a different tale of the spooky kind, and sometimes nightmarish. It was hosted by a fictional gentleman character named Winston Essex, owner of a haunted hotel, who introduced the stories. The next episode is "Cry of the Cat", directed by Arnold Laven and stars Sabastian Cabot, Doug McClure and Lauri Peters.

A rodeo named Dan is married to a beautiful and mysterious woman named Maria that makes some people uneasy. Brushing it off as jealousy, Dan ignores anyone who try to offend Maria. Then animals are killed by a cougar, but things don't add up. The cougar responsible for the attacks before died long ago and there shouldn't be anymore in the area. It seems Maria is hiding something. 

A pleasant shapeshifting story of a woman that transforms into a cat. Both Doug McClure and Sabastian Cabot appeared in "Checkmate" from 1960. The director of this episode had also worked in "Planet of the Apes" and "The A-Team." The script writer Richard Matheson also did work for the fantasy film "The Valley of Gwangi." 

A good horror/western story that I shall rate with a dry desert yellow strawberry.

Blood Strawberry. 

Ghost Story: House of Evil

This is a horror anthology TV series from the 1970's, originally named "Ghost Story" and later it changed the title to "Circle of Fear". Each episode has a different tale of the spooky kind, and sometimes nightmarish. It was hosted by a fictional gentleman character named Winston Essex, owner of a haunted hotel, who introduced the stories. The next episode is "House of Evil", directed by Daryl Duke and stars Sabastian Cabot, Melvyn Douglas and Jodie Foster.

An old man named Grandpa visits the home of his deaf mute granddaughter, Judy, who is living with her father, stepmother and stepbrother. Things seem okay until Grandpa gives Judy a dolls house, which is the exact replica of the house Judy and her family already live in. The house keeper has known Grandpa before and doesn't like him. Grandpa and Judy have telepathy and it's this that makes things strange.

The house was used in TV series "Bewitched" in case it looks familiar to anyone watching it.  Jodie Foster plays the girl Judy and Brad Savage, who played Kevin her stepbrother, work together again later on in "Echoes of Summer". The dolls in this episode are made of currant buns! Magic is centred within the dolls house.

I rate this a cookie strawberry for being rather nice with crumbs.

Blood Strawberry

  

Ghost Story: Half a Death

This is a horror anthology TV series from the 1970's, originally named "Ghost Story" and later it changed the title to "Circle of Fear". Each episode has a different tale of the spooky kind, and sometimes nightmarish. It was hosted by a fictional gentleman character named Winston Essex, owner of a haunted hotel, who introduced the stories. The next episode is "Half a Death", directed by Leslie H. Martinson and stars Sabastian Cabot, Pamela Franklin and Eleanor Parker.

Elissa is the name of a young deceased woman that appears as a ghost to her father, who soon dies of a heart attack. Later, Christina returns home to hear news that her twin sister Elissa and father have both died. She quickly learns that something is rotten because her mother is behaving too coldly and keeping something. Also there is a ghost of Elissa wandering the garden. 

A chilling supernatural story and a mystery/intrigue. This is a pleasant, although depressing episode with some puzzles, as to why exactly Elissa dies and what does her ghost really want. Troubling that the neighbour is quite annoyingly pushy as a character towards a grieving woman, but his son acts as a good friend to Christine.

I give this a double hearted rating for being about twins and ghosts.

Blood Strawberry

Ghost Story: Alter Ego

 

This is a horror anthology TV series from the 1970's, originally named "Ghost Story" and later it changed the title to "Circle of Fear". Each episode has a different tale of the spooky kind, and sometimes nightmarish. It was hosted by a fictional gentleman character named Winston Essex, owner of a haunted hotel, who introduced the stories. The next episode is "Alter Ego", directed by David Lowell Rich and stars Sabastian Cabot, Helen Hayes and Charles Aidman.

A boy named Bobby is recovering from an accident and has to stay home from school. His teacher delivers books for him and he seems happy with his chess, model plane, his pets and family. Then his own doppelganger appears and creates havoc, ending in tragedy. Nobody else can see him and everyone thinks Bobby has got better and is back in school, but it's really the double!

A sinister double of a person makes a chilling story enough and isn't without problems. It's curious that the school teacher never told the boy's parents of Bobby about his bad behaviour while at school, and then find out he was always at home in a wheelchair. It makes for sinister and shocking events to unfold, even if it means not doing homework.

I rate this a chocolate strawberry for the entire episode was good!

Blood Strawberry

Ghost Story: The Summer House

This is a horror anthology TV series from the 1970's, originally named "Ghost Story" and later it changed the title to "Circle of Fear". Each episode has a different tale of the spooky kind, and sometimes nightmarish. It was hosted by a fictional gentleman character named Winston Essex, owner of a haunted hotel, who introduced the stories. The next episode is "The Summer House", directed by Leo Penn and stars Sabastian Cabot, Carolyn Jones and Steve Forrest.

A woman named Carolyn Jones has a bad dream, and wakes up screaming but she plans to move into a house for the season. This house is where she's been sharing with her husband each year. Something disturbing is in the basement, and she notices weird things going on. Her husband is away working in the city, so she has to be on her own, troubled by her bad nightmares and the ghost in the basement. 

Carolyn is the same actress who played Morticia Addams in the 60's cult series "The Addams Family." Here she seems like a dizzy natured housewife that is troubled by something we don't know about. A story that  uses repeat themes such as events replaying over and over, because something bad happened in the Summer House. I rate this a sour orange strawberry for being a headache.

 Blood Strawberry

Ghost Story: Bad Connection

 This is a horror anthology TV series from the 1970's, originally named "Ghost Story" and later it changed the title to "Circle of Fear". Each episode has a different tale of the spooky kind, and sometimes nightmarish. It was hosted by a fictional gentleman character named Winston Essex, owner of a haunted hotel, who introduced the stories. The next episode is "Bad Connection", directed by Walter Doniger and stars Sabastian Cabot, Karen Black and Michael Tolan.

This is a ghost story about a widow named Barbara that keeps getting strange phone calls from a man who sounds like her dead husband. He was killed in action during the Vietnam War, and Barbara hears the ghostly noises that no one else can. It becomes clear that her husband's ghost is trying to reach her from the grave.

While the supernatural events happening to Barbara is related to her dead husband, there's many holes in the story that suggests mental illness or someone is pretending to be him just to trick her. The message "promise" floats around a lot, and grief is lacking. I rate this a plain paper white strawberry for being lifeless.

Blood Strawberry

Ghost Story: At the Cradle Foot

This is a horror anthology TV series from the 1970's, originally named "Ghost Story" and later it changed the title to "Circle of Fear". Each episode has a different tale of the spooky kind, and sometimes nightmarish. It was hosted by a fictional gentleman character named Winston Essex, owner of a haunted hotel, who introduced the stories. The next episode is "At the Cradle Foot", directed by Don McDougall and stars Sabastian Cabot, James Franciscus and Elizabeth Ashley.

A man suffers horrible dreams of a young woman on a carousel being murdered. After finding out that the carousel is real, he learns that the bracelet worn by the woman in the dream is the same one worn by his daughter, who is only a child. He keeps finding disturbing visions of the event that will happen in the future when his daughter will grow up,  but can he prevent it from happening?

There are mysteries and puzzles, and a clear message from the spirit of the daughter coming from the future to plead to her parents. While there is a slight paradox going on, it also seems to suggest the parents have psychic abilities of premonition. The events build up and seems to imply the father interfering with natural events to stop a terrible future murder only is being created by him. Some elements were not making sense but it's a pretty looking episode.   

I rate this story a milky pink strawberry for having a dream related subject.  

Blood Strawberry

Ghost Story: The Concrete Captain

This is a horror anthology TV series from the 1970's, originally named "Ghost Story" and later it changed the title to "Circle of Fear". Each episode has a different tale of the spooky kind, and sometimes nightmarish. It was hosted by a fictional gentleman character named Winston Essex, owner of a haunted hotel, who introduced the stories. The next episode is "The Concrete Captain", directed by Richard Donner and stars Sabastian Cabot, Stuart Whitman and Gene Rowlands.

A couple want to celebrate their wedding anniversary and decide to enjoy a holiday. Wife Kate is happy when husband Ed buys her a gift, a strange ornament replica of a tomb of "the Concrete Captain". There is a nearby local legend about a man who was killed by a harpoon, and buried with the harpoon spear still embedded over the grave. The grisly story is linked to a hotel that Kate is desperate to stay in. 

A cool ghost story with a mystery and some romance. There are some spooky scenes but flashback violence when the moment of the captain's death is played. It's set near the beach, with thunderstorms, howling wind and a number of eerie footsteps. 

I rate this episode a blue strawberry for being quite cool. 

Blood Strawberry

 

Ghost Circle: The Dead We Leave Behind

This is a horror anthology TV series from the 1970's, originally named "Ghost Story" and later it changed the title to "Circle of Fear". Each episode has a different tale of the spooky kind, and sometimes nightmarish. It was hosted by a fictional gentleman character named Winston Essex, owner of a haunted hotel, who introduced the stories. The second episode is "The Dead We Leave Behind", directed by Paul Stanley and stars Sabastian Cabot, Jason Robards and Stella Stevens. 

A park ranger living in an isolated cabin is made unhappy at home by his wife who's a TV addict. Things turn darker as a car is left abandoned in the field, a missing driver and howling wolves. He fights with his wife as she damages his work radio, and then she dies. He buries her in the shed, but wolves try to get in. It seems that the television set is connected to the spirit world!

The story is completely anti-television as the message that the TV ruins peoples lives is shown. A little zombie story that shows corpses pushing their way up through the dirt, a night atmosphere and some tension.  

I rate this one a yellow strawberry for being a bit too dry. 

  Blood Strawberry

Circle of Fear: The New House

This is a horror anthology TV series from the 1970's, originally named "Ghost Story" and later it changed the title to "Circle of Fear". Each episode has a different tale of the spooky kind, and sometimes nightmarish. It was hosted by a fictional gentleman character named Winston Essex, owner of a haunted hotel, who introduced the stories. The first episode is "The New House", directed by John Llewllyn Moxey and stars David Birney, Barbara Parkins and Sam Jaffe. 

A newlywed couple move into a new house that seems perfect in everyway, ready for the baby. The pregnant woman Eileen Travis is unnerved by hearing strange noises each night, and her husband, John, is unable to locate the intruders. Police are called out but nothing was found. As she continues hearing bumps in the night, a neighbour informs her that the house was built on a grave. Determined to find out more, Eileen visits the library. 

This is a very chilling episode, which makes the viewer wonder if the house is haunted or if Eileen is suffering mental illness. I don't want to give away too much except there's a time when I think "so scary and so cute at the same time"! My rating is: a red strawberry for sweet and delicious.

Blood Strawberry
  

Nothing But the Night

 This 1973 film is thriller, mystery and horror. Directed by Peter Sasdy and the stars include, Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing and Diana Dors. 

A very secluded boarding school has been the centre of police investigation when several adults have been killed there. 50's blonde bombshell (Diana Dors) sports red hair in this and plays the angry mother of one of the kids from that same school. Meanwhile doctors and a journalist are curious about the whole thing. A girl has been seeing strange visions, and something points to a conspiracy. 

The film is eerie and weird. Based on the novel of the same name by John Blackburn, who disagreed with the casting of Diana Dors playing the mother. However she pulled it off very well and came across as a villain, at most stage. The props used when examining human remains were actually dead octopus! This was made by Charlemagne Films, which was created by both Christopher Lee and Anthony Nelson Keys. The planned sequel for the film based on another book by John Blackburn was considered but never came about. 

I give this film a dark bruised strawberry, which is mostly good but also a bit grubby.

Blood Strawberry 

Cerberus

"Cerberus" is a 2005 adventure fantasy film, directed by John Terlesky, and stars Greg Evigan, Garret Sato and Bogdan Uritescu.

An archaeologist learns that her younger brother has been kidnapped by dangerous criminals because she knows secrets about the location of Atilla the Hun's sword. The actual sword is legendary and is linked to Cerberus, the three headed dog that guards the Underworld. Lives are at stake, and time if running out.

Cerberus is a legendary creature from Greek mythology but the film is set in modern Romania. Although it's known to guard the Underworld, as mentioned in the film, he guards this magical sword of Atilla. A low budget monster movie, with nothing based on historical facts! For example, Atilla the Hun's sword grants immortality in this beastly flick but not in real life. There are some grotesque gory scenes, special effects and silly lines. Don't think of Fluffy! 

My rating for this film "Cerberus" is this green strawberry, raw and bitter: 

Quatermass 2 (1957)

"Quatermass 2" is the sequel to "Quatermass Xperiment" and is a science fiction film made in 1957. Although black and white, there's an alternative colour version, that I've not seen. Directed by Val Guest and the stars include Brian Donlevy, John Longden and Sid James.

Professor Quatermass built a model of a village for the first colony on the moon, which includes domes. A similar site with the same domes has been made on a bulldozed town of Winnederden Flats, a secret compound with no police force. Strange meteorites fell, causing mysterious burns on people. A visit to the secluded area is needed to uncover what is happening once and for all.

The comedic journalist played by Sid James from the Carry on films is a bundle of laughs, in an otherwise grim story. A small appearance from British blonde bombshell Vera Day gives light and beauty to this rough gritty looking film. The alien monsters are imposing giant turds! The location of ruined Winnerden Flats is an ancient hillfort and nature reserve of Ivingoe Beacon.  

A squashed strawberry rating of 6/10.