Frightmare (film)
Encyclopedia
Frightmare is a 1974 British horror film
directed by Pete Walker
and written by Pete Walker and David McGillivray
. It starred Rupert Davies
and Sheila Keith
. The story focuses around Dorothy and Edmund Yates, who have recently been released from a mental asylum, and is one of Pete Walker's most notable films.
In an isolated farmhouse, a woman named Dorothy Yates lives with her husband. Dorothy has just been released from a mental institution after it was found she was a cannibal who killed and partially ate at least six people in 1957. Her husband, Edmund Yates was convicted as well but we come to find out that he only faked his dementia in order to remain with his wife. He was a truly devoted husband who loved his wife dearly but really had nothing to do with the actual murders in 1957 and in the present.
Now it is 1974 it seems as if Dorothy has had a severe relapse. She secretly lures lonely young people to her Haslemere, Surry home, promising tea and a tarot card reading, only with the session ending with a violent murder and "feast". Jackie, (Edmund's daughter by previous marriage) began to suspect her stepmum, Dorothy, rather early in the film and juggles her family ties while at the same time, trying to control her stepsister, Debbie (Dorothy's actual daughter that she and Edmund had shortly before being committed to the asylum). Debbie rides with a violent bike gang and has apparently inherited her mum's appetite for human flesh herself. Debbie became involved in a fight with her boyfriend and a barman after closing time near one of London's hip nightclubs. The bike gang leave when spotted by customers but Debbie hid the body in a car shelter before the police arrived.
Debbie has severe arguments with Jackie about where Jackie goes at night. She learns (offscreen) that Jackie has been visiting her parents in Haslemere. Debbie finds out where they live and she and boyfriend (Alex) flee to the countryside home to be reunited with mum and dad. They are a family again and plan to plot against Jackie, who kept Debbie from them.
Now the film has got a cult following for performance from Sheila Keith as the drilling killing tarot card reader.
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
directed by Pete Walker
Pete Walker (director)
Pete Walker is an English film director, writer and producer, specialising in horror and sexploitation films, frequently combining the two....
and written by Pete Walker and David McGillivray
David McGillivray (director)
David McGillivray is an actor, producer, playwright, screenwriter and film critic.Originally a critic for Monthly Film Bulletin, McGillivray wrote his first film script, Albert's Follies, for friend Ray Selfe in 1973...
. It starred Rupert Davies
Rupert Davies
Rupert Davies was a British actor. He remains best known for playing the title role in the BBC's 1960s television adaptation of Maigret, based on the Maigret novels written by Georges Simenon....
and Sheila Keith
Sheila Keith
Sheila Keith was a British actress, active in films and TV, born to Scottish parents in London while they were visiting the city and brought up in Aberdeen, Scotland....
. The story focuses around Dorothy and Edmund Yates, who have recently been released from a mental asylum, and is one of Pete Walker's most notable films.
Plot
Frightmare is a 1974 horror film that is somewhat similar to "Driller Killer".In an isolated farmhouse, a woman named Dorothy Yates lives with her husband. Dorothy has just been released from a mental institution after it was found she was a cannibal who killed and partially ate at least six people in 1957. Her husband, Edmund Yates was convicted as well but we come to find out that he only faked his dementia in order to remain with his wife. He was a truly devoted husband who loved his wife dearly but really had nothing to do with the actual murders in 1957 and in the present.
Now it is 1974 it seems as if Dorothy has had a severe relapse. She secretly lures lonely young people to her Haslemere, Surry home, promising tea and a tarot card reading, only with the session ending with a violent murder and "feast". Jackie, (Edmund's daughter by previous marriage) began to suspect her stepmum, Dorothy, rather early in the film and juggles her family ties while at the same time, trying to control her stepsister, Debbie (Dorothy's actual daughter that she and Edmund had shortly before being committed to the asylum). Debbie rides with a violent bike gang and has apparently inherited her mum's appetite for human flesh herself. Debbie became involved in a fight with her boyfriend and a barman after closing time near one of London's hip nightclubs. The bike gang leave when spotted by customers but Debbie hid the body in a car shelter before the police arrived.
Debbie has severe arguments with Jackie about where Jackie goes at night. She learns (offscreen) that Jackie has been visiting her parents in Haslemere. Debbie finds out where they live and she and boyfriend (Alex) flee to the countryside home to be reunited with mum and dad. They are a family again and plan to plot against Jackie, who kept Debbie from them.
Cast
- Rupert DaviesRupert DaviesRupert Davies was a British actor. He remains best known for playing the title role in the BBC's 1960s television adaptation of Maigret, based on the Maigret novels written by Georges Simenon....
as Edmund Yates - Sheila KeithSheila KeithSheila Keith was a British actress, active in films and TV, born to Scottish parents in London while they were visiting the city and brought up in Aberdeen, Scotland....
as Dorothy Yates - Deborah Fairfax as Jackie
- Paul GreenwoodPaul GreenwoodPaul Greenwood is a British film, television and theatre actor. He is best known for his role as PC Michael "Rosie" Penrose in the successful sitcom Rosie direct spin-off from the short-lived sitcom The Growing Pains of PC Penrose...
as Graham - Kim Butcher as Debbie
- Fiona Curzon as Merle
- Jon Yule as Robin
- Trisha Mortimer as Lillian
- Pamela Fairbrother as Delia
- Edward Kalinski as Alec
- Victor WindingVictor WindingVictor Winding is a British actor born in London on Winding was educated at Westminster Technical Institute and initially trained as a draughtsman but acted in amateur dramatics and taught drama at night school. In 1958, aged 29, he joined Farnham Repertory Theatre. The Castle Theatre was opened...
as Detective Inspector - Anthony Hennessey as Detective Sergeant
- Noel JohnsonNoel JohnsonNoel Johnson was an English actor.He was the radio voice of Dick Barton special agent on BBC radio and Dan Dare pilot of the future over Radio Luxembourg....
as The Judge - Michael Sharvell-MartinMichael Sharvell-MartinMichael Sharvell-Martin was a British television and stage actor.-Early life:He was born as Michael Ernest Martin in Herne Bay, Kent, and trained in stage management at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. His acting debut was in 1965 at the Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham...
as Barman
Reception
At the time Frightmare was trashed by the British critic for its violent content. The Sun had written an article headlined saying what are these actor doing in this trash?Now the film has got a cult following for performance from Sheila Keith as the drilling killing tarot card reader.