Hammer: Icons of Suspense - The Snorkel (1958)
Hammer: Icons of Suspense - The Snorkel (1958)
Swinging Hammer.
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Disc 3
The Snorkel (1958)
Maniac (1963)
The Icons of Suspense set opens the Hammer House of Horror vaults to reveal six rare films, which I am reviewing in three installments. This is the third and final review of this set which showcases the movies you might not know about — ones without the famous "Hammer Glamour" girls in negligees and sleek vampires biting necks, but still worth a look.
The Snorkel
I kind of love Italian director Antonio Margheriti's goofy and gory Seven Deaths in the Cat's Eye (1973), so I was rather curious to see his earlier work (1958) as a screenwriter for Hammer Films.
The Snorkel is twisted little flick about a purely evil suave yet slimy sociopath who insinuates himself into a respectable British family, kills the husband, marries the widow, murders her, even snuffs the family dog, and then goes after his teenaged step-daughter. Paul Decker (Peter Van Eyck) is a one-man mortuary!
Most of the film centers on Paul's subtle stalking of young Candy (Mandy Miller) and her insistence that the seemingly guileless and grieving new widower is actually a very, very bad guy. While the beginning of the grandly shot black and white film is gripping in its enactment of the second murder — Paul dons a scuba mask and gear, allowing him to breathe untainted air while he gasses Candy's mom — it grows tedious. Still, the acting is quite good and the dynamic between Paul and Candy is strong and believable, and there's a pretty good twist at the end, if you decide to hang in for that long.
Maniac
I only watched about half of Maniac before giving up on it, so it wouldn't be fair to review it (but I guess it's safe to say I found it mighty dull). The story, up until I signed off, centered on Paul Farrell (Kerwin Matthews) an American stranded in a small town in the French countryside. Almost instantly, the local tavern girl (Annette, played by Liliane Brousse) falls for him. But Paul has eyes only for Annette's unfaithful stepmother, Eve (Nadia Gray). Eve's husband (and Annette's dad), is in prison for killing the man who raped Annette when she was a kid. It seems the only way for Eve and Paul to be together is to break daddy out of the joint… or something like that. Logic isn't Maniac's strong suit (and if there is an actual "maniac" in this movie, I didn't see him) but the movie does feature some nice scenery on the Camargue, outdoorsy scenes showing the indigenous ponies, and cool 60s-style cinematography.
Disc 3 is definitely the weakest in the set, but it's still well worth the price of purchase to enjoy gems like Stop Me Before I Kill! and Never Take Candy From Strangers.
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Reviewed by Staci Layne Wilson