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FEAR (1981)
aka MURDER SYNDROME
Directed by Riccardo Freda
Wizard Video VHS
Reviewed 03.30.06
Review by Joseph A. Ziemba
THE FILM
I've taken a couple of impulse road
trips before. They usually involve
pretzels, video stores, and British
Invasion compilations, but never
chainsaws, satanists, or spiders
with four-foot leg spans. Time to
move to Italy.
Buona sera! Let's join the late,
longtime director Riccardo Freda
(The
Ghost) on the set of his
second-to-last production, which
was co-produced in Italy and France.
Fear is a seedy clump of
solemn insanity that hits more than
it misses. Basically, a group of
people end up at an old mansion
and weird stuff starts to happen.
There's a guy named "The Maestro"
too. He doesn't eat Rolled Gold
Thins, but the ladies don't mind
a bit. Maestro, can you lend me
your wand?
Michael Stanford is a "famous"
actor, fresh off of his latest slasher
film. On impulse, he packs up girlfriend
Deborah and takes to the country
to visit dear old Mom for the weekend.
But Mom's not so old. In fact, she
looks to be the same age as Michael.
As we tuck that fact under the rug,
"Fear" caulks down the
sleaze. Michael's film pals arrive
(including Laura Gemser aka Emanuelle)
to hang out and the twists begin.
Sketchy pasts, black gloves, double
crosses, grubby sex, random gore...Mama,
you've got some 'splaining to do.
Fear starts out as a common
slasher, but bends things just right,
finishing up as a kind of Savage
Weekend meets The
Nesting gone good. Aside
from a gruff rape scene and a live
chicken beheading, Freda and company
deliver a pleasantly skewed mix
of frightening imagery, booming
locations, and cheap, perverted
fireworks. They throw it all in.
The script and mobile direction
keep things ticking and most of
the surprises catch you off guard.
The metamorphosis of the film was
impressive, but never indomitable.
A reliance on flashing breasts,
over acting, and terrible post-dubbing
made sure of that. Even so, there's
style and peculiarity to spare;
no matter how many times the film
takes the easy way out, there's
usually something substantial to
pull you back in.
There's nothing quite like open
roads, burning crosses, and big
time incest, eh friend? Straordinario!
AUDIO AND VIDEO
Fear looked better in clip-form
during Zombiethon,
but what can you do? The clarity
was like a glasses prescription
gone bad, but the colors were there.
The mono sound crackled with glee.
EXTRAS
Way to be generic, Mr. Wizard.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Not vital trash, but certainly entertaining,
Fear forks over the scuzz
and mostly shines because of it.
Should you choose to search, this
ultra obscurity will reward you
with a decent night's viewing. If
not, there’s always next weekend.
Thanks to Dan Budnik for providing
a copy of this film! |
Oh mama
Not the maestro
Yes, bleeding skulls
She missed a spot
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