WELCOME TO ARROW BEACH

US, 1974, 80 minutes, Colour.
Laurence Harvey, Joanna Pettet, Stuart Whitman, John Ireland.
Directed by Laurence Harvey.

Welcome to Arrow Beach was Laurence Harvey's last film. He stars and directs. He had directed the critically unsuccessful The Ceremony in the early 1960s. This was his only subsequent directed film. The film is one of those bizarre gory thrillers where the hero is rather evidently mad and will pursue the heroine - this time with a meat cleaver. The option for the other mad character is his seeming sister played by Joanna Pettet. However, it soon appears that Harvey is the maniac. The film builds up some suspense and goes for trick photography and lurid detail for its shock impact. There is a rather tasteless song at the end, considering its lyrics, and is sung by Lou Rawls. A thriller for those who enjoy the macabre.

1. Entertaining and competent thriller? Suspense, mystery? Violence, the macabre?

2. How well did the film establish its atmosphere? California, the beach, the hitch-hikers, the drivers? The contrast with the civilised manner of Jason, his house, his sister? The ominous sign of the close-up on his eye, his photography, his neurotic manner? Robyn going into the trap? The build-up of suspense, the air of mystery, the flashbacks about Jason in the war, the drugs, the revelation of his hacking the women to death? Audience revulsion, interest?

3. Colour photography, the locations, the score? The special effects especially for Jason's house, the murders, the killing of the model, the finale? The contribution of the song - and the irony of its lyrics about freedom to do what one must!

4. How plausible the plot? The hitch-hiker and her story, her confidence in herself, her rejection of the initial driver and his crashing? The drug scene? Her allowing herself to go into the house, thinking she was in control? Her revulsion, the boy on the beach, the police? Her return? Jason and his madness, Grace and her protectiveness? The realism of the police - the initial accident, the investigations, the elections, clues? The contrived nature of the screenplay - sufficient for horror purposes?

5. Laurence Harvey's manner as Jason - his eyes, meeting Robyn on the beach, his suave invitation, her comments on his reverse psychology, his manners, the meal? The clues about the chloroform, the meat cleaver, his story about race? The ugliness of the sounds with his hacking the bodies? His putting the drugs in Robyn's bag, calling the police? His control and lack of control? His luring of the model to his studio, his leading her on to pose in the way she did in the '50s, the ugliness of her death? The finale and the inevitability of his death, Grace's shooting him? The final close-up of his eye? A credible psychotic - for this kind of macabre film?

6. Robyn as a young girl of the '70s, hitch-hiking, self control, self confidence? The beach, the swim, responding to Jason's invitation, enjoying the meal, her assertion against Grace, her revulsion in the night and escape, the police, the boyfriend, her leaving the town but returning? Her decision to go back into the house, the final confrontation? The heroine of the horror story?

7. Grace and her relationship with Jason, protecting him, warning Robyn? Her control especially with her knowledge of the chloroform etc., after he gave her the sleeping pill? Did the audience suspect that she was mad? Her visit to the election campaign? Her finally shooting Jason?

8. The picture of the police, their work, getting clues, friendship at the station, the sheriff and the background of his election - for instance, his interview by the negro reporter and his being against permissiveness etc.?

9. The introduction and atmosphere with Robyn hitch-hiking, the speedster and his crash? The world of the '70s in California?

10. Themes of madness, sufficiently explained? The irony of the sheriff's speech and declaration against permissiveness with the atmosphere of madness and murder around him? A satisfying horror film?