DARK PLACES

UK, 1973, 91 minutes, Colour.
Christopher Lee, Joan Collins, Robert Hardy, Herbert Lom, Jane Birkin.
Directed by Don Sharp.

Dark Places is the kind of thriller with occult overtones that the English made in great numbers in the mid-seventies. Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing were often the stars. This is a Christopher Lee vehicle, focuses on mysterious mansions and madness. Joan Collins brings some glamour to a starring role and Robert Hardy some sinister action. The ingredients are the usual but put together competently and quite entertainingly. The film does not claim to be a masterpiece or outstanding in its genre. Direction is by Don Sharp who has made many such films including the Fu Manchu series in the 60s with Christopher Lee. He is also an action director with such credits as Hennessy and Alistair MacLean's Bear Island.

1. Tone and indication of the title? Horror expectations, thriller? Fulfilment of expectations?

2. Why the appeal of horror films? In terms of plot, characters, fright, blood and gore? How successfully presented was this horror story?

3. How much did it rely on its atmosphere of old house, haunted house, overtones of madness and the asylum, the conventional characters of doctors, solicitors, money grabbers? A conventional British horror film?

4. How interesting was the basic situation of money,. death, greed and the search for money, the clash amongst the searchers? The victimisation of hero? The twist of the plot?

5. The focus on Edward Foster and the invitation to the audience to identify with him? as a credible hero, friend of the deceased victim, of Dr Mandeville and Sarah? The importance of his hallucinations and going back into the past? The ugliness of Sarah’s death? The revelation of the truth in his memories and trances? The ultimate realisation of the truth? Audience surprise? Was it an interestingly portrayed character? A device for horror enjoyment?

6. Dr Mandeville and Sarah as conventional characters for this kind of film? The evil doctor, his greedy and sensuous sister? Embodiments of evil? Their persecution of Foster? Sarah’s seduction? Her death, the doctor’s violent death?

7. The trance and hallucination sequences? Their style and contribution to the film?

8. The characters in the past life - Victoria, the children, Alta as a mystery figure? The evil and good in the past? The importance as regards Marr and his killings, memories, being haunted? The murders? Prescott as the conventional solicitor, and the focus for the solution of the film?

9. The quality of the horror as the dark house, a horror story in the fable of greed, a story of madness?

10. How much truth and values are communicated by a horror style?