A TASTE OF EVIL
US, 1971, 73 minutes, Colour.
Barbara Stanwyck, Barbara Parkins, William Windom, Bing Russell, Roddy Mc Dowell, Arthur O’ Connell.
Directed by John Llewellyn Moxey.
Quite an entertaining and suspenseful telemovie. Written by English author Jimmy Sangster and based on his original screen play for A Scream Of Fear. 1961, with Susan Strasberg, it is an adaptation of familiar material to an American setting. The film is also a showcase for the aging Barbara Stanwyck - and she responds, all stops out. Barbara Parkins is suitably impassive as the imposed on heroine. Rather lavishly photographed with special effects and a good character supporting cast, the film is conventional horror material, well done.
1. How satisfying and entertaining a telemovie? Its impact for the home audience? Mystery, violence, suspense? The title and the film's experience of a taste of evil?
2. The colour photography, atmosphere of San Francisco, wealthy homes? Musical score? The editing for the special effects - shocks, suspense and fright? The importance of the blend of realism and imagination and fear?
3. The conventions of the genre: the two phases of the screenplay, the prologue and Susan and the horrible experience in the garden shed, the return home from the sanatorium and the kind experience of Mother, the discovery of the truth and Mother in her true colours? How well did the screenplay cohere? The change of audience attitudes and sympathies? Gradual revelation of character?
4. How plausible the plot ? sufficient for this kind of telemovie thriller? The characterisation of Mother, daughter? The curiosity of friends, Mother's admirer, old John? The discovery of the truth? The motivation behind the goings-on? Evil and greed?
5. The picture of Susan as a young girl, the wealth of the family? Mother and Father at the party, her birthday, her fantasy world in the garden, the assault and its effect on her? Traumatic? The return home and the kindness of Mother? The eerie things that happened, noises in the house, statues and dummies in the garden? Sounds and frights? Her thinking she was going mad? The plot which the audience did not know to unmask Mother? The happy ending and her sense of freedom?
6. Barbara Stanwyck's style as Mother - at the initial party, her care for her daughter, welcoming her home, going through the motions of being a mother, arguing against the frightening situations? The revelation of the truth, seeing her terrorised by her own devices? People turning against her? Her experiencing parallel fears to what she imposed on her daughter? Her callous attitudes towards John and the hold she had over him? The gradual revelation of the truth?
7. The minor characters and their contribution to the first half of the film, old John as a servant around the house, Mother's lover and his alcoholism, being driven from the house? The investigator? The irony of their collaboration at the end and turning the tables on Mother?
8. The special effects in the way that Mother tried to frighten daughter? The reversal of these? The flashbacks to explain the truth?
9. Audience response to this kind of manipulation, cruelty. greed? How effective in the communication of these themes through the suspense mystery thriller?
