LeonLouisRicci Overlong and Overwritten, this is a Plodding and only Occasionally Interesting Psycho-Drama from Hammer Studios. it is Definitely a Lesser Film than the Other Psychological Pictures they made around this Time.After a Lurid and Effective Beginning things become Tedious with some Unnecessary Scenes and the Movie takes the Longest Time Setting-Up the Suspense and the Twist Filled Ending. The Middle Bit with all that Scenery makes for an Atmosphere of Expanse and is there, it seems, to be nothing more than Languishing on Location.The Ending too Suffers from the Ill-Advised and Badly Used Catacombs that do nothing but Distract from the Necessity of Piecing Together the Novel Conclusion. It all is Rendered Rather Routine the way the Climactic Confrontations are Played Out, as is Probably the Case of the Audience by the Time all is Said.

utgard14 I'm a fan of Jimmy Sangster's work and after reading a few reviews of this movie here I was anxious to see it. Unfortunately I can't give this one a rave review. The best I can say is that it's not a bad movie and it's worth seeing once. After an intriguing opening the movie proceeds at a snail's pace for the longest time. It is excruciatingly slow. Since the actors involved are all as exciting as cardboard you can imagine how much slower that makes an already slow pace feel. Finally business picks up and then we're bombarded with one plot twist after another, not one of which is particularly impressive. The only twist I didn't see coming was one that was out of left field and there were no clues in the movie beforehand so it felt like a cheat. It's like Sangster knew his twists couldn't match Psycho so he decided on quantity instead of quality. If you're a fan of Jimmy Sangster or Hammer, then check it out but keep expectations low.

Scarecrow-88 Artist Paul Farrell(Kerwin Mathews) escaping a bad relationship, gets in over his head when he falls in love with the seductive step-mother Eve(Nadia Gray) of a young beauty, Annette(Liliane Brousse)who operates a sea-side café for which he's renting a room. Annette's father, Georges, is locked away in an asylum due to his brutal murder of a rapist who assaulted her. Paul, so completely blinded by his love for the married woman, agrees to help Eve in the escape of Georges, with dire consequences yielding problems he could never imagine. Georges, through a supposed conversation with Eve, wishes to escape hoping to rendezvous with his daughter Annette in another place far away from those out to get him. But, another missing prisoner, who might've possibly escaped with Georges, will come back to haunt Paul and Eve. With Inspector Etienne(George Pastell)often poking around, asking questions, it's only a matter of time before a sure-proof plan unravels with betrayal and deception on the horizon..Super-slick and slippery as only Hammer scribe Sangster can deliver offers several twists, with certain characters not as they appear. One particular character twist some might see coming because of the endless parade of thrillers and courtroom dramas which have come after "Maniac." But, there's one twist regarding the escaped madman which might raise eyebrows..it's certainly inspired, I'll say that. Moody photography helps enhance the mystery as it slowly develops and the setting is alluring. The attractive cast also adds to the already beautiful landscape the characters inhabit, and the seedy elements give the film a nice naughty quality. You know, Hammer is known for their gorgeous Gothic color films, but I really think the studios produced some excellent B&W psychological thrillers as well.The opening sequence is quite startling in how it sets up the tone of the rest of the film, with a salivating old man looking on at an innocent teenager from behind the bushes, offering her a ride home, moving her out of the visibility of the viewer behind waves of green, as one of Annette's school chums gets her father, with the result of an off-screen altercation and blow-torch murder giving way to the credits of the film.

MarieGabrielle portrayed by the lovely Nadia Gray, Roumanian born actress. This suspenseful thriller is a nice surprise, and it has Polansky undertones to it which make it chilling.The idea of a maniac with a blowtorch, and no one knows who or what is his next target. The actor portraying said villain was very good, and menacing as well as believable.Eve has a daughter whose father is languishing in prison. He may be the blowtorch killer. He may have committed crimes. We don't know until the end.Some of the scenes with the outdoor markets reminded me of Montmartre. So real and well photographed. A must see for any suspense film fan. 9/10