Here's a pretty cool Saturday Night Special for you that was off my radar! Luckily it can be found for a reasonable price over at Sinister Cinema.combo!
There's another film called "Dark Places" that was just released last month, so don't get confused, this "Dark Places" was made back in 1973! Since I haven't seen the latest release, I really have no idea, but as far as I know, the two movies have nothing in common, except probably murder and title!
One man listens to the dying words of a rich man in a mental institution, and asks that fateful question, "Where is the money?"
Welcome to your new home!
The olde house he inherits is all boarded up, and when he gets in to clean it up and start looking around for the money, he finds all kinds of strange shit like this!
"Dark Places" literally has a killer cast! Joan Collins and the late Christopher Lee together as scheming brother and sister who also want to get their hands on the old man's money! What a pair, the suave Chris Lee, and one of the sexiest women on the planet in the same scene eating and drinking a beer! Just seeing these two on the screen together is worth the admission alone!
The gentleman who inherited the house is played by another fantastic actor, Robert (Cornelius Fudge) Hardy! There are some strange things going on in this house, that's for sure!
Joan Collins is the town slut, and volunteers to help the new owner clean the place! She seems to also have ulterior motives, but it's lost on Robert's character!
Here's a nice Craftypants shot of 60's Brit pop icon Jane (Blow-Up) Birkin!
Sure going to miss Chris Lee, but at least he's left a ton of memories behind!
Except for Christopher Lee, all the aforementioned actors, Joan Collins, Robert Hardy, and Jane Birkin are still very much alive and actively working today! Must prove that a little darkness is good for the soul! Speaking of darkness, the music in "Dark Places" was written by Wilfred (The Prisoner) Josephs, and isn't anything that will make you want to stomp and shout, but here's about 30 seconds of what he could do with scary!
The reason I didn't tell you the names of any of the characters is because it's all a bit confusing. I'll just say that the guy who inherited the house looks just like a portrait of the first owner, and he starts blacking out frequently, and when he does, he finds himself in the role of the original owner, who was having an affair with Jane Birkin. He also has a mustache!
The spells become increasingly stronger and last longer, and he never knows what's going to happen when the other character kicks in!
The original owner's prim and oh so proper wife was played by the magnificent Jean (Morgaine) Marsh! She loses it completely when he tells her he's going to leave her for Jane Birkin! Jean Marsh is also still alive and working today!
At the same time, the new owner is acting out the same scenario on Joan Collins! It's not all that complicated, but it's a bit hard to explain!
At this point, he has completely lost it!
Flashback to the undisciplined kids who caused all this trouble to begin with!
They shouldn't have spared the rod on these little brats!
Oh, my, look what the children have done now! Looks like he's not going to be running off with his lover any time soon!
There's just not anything much worse than these evil children played by Jennifer Thanisch and Michael McVey!
I'll leave you with this parting shot of yet one other amazing cast member, Herbert (The 1962 Phantom Of The Opera) Lom as the neighbor Prescott peering in to try and find out what's going on!
I'm not going to say that "Dark Places" is the best movie ever made, but without a doubt, it's an entertaining film with an excellent cast!
It's a pretty sad coincidence just now, but in that first photo Robert Hardy looks an awful lot like Patrick MacNee. At least to me.
ReplyDeleteHadn't noticed that Grant but you're right, he does!
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