What we have here is a bizarre mix of psycho horror and pitch black comedy that actually works much better than I thought it would. The film is based on a stage play by Maisie Mosco and follows a so-called 'happy family' who all happen to be lunatics. The film is directed by Freddie Francis who of course has a lot of experience in directing cult and horror movies having done a number of films for Hammer Horror and numerous other projects. The film is not very well known and was considered lost for a number of years. I have to say that doesn't really surprise me - this flick is a bit too weird to have a great deal of mass market appeal! The plot focuses on a family made up of four people - unsurprisingly calling themselves; Mumsy, Nanny, Sonny and Girly. This clan has a habit of kidnapping people, subjecting them to torturous games for a little while and then "sending them to the angels" once bored of them. This all goes well until they kidnap a New Friend, who is not happy to join in with the games and decides to play some of his own...
The film is very 'British' in style and execution and Freddie Francis does well in elevating the film away from it's stage play origins - although it's still clear that this story was originally a play from the settings and the way most of the scenes play out. Almost the entire film takes place in and around the large house that is the living area of the central characters. The lack in variation for locations doesn't harm the film however as the house matches the plot brilliantly and the way that it all takes place around one area helps to enforce the unfortunate kidnapped characters' situations and lack of escape routes. The acting is spot on, with all four of the title characters being brought to life convincingly - Vanessa Howard is particularly good as the mischievous 'Girly'. Michael Bryant is probably the best known member of the cast and he fits in well with the rest of them. The humour on display is so black that a lot of it will be missed - I have to say that I didn't find the film particularly 'funny' myself. Still, this is an excellent slice of cult cinema and well worth seeing if you can get your hands on a copy!
The film is very 'British' in style and execution and Freddie Francis does well in elevating the film away from it's stage play origins - although it's still clear that this story was originally a play from the settings and the way most of the scenes play out. Almost the entire film takes place in and around the large house that is the living area of the central characters. The lack in variation for locations doesn't harm the film however as the house matches the plot brilliantly and the way that it all takes place around one area helps to enforce the unfortunate kidnapped characters' situations and lack of escape routes. The acting is spot on, with all four of the title characters being brought to life convincingly - Vanessa Howard is particularly good as the mischievous 'Girly'. Michael Bryant is probably the best known member of the cast and he fits in well with the rest of them. The humour on display is so black that a lot of it will be missed - I have to say that I didn't find the film particularly 'funny' myself. Still, this is an excellent slice of cult cinema and well worth seeing if you can get your hands on a copy!