Tales That Witness Madness (1973) User Reviews

A mixed horror anthology, average at best.

[poolandrews · 6/10 · 12 January 2005]

A Rolls-Royce pulls up outside some large metal gates. A sign on a wall next to the gates says 'H.M. Prison Commission, Department of Psychiatric Medicine. Prof. R.C. Tremayne, MD Phd BSc', basically it's an asylum and Tremayne is in charge. Once past the gates and inside the building Dr. Nicholas (Jack Hawkins) congratulates his friend Dr. Tremayne (Donald Pleasence) on his breakthrough. They walk around the asylum and visit four patients who each have a story revolve around them. First up it's a young boy named Paul (Russell Lewis) in a segment called 'Mr. Tiger'.

Paul's parents Faye (Georgia Brown) and Sam Patterson (Donald Houston) are always arguing. Paul's tutor Phillipe (David Wood) tells Faye about Paul's imaginary friend named 'Mr. Tiger' who is unsurprisingly a tiger. Obviously everyone thinks Paul is making it up. That is until Faye finds claw marks on a door............

Nicholas and Tremayne then visit Timothy Patrick (Peter McEnery), which leads us into the second story called 'Penny Farthing'.

Timothy's Aunt has recently died and left him a lot of antiques for his shop which he runs with his wife Ann (Suzy Kendall). Included with the items are a photograph of Timothy's stiff-upper lipped Uncle Albert (Frank Forsyth) and a penny farthing. While working late one night Timothy becomes possessed by Albert who makes him get on the penny farthing and start to peddle. This takes Timothy to another time and place, but for what possible reason.........?

Next up it's Brian (Micheal Jayston) and a short story called 'Mel'.

While out running one day Brian finds a strangely and interestingly shaped log. He drags it home as he thinks he can 'do something with it'. Much to the displeasure of his girlfriend Bella (Joan Collins). Brian becomes obsessed with it. But there seems to be something odd about the log, it's almost as if it were alive. Eventually Bella decides either the log goes or she does, with unexpected results.......

Finally it's Auriol Pageant (Kim Novak) and her segment is called 'Luau'.

Auriol is expecting an important client, an author named Kimo (Micheal Petrovitch) and his assistant Keoki (Leon Lissek) to fly into the country. Auriol decides she has to show him a good time and impress. First of all she takes Kimo and Keoki out to dinner, along with Auriol's daughter Virginia (Mary Tamm). Kimo then starts to take an unhealthy interest in Virginia's personal life. Meanwhile Auriol is planning on having an Hawaiian party as a surprise for Kimo, and the centrepiece being a large pork roast. However, it soon becomes clear that Kimo and Keoki have their own ideas as to what type of meat should be served..........

Back at the asylum there is one final horrifying twist before the end credits roll. Directed by Freddie Francis I thought this was an average anthology and the individual stories themselves are a mixed bag to say the least. One of the problems is the script by Jennifer Jayne as Jay Fairbank. With an anthology film like this the segments need to be short and have a memorable twist at the end, in this case only the story called 'Mel' does. Mr. Tiger is very predictable, as soon as the word tiger is mentioned you know exactly what's going to happen in the end and it's not a surprise when it does. Penny farthing is just plain surreal and bizarre, there is no real explanation as to why Uncle Albert is possessing Timothy, it's merely hinted at. This story also has a very weak ending, I was sitting there waiting for a twist or a startling plot revelation but neither came and it just sort of ended limply. Mel with Joan Collins is easily the best story and tries to have a nice twist at the end, and as a whole the story itself works well as a short and is entertaining to watch Joan battle it out with a tree stump for the affections of Brian. The final story is also really predictable as it starts with Kimo promising to preform a voodoo ritual with a human sacrifice, he turns up at Auriol's house and takes an interest in her daughter Virginia. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out what's going to happen does it? It's generally well made as you would expect of British horror from the 70's. There is no blood or gore in it and only a couple of brief scenes of nudity, one of which involves Joan Collins, but the camera never shows her face while her characters breasts are out. They probably used a body double. Acting is OK from everyone involved. Overall I didn't think too much of it, it's OK but not as good as many other horror anthologies like the House that Drpped Blood (1970), Asylum (1972), the Vault of Horror (1973) or even Creepshow (1982). Probably worth a watch if you can catch it on T.V. but not much else.

Kinda an Amicus film

[BandSAboutMovies · 6/10 · 7 February 2019]

This movie may look like an Amicus movie, but make no mistake. It isn't. But I can't blame anyone that thinks that it is, thanks to its cast and director, Freddie Francis. Its wraparound story is all mental hospital, where Dr. Tremayne (Donald Pleasence) tells Dr. Nicholas (Jack Hawkins, Theater of Blood) about four very special cases and how he solved them.

In the first story, Mr. Tiger, a young boy imagines a new best friend, a talking tiger. His parents argue constantly, so he uses that friend to try and escape.

The second tale - that witnesses madness - is Penny Farthing. Here, an antique store owner Timothy inherits an odd portrait and a penny farther bicycle from his aunt and uncle. Soon, he travels through time and romancing an earlier love interest of his uncle who looks exactly like his girlfriend in our time. That's because they're both played by Suzy Kendall (The Bird with the Crystal Plumage).

Mel, the third part of this film, concerns found object art that a man falls in love with, ignoring his wife Bella (Joan Collins!). Obviously, this man is a complete moron.

Finally, Luau is about a literary agent (Kim Novak, Vertigo) whose daughter is menaced by an author and his associate who plan on serving her daughter for dinner as an "earth pig." Novak replaced Rita Heyworth, who was originally going to be in this part of the film.

Finally, the story is wrapped up when Dr. Nicholas tries to lock up Dr. Tremayne for being as insane as his patients. He's soon eaten by the invisible tiger from earlier. Yep. That really happens.

Sadly, Jack Hawkins died soon after this movie wrapped due to complications from a surgery that was to give him an experimental voicebox. His dialogue is dubbed here by Charles Grey, the narrator of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

There are a few fun moments here, but if you haven't enjoyed a British portmanteau horror before, this probably isn't the one to start with.

Some good moments, but a mostly uninspired anthology.

[Hey_Sweden · 5/10 · 5 October 2014]

Dr. Nicholas (Jack Hawkins) arrives at the insane asylum run by the eminent Prof. Tremayne (Donald Pleasence) to hear his absolutely bizarre theories as to how four of his patients ended up there.

The first is young Paul (Russell Lewis), who lived with quarrelling parents Sam and Fay (Donald Houston, Georgia Brown), and who had concocted an imaginary friend dubbed Mr. Tiger. Or is he imaginary?

Next is Timothy (Peter McEnery), whose newly acquired penny farthing - it's a sort of bicycle - is able to transport him back in time, all while a leering portrait of his uncle Albert (Frank Forsyth) watches over him.

Then we meet Brian (Michael Jayston), who frustrates his wife Bella (Joan Collins) by bringing home - and falling in love with (I kid you not) - a tree. A creepy looking tree that seems to be named Mel.

Finally, in the tale that takes up most of the movies' running time, the story of Auriol (Kim Novak) is told. She's having to deal with a rebellious daughter, Ginny (Mary Tamm) while entertaining a writer named Kimo (Michael Petrovitch).

Only the fourth tale, "Luau", has any real kick to it. And it's an appreciably twisted tale indeed. But overall, the segments of "Tales That Witness Madness" are bland and lack style. A shame, given that director / cinematographer Freddie Francis *could* do solid work in this format. Things get a little too silly a little too often, especially in the sequence with Brian and Bella, and the endings are rather predictable. Certainly this excellent cast of familiar faces does some good work; Pleasence is a pleasure to watch as always. And the movies' final moments come complete with yet another twist before the end credits start rolling.

However, if you're looking for a good horror anthology from this period, check out "Asylum" or "Tales from the Crypt" instead.

Five out of 10.

Four frightening tales of murder, deception, and the occult.

[verna55 · 24 September 2000]

This stylish horror anthology, made by the same guy who directed the equally effective TALES FROM THE CRYPT a year before, packs a real punch. Each of the four stories are ghoulish and chillingly memorable. The first, MR. TIGER, concerns a little boy who introduces his feuding parents to his "imaginary" tiger. The second, PENNY FARTHING, is about an old-fashioned bicycle which sends its new owner back in time to unveil a sinister crime. The third, MEL(My favorite), has the beautiful and sexy Joan Collins struggling to keep her husband's wandering eyes on her and her alone. The twist is her competition is a tree!!!!! The fourth and final segment, LUAU, is a grisly tale of murder and voodoo rites. Truthfully, the last segment, even though it's the goriest, is probably the weakest, and is notable mainly for the presence of the lovely and talented Kim Novak(VERTIGO) whose first film this was in four years. But each tale is worth viewing, and good fun!

Elegant chiller

[Rrrobert · 7/10 · 21 March 2019]

This was actually the first UK portmanteau chiller of the 1970s I saw (on late night TV in the early 1980s). It hooked me into the genre and afterwards I loved seeing Asylum, The House that Dripped Blood, Vault of Horror, etc.

This one is cool and elegant. The tales are all fun and suspenseful, and the excellent framing story (featuring Donald Pleasence acting kind of loopy) lifts things.

The actors are great and seem to be having a ball. The story 'Mel' works especially well, and Joan Collins is great in it. Kim Novak and Mary Tamm are fun in 'Luau' too.

Mysterious and intriguing anthology horror entertainment blending various horror tales.

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 24 September 2021]

A vintage horror film financed by World Film Services/Norman Priggen with a great British cast and formed by several episodes full of creepy events , chills, thrills , gore and guts . An anthology terror movie formed by four segments professional but uneven realized and ordinarily played by known actors . Dealing with a psychiatrist (Donald Pleasence) tells stories of four special cases to a colleague (Jack Hawkins) . In the tradition of Edgar Allan Poe......Is it just your imagination or your Sanity that's in question? An orgy of the damned! It happens beyond madness - where your mind won't believe what your eyes see. As they receive fantastic visions about their future . And now ...who is next....

It deals with 4 segments titled: "Mr. Tiger" , "Penny Farthing" , "Mel" , "Luau" , all of them are filled with mystery , suspense , terror , grisly killings , cannibalism, twisted events and horrible happenings . Most stories are inspired by American comic books as Tales of Crypt from EC comics . It includes the following ones : 1º : a young son of prominent but constantly bickering parents , befriends an imaginary tiger ; 2ª : A businessman innherits a penny-farthing bicycle which seems to have time travel capabilities ; 3ª : A man displays a human-shaped dead tree at home as a piece of found art , angering his jealous spouse ; 4ª : a wealthy literary agent hosts a new client who seems more interested in her beautiful daughter resulting in fateful consequences . The stories are really uneven, suffering from some weak incidents and of varying quality, packing nice as well as fleeble moments. Taking its cue from the popular portmanteau style of the classic "Dead of Night" made some years before , being "Dr Terror" the first Amicus -from producers Milton Subotsky, Max J Rosenberg- big hit series of terror story compendiums ; however , this one being financed from inferior production company : .World Film Services. The British star-studded results to be pretty good with a plethora of notorious actors such as : Jack Hawkins , Donald Pleasence, Joan Collins , Michael Jayston, Georgia Brown , Donald Houston, Suzy Kendall , Peter McEnery , Charles Gray , Kim Novak , and Mary Tamm's debut .

It packs colorful , adequate cinematograhy by Norman Warwick , shot on Locations in Binfield Manor, Forest Road, Binfield, Bracknell, Berkshire, and Burwood Park, Onslow Road, Hersham, Walton-on-Thamesat and at Shepperton studios , Surrey , England . It was compellingly accompanied by a thrilling and suspenseful musical score by Bernard Ebbinghouse .The motion picture was regular but professionally directed by Freddie Francis who had a long cinematic career . He was an expert cameraman who photographed prestigious films such as : ¨The straight story¨ , ¨Cape fear¨ , ¨Glory ¨, ¨Dune¨, ¨The elephant man¨ , ¨Night must fall¨ , The innocents¨, ¨Room at the top and ¨Hell in Korea¨ . He also directed some movies , many of them terror films, such as : ¨Dark tower¨ , ¨Doctor and the devils¨ , The ghoul¨ , Legend of werewolf¨ , ¨The creeping flesh¨ , Trog¨ , ¨Torture garden¨ ,¨The skull¨ , ¨House of horrors¨ , ¨The evil of Frankenstein¨ , ¨Nighmare¨ , ¨Paranoiac¨ , The brain¨ and directed ¨Tales of the Crypt¨ TV series , episode 2 season 7 , titled ¨Last respects¨. Rating : 5.5/10. Average , but passable and acceptable . The motion picture will appeal to terror movies fans .

Just plain silly...

[Mike-263 · 4/10 · 25 April 1999]

Despite an excellent cast and good production values this (supposed) horror film commits the ultimate sin: it doesn't scare... It's like watching some sit-com level "Twilight Zone" rip-off episode(s)... If you want to enjoy the real thing see one or all of the following: "Tales from the Crypt" (1972) "Asylum" (1972) or "Vault of Horror" (1973)

You Standard 1970s British Anthology -- I Love It

[gavin6942 · 7/10 · 12 October 2012]

Visited by colleague Dr. Nicholas (Jack Hawkins), Dr. Tremayne (Donald Pleasence) explains his amazing and controversial theories as to why each of his four patients went mad... cue four distinct tales each with a different set of characters!

I love anthologies and was therefore instantly interested in this one. My only disappointment was that there were four segments. At 90 minutes, there should probably only have been three. We just never have time to fully develop the stories... (Although, I have to say a decent job was done here.)

Hooray for director Freddie Francis, best known for his work with Hammer. And hooray for Kim Novak, perhaps best known for "Vertigo". The Encyclopedia of Horror says the film "avoids farce and develops a nicely deadpan style of humour which is ably sustained by the excellent cast in which only Novak appears unable to hit the right note." Not sure why they singled her out... I thought she did fine.

Interestingly, this was the last film of both Frank Forsyth and Jack Hawkins, and Kim Novak had been semi-retired when she replaced Rita Hayworth to take her role here.

tiger bicycles to a tree

[lee_eisenberg · 5/10 · 19 December 2012]

British studios made a number of anthology horror flicks in the '60s and '70s, and "Tales That Witness Madness" is one of them. It depicts a futuristic asylum in which the owner (Donald Pleasence) tells his colleague (Jack Hawkins, who died right before the movie got released) about the patients and how they went insane.

I didn't like this one as much as movies like "Dr. Terror's House of Horrors" and "The House that Dripped Blood", but it's still entertaining. The tree segment is the neatest one. It just goes to show that horror flicks - even if they're not particularly scary - are best when they're not just scenes of people crawling around making scared faces. I will say that Kim Novak's character seems kind of flat, but the rest of the movie makes up for that. Also starring are Joan Collins and the recently deceased Mary Tamm.

So yes, does anyone love me?

Predictable but enjoyable

[Boris_G · 6/10 · 5 December 2009]

This is not one of those Amicus anthologies which present unexpected twists: three out of the four stories are utterly predictable from their initial set up. But then it's like one of those fairground rides - you see what you're going to get (eg a 25 foot vertical drop), but if you're into that sort of thing you can still get a thrill out of the ride (the last story in particular is quite unpleasant - watching it is like watching an unavoidable car accident in slow motion). While none of the acting is quite on the level that you get from Peter Cushing in particular in anthologies like 'The House that Dripped Blood' or 'Tales from the Crypt', it is consistently good (Joan Collins actually being more believable than in the silly story she appears in for 'Tales from the Crypt'), and Freddie Francis directs these with a good sense of atmosphere and character. One I wouldn't mind seeing again.

Severely lacking Amicus anthology

[The_Void · 5/10 · 26 October 2006]

Freddie Francis directed a lot of the best omnibus films that Amicus had to offer; but unfortunately, this isn't one of them. It would seem that the studio was running out of ideas after the likes of The House that Dripped Blood and The Vault of Horror, as every story in this film feels like an afterthought. The wraparound revolves around a mental home, where Doctor Tremayne is showing someone around his various patients. We then get treated to the story behind how they all got there. These films normally start off with a lacklustre tale, and this one is no different as the first features a young kid with a tiger. Nothing particularly of note for this tale, except for the fact that you'll be hoping it gets better. It does, but only slightly. The second story is completely stupid and also rather boring as we follow an antique store owner who gets a penny farthing bicycle and finds that it's a time machine and he can go back into the past, under the watchful eye of a painting of 'Uncle Albert'. Again, there's nothing particularly of note here and the way it plods out is far from interesting.

The third tale is undoubtedly the best, and is the weird story of a man who falls in love with a tree stump. Aside from the obvious fact that you simply wouldn't bring an old piece of wood into the house (even if you are in a film about madness), this story is pretty good; it's funny enough and interesting in all the right places. It's not enough to save the film in its own right, but had all the segments been as good as this one; Tales That Witness Madness would have been a decent film. The final tale is extremely tedious and succeeds only in bring a slow end to the movie. The final tale follows a weird bloke who is involved in some kind of devilish sorcery. I know I won't remember what happened for long. These films almost always conclude their wraparound stories, and Tales That Witness Madness is no exception. However, like the rest of the film; the conclusion to the wraparound feels a lot like an afterthought and doesn't succeed in bringing any intrigue to a film severely lacking in it. Overall, Tales that Witness Madness features one decent story and three limp ones, and Amicus have certainly done a lot better.

A hugely enjoyable tongue-in-cheek British horror anthology hoot

[Woodyanders · 8/10 · 11 October 2007]

Psychiatrist Dr. R.C. Tremayne (the always fine Donald Pleasence) and colleague Dr. Nicholas (Jack Hawkins in his final film role) investigate the case histories of four inmates being kept in an experimental asylum. 1st and most whimsical tale, "Mr. Tiger" - Little boy Paul Patterson (cute Russell Lewis) can't convince his constantly bickering parents (played to snarky perfection by Georgia Brown and Donald Houston) that his "imaginary" tiger friend is actually real. 2nd and most offbeat yarn, "Penny Farthing" - Timothy Patrick (likable Peter McEnery) purchases an antique bicycle which enables him to go back in time to the Victorian era where he meets fair maiden Beatrice (the extremely charming and comely Suzy Kendall). 3rd and most perverse segment, "Mel" - Jeolous, possessive housewife Bella Thompson (the ever classy and lovely Joan Collins) becomes really upset when her husband Brian (solid Michael Jayston) becomes infatuated with a sensuous, but lethal sentient tree (!). 4th and most twisted vignette, "Luau" - Stuck-up rich lady Auriol Pageant (a wonderfully radiant Kim Novak) holds a big bash in which the surprise ingredient in the meat turns out to be none other than her sweet virginal daughter Virginia (the stunningly gorgeous Mary Tamm). Director Freddie Francis, working from a witty and inspired script by British fright film scream queen Jennifer Jayne, handles the macabre material with his customary crisp and polished assurance, punctuating the grisly anecdotes with a nice, dry line in quirky black humor and offering up a fair amount of gore. Norman Warwick's slick, sparkling cinematography gives the picture an attractive glossy look. Bernard Ebbinghouse's alternately groovy and spooky score likewise scores a bull's eye. Deliciously droll fun.

A feast of fear for those more afraid of the unknown than the most deadly of screen monsters.

[mark.waltz · 6/10 · 16 October 2018]

A stuffed tiger come to life; A mysterious portrait that comes to life and takes those who stare at it back in time; A tree that has a mind of its own; A tasty roast that isn't quite what it seems. Those are all the elements of this multi-part horror film that has plenty of shocks to keep you on the edge of your seat yet not gross you out by the physical. This is psychological horror at its best, at least for a few of the segments. Two psychiatrists (Jack Hawkins and Donald Pleasance) are the forces behind this foursome, having a simple conversation over their cases, with one of them telling the other his strangest cases, all coming together dramatically at the end. A troubled kid takes care of his fighting parents in the first segment (Broadway/London musical star Georgia Brown as the mother), the second segment has a ghostly look back at the past and how it impacts the present with a possible case of spontaneous combustion that occurs in both a lovely day in the park in the early twentieth century and the present day, Joan Collins' hatred of a tree which husband Michael Jayston plants in their living room; A longtime vendetta leaving to a curse that results in a bit of cannibalism of the most shocking way, involving Kim Novak.

How this scores a rating as a good film is the tension that builds in each segment, the first two not as memorable as the last two which are downright outstanding. The segment featuring Collins and Jayston reminded me of the deliciously bad "From Hell It Came" where the soul of an executed man took over a rather odd looking tree, and had me in titters at its final visual. The best, and most horrifying (in a truly bizarre psychological way) is the final where the still beautiful Kim Novak prepares a huge feast that unbeknownst to her results in a voodoo type ceremony where the tasty cuisine isn't a meal fit for human consumption, no matter how good it tastes. Survivors of all four segments are gathered together for the surprising conclusion. The film may lack in graphic horror but there's enough blood for those who fancy that, yet not too much where the squeamish have to look away. This is a horror film for the mind to absorb, and therefore, not one to watch right before you go to bed.

A film that witnesses madness if ever there was one.

[JamesHitchcock · 3/10 · 5 December 2023]

Horror films were a major feature of the British cinema in the sixties and seventies, and portmanteau horror anthologies, combining several stories in a single film, were a recognised sub-genre during this period. And this is a good example. Most of these anthologies were produced by Amicus Productions, Hammer's main rivals in the horror stakes, but "Tales That Witness Madness" was produced by World Film Services. Joan Collins, who appears here, had the previous year featured in an Amicus anthology, "Tales from the Crypt".

The five stories are linked together by a framework in which Dr Tremayne, a psychiatrist in a mental asylum, reveals to a colleague, Dr Nicholas, the case histories of four of his patients. In "Mr Tiger", Paul the young son of unhappily married and constantly quarrelling parents, has an invisible tiger as his imaginary friend.

In "Penny Farthing" Timothy, an antiques dealer, inherits from his aunt a portrait of an elderly gentleman whom he names "Uncle Albert" and a penny farthing bicycle. Both these items appear to have strange properties. Uncle Albert's eyes seem to follow Timothy around the room, and whenever he climbs on the bicycle he travels back in time to the Victorian era where he becomes Albert as a young man and his girlfriend, Ann, becomes Albert's sweetheart Beatrice.

In "Mel" a young man finds an old dead piece of wood, with a vague resemblance to the shape of a human being, in his garden. He brings this object, which he names "Mel", into his house, much to the disgust of his wife. And in "Luau", a literary agent named Auriol falls in love with her handsome new client, a native Hawaiian, but he seems more interested in her attractive teenage daughter.

Auriol was originally to be played by Rita Hayworth, but she dropped out soon after shooting started. (Her part was taken by another big-name American star, Kim Novak). She probably dropped out after reading the script, because this is a Film that Witnesses Madness if there ever was one. Madness, that is, on the part of the scriptwriter who came up with it and of the producer, director and actors who agreed to have anything to do with it. Of the five stories, the only one which makes any sort of sense is "Luau", and even that only makes sense if one is prepared to swallow the racist idea that native Hawaiians are all practitioners of devil worship, human sacrifice and cannibalism. The other three case histories, and the framework story about the two psychiatrists, seem completely lacking in any internal logic or any satisfactory explanation for their final denouements.

This was the last film of Jack Hawkins, a popular British actor of the fifties and early sixties. He had lost his voice after an operation for throat cancer in 1965, but continued acting with his parts being voiced by other actors, here by Charles Gray. He was to die soon after making this film, and it must be said that he deserved a better swan-song. Something like "Tales from the Crypt" is often lurid and shocking, but can also at times be compelling and watchable. "Tales that Witness Madness", by contrast, is almost throughout virtually unwatchable, except by those masochistic film buffs who enjoy watching bad movies so that they can laugh at just how bad they are. 3/10.

Creepy movie

[eric-144 · 29 March 1999]

Creepy British movie has four scary tales about an invisible man eating tiger, a picture that comes alive, a tree that is alive and the last and worst one is about voodoo. Joan Collins is great as a woman fighting for her husband's affection over a tree! The tiger and the picture episodes are good too. Altogether a good creepy movie .

"Pleasant Dreams"

[richardchatten · 7/10 · 30 August 2022]

Although little-seen and dismissed by Kim Newman as "unreleasable", this attempt to jump on the Amicus bandwagon was ambitious enough to cast Kim Novak. Produced by a company appropriately called Lioness it's written by a woman and includes such formidable femmes as Georgia Brown, Joan Collins and Miss Novak.

As a an actress Miss Jayne always looked as if she had something on her mind and her script shows clear evidence of a ghoulish wit and an enthusiasm for fantasy, sci-fi and old horror movies; although heaven only knows just what she was getting out of her system in the episode in which Miss Collins affections are alienated by a tree!

Tales that witness silliness

[Prichards12345 · 6/10 · 7 December 2016]

You would be forgiven for thinking this is another anthology movie from Amicus. Unfortunately they never quite descended to this level of entertaining mind-boggling idiocy in their scripts. This is a fun, watchable, utterly silly movie, with far-fetched plots that have to be seen to be er, witnessed. A really good cast must have been monumentally embarrassed (and short of a few quid) to appear in this.

Our linking narrative concerns Donald Pleasence demonstrating some sort of cure he has found for mental illness to Jack Hawkins. Shades of the Amicus movie Asylum. We have four cases presented for our delectation.

Mr. Tiger. Donald Huston and Georgia Brown have a son who has a fantasy pet tiger. The lad is bothering his parents with stealing meat from the fridge to feed his imaginary pet. Huston, who does nothing but shout a lot when he comes home from work, finally is nagged into confronting his son over it, and his parents discover the tiger is real. Yeah, right...

Our second story concerns an antique dealer dealing with his late aunt's furniture, and discovering an old picture of his uncle and a penny farthing cycle have the power to compel him into the past to relive his uncle getting, er struck by lightning. Director Freddie Francis stages some sort of miracle in making these first two stories utterly watchable.

AND NOW. HERE IT COMES. OUR THIRD CLASSIC. Joan Collins in a career low (and that's saying something if you've seen I Don't Want To Be Born) as a sexpot wife getting cuckolded by... a tree! This episode is hilarious as Joanie gets into a battle of wits with said tree, which resembles a female form...very slightly. No real excuse for her hubby to do her in and replace Joan with the tree in his bed! I'm not kidding. He really does! I think this episode deserves some sort of award for utterly demented script-writing.

Fourth one concerns a cleverly planned human sacrifice during a Hawaiian-themed party set up by Kim Novak for a writer. Nope I did not make that up, either. This one is quite compelling, although Kim obviously let her acting lessons lapse after Vertigo, as she is astonishingly awful. Ed Wood's actors were better. Mary Tamm has some tasteful nudity. Didn't she marry Richard Dawkins - ah no, that was Lalla Ward. Shame!

The whole concoction is utterly daft and yet never boring. Best viewed after about 8 pints in the pub...

A Low Point in Horror Anthologies

[josephbrando · 5/10 · 15 February 2010]

Although often mistaken for an Amicus Production, (creators of most of those terrific portmanteu horror films from the 60's and 70's Tales From The Crypt, Vault Of Horror etc...), this is actually not related to that production company, however, it was directed by Hammer and Amicus stalwart, Freddie Francis. I like Francis as a director, really dig Joan Collins and love horror anthology movies in general. But it still took me 3 separate viewings to finish this one. It was just so dull.

Donald Pleasence is dry and monotonous as usual in the framing segment as he takes another doctor on a tour of the mental hospital where he works. He introduces him to four patients, each of whom has a "tale that is supposed to witness madness". These include: a young boy with constantly bickering parents who creates an imaginary playmate - a ferocious lion. A man who receives a penny farthing bicycle that is a time machine. Joan Collins and a rotting piece of tree fighting over a man. And a luau party thrown by a woman who does not realize that her own daughter is the sacrificial guest of honor.

None of the four stories were particularly interesting, the wraparound was dry and there was little to no gore (not that that is so important but at least it would have provided some entertainment). Don't go out of your way to track this one down. It's pretty bad.

Not great but it holds its own.

[GiraffeDoor · 6/10 · 19 May 2019]

Calling this creepy would be an exaggeration but the stories have a more or less compelling charm that I'm struggling to find in the genre these days.

The wraparound is a bit confusing and marred by a glaringly obvious dubbing.

But the stories are distracting enough with their varied settings and subject matter. More like weird fiction back in the day than horror.

I don't think any of the directors were really prepared for the project. They seem to be ready for a news item but they are a but flaccid in the way they visualize the stories and it can feel a bit blunt without any build up and I know the script gave some opportunities to do that.

The stories themselves don't exactly keep their cards close to their chest. They're not subtle and the last one seems like unambitious gore porn.

Not a winner exactly but it goes the distance.

A weak Amicus-style anthology.

[BA_Harrison · 4/10 · 25 April 2010]

The portmanteau/anthology format is very hit and miss with many examples of the genre having at least one weak tale hidden amongst the good ones, or vice versa. Tales That Witness Madness, however, is fairly unique in that every segment—including the bizarre wraparound story—is a dud, meaning that usually dependable horror director Freddie Francis and his seasoned cast of character actors can do very little to prevent the film from being a crushing bore.

Jennifer Jayne's nonsensical script sees Dr. Nicholas (Jack Hawkins) arriving at a futuristic hospital for the insane, where psychiatrist Dr. R.C. Tremayne (Donald Pleasance) is convinced that he has discovered what caused four of his patients to go mad. In order to convince his doubtful colleague, he recounts the details of each case: loony number one is Paul (Russell Lewis), a young boy whose imaginary friend Mr. Tiger proves to be very real indeed, devouring the lad's constantly bickering parents; patient number two, Timothy Patrick (Peter McEnery), loses his marbles after taking a trip into the past on a supernatural penny-farthing that is controlled by the ever-changing portrait of his Uncle Albert; fruitcake three, Brian (Micheal Jayston), kills his gorgeous wife (Joan Collins) in order to get it on with the malevolent tree trunk he brings into his home; and the last nutter is literary agent Auriol Pageant (Kim Novak) whose latest client, Hawaiian writer Kimo (Micheal Petrovitch), is planning a special feast with Auriol's tasty teenage daughter as the main course.

After telling his unbelievable (and dreadfully dull) tales to a still sceptical Dr. Nicholas, the seemingly unhinged Tremayne is escorted to one of his own padded cells; shortly thereafter, Dr. Nicholas is paid a visit by Mr. Tiger!!! Dull, uninspired and cursed with some very lame 'twist' endings, this collection of dreadful tales offers horror fans very little to get excited about—with the exception of one scene that may be of particular interest to Evil Dead fans: Joan Collins' character is attacked by trees and creepers in the middle of a forest, the branches ripping off her clothes and groping her (body double's?) breasts. Sound familiar?

3.5 out of 10, rounded up to 4 for presence of the lovely Joan Collins.

Happily ludicrous ...

[parry_na · 6/10 · 9 April 2020]

Amicus were a film company who threatened to topple Hammer's crown as the UK's foremost horror specialists in the 1970s. They specialised in anthology films, and nothing proves their dominance in this field more than 'Tales that Witness Madness' - produced by World Film Services.

Not that 'Tales...' is particularly bad. It features a terrific cast, and is directed by the prolific and acclaimed Freddie Francis. The budget, while clearly not spectacular, is adequate to convey the stories being told.

For me, it is a combination of lacklustre stories and lack of pace that lets things down a little here. In order:

Dr. Tremayne (Donald Pleasence) explains to his colleague Dr. Nicholas (a dubbed Jack Hawkins in his last filmic appearance) how he has cured four special cases.

The first involves young Paul (a fine performance from Russell Lewis) who imagines he has a pet tiger to sort out his ever bickering parents. The second sees antique dealer Tim (Peter McEnery) inheriting a penny farthing bicycle that transports him back in time.

Thirdly, the mighty Joan Collins plays Bella, who grows increasingly jealous of her husband Brian's (Michael Jayston) obsession with a tree.

Finally, Auriol (Kim Novak) embarks on a relationship with dashing Kimo (Michael Petrovitch, who is far more invested here than he was in the previous year's quietly wonderful 'Neither The Sea Nor The Sand'). However, he seems more interested in her daughter Ginny (Mary Tamm) for his own grisly reasons ...

The stories are quite happy to live within their ludicrous premises, but somehow they - and the equally preposterous umbrella theme - miss the mark and it is difficult to pinpoint why. Perhaps it is because all stories feature events that cross the line between what is horrific and what is fantastic, with no variation from that. There is a feint psychedelia to the denouement that adds to the proceedings' sense of unreality - and there is nothing wrong with that. It just doesn't quite come off with the situations taking place in the identifiable drudgery of the real world. My score is 6 out of 10.

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad and BAD Anthology!

[Coventry · 3/10 · 16 August 2009]

This was the last of the British horror anthology flicks from the late 60's/early 70's that I still had to see, and I intensely searched for it because I've always been a great fan of the Amicus formula. Some of their versatile portmanteau film rank highly among my list of favorites, like "The House that Dripped Blood" and "Asylum", and even the lesser qualitative efforts were nevertheless still very enjoyable. I don't know what exactly went wrong with the stories and set-up of "Tales that witness Madness", but it's a very inferior and severely disappointing film in comparison with all the other British anthology horror films from that era. The main issue lies in Jennifer Jayne's screenplay, which comes up with supernatural-themed stories full of absurd gimmicks, paradoxes and downright crazy situations. It already begins with a wannabe mysterious wraparound story in which a peculiarly behaving doctor – played by Donald Pleasance – guides a fellow doctor through the psychiatric ward of a mental institution and stops to elaborate on four of his heaviest cases. The first story is about an unhappy 8-year-old boy who seeks imaginary friendship with a tiger (!) because his parents continuously argue and neglects his needs. The boring and predictable build-up of the story is more or less compensated through a bloody climax, but "Mr. Tiger" nevertheless remains a senseless and dull quickie that appears to have been improvised at the spot by the actors. The second story opens potentially atmospheric and sinister, with an antique dealer slowly going deranged due to the evil influence of an ancient portrait that he baptized Uncle Albert. The portrait is somehow telepathically linked to a penny-farthing. Whenever the eyes of Uncle Albert force Timothy to ride the hi-wheeler, he gets teleported back in time and reincarnates as the man from the painting. I presume the initial set up was that the guy in the painting wanted him to witness 'something' in the park, but it never gets that far because Timothy's girlfriend sets fire to the penny-farthing. This segment slowly evolves from interesting into infuriatingly bad and ridicule, with time paradoxes and nonsensical symbolism about reincarnation. The third segment is a load of rubbish as well, but at least it's rubbish starring Joan Collins. Her husband develops a strange obsession for a piece of tree that he takes home and puts in the middle of the living room. I don't think that any woman would like a piece of rotting and moist wood in her house, but whenever Bella comes near the thing she suffers from nightmarish visions in which she gets raped in the woods. "Mel" is arguably the best story of the four, but still very silly and unmemorable. The final segment is possibly even twice as boring and inept as the three previous ones combined. By this time, my interest in the film had already vanished, but I seem to remember something about a really ugly guy sacrificing the virgin daughter of a wealthy high- society lady to a phallic statue and serving her flesh at the diner table. Sounds gruesome enough, but the story itself is slow-paced and unimaginably pretentious. "Tales that witness Madness" was one of my personal biggest disappointments ever. None of the stories can hold a candle to even the weakest segments of any other Amicus production and even the experienced veteran director Freddie Francis can't make the film remotely interesting.

Far out and not just the Fashion

[barracuda1970 · 10/10 · 9 September 2021]

What on earth??literally what is going on with this one?the penny farthing story is pretty ludicrous but by the time we get to joan collins and that tree stump i have to keep telling myself "its only film...is it a film?..."bizarro,why does he bring a tree in,why did joan collins agree to play in this film etc of course its brilliantly watchable and the fashions are really far out swinging london psychedelia,not my favourite amicus anthology but still gets 10 for just existing,Freddie Francis Forever!

Tales That Provoke Boredom

[KuRt-33 · 4/10 · 29 December 2000]

A Freddie Francis movie with Kim Novak, Donald Pleasence and Jack Hawkins... how bad can it be? Well, pretty lousy actually.

The movie starts with a car entering a psychiatric hospital. Then we hear from Dr. Tremayne that he's going to show us four extraordinary cases, after which we are subjected to them, in true porte-plumeau style. Err, wait a minute, wasn't there a movie called 'Asylum' (1972), a movie where (to finish this sentence, please re-read the paragraph above). So, by the end of the movie, you're pretty much expecting that the film will end in a similar way. Alas, it doesn't. The ending is even more ludicrous than the four stories you saw before. Yes, it's an invisible tiger. Yes, there's the story of Uncle Albert, a man on a painting who makes his next-of-kin ride on a bicycle (which makes them go back in time where they're observed by Albert, in the shape of a moving statue). Yes, it's a the man who falls in love with a tree (though, as he's married to Joan Collins, we cannot blame him). Yes, it's a man who has to devour the flesh of a maiden. And yes, the ending is even more ludicrous. (Although the last minute itself isn't too bad.)

Jennifer Jayne wrote only two movies (as Jay Fairbank). The other is "Son of Dracula" (1974). Avoid the ludicrous Tales and watch "Son of Dracula" and Roy Ward Baker's "Asylum" instead.

Pretty Tame Anthology

[BaronBl00d · 4 August 2000]

Although lacking the genuine chills of other Amicus anthology pictures such as Tales From the Crypt, Asylum, and Vault of Horror, Tales That Witness Madness is still a rather enjoyable romp in the land of the macabre. Once again we have a framing story of some patients being observed by two doctors of sorts...Donald Pleasance and Jack Hawkins, in his last screen role. We are then entertained with four tales...each extraordinary and containing some element of the supernatural. The first story deals with a boy and an invisible tiger. Pretty decent little effort. The second story details how a picture has powers to empower the living to its bidding. I felt this story was set up very nicely and then just left flat, so much more could have been done with it. The third story was an entertaining one about a husband putting aside his wife(Joan Collins no less) for a hunk of a tree. The last story is easily the best. All I really can say is that dinner is served at the luau, voodoo style. The acting is decent throughout and the sets and cinematography is very good.