The Ghoul (1975) User Reviews

Great acting, superb atmosphere, deserves to be a cult-classic

[chev-errant · 6/10 · 25 June 2006]

I have noticed a lot of rubbish written about this movie: its NOT a Hammer production (it's from Tyburn) although a lot of Hammer-regulars are involved in it; director Freddie Francis is NOT the brother of producer Kevin Francis, but his father; the only similarities between Alfred Hitchock's Psycho and this movie are a female lead-actress (Veronica Carlson of Hammer's Dracula Has Risen from the Grave and Frankenstein Must be Destroyed-fame) who is killed halfway through the movie after we have become to root for her and who's disappearance is investigated by people who knew her, and an atmospheric house which contains a supposedly hideous secret. Peter Cushing gives a great performance, mixing real-life emotions with acting (his sadness about his departed wife of which he show photographs to Veronica Carlson and which are photographs of his real wife who had died in 1971, is really hard to watch if you are familiar with the background-information); John Hurt is also great although his character is nothing more then a red herring; Gwen Watford gives a nice performance of a Hindu-housekeeper which is not sinister in herself but treated as sinister because Hindoes were considered sinister in the time-period the movie is set in. The Ghoul himself will be undoubtedly a let-down for gore-seekers; although he is cannibalistic, he turns out to be more of a sad retard than a monster. The element which makes this film a cult-classic is the sadness which pervades every scene once we have made entrance to the house; not any other movie, to my knowledge, makes the same impact of sadness and doom which are presented here through characterizations, surroundings and even time-period. It's a gem, worthy to seek out, but be warned: only one viewing may not be enough to appreciate it ! You have to take your time for it and watch it several times (with intervals)... It may haunt you...

Enjoyable; made & written well - weirdly hard to pin down

[I_Ailurophile · 6/10 · 25 October 2022]

How odd this is. It fits in the very broadest of terms into the "creepy old house" genre of films as we're mostly treated to major Bad Vibes about the goings-on. There's no readily apparent explanation the odd behavior that the characters at the manor illustrate; definitive eventfulness is scattered, and left vague and unexplained for much of the length. All does come into clarity, but not until the last ten minutes. All this follows from exposition of a very different tone than I'd have ever expected. In a similar vein, it's not easy to find the words with which to describe 'The ghoul.' The production design and art direction are outstanding, certainly; though some specific moments are perhaps too overexcited, I admire the cinematography and editing. The cast give strong performances, I believe, demonstrating severe personality of one manner or another; John Hurt especially stands out given the playful yet menacing idiosyncrasies of his role. And what else? Just as the feature cloaks its horror in substantial mystery, I'm not completely sure how to even feel about it.

How much of this murkiness is written into Anthony Hinds' screenplay, and how much of it was manifested through Freddie Francis' direction, is up for debate. One way or another I admire the work put into the picture in and of itself, and moreover the discrete effort to wash over the narrative with such abject secrecy. The story we get is ultimately absorbing, compelling, and satisfying: both the whole tale as it presents, the wisps of plot that are mostly reserved for the last minutes, and the obfuscation thereof. Through it all the picture maintains an air of foggy unease that's peppered with acts of violence, and all this crystallizes in a climax that's pointedly dark. And still - that everything is reserved for those last minutes means the climax feels a little overfull. And for as well done as everything is here, it all just feels off, like all the component parts are kluged together in an arrangement that continually veers one way or another from its center of gravity. I do actually quite like 'The ghoul,' yet it's rather a strangely atypical viewing experience.

I think it's enjoyable, and worthwhile on its own merits. I also think this is apt to find less appeal with the average horror audience. As familiar as it is, with recognizable strains, in one fashion or another 'The ghoul' is also a tad peculiar. It's a good bit of fun - just maybe not for everyone.

Decent Tyburn terror with shocks, tension, chills and eerie as well as gory scenes

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 29 October 2020]

We are in the world of Hammer Production now subtly calling themselves Tyburn , dealing with some drivers after a local auto race begin disappearing . Violin player ex-missionary : Peter Cushing arrives back from India with a mystical Hindu servant and a horrible secret. Bright young things crash their motor outside the front gate and are whisked away in by poor man : John Hurt. The unfortunate youngsters are lost on the marshes that long time ago were used by the army as a training area. But they wind up at a worst place, at the dark mansion where stalks terrible secrets.

This Horror film contains thrills, chills , brisk frames, blood and gore. A familiar script full of shocks, screams and surprises by John Elder and remarkable presence by the splendid Peter Cushing , as he enhanced everything he was in . Nice settings and production design, including moorland scenes completed with smoke bomb billowing away just out of camera . Cast is pretty good, the always great Peter Cushing as a defrocked clergyman, the picture improves immensely once he shows up, he was born to act in movies like this , the Hammer girl Veronica Carlson, Alexandra Bastedo , Ian McCulloch , Glenn Watford as a religious Hindú and sadly wasted John Hurt as the lunatic family gardener .

The picture displays a colorful but dark cinematograhy by John Wilcox with full of foggy ambient . As well as thrilling and suspenseful musical score by Harry Robertson and conducted by regular Philip Martell . The motion picture written by John Elder or Anthony Hinds was professionally directed by Freddie Francis who usually worked with Peter Cushing . He was a good director and a prestigious cameraman . Freddie made a lot of terror films , many of them starred by Peter Cushing , such as : The Creeping Flesh, Craze, Paranoiac, The Skull , Witness madness , Son of Dracula, Legend of the Werewolf , Trog , The Deadly Bees , Dracula Has risen from the Grave , Tortura garden , Hysteria , Docotor Terror , Nightmare , The Evil of Frankenstein, The Brain, Doctor and the Devils , Tales from the crypt , Crypt tales . Rating : 6/10 . Passable and acceptable . The flick will appeal to Peter Cushing fans .

Lame shocker, but what a performance from Peter Cushing!

[The Welsh Raging Bull · 2 November 2001]

This is the first film from Tyburn Productions (a supposed latter-day successor to Hammer and Amicus; they also had Peter Cushing starring in Legend of the Werewolf(1975) and Masks of Death(1984)).

This has to rank as one of Peter Cushing's most memorable performances - his role is portrayed with such dedicated nervousness and emotion, that the viewer immediately gets his sympathy.

The female photographs used in the movie are of his real wife Helen, who had passed away in 1971. The tears that Peter Cushing sheds in this film are for real and it did affect the rest of the cast quite deeply.

Aside from this, the plot stumbles along with yawning gaps of pointless dialogue and actionless scenes, until the Ghoul is revealed at the end. It's not really worth the wait!

Watch it only for a dedicated professional at work who steals all the scenes and makes a poor film seem passable.

I want their house.

[GroovyDoom · 5/10 · 27 February 2004]

SPOILAGE

I enjoyed this movie to a certain degree. It's a passable time killer, and it presents an interesting situation (if overly inspired by "Psycho"), but the real interest here lies in the sets, particularly the sprawling mansion where the action takes place. Filled with ornate woodwork, yawning fireplaces, and staircases that go up, up, and further up, this place is a morbid dream house. The fact that it is isolated on an English moor makes me wonder if places like this actually exist. What I mean is, why would anybody with the money to build such a magnificent home want to put it in the middle of the marshes? Why would they choose such an inhospitable place to live?

Ah but anyway, back to "The Ghoul". Snooty partygoers get drunk on champagne and make an ill-advised effort to "race" their cars to Land's End.

It doesn't really go as planned, however, and one couple breaks down near the manse of Peter Cushing, which houses "The Ghoul"--Cushing's insane son who is into cannibalism. One of the women wanders to the mansion against the warnings of the mad groundskeeper, and she winds up as ghoul-bait. The groundskeeper kills her male companion (what, the ghoul doesn't like male flesh?) and eventually another couple comes looking for them. The scenario is repeated, but Cushing has reached the breaking point and decides to shoot his son, and himself.

There's a lot of kookiness going on in this movie, and some uncomfortable positioning of Indian culture as some exotic evil, but as I said before, what really makes this movie work at all is the attention that went into the building of the sets. I have no idea if the house is real or just a set itself, but those staircases...and that woodwork!

A must for fans of Peter Cushing

[kensworld-135-305975 · 7/10 · 20 August 2012]

I must be one of the few people on earth that likes this film, for in general terms it has been dismissed by critics and fans alike. I guess therefore, it is down to me to explain the appeal of 'The Ghoul'. Well, first and foremost it has Peter Cushing, who makes the film, and gives one of his best ever performances. Filmed when he had recently lost his wife, this must have been a difficult time for him, but he nevertheless rises to the occasion and gives a most sensitive performance. There is one touching scene where you see him look at an actual photo of Helen whilst talking to Veronica Carlson. Apart from Veronica Carlson, the film also benefits from some fine performances from John Hurt and Gwen Watford. It's a film supposedly set in Cornwall with swirling mists from the moors, adding to the atmosphere of the house itself. The opening of the film is quite unique and conjures up an atmosphere right from the start, even if there is a certain amount of deception involved. Peter Cushing was one of my favourite actors and it is unfortunate to say the least, that this film has not been issued on DVD, supposedly because Tyburn Films have gone out of production and nobody else has the rights to issue anything from that catalogue. This means that the excellent interview with Peter Cushing called 'One Way Ticket to Hollywood' (only on video) also remains unissued. The two things together would make an admirable issue onto DVD. It would be a shame if these films were lost forever. Peter Cushing doesn't deserve this, nor do his fans! As for now, I make no apology for heaping some overdue praise on a film which has been unfairly ignored and deserves to be re-evaluated.

A stylish but ultimately pointless exercise in bleakness

[TheFinalAlias · 5/10 · 26 September 2009]

If one chooses to go by the Law of Diminishing Returns, one finds it can be applied to almost anything, and Film Studios banking on the same themes are no exception. The film studios in question are the four British 'Horror Houses': Hammer, Amicus, Tigon and Tyburn. And at first, the law plays itself out almost perfectly. Hammer was the first and most innovative with it's(for the time)abundant cleavage and(for the time)graphic gore, as well as introducing the world to Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Oliver Reed and Ingrid Pitt, Amicus came second and made plenty of enjoyable, non-pretentious horror films that played out like carnival spook houses and at one point were upping Hammer in overall quality of product, then there was Tigon; which no sane human being could disagree produced mostly crap; yet amazingly managed to squeeze out the AMAZING 'Witchfinder General'(1968) by the talented and tragic Michael Reeves; a film many consider to be one of the 5 or 10 finest horror films ever made and superior to anything it's rivals put out, and I wouldn't entirely disagree. Then we come to Tyburn studios. Logic dictates that this would be the worst studio of the four, but all in all, especially considering it only made 3 films, Meh, it's output wasn't bad or good, just....

Meh.

'Persecution'(1973) was dull, and 'Legend of the Werewolf'(1974) was a fun potboiler, but nothing I'd soberly give more than a 6.9.(Though I should admit that I DID like it more than Hammer's 'Curse of the Werewolf') So in other words, Tyburn was to Anglo-Horror what Skywald was to horror comics; not bad, but nothing worth getting excited about. BUT WAIT!! I left out Tyburn's most famous(?) film; 'The Ghoul'. This sluggishly-paced ODHWWFM(Old Dark House With Warped Family Members)entry may not be a GOOD film, per Se, but it's certainly the most stylish film to come out of Tyburn. It's also notable as one of the most bleakly depressing films I have ever seen. But hey, it'll at least be worth including for my 'Family Un-friendly' series of reviews.

It starts out quite well as a young woman we will later learn is named Daphne(Veronica Carlson) creeps through a mansion with a candle to strange screams and gurgling noises, luxurious architecture and flickering shadows build suspense, establishing a good-looking film at least(Surprise, surprise, the director is our old friend Freddie Francis), she gets closer and the cries grow louder! Louder! She turns to find a hanging young man foaming from his mouth!!!

Sounds like a great beginning, huh? Pity nothing in the film matches up to it, as it all turns out to be a prank that doesn't even faze our heroine. Daphne, an oddly assertive type for the era this film is taking place gets in a race with her friends, determined to win(this takes up a good 15 minutes of screen time, I kid you not)she gets lost in what is absolutely THE FOGGIEST moor I have ever seen. The car breaks down near a cliff, and Daphne searches for help. After being warned, and then almost raped by a creepy handyman(A younger John Hurt) near a mansion, Daphne meets the mysterious owner of the mansion, Dr. Lawrence(Peter Cushing)and his Indian maid, Ayah. After several tedious scenes where we learn Lawrence lost his wife and son in India(including some very racist dialog), well, nothing happens. And then Daphne gets murdered. After some drama between the Handyman and Ayah, Daphne's friends search for her and all get killed off(I do have to mention an absolutely incredible murder scene involving a hatchet to the face that is the high point of the film)before Lawrence kills the killer(The titular 'ghoul')before shooting himself.

Peter Cushing had an almost masochistic tendency after his wife's death to play grieving widowers, and he clearly wasn't in a very good state of mental health, his performance is mostly routine, but eventually Cushing had a breakdown and his fit was recorded. The film's stolen bag of tricks from 'Psycho' and 'The Reptile'doesn't help save long sequences of tedium.

That said, Francis does an excellent job creating an atmosphere of nihilism and despair. The mansion exists almost like a house dropped into hell with the fog seeming to separate it from the world. All attempts at escape fail, all characters are somewhat unlikeable and austere and the film as a whole is just unpleasant. Too bad there's no thematic content for it to serve.

It's also frustrating that we never learn the origins of this 'Ghoul'. He's supposedly Lawrence's son, but how he came to be a ghoul is never explained, only a vague mention of a 'maharajah' is made. And if he is under a curse, why does he visibly change from the handsome man from the pictures into a different looking one who isn't visibly inhuman except for scars? And why the scars? He isn't a zombie type of ghoul. Why not have him just be a normal, but disheveled version of the same actor from the photograph if you're not going to make him look like a monster at all? And why does he wear Hindu garb? Was he garbed by the maharajah? And if so, why does he continue to wear them? Wouldn't Lawrence make SOME effort to cure him, at the very least, change his clothing? Why does he keep Ayah around? She's obviously evil, but doesn't seem to be controlling him. And what does the handyman's RAF background have to do with anything? It all makes no sense and is never explained or resolved.

I have no problems with using my imagination in films where things are left unexplained, in fact, in Francis's other 'Family' film, the wonderful 'Mumsy, Nanny Sonny & Girly', I liked that approach. But in films like that, those unexplained details were TANTALIZING, here they are FRUSTRATING, and that makes a world of difference.

For completists only.~

A ghoulish treat

[coltras35 · 7/10 · 1 July 2022]

At a party in the 1920s, two dizzy couples challenge each other to a car race to Land's End. But the race ends in fog near a lonely, dark mansion where Peter Cushing offers hospitality at a gruesome price!

A seriously underrated horror film that boasts some great atmosphere, swirling mists across the moor, the dread and an engaging story, but the pace can be slow at times. However, generally this is a good chiller that also features some gory moments, if only towards the end. Loved the 1920's setting. Peter Cushing acts superbly, like usual, and looks quite melancholic. His wife had died recently. In the scene the woman in the photo is his wife.

Somewhat weak and uninvolving horror entry.

[barnabyrudge · 3/10 · 16 April 2006]

There were several small companies that tried to emulate the magic of the Hammer studios. One such company was Tyburn, the backers of this 1975 Psycho clone. However, The Ghoul is an extremely disappointing horror entry in which the performances of Peter Cushing and John Hurt are the only noteworthy factors. The story is drearily predictable and stupid; the shocks are infrequent and ineffective; the gore is funny rather than frightening; the solution to the mystery is laughable. Much of the problem is that The Ghoul is trying to maintain an old-school approach to the horror genre whilst existing in an exploitation-hungry, post-Exorcist climate. It's an approach which simply doesn't work.

A group of young partying socialites in the 1920s decide to challenge each other to a late night car race to Land's End. They speed off into the foggy moorlands on their foolhardy journey, but it is not long before one lot of car passengers find themselves stranded after running out of fuel. The lost ones seek refuge in a spooky-looking mansion, but are warned by the gardener Rawlings (John Hurt) to keep away. Not listening to the advice of the unbalanced gardener, the travellers soon find themselves in the company of the seemingly harmless ex-clergyman Dr. Lawrence (Peter Cushing). Mayhem ensues however as the youngsters are bloodily murdered, forcing Lawrence to admit that he has been keeping a terrible secret. It seems that years ago in India, his son was corrupted by cultists and is now a cannibalistic monster kept hidden in the mansion's attic. It is this cannibal - the "ghoul" of the title - who is behind the gory slayings.

The Ghoul is poor fare indeed, though Cushing fans should watch it for one scene alone. It is well-documented that Cushing was in real life suicidally depressed following the death of his wife Helen in the early '70s - in the scene where Dr. Lawrence looks at a photograph and says "my wife is dead..." the photo used is actually of Helen, and the anguish on his face and in his voice is very real. Cushing always maintained that one of his fondest memories of working on The Ghoul was the fact that, in a strange and posthumous sort of way, it gave him the chance to finally star alongside his beloved wife. It is a touching and powerful moment in a film largely filled with dross. Freddie Francis directs it all rather morosely, struggling to do anything with the derivative script and boring situations. The music by Harry Robinson is dull too, and the whole enterprise has an uninvolving, uninspired gloom hanging over it. For genre addicts only!

Like other movies you have seen before.

[Aaron1375 · 6/10 · 10 June 2004]

I sort of liked this one, but mainly because of the performances of Peter Cushing and John Hurt. Also, Ian McCullough is rather good in it too. However, if you have seen the movie "The Oblong Box" and "The Dunwich Horror" you will know where this one is going. No surprises are in store for you and there really are few murders so it is not exactly a gore fest. So the only thing this one really has going is the actors I have already mentioned and if you do not really care for them I would have to suggest you skip this one. The ending to this one is also very much like the ending to "The Oblong Box" where you wait to see the face of the killer and in the end it is really not all that big a deal. Still though, the movie manages to not to be to boring, well to me anyway and if you are a big Peter Cushing fan you may want to check it out.

The Ghoul is not so cool...

[Coventry · 4/10 · 28 May 2007]

"The Ghoul" quickly turned out to be a rather big disappointment, and yet I can't even properly state what went wrong with it. I'm usually a big sucker for typically British 70's horror and Freddie Francis' film perfectly features all the necessary ingredients, like multiple fog-enshrouded Moorlands and dark secrets that are kept locked up in the attic of a gigantic countryside mansion, but somehow it just wasn't good enough. It's all there, including the presence of two highly respectable British actors, and still "The Ghoul" is an overall weak and forgettable film. The plot is repetitive and features a lot of clichés and stereotypes, several long parts of the film are dreadfully slow-moving and boring and – most of all – it's very low on shocks & bloodshed. "The Ghoul" is your usual tale of a handful of people ending up at the wrong place at the wrong time and eventually falling victim to the "thing" in the attic. At least how they end up in the perilous mansion is ingenious, as two rich and bored couples challenge each other to a car race through largely unknown areas of the British countryside. Trapped in the impenetrable Moors and low on petrol, the first couple arrives at the eerie secluded mansion owned by ex-missionary Dr. Lawrence (Peter Cushing) and his oddly behaving staff members Tom (John Hurt) and Ayah (Gwen Watford). Dr. Lawrence is very hospitable but it's quite clear that he still hides a dark secret from the time he spent in India. Moreover, it's a dark secret with a desire to kill and mutilate. The titular Ghoul is definitely an interesting horror monster, but the script fails to supply him with a decent background and doesn't even bother to explain anything about his maniacal tendencies. There's almost no tension in the entire film and none of the younger characters (the racers) deserve your empathy. The Moors and interior filming locations are very atmospheric the almighty Peter Cushing gives away a formidably tormented performance as always. John Hurt is excellent too, as the slightly insane gardener with a military background. After looking up this film at the IMDb, I regretfully noticed that director Freddie Francis passed away recently (March 2007) at the blessed age of 89 years old. Francis was one of the most prominent horror directors of the British "golden" area and he made more than a dozen classics that are all a lot better than "The Ghoul", like "The Creeping Flesh", "Tales from the Crypt", "Torture Garden", "The Evil of Frankenstein" and "Paranoiac". He also was an acclaimed and highly respected cinematographer who often worked for David Lynch. Rest in peace, Mr. Francis.

A Must-See For Hammer Fans

[josephbrando · 9/10 · 10 February 2012]

"The Ghoul" was produced by Tyburn Films - one of the British Horror Companies that spurted up in response to Hammer Studio's worldwide Gothic horror movie success. This one should be of immediate interest to anyone who likes those films as it stars Hammer veteran Peter Cushing, Hammer starlet Veronica Carlson and is written and directed by Hammer stalwarts Anthony Hinds and Freddie Francis.

Ghoul begins at a roaring 1920's party where four bored guests decide to go drag racing and wind up at a strange mansion in the forest where a former priest (Cushing) resides with his creepy Indian housekeeper (brilliantly portrayed by Gwen Watford), and sadistic groundskeeper (a very early role by John Hurt). Now, I'm sure some of you may be raising your eyebrow and thinking "that tired story again?" - but as anyone who likes these kinds of movies knows, its all about the execution and this one's got it nailed down perfectly.

There are some gory surprises, nice Gothic stylings, and excellent performances nestled inside of this very vague, very familiar story. Alexandra Bastedo, is particularly wonderful as one of the feisty teenagers, ethereally beautiful Carlson is always a joy to watch and Cushing gives one of his finest turns ever here. Anyone who likes Hammer movies or Gothic horror in general would be well-advised in seeking out this lost treasure that for some reason, in spite of its stellar cast and production crew, has escaped a genuine DVD release in any country.

The Vegetarians and The Ghoul

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 24 June 2022]

In the 20's, the wealthy and spoiled Daphne (Veronica Carlson) and Billy (Stewart Bevan) challenge her brother Geoffrey (Ian McCulloch) and his girlfriend Angela (Alexandra Bastedo) to dispute a car race to Land's End. Angela feels sick and asks Geoffrey to stop the car, but Daphne goes on to win the race. However, she is forced to stop in a fog since the car runs out of gas. Billy takes a gallon to seek out gas and Angela stays in the car waiting for him. She decides to snoop around and is kidnapped by a stranger named Tom Rawlings (John Hurt). Then he takes her to a manor owned by Doctor Lawrence (Peter Cushing), a lonely man that lost his beloved wife and son in India and lives with his servant and former nanny Ayah (Gwen Watford). He invites Daphne to have a vegetarian dinner with Aya and him while Tom returns to the car where Billy is waiting for Daphne and pushes the car and Billy off a cliff. Meanwhile, there is a mysterious guest in the room in the upper level of the house. What is the secret of Dr. Lawrence and Aya?

"The Ghoul" is an entertaining horror movie that fans of Hammer studios will certainly enjoy a lot. It is great to see John Hurt very young, the unforgettable Peter Cushing and the creepy The Ghoul performed by Don Henderson. There are lots of screams and the dark conclusion is perfect for the plot. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil) "O Carniçal" ("The Ghoul")

The title is very misleading

[Johan_Wondering_on_Waves · 2/10 · 11 October 2015]

If I'm not mistaken a ghoul is a human being that got some kind of curse upon him because of an unholy act such as robbing graves thus becoming a monster. Mr. Sardonicus was a movie that dealt with this legend well. The Ghoul in this one is more like a zombie even though he is not undead and when we get to see his face in the final scene he really doesn't look monstrous at all. The fact that the ones he killed were scared of him was not because of his looks but the fancy and sharp dagger he was wielding. The first killing looked almost like a tribute to the shower killing scene from Psycho. How did he become a ghoul, it's hardly explained. The other characters both victims and the one keeping this ghoul alive also have very little background. There isn't anyone who deserves sympathy so I wasn't really unhappy most of them ended up dead. Especially that gardener or whatever his job was, was extremely unlikable. The fact that Peter Cushing was mourning the recent passing away of his real life wife in this movie was indeed a nice touch but I don't think this movie was the right one to do this.

Very ghoulish fun!

[The Yeti · 1 November 2002]

Those of you who love a good mystery should love this movie. After a party for the rich, 2 couples at the party decide to race to lands end in Cornwall. Soon one of the cars breaks down, one is off the road and they are in trouble. One of the women goes into a mansion to ask for help and it's clear that she's unwelcome. Peter Cushing plays Dr Lawrence who hides a dark secret in the attic. Cushing is quite dull in his role but he comes back at the end. John Hurt is completely miscast as the grumpy and perverted gardener. He actually plays the role very well and it's fun to see him do something interesting. He also invented a great new slap. He raises his hand and brings it down to chop the persons face with his fingers. I tried it and it's very painful! It shall be referred to as 'The ghoul slap'. As for the movie, the rest of the cast is on good form and Ian McCulloch stars in a pre 'Zombi 2' role. Still, he tries to take on the ghoul at the end and fails miserably. The atmosphere is superb with marshes and fog although the movie does run at a slow pace. Killings are the usual with stabbing's and shootings although some scenes have great special fx for gore. Particularly Ian McCulloch's demise. It is well worth a watch although it is very dodgy and quite slow. 5.5 out of 10.

The Ghoul

[BandSAboutMovies · 5/10 · 2 September 2022]

Tyburn didn't make all that many movies. In their attempt to be Hammer after that studio stopped making movies, they put out seven films: Legend of the Werewolf, Tales That Witness Madness, Persecution, Sherlock Holmes and the Masks of Death, Murder Elite, Peter Cushing: A One-Way Ticket to Hollywood and this film.

Dr. Lawrence (Peter Cushing) was once a man of faith but now he's hiding inside a rural country estate, keeping his son away from the world, the son who learned how to be a cannibal as Lawrence did missionary work there.

While Cushing's wife died in 1971, by all accounts he never got over it. According to co-star Veronica Carlson, director Freddie Francis made Cushing do multiple takes during the scene where he talks about his love for his late wife, an experience that caused the actor, cast and crew to be reduced to tears. This feels like a Wiliam Castle BS story, however, as Francis would have already known this, having directed Cushing as Arthur Grimsdyke in Tales from the Crypt, a movie during which Cushing suggested that he speak to a photo of his recently deceased wife Violet Helene Beck.

Writer Anthony Hinds has just as much a pedigree for British horror as Francis and Cushing, having written The Brides of Dracule, The Curse of the Werewolf, The Reptile, Frankenstein Created Woman, Scars of Dracula, Taste the Blood of Dracula and Night Creatures. He wrote this using his John Elder name.

Veronica Carlson stars as the final girl of sorts, Daphne Wells Hunter. She also came from Hammer films like Dracula Has Risen from the Grave and The Horror of Frankenstein. John Hurt shows up as a frightening handyman, Gwen Watford as Ayah the Indian servant, Alexandra Bastedo (The Blood Spattered Bride) as Daphne's friend Angela and Ian McCulloch is on hand years before he would challenge the bloodiest cinema Italy could create.

In the U. S., this was released as Night of the Ghoul and The Thing in the Attic. If the setting seems familiar, the movie was set in the 1920s because the sets of The Great Gatsby were still standing at Pinewood Studios.

Ghoulish fun.

[BA_Harrison · 7/10 · 24 June 2015]

It suffers from a few pacing issues and the script owes more than a little debt to Hitchcock's Psycho, but despite the odd lull in action and lack of originality, I can't help but like The Ghoul, an atmospheric chiller set in the Roaring Twenties that stars Hammer/Amicus stalwart Peter Cushing, and Ian McCulloch, hero of Italian horror classics Zombie Flesh Eaters and Zombie Holocaust.

The film kicks off in fine style with beautiful blonde Daphne (Veronica Carlson) being lured to a gloomy attic by eerie voices where she is confronted by a corpse with a meat hook through the neck hanging from the rafters; this turns out to be a macabre jape perpetrated by the woman's playful socialite friends, who proceed to party like its 1929, downing copious glasses of champers and kicking up their heels to the Charleston. With the alcohol rapidly running dry, Daphne and Billy (Stewart Bevan) challenge Angela (Alexandra Bastedo) and Geoffrey (Ian McCulloch) to a race to Land's End in their newfangled motorised carriages. But none of them make it to their intended destination, instead winding up at the fog-bound marshland estate of Doctor Lawrence (Cushing) who keeps his son, a crazed flesh-eating ghoul, locked in the attic.

Daphne is the first to arrive at the doctor's creepy house, Billy having vanished into the fog only to be dispatched by wicked gardener Tom Rawlings (a pre-fame John Hurt). Dr Lawrence makes her welcome, but his housekeeper Ayah ensures she gets a nasty surprise while asleep: the ghoul (Don Henderson in a bed-sheet and bad make-up) pays her a visit with his dagger in hand. Like Marion Crane's death scene in Psycho, only executed with slightly less finesse, Daphne's demise is something of a shocker that pulls the rug from under the viewer (note that much is made of the mosquito net around Daphne's bed—it's this movie's 'shower curtain'!).

Another scene heavily influenced by Hitchcock is the death of supposed hero Geoffrey, which mirrors that of Milton Arbogast in Psycho: Geoffrey storms up to the attic only to be attacked by the ghoul, falling to the bottom of the stairs with the monster's dagger embedded in his skull (a nice touch of splatter for the gore-hounds). It's another genuine surprise, expertly handled by director Freddie Francis, who wraps up his film with a suitably nihilistic finalé: a distraught Lawrence shoots his son as he advances towards a petrified Angela, before turning the gun on himself, leaving the young woman to flee the house screaming, presumably in desperate need of some psychiatric treatment.

"Made when the British horror industry died."

[jamesraeburn2003 · 3/10 · 28 April 2005]

Dr Lawrance (PETER CUSHING) is a defrocked priest who has a terrible secret hidden in his attic - his cannibalistic son whom he is good enough to supply with suitable victims.

Tyburn was the production company fronted by director Freddie Francis' son Kevin Francis. THE GHOUL was the first of two films that Freddie directed for him, the other was LEGEND OF THE WEREWOLF. There is a nice feeling for period detail here and Peter Cushing is as reliable as ever. However, the film is actually a rip-off from PSYCHO and it's certainly far from the best genre movies that Francis directed. The golden age of the British horror film had long gone by the time that this last gasp was produced. Interestingly, the cast includes John Hurt whom Francis would work with when he photographed THE ELEPHANT MAN (1980) for David Lynch. After LEGEND OF THE WEREWOLF, Francis elected to quit horror films and returned to his roots as a successful cinematographer picking up his second Oscar in 1989 for his colour camera-work on GLORY which starred Denzel Washington. Francis is the only Englishman to have won Oscars for both black and white and colour.

Good film,spoiled a bit by glib stereotypes.

[DIRKSCHNEIDER · 6/10 · 20 April 2001]

I enjoyed "The Ghoul" in the main,but felt that it pandered to some annoying stereotypes.Firstly,and most obviously I think,is that of India,or of the East in general being a home of sinister pagan beliefs and of rituals that engender evil.Now,I am aware that the film is set during the British Raj,and it would be perfectly fine if the characters in the film were to hold ignorant and arrogant views about Hinduism as being basically a kind of devil-worship,views which the character played by Peter Cushing(a former clergyman who stayed for a considerable time in India,where he encountered local religion in which he says he found only depravity) does indeed hold;but,the film was set in that age,not made during it,and these frankly racist attitudes are reinforced,as in the film it is made pretty evident that the source of the main unhappiness that has beset the household is India and Indian ways.Indeed,even the eponymous character,whenever he appears,is donning Indian clothes,when he is actually English. Another stereotype which is perpetuated is a class one.The character played by John Hurt is a scruffy ex-soldier(although it is suggested at one particular point that he had been a deserter) who murders people,abducts women,beats them and attempts to rape them.By his strong West Country accent,the fact that he was a private,and other peoples' manner towards him,it is obvious that he is a pleb.The upper-class characters on the other hand,are better-looking,more self-confident,and( particularly the character played by Peter Cushing and the character of the ex-army officer),generally nobler. Again,I have no objection to the behaviour of the upper-class characters towards the working-class ones,as that is plausible,but I feel that the film itself is confirming the idea of upper-class British people as some sort of superior beings. John Hurt,in my opinion,steals the show here,as I feel that he imbues in his character a depth which none of the other characters even remotely has.In fact, it is him that actually rescues the film from being farce. There are perhaps some who regard this film as an intentional parody of period horror;the amount of stock items is huge:"the numerous variations of

don't go there"",the stereotypical rural bobby and his "you don't want to go

down there" warning,the dark family secret,the woman who reminds a character

of his dead wife,the big house in the middlle of nowhere,and many more.If this were a parody,then what I have stated above about stereotypes pandered to in the film would probably be nullified.However,I don't believe that in general this film was intended as satire. I am,nevertheless a sucker for this kind of thing,the more clichéed the better,and despite the irritating elements,I still found the film well-paced and very entertaining.Also,John Hurt was very good.

Tom has issues...serious issues.

[planktonrules · 3/10 · 5 April 2024]

"The Ghoul" is a bad horror film that should have been much better. After all, it stars Peter Cushing and John Hurt plays his psycho son...but the writing and direction really aren't all that good.

A group of annoying people are on a car race. When one car runs out of gas, they are set upon by psychos who kill them and dismember them for food. There really isn't much more to it than this...and that is the big problem. There's little in the way of suspense and I found the film incredibly boring. Cushing seems to try his best but with no likable characters and the plot being thin to say the least, I really cannot recommend it.

What evil lurks in the foggy marshes of Land's End, England?

[Wuchakk · 7/10 · 26 March 2020]

In the 1920s, a couple traveling to Land's End, England, runs out of petrol in the fog wherein the female (Veronica Carlson) encounters a peculiar gardener (John Hurt) and the estate of a former-minister (Peter Cushing), who lives there with his East Indian servant and... something else. Another couple shows up looking for their friends (Ian McCulloch & Alexandra Bastedo). Havoc ensues.

"The Ghoul" (1975) meshes "Psycho" (1960) with "The Shuttered Room" (1967) and Hammer's "Demons of the Mind" (1972). It was made by a short-lived company that was inspired by Hammer films and utilized many of the same people & locations of that company. It thus has a Hammer vibe and is on par with much of their horror output from the 60s-70s.

Some have called it the British version of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" (1974), but it's more toned-down and concentrates on troubled souls and eerie mood corresponding to the foggy marshes of Cornwall, England, and the unspeakable mysteries of India.

The movie runs about 1 hour, 28 minutes (with a shorter version that has several minutes cut), and was shot at Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, just west of London.

GRADE: B

Lacks Impact

[ragosaal · 5/10 · 5 February 2007]

+++++++ THIS COMMENT CONTAINS SPOILERS +++++++

Although the idea of a terrible secret hidden and locked up in the attic of an old sordid manor in the middle of nowhere in the British country was not new when this film was released, it has always been a "catching" ingredient for those of us who enjoy horror films. This is what happens in "The Ghoul" but the film comes out in an inferior level than that you might expect in its first half an hour or so.

The secret in the attic here is the son of a Reverend (Peter Cushing) that while in India with his father has been driven into cannibalism by mysterious ancient cults followers and has to be fed accordingly. But the point is that when we finally get to see the doomed man he doesn't appear to be menacing or even scary; in fact, you inevitably feel pity for the big guy that even looks sort of nice and insignificant (for a merciless and hungry cannibal of course). And this is, in my opinion, the fact that hurts the film that could have been a good one with a more impressive and disturbing "man-monster".

On the other hand, Cushing is very good as usual and there is also a good job from a young John Hurt as a weird gardener. The rest of the cast (or victim's list if you prefer) is correct. The sinister and sordid atmosphere that surrounds the mansion is very well achieved and no complaints on the musical score.

I don't relate "The Ghoul" with "Psycho" as some reviewers do here (the story of Norman Bates is far more complex and elaborated and the film is much better); I think this picture has a clear resemblance with the previous "The Oblong Box" (1969) with Vincent Price and amazingly both films are weak in the same point: both have a light and not significant villain, monster, or menace or whatever and you feel sort of disappointed when they finally appear; a sort of "and this was it?" sensation.

"The Ghoul" is worth a watch but just for us fans of the genre.

Another underrated British horror film from the 1970s!

[manchester_england2004 · 9/10 · 22 August 2017]

Many 1970s horror films made in the UK are vastly underrated and THE GHOUL is definitely one of those films. In my opinion, it's better than most Hammer films. So why some people talk as though this were some cheap, awful dreck I simply don't know. For one thing, it has Peter Cushing and John Hurt at the top of their game. We get to see an exciting car race, Veronica Carlson is great to watch and listen to, the misty setting provides a great atmospheric backdrop, there's a very creepy vibe in the scenes where the ghoul appears or is about to appear and there's never a dull moment. What's not to like?

This is one of those films where you know the plot but you're not sure quite how it'll unfold and what twists and turns may be presented along the way. The setting is the 1920s and a group of rich people are having a party. One of the party-goers gets her boyfriend to challenge another guy to a race to Land's End (the most Southerly point of England). Along the way, they become lost and one of them finds herself in a house owned by a former Clergyman who harbours a secret.

Peter Cushing delivers one of his most moving performances in this film (second only to TALES FROM THE CRYPT). The scenes where he's telling the guest of his house about his past must have been at times difficult and uncomfortable to perform. But Cushing performs them to perfection as we know he always would. These moments are key in leading us to decide whether he did wrong and make us wonder what we might have done if we were in his shoes.

John Hurt is simply fantastic as Cushing's gardener, Tom Rawlings. He is at times creepy and at others comical but always fun to watch in action.

Veronica Carlson is at her best in this film - the one film in which she gets to play a major role. She has screen presence and looks very glamorous as Daphne.

Alexandra Bastedo is a bit wasted in the lesser role of Angela, more of a damsel-in-distress character than the one given to Carlson. But she plays it well.

Gwen Watford is suitably sinister as the Indian Ayah who serves as Cushing's housekeeper.

Ian McCulloch is more famous for his roles in Italian films such as ZOMBIE. But he's great to watch in this film too.

The directing by Freddie Francis is excellent. Francis is good at creating atmosphere and ensuring key scenes have a creepy vibe to them. He selects his camera angles carefully so that while you see what he wants you to see, he also uses the power of suggestion very well. He's also good at delivering shocks and surprises. I can never forget the moment for example in DR. TERROR'S HOUSE OF HORRORS when Roy Castle turns on the light and finds the Voodoo god seemingly standing right next to him, more or less. The guy isn't stood as close as he appears to be and he also looks very tall and imposing too in that first shot.

Overall, THE GHOUL is an immensely enjoyable film. It's darker in tone and more gruesome than a Hammer or Amicus effort but it's a great British horror film from the golden age that all fans of such films should enjoy.

Not A Great Horror, But, A Superbly Scripted And Acted Mystery And Suspense.

[P3n-E-W1s3 · 6/10 · 7 March 2021]

Greetings and salutations, and welcome to my review of 1975s The Ghoul.

Before I get into the review, here are my ratings for the movie.

The story gets 1.25 out of 2: The Direction a 1.25: The Pacing receives a 1: While the Acting gets 1.5: And my Enjoyment level earns a 1.25 out of 2: The totals bring The Ghoul to 6.25 out of 10.

The Ghoul is far from being a Horror movie as there's a scarcity of scares. However, what it lacks, in frightfulness, it makes up within drama and intrigue. There's a tremendous amount of pre-story before we get to its heart. The writer, Anthony Hinds, decided to start this sordid tale of a dead-eater at a party. At this celebration, Hinds introduces us to the three leading players in our story. Geoffrey, Daphne, and Angela, oh and Billy, who doesn't last too long because he's donned the Red Shirt in this film. Daphne decides a race to Lands End would be a super way to conclude the nights' entertainment. She teams up with Billy in his new Sportster. While her boyfriend Geoffrey rides with Billy's sister Angela. There's a decent race sequence, where we watch a couple of 1920s autos vie for first place. After an exciting overtake, Geoffrey has to pull over because poor old Angela is feeling a tad travel sick. They really shouldn't have guzzled down all that champaign at the party.

Ah, the 1920s; where you could not only drive drunk but race... and without seatbelts.

Before long, however, Daphne and Billy are lost in a thick English pea-souper while crossing the moors. Running out of petrol, Billy realises how fortunate they were as there's a cliff edge a few feet in front of them. Daphne commands him to grab the gas can and hunt out a garage and some petrol. Bored, Daphne stretches her legs. While walking, she encounters a stranger who warns her to be careful and to not enter the big house, which she's spied through the fog. Disregarding him, she sets off through the main gate. The stranger has to result in knocking her unconscious to stop her.

From this point forward, the story follows a darker path. There's a secret in the mansion, and all the inhabitants are acting slightly peculiar. It's these characters that make The Ghoul an above-average movie. I particularly enjoyed the fact that Hinds structures his persona's thoroughly. Except for Billy, everybody increases the strength of the story. Daphne is a strong-willed woman with a mind of her own. She's used to getting her way. And she's curious and intrigued by the people in the house. Geoffrey is your typical hero. A rigid moral code instilled by his serving in the armed forces. He possesses a deductive mind, and instinctively knows when things are erroneous. Angela is your waif. Though she's overly unconcerned about much around her, she possesses a strong survival instinct. Doctor Lawrence hides secrets within himself. Sinister mysteries, which have shaken him to the core of his religious beliefs, Tom Rawlings distrusts and abuses humans. He cares more for his animals and plants. He is cunning and conniving. The beater of women and the sly killer of men. Ayah is the native Indian servant how looked after Doctor Lawrence's family when they lived in India. She has an extensive selection of sharp knives, and likes to be in command. What is her role in this strange household?

Director Freddie Francis carries out a passible job with the direction. He expertly handles both the race sequence and the fog scenes. I relished the way he hid Tom in the fog. Daphne passes close to the peculiar figure without realising. Francis shows her pass, then a breeze disturbs the fog, and we observe Tom's shadow, statue still, watching. It's quite unnerving. Francis is excellent at employing natural shadows to create a creepy atmosphere. The ambience is chiefly evident in the family chapel. It's a shame he didn't exercise these techniques for the horror elements. In fact. it's the horror sections that impede the film. When the Big Bad Ghoul, is released from confinement, Francis hints at the creatures malformity by showing his scared and deformed sandaled feet. The scene works to a slight degree. It made me wonder what The Ghoul may look like. Then upon reaching the killing scenes, all his hard work crumbles away. The stabby-stabby scenes are verging on the weak and pathetic. The first kill is extremely familiar: Refer to Hitchcock's Psycho Shower Scene. As The Ghoul repeatedly stabs the victim through a mesh curtain of a four-poster bed. Regrettably, it possesses none of the power that Hitchcock's did. I was left deflated. WOW, that was crap, I thought.

Francis even documents it in the same fashion. We never see the knife or the victim in the same scene. Each shot within the scene is brief. The segments could be stills, but each includes a slight manic movement. However, they all needed to be framed and composed better. Subsequently, when we see the Ghoul in all his ghoulish gory glory, it's such a disappointment. This Ghoul is one of the most inferior monsters in movie history. They required an actor who could show a deadness in his eyes. And, what was up with the green paint? It looks as though the makeup artists hadn't ordered enough body paint, so they decided to add a generous green dollop to his face. The face of The Ghoul was more cringeworthy and laughable than scary and scream-worthy.

At least the cast was superb. I have to convey tremendous respect to Veronica Carlson, who plays Daphne. Carlson is the standout actress in this film. She imparts depth and life into her character, and the way she plays off her fellow actors and actresses is wonderful.

Next, we have Ian McCulloch as Geoffrey. McCulloch's skills allow him to convey the required authority and strength. You know Geoffrey is a hero.

The great Peter Cushing produces a pleasant edgy, and anxious Doctor Lawrence.

While Gwen Watford sublimely insinuates an ominous and mysteriousness into Ayah.

John Hurt bestows the audience with his foxiest best in his role as Tom.

And, Alexandra Bastedo is ideal as the waify Angela.

Though I was unhappy with the horror elements in this movie, I give Kudos to the story, characters, and actors and actresses. The Ghoul is worth one watch. That said, don't rush out to track it down. If you're a newbie to horror, I'd suggest staying away from The Ghoul. Otherwise, you might never return to the genre. Track down some of the better and earlier Gothic horrors to entertain you. Then proceed on to this movie and watch it for the storyline, intrigue, and mystery. Because it's these elements that make The Ghoul enjoyable.

Jump in your roadsters and race on over to my Absolute Horror, Killer Thriller Chillers, and Dramatisation Of Life lists to see where this slipshod horror ranked.

Take Care & Stay Well.

They're not just racing to their death; They're racing to be the next meal!

[mark.waltz · 4/10 · 18 October 2018]

This period horror movie starts off on a great note, with a "Charleston" like dance going on (emulating the opening of the movie version of the musical "Mame") when Veronica Carlson walks in on a hanging body, all part of a joke. These bon vivant young society types then head off on a race, with the passengers in the two cars afraid of imminent death, and one of the cars slowing down, losing the other. While her date sits in the car waiting for her to return (being pushed off a cliff to his death by the deranged John Hurt), Carlson heads into a mysterious looking mansion and after a violent encounter with Hurt meets the dashing Peter Cushing who allows her to spend the night. But this house has a secret, as Carlson will find out in the most gruesome of ways, as well as the other couple who happen upon the mansion in their attempts to find the friends they lost.

Only fairly gruesome in a few of the more violent sequences, this independent film has the style of the Hammer horror films of the 1960's and early 70's but lacks the substance. Characterizations are not all that interesting, sans Cushing, Hurt and Gwen Watford as the spell casting housekeeper whose dark appearance and tight bun suggest her character was offered to actress Barbara Steele to play. The period look appears authentic, but at times, the mood doesn't seem to reveal whether this is supposed to be a horror movie with comic elements or a comedy with elements of horror added in. It only becomes apparent after the titled "ghoul" (who looks like Mr. Clean and the Jolly Green Giant mashed together) appears, and his actions are pretty reprehensible even though there's a child like quality added to his dangerous character. Cushing, as usual, is urbane and elegant, adding much authority to a part he could easily have played in his sleep.