I'm a great admirer of director Pete Walker and I personally feel that most of his horror films unquestionably belong to the absolute best independent British productions ever made! Titles like "Frightmare", "Schizo" and "House of Whipcord" are downright GREAT genre films with genuinely shocking plot-twists and an almost natural aversion to political correctness. Back in 1971, Walker made his very first attempt to do horror with "Die Screaming Marianne" and, to my own regret; it wasn't a very good one. The story largely feels like a failed crossover between a crime-thriller and the Italian giallo (which was also hugely popular in that era) and it's still too similar to the silly & light-headed sex comedies that Walker used to make previously, like "School for Sex" or "The Four Dimensions of Greta". The ravishing star Susan George plays the headstrong girl Marianne who flees from her parental mansion in Portugal and hooks up with a duo of typically British friends. Her infamous father (a former corrupt judge) and her wicked stepsister need her back in Portugal urgently because Marianne will soon turn 21 years old, and then she has access to her deceased mother's fortune as well as the dirty family secrets. This is a very basic description of the film's story and there are loads of unimportant sub plots and incomprehensible twists that aren't really worth mentioning. The screenplay is stunningly incoherent and abruptly jumps from one sequence to another without even trying to make sense. New characters are introduced swiftly and they travel back and forth between Portugal and London like it's an ordinary day trip. And yet, despite all its flaws, "Die Screaming Marianne" surely has potential and it's interesting viewing for Pete Walker fans, as he already approaches some of the topics that'll become his hobbyhorses in later films. The judge character played by Leo Genn, for example, is a typically corrupt and perverted figure that smuggles away all his dirty acts and the stepsister is a greedy bitch who'd do anything for power and money. Other positive elements include some nice set pieces, a catchy title song and a beautifully staged scene inside a sauna! Susanne George is magnificent but her two male counterparts are odd-looking idiots. Like another reviewer already pointed out, this film becomes much more interesting if you watch it with Walker's audio commentary on, as he amplifies many bits and pieces that are shown poorly in the actual film.
21 Reviews
Sorry Pete.
BA_Harrison8 March 2013
I'm a big fan of Pete Walker's exploitative style of horror and Susan George rates very highly on my '70s crumpet-ometer', so I was pretty stoked at the prospect of finally watching 'Die Screaming, Marianne', which sees Walker directing the lovely actress as a free-spirited young woman on the run from those who will stop at nothing to get their hands on the contents of a swiss bank account for which only she holds the numbers.
Unfortunately, this early attempt by the director to break free from his sexploitation roots sees him struggling to find his feet, the plot meandering all over the place, the pacing dreadfully slow, with very little of the bolder elements that would make his later films so much fun; in fact, if it wasn't for George, who looks absolutely stunning throughout, go-go dancing in a bikini during the opening credits, modelling some very short dresses, relaxing in a bubble bath (curse those bubbles!), cavorting in her underwear, and wearing just a towel while trapped in a sauna (Die Steaming, Marianne?), 'Die Screaming, Marianne' would qualify as a total snoozeathon.
3.5 out of 10, generously rounded up to 4 for IMDb.
Unfortunately, this early attempt by the director to break free from his sexploitation roots sees him struggling to find his feet, the plot meandering all over the place, the pacing dreadfully slow, with very little of the bolder elements that would make his later films so much fun; in fact, if it wasn't for George, who looks absolutely stunning throughout, go-go dancing in a bikini during the opening credits, modelling some very short dresses, relaxing in a bubble bath (curse those bubbles!), cavorting in her underwear, and wearing just a towel while trapped in a sauna (Die Steaming, Marianne?), 'Die Screaming, Marianne' would qualify as a total snoozeathon.
3.5 out of 10, generously rounded up to 4 for IMDb.
Forget the film, listen to the audio commentary!
world_of_weird5 December 2005
DIE SCREAMING MARIANNE is a standard-issue potboiler which is high on 'exotic' locations but low on excitement. Susan George is good to look at, as always, but she can't save boredom from setting in or do much to salvage the dreadful screenplay. Veteran exploitations Pete Walker didn't hit his stride as a truly effective film-maker until he began directing horror movies, bringing sleaze and gore to suburbia, so quite what this tedious mess is doing in Anchor Bay's otherwise excellent Pete Walker boxed set is a mystery to me. THE FLESH AND BLOOD SHOW or SCHIZO would have been more welcome inclusions, but Walker made films for a wide variety of companies and distributors, so maybe some rights complications prevented their inclusion. Having said that, the title sequence is justly celebrated, and Walker offers an amusing and illuminating audio commentary on the film's troubled history (at one point he cancelled the production, and the location filming in Portugal was hampered by personality clashes) and his admiration for the lovely George is touchingly clear throughout. In fact, it's a lot more entertaining than the film itself! Kenneth Kendel, Barry Evans and Anthony Sharpe offer effective support in smallish roles.
Die Yawning Marianne!
chris-251211 July 2006
If there was ever a genre of horror dedicated to inflicting obscene and brutal quantities of boredom onto the audience, then Die Screaming, Marianne would be its keynote work. I heard so much about how brutal Pete Walker movies were and everyone was right. This movie is brutal. I didn't even realize Susan George was the lead until other posts pointed it out in this forum. Basically if you like watching Susan driving around, walking around, renting a house, driving around some more, talking aimlessly, then driving around, and then... Well you get the picture. A completely boring and flat film. It should have been called Die SLEEPING Marianne! It makes Andy Warhol's Eat feel like a cross between Fukasawa's Battle Royal and De Bont's Speed. Unbelievably dull.
She's a go-go.
lost-in-limbo13 October 2007
Go-go dancer Marianne is fleeing her father 'The Judge' and lethal step-sister from their Portugal seaside mansion, as when she turns 21 she'll inherited from her deceased mother a fortune in cash, and some discriminating evidence which could put away her father. Wanting this evidence he tracks her down, but her stepsister has her eyes on the money. After constantly being on the run, she decides to head back home.
After reading all the middling things to below-par opinions about this Pete Walker film, I just couldn't help myself and that dazzling figure of the skilfully talented actress Susan George was the main reason for taking the dip. I didn't care. I'm new to Walker's work, and maybe this psycho-thriller wasn't a good choice for my second film (the first being "The Comeback"), but it was an okay time-waster. I use okay lightly though, because even with the lovely Susan George and her always wilful and compassionate portrayals. No she just wasn't a sexpot. Still there are gaping problems. She does look quite lost in the picture, but the support roles of the delightful Barry Evans and sly Christopher Sandford seemed even more dazed. Hell everyone should be! What got here was a salty, and for most part lifelessly talky lets chuck everything, but the kitchen sink psychological melodrama of greed and family betrayal. Walker's direction is quite forward, but rough around the edges. After letting the film really kick off, he seems to lose out to the film's sluggish and lounging pace where the characters really don't get up too much and take their sweet time to execute their obscure plans. The choppy, and flabby mid-section really spells out the screenplay's intentions, and elaborate twists. Gladly we have George to watch, because it does become a maze of incoherent sub-plots. Eventually the shifty air, is broken up at a last ditch attempt (and not terribly successful) of heart-racing, and random thrills. Nonetheless Walker gets across one or two effective, suspenseful set-pieces, despite not sustaining it for long periods. Cyril Ornadel's strikingly haunting, uncanny score swings with the era, and Norman Langley's finely featured cinematography stands out with its kinetic flourishes and beautiful scope of the Portugal locations. Lending to film's greatly hypnotic edge was Leo Genn's fascinatingly humid and perverted performance as 'The Judge' and Judy Huxtable's seductively titular psychotic half-sister Hildegarde. Kenneth Hendel's subtle, moody support part is well delivered.
Walker shows pockets of promise and the cast complement with solid acting, but Murray Smith's confusingly messy and languid screenplay brings it down with a thud.
After reading all the middling things to below-par opinions about this Pete Walker film, I just couldn't help myself and that dazzling figure of the skilfully talented actress Susan George was the main reason for taking the dip. I didn't care. I'm new to Walker's work, and maybe this psycho-thriller wasn't a good choice for my second film (the first being "The Comeback"), but it was an okay time-waster. I use okay lightly though, because even with the lovely Susan George and her always wilful and compassionate portrayals. No she just wasn't a sexpot. Still there are gaping problems. She does look quite lost in the picture, but the support roles of the delightful Barry Evans and sly Christopher Sandford seemed even more dazed. Hell everyone should be! What got here was a salty, and for most part lifelessly talky lets chuck everything, but the kitchen sink psychological melodrama of greed and family betrayal. Walker's direction is quite forward, but rough around the edges. After letting the film really kick off, he seems to lose out to the film's sluggish and lounging pace where the characters really don't get up too much and take their sweet time to execute their obscure plans. The choppy, and flabby mid-section really spells out the screenplay's intentions, and elaborate twists. Gladly we have George to watch, because it does become a maze of incoherent sub-plots. Eventually the shifty air, is broken up at a last ditch attempt (and not terribly successful) of heart-racing, and random thrills. Nonetheless Walker gets across one or two effective, suspenseful set-pieces, despite not sustaining it for long periods. Cyril Ornadel's strikingly haunting, uncanny score swings with the era, and Norman Langley's finely featured cinematography stands out with its kinetic flourishes and beautiful scope of the Portugal locations. Lending to film's greatly hypnotic edge was Leo Genn's fascinatingly humid and perverted performance as 'The Judge' and Judy Huxtable's seductively titular psychotic half-sister Hildegarde. Kenneth Hendel's subtle, moody support part is well delivered.
Walker shows pockets of promise and the cast complement with solid acting, but Murray Smith's confusingly messy and languid screenplay brings it down with a thud.
Boring even with Susan George all over it.
Year288927 March 2002
Somehow this film manages to be boring as hell even with the lovely Susan George all over it, and in her prime too.
This disjointed relic from British Cinema's Bronze Age features George as a bonne viveuse who is keeping her distance from a dis-functional family which threaten to unravel her hopes of a normal romantic life, and all because she possesses within her mind the secret swiss bank account number which contains her inheritance, which will be entirely her's when she reaches the age of 21. Various losers try to get her to come across with the goods and they certainly take their time with it. And for some odd reason Maryanne tags along with their schemes right up till the last minute even though she knows who she's dealing with. It's kind of confusing.
There is a cheesy song about Maryanne at the end, and the opening credits are rather dated, with Ms. George doing her best go-go dancer routine.
This disjointed relic from British Cinema's Bronze Age features George as a bonne viveuse who is keeping her distance from a dis-functional family which threaten to unravel her hopes of a normal romantic life, and all because she possesses within her mind the secret swiss bank account number which contains her inheritance, which will be entirely her's when she reaches the age of 21. Various losers try to get her to come across with the goods and they certainly take their time with it. And for some odd reason Maryanne tags along with their schemes right up till the last minute even though she knows who she's dealing with. It's kind of confusing.
There is a cheesy song about Maryanne at the end, and the opening credits are rather dated, with Ms. George doing her best go-go dancer routine.
Not much to recommend here!
sanzar8 March 2001
Pic is routine in all respects and a real timewaster! Marketed as a horror film, it's nothing more than a boring tale of a dysfunctional family trying to lay their mitts on a numbered Swiss Bank account containing incriminating documents, along with a sizeable amount of cash. Poor Marianne is about to inherit this stash on her 21st birthday, but her father and sister want to grab it from her. Nothing horrific (nor even interesting) here.
The cast is decidedly drab and unattractive (even toplined Susan George is unflatteringly photographed)and performances are strictly of the stock variety. Potentially interesting Portuguese scenery is also wasted by the pedestrian set-ups employed by helmer Pete Walker.
Director Walker made a few mildly interesting films ("House of Whipcord", "Frightmare") along with a goodly amount of dreck. Thankfully he retired in '82, saving viewers from further boredom.
The cast is decidedly drab and unattractive (even toplined Susan George is unflatteringly photographed)and performances are strictly of the stock variety. Potentially interesting Portuguese scenery is also wasted by the pedestrian set-ups employed by helmer Pete Walker.
Director Walker made a few mildly interesting films ("House of Whipcord", "Frightmare") along with a goodly amount of dreck. Thankfully he retired in '82, saving viewers from further boredom.
A total waste of Susan George...
rwbingham4 January 2006
I got the DVD as I am a great fan of Susan George, who normally is prepared to flaunt her excellent physique in many of her films (we see plenty of her in "Straw Dogs", A Strange Affair" etc.), but this film goes out of its way to totally keep her covered: even in the bubble bath she is wearing clothes under the foam!
The continuity is truly risible - for example, in the above bath scene, all the close ups show her dry and her breasts covered with the white bra, but longer shots show her covered in foam but the bra still visible under the bubbles! In another sequence they leave the airport in a black Mercedes registration number BA-99-77, but in the very next shot the car's registration plates have changed to 11-32-32. The make-up on her face to show that her half-sister has tortured her with a cigarette lighter is seen before the incident happens.
The plot, direction and lighting is all dire too. Fortunately I only bought the DVD secondhand very cheaply, as it was a total waste of money.
The continuity is truly risible - for example, in the above bath scene, all the close ups show her dry and her breasts covered with the white bra, but longer shots show her covered in foam but the bra still visible under the bubbles! In another sequence they leave the airport in a black Mercedes registration number BA-99-77, but in the very next shot the car's registration plates have changed to 11-32-32. The make-up on her face to show that her half-sister has tortured her with a cigarette lighter is seen before the incident happens.
The plot, direction and lighting is all dire too. Fortunately I only bought the DVD secondhand very cheaply, as it was a total waste of money.
Susan George Was Hot & Sexy!
whpratt125 November 2004
Always enjoyed Susan George and her great style of acting.
In this particular film she showed her great natural beauty as a young star just starting her career. It was right after this film that she filmed in "Straw Dogs". This film had great scenes of London and their local neighborhoods and European furniture. Susan George,(Marianne),"Twinky",'69, played a wild and sexy gal who had plenty of lovers and did some wild dances and was running away from a plot to kill her. Christopher Sandford,(Sebastian),"Vampira",'74, chases after Marianne and looks like a vampire in this picture with wild clothing and way out acting. Leo Genn,(The Judge),"Quo Vadis",'51 is a veteran actor who plays the role as the leader of the Plot! If you love Susan George and missed this film, you will enjoy her beautiful youthful look!
In this particular film she showed her great natural beauty as a young star just starting her career. It was right after this film that she filmed in "Straw Dogs". This film had great scenes of London and their local neighborhoods and European furniture. Susan George,(Marianne),"Twinky",'69, played a wild and sexy gal who had plenty of lovers and did some wild dances and was running away from a plot to kill her. Christopher Sandford,(Sebastian),"Vampira",'74, chases after Marianne and looks like a vampire in this picture with wild clothing and way out acting. Leo Genn,(The Judge),"Quo Vadis",'51 is a veteran actor who plays the role as the leader of the Plot! If you love Susan George and missed this film, you will enjoy her beautiful youthful look!
Not Good
jfgibson7327 December 2008
Pretty much everything I want to say about this movie has already been stated in other reviews. I want to reiterate several points in the hopes of preventing others from making the same mistake as those of us who spent time on this one.
I watched this right to the end, so I won't say that it is entirely boring--it had me wanting to know how it would resolve. However, every plot point was absolutely wasted--everything that happens to each character is anti-climactic. More than anything else, it is poorly written.
Yes, Susan George is nice to watch, but that is about it. It is falsely marketed as horror, and I blame IMDb for allowing it to be categorized as such. It is almost entirely drama, although it aspires to be a thriller. I don't think it could have been less effective at building tension if it was a Disney Channel original. It's just not a good story. There are moments when they could have had the characters do something much more nasty, but I just thought their choices were lame.
To give you an idea of where I'm coming from, I like a lot of low-budget, obscure, and independent productions. I enjoy bad movies when they are entertaining. I saw the low rating and thought that's what this movie is, but if you read through the comments, you'll see most of us thought it was just boring.
I watched this right to the end, so I won't say that it is entirely boring--it had me wanting to know how it would resolve. However, every plot point was absolutely wasted--everything that happens to each character is anti-climactic. More than anything else, it is poorly written.
Yes, Susan George is nice to watch, but that is about it. It is falsely marketed as horror, and I blame IMDb for allowing it to be categorized as such. It is almost entirely drama, although it aspires to be a thriller. I don't think it could have been less effective at building tension if it was a Disney Channel original. It's just not a good story. There are moments when they could have had the characters do something much more nasty, but I just thought their choices were lame.
To give you an idea of where I'm coming from, I like a lot of low-budget, obscure, and independent productions. I enjoy bad movies when they are entertaining. I saw the low rating and thought that's what this movie is, but if you read through the comments, you'll see most of us thought it was just boring.
Less than dynamic early Pete Walker thriller
Red-Barracuda15 June 2017
Pete Walker was one of the most interesting British horror directors of the 1970's, with impressive efforts like The Flesh and Blood Show (1972), House of Whipcord (1974) and Frightmare (1974) to his name. This earlier film is sometimes described as his first foray into horror but really it is nothing of the sort. Despite a title that suggests that it could be, this one turns out to be a psychological thriller with really no horror aspects at all. A young woman's life is threatened when her crooked father tries to prevent her reaching her 21st birthday and in doing so inherit a fortune plus some documents which will incriminate him.
Aside from being an early example of a Walker film, this one is notable for featuring Susan George in a starring role a year before she appeared in Sam Peckinpah's controversial Straw Dogs (1971). In truth, the opening credit sequence which has her gyrating in a bikini in front of a deep red background is very striking indeed, although it is probably in fairness the best bit in the entire film. The main issue with this one is its pretty poor script which meanders about somewhat with a definite lack of focus. The first half of the film which is set in England is the better part with some intrigue and character set-ups but once the action relocates to Portugal things grind to a bit of a halt and it does get a bit boring. It's kind of unfortunate, as the bare bones of the story has got at least some potential but there is something very half-hearted in how things are ultimately played out. Seemingly Walker had some issues with the young cast members during the Portuguese section and this may account for the results on screen being less than impressive. Whatever the case, this is still worth seeing if you have an interest in Walker's movies as it does at least showcase some of his recurring themes such as elderly villains interfering with the lives of the younger generation. But, despite its director and cute leading lady, it has to be admitted that this is not essential stuff by any means. With its cool title and nice cover art it will look good in your film library though and that's not such a terrible thing I guess.
Aside from being an early example of a Walker film, this one is notable for featuring Susan George in a starring role a year before she appeared in Sam Peckinpah's controversial Straw Dogs (1971). In truth, the opening credit sequence which has her gyrating in a bikini in front of a deep red background is very striking indeed, although it is probably in fairness the best bit in the entire film. The main issue with this one is its pretty poor script which meanders about somewhat with a definite lack of focus. The first half of the film which is set in England is the better part with some intrigue and character set-ups but once the action relocates to Portugal things grind to a bit of a halt and it does get a bit boring. It's kind of unfortunate, as the bare bones of the story has got at least some potential but there is something very half-hearted in how things are ultimately played out. Seemingly Walker had some issues with the young cast members during the Portuguese section and this may account for the results on screen being less than impressive. Whatever the case, this is still worth seeing if you have an interest in Walker's movies as it does at least showcase some of his recurring themes such as elderly villains interfering with the lives of the younger generation. But, despite its director and cute leading lady, it has to be admitted that this is not essential stuff by any means. With its cool title and nice cover art it will look good in your film library though and that's not such a terrible thing I guess.
Enjoyably silly and Susan George is mesmerising
Groverdox26 August 2018
It's hard not to have a soft spot for Pete Walker. He was an impresario of British sleaze, genuinely making sexploitation and low budget horror films, and gleefully mixing the two.
"Die Screaming Marianne" is an outlier in his filmography. Despite the title, it's not a horror film, and there's no sex or nudity. It's more like a crime thriller, and Walker was not, by any stretch of the imagination, a thriller director.
The titular Marianne is played by the ravishing Susan George, an actress so effortlessly sexy you don't even mind that she doesn't get naked, even in a subpar film like this. She is also probably the best actress Walker ever worked with.
Marianne's mother died when she was a tried and inexplicably bequeathed to her a large sum of money and proof that her father, a crooked judge, is a crooked judge.
Her older sister in after her for her money, and her father wants the proof - though what it could be I can only guess.
Marianne escapes from her creepy family and goes on the run. She has a truly chance meeting with an utterly uncharismatic, birdlike '70s hairdo sporting creep, who almost runs over her in his convertible. After a few harsh words, she decides to come with him, and a few scenes later, they are married. The creep has an undue interest in the certificate that says they are really married, hinting that he is obviously involved with Marianne's sinister family, and yet when he looks at the certificate, he finds she has instead been married off to the much more preposessing Eli, played by Barry Evans, an actor best known for failing to snatch the sexploitation actor crown from Robin Askwith.
If you aren't yet getting the feeling that the movie's plot was made up on the spot, consider this: if the creep was in on the conspiracy from the beginning, why was his original meeting with Marianne so obviously by chance? They could have at least made it look somewhat staged. He couldn't have possibly met her that way on purpose, and yet the movie later seems to think he did.
Eli is a much better fit than the creepy '70s throwback fossil, and he and Marianne seem to get along, but pretty soon two large men pose as police officers and pluck him off the street and take him to a dingy back room that looks like part of an adult book store. They sit him down, offer him a cigarette, and one leaves while the other leisurely appears to consider different murder weapons. He takes a gun and screws and unscrews a silencer, and then wraps a length of cord around his hands the way murderers do. Seeing this, and given a fantastic opportunity to escape, Eli does so. He does, admittedly, have to fight off one of the guys on the way out, with a little pocket knife.
Remember what I said about the movie feeling made up along the way? If those two men were going to kill Eli, why did they take him into the room before they had even decided what weapon they were going to use? If they had a gun and a silencer, why would they even consider a length of cord?
Eventually, Marianne and Eli decide to go back to her family in Portugal. Why isn't really explained, but Susan George is such a great actress you can actually believe this decision, which, truth be told, is probably another example of idiotic plotting on behalf of the screenwriter.
Scenes in the movie often seem to end out of nowhere. There is a scene where the judge talks to a man, and the man suddenly makes choking noises and slides out of the frame. Scene over. I guess he died. Was he killed? By who? The judge? They didn't even seem to touch each other.
The ending also comes out of nowhere, but it actually manages to be sad, mostly due to the amazing presence that is Susan George, and the fact that she and Barry Evans (RIP) had real chemistry.
Come to think of it, all the actors in "Die Screaming Marianne" are better than the flimsy material deserved. Their presence, together with the ridiculousness of the movie's plot, staging and editing, kept me watching, and kept me entertained.
"Die Screaming Marianne" is an outlier in his filmography. Despite the title, it's not a horror film, and there's no sex or nudity. It's more like a crime thriller, and Walker was not, by any stretch of the imagination, a thriller director.
The titular Marianne is played by the ravishing Susan George, an actress so effortlessly sexy you don't even mind that she doesn't get naked, even in a subpar film like this. She is also probably the best actress Walker ever worked with.
Marianne's mother died when she was a tried and inexplicably bequeathed to her a large sum of money and proof that her father, a crooked judge, is a crooked judge.
Her older sister in after her for her money, and her father wants the proof - though what it could be I can only guess.
Marianne escapes from her creepy family and goes on the run. She has a truly chance meeting with an utterly uncharismatic, birdlike '70s hairdo sporting creep, who almost runs over her in his convertible. After a few harsh words, she decides to come with him, and a few scenes later, they are married. The creep has an undue interest in the certificate that says they are really married, hinting that he is obviously involved with Marianne's sinister family, and yet when he looks at the certificate, he finds she has instead been married off to the much more preposessing Eli, played by Barry Evans, an actor best known for failing to snatch the sexploitation actor crown from Robin Askwith.
If you aren't yet getting the feeling that the movie's plot was made up on the spot, consider this: if the creep was in on the conspiracy from the beginning, why was his original meeting with Marianne so obviously by chance? They could have at least made it look somewhat staged. He couldn't have possibly met her that way on purpose, and yet the movie later seems to think he did.
Eli is a much better fit than the creepy '70s throwback fossil, and he and Marianne seem to get along, but pretty soon two large men pose as police officers and pluck him off the street and take him to a dingy back room that looks like part of an adult book store. They sit him down, offer him a cigarette, and one leaves while the other leisurely appears to consider different murder weapons. He takes a gun and screws and unscrews a silencer, and then wraps a length of cord around his hands the way murderers do. Seeing this, and given a fantastic opportunity to escape, Eli does so. He does, admittedly, have to fight off one of the guys on the way out, with a little pocket knife.
Remember what I said about the movie feeling made up along the way? If those two men were going to kill Eli, why did they take him into the room before they had even decided what weapon they were going to use? If they had a gun and a silencer, why would they even consider a length of cord?
Eventually, Marianne and Eli decide to go back to her family in Portugal. Why isn't really explained, but Susan George is such a great actress you can actually believe this decision, which, truth be told, is probably another example of idiotic plotting on behalf of the screenwriter.
Scenes in the movie often seem to end out of nowhere. There is a scene where the judge talks to a man, and the man suddenly makes choking noises and slides out of the frame. Scene over. I guess he died. Was he killed? By who? The judge? They didn't even seem to touch each other.
The ending also comes out of nowhere, but it actually manages to be sad, mostly due to the amazing presence that is Susan George, and the fact that she and Barry Evans (RIP) had real chemistry.
Come to think of it, all the actors in "Die Screaming Marianne" are better than the flimsy material deserved. Their presence, together with the ridiculousness of the movie's plot, staging and editing, kept me watching, and kept me entertained.
Poor poor Leo
milliefan23 December 2012
I foolishly bought the DVD of this without checking out the reviews first ...won't do that again! One thing that surprises me is that while many IMDb reviewers mention that Die Screaming, Marianne is a waste of Susan George's talents, nobody has commented on the fact that the former Oscar nominee Leo Genn had been reduced to appearing in this tawdry, inept trash. In fact, poor Leo ended up doing uncredited bit parts in a couple of films after this (though neither was actually as bad as Marianne). I remember as a kid, when this film played for three mights at my local fleapit as the bottom half a double bill, the it was incorrectly titled "Ice Cream and Marianne" in the local paper! Still makes me chuckle ...
The absolute WORST film of all time
nickyak21 September 2002
Forget PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE or BRIDE OF THE MONSTER. This gem, which was released in the early 80s in a very gory video box, was marketed as a horror film, yet is really a lame drama about 2 cops searching for a lost girl. Everyone even remotely connected to this film (especially it's video release) should be jailed for life.
Competent but tedious early Pete Walker
HenryHextonEsq16 May 2010
Not particularly gripping tale of a 'free spirited' Susan George becoming embroiled in a seedy crime racket, led by a 'defrocked' Judge.
Not just *a* Judge, but 'The Judge' - Leo Genn's character who is continually accorded the definite article by sundry friends and enemies - who are largely interchangeable. This melodrama, with a heavy accent on the corrupt authority figures, bears some resemblance to Pete Walker's later baroque horrors. But the formula isn't developed as of yet - and he had yet to work with the waggish scriptwriter David McGillivray. Walker followed this film with the relatively interesting curio, "The Flesh and Blood Show" - collaborating with the talented veteran Alfred Shaughnessy of "Upstairs, Downstairs" fame - and then his fecund period began with "The House of Whipcord" in 1974.
Susan George and Judy Huxtable are done a great disservice by Walker and scriptwriter Murray Smith here with their reductive portrayal of female characters. Such as shame for George in particular, subject of much brutality in Peckinpah's "Straw Dogs" the following year, but also Huxtable, who was the evocative beauty at the heart of the whimsical "Les Bicylettes de Belsize" two years earlier.
There is always some degree of objectification of women in Walker's films, but what is lacking here is the suspenseful, charged context of his later films. "Frightmare" and "House of Mortal Sin" have something of the Hitchcockian about them: Hitchcock-meets-the Grimm Brothers-meets-British exploitation cinema of the 70s. This is a rather more humdrum affair, with even the exotic locations eliciting no more than a Gallic shrug in this viewer.
Not just *a* Judge, but 'The Judge' - Leo Genn's character who is continually accorded the definite article by sundry friends and enemies - who are largely interchangeable. This melodrama, with a heavy accent on the corrupt authority figures, bears some resemblance to Pete Walker's later baroque horrors. But the formula isn't developed as of yet - and he had yet to work with the waggish scriptwriter David McGillivray. Walker followed this film with the relatively interesting curio, "The Flesh and Blood Show" - collaborating with the talented veteran Alfred Shaughnessy of "Upstairs, Downstairs" fame - and then his fecund period began with "The House of Whipcord" in 1974.
Susan George and Judy Huxtable are done a great disservice by Walker and scriptwriter Murray Smith here with their reductive portrayal of female characters. Such as shame for George in particular, subject of much brutality in Peckinpah's "Straw Dogs" the following year, but also Huxtable, who was the evocative beauty at the heart of the whimsical "Les Bicylettes de Belsize" two years earlier.
There is always some degree of objectification of women in Walker's films, but what is lacking here is the suspenseful, charged context of his later films. "Frightmare" and "House of Mortal Sin" have something of the Hitchcockian about them: Hitchcock-meets-the Grimm Brothers-meets-British exploitation cinema of the 70s. This is a rather more humdrum affair, with even the exotic locations eliciting no more than a Gallic shrug in this viewer.
Uninteresting effort from Pete Walker
The_Void13 January 2008
Pete Walker may have made the likes of House of Mortal Sin and House of Whipcord, but he also made some real rubbish in his interesting career; and Die Screaming Marianne is hands down the worst Pete Walker film that I've seen. This was actually Pete Walker's first attempt at a horror film, although it's more of a crime thriller than a horror movie. It's also very boring, and that's definitely the main flaw! The plot focuses on a divorce. The couple in question have two daughters; one in England, the other in Portugal. After the mother dies, the English daughter stands to inherit a lot of money and some documents incriminating her father. They other daughter wants the money, and the father wants the documents. The film stars the lovely Susan George in the central role as well as a few other familiar faces. The plot moves at snail pace and there really is very little of interest. The film is sometimes said to be an imitation of the Giallo style that was popular in Italy in the early seventies, and that may be true; although most Giallo's I've seen are much more interesting than this. Overall, it has to be said that Pete Walker can do a lot better than this and Die Screaming Marianne is a below par effort from the usually solid director. Nice title, though.
SUSAN IS A MINI MARVEL
nevroyan14 February 2022
I won't insult the intelligence of fellow users by trying to describe the plot. It is totally ludicrous and is matched by direction that is so slow it could be used as a serious theraputic tool to tackle insomnia. Why it even manages to make the Algarve look like a boring location. The film only escapes a rock bottom zero rating through a super performance by sexpot Susan George and she manages to win her battle i this family fued without getting herself raped as in Fright and Straw Dogs. Indeed the one relationship that seems realistic is the one between Marianne and her landlord, Barry Evans. Desperate to solve her cashflow problems she suggests that s . Is time to upgrade their feelings from platonic to fun with fringe rental benefits. No wonder he spends most of the film with a look as if to say I can't believe my luck. Summing up the film is abysmal but arguably it is worth a purchase to see Susan at an earlier sham wedding, wearing a blue micro mini dress that simply couldn't be any shorter.
Watch the Titles. Turn it Off
arfdawg-124 May 2023
The only reason to watch this talkie action-less movie is to see Susan George in various forms of undress.
The titles are hot with her dancing in a go-go girl bikini for maybe 6 minutes. For the rest of this rather boring movie she wears micro mini skirts of the day and strips for the camera.
It's honestly the ony reason to view this film, which is schitzophrenically directed. I swear, i think the constant alarming edits can give someone epilepsy.
The color seems to be technicolor, which at least makes the film pretty to view, but that's about it. The story and direction are horrible and bring the entire production down. Susan's hot body can't save it.
The titles are hot with her dancing in a go-go girl bikini for maybe 6 minutes. For the rest of this rather boring movie she wears micro mini skirts of the day and strips for the camera.
It's honestly the ony reason to view this film, which is schitzophrenically directed. I swear, i think the constant alarming edits can give someone epilepsy.
The color seems to be technicolor, which at least makes the film pretty to view, but that's about it. The story and direction are horrible and bring the entire production down. Susan's hot body can't save it.
"Love's not for you, Marianne!"
moonspinner553 December 2017
Susan George plays Marianne, a young go-go dancer in London apt to running away from any man who takes a liking to her; she's not fickle, exactly, she just has a troubled past with men starting with her nefarious father, nicknamed "the Judge." After a fellow picks Marianne up on the road, she finds herself at the altar about to marry him, but enters their best man's name on the marriage certificate instead. This enrages her intended, who turns snitch to the Judge (and Marianne's wicked half-sister) who's in desperate need of a Swiss bank account number that only Marianne knows, an account that houses legal papers incriminating the Judge in various dirty doings. Written by Murray Smith and directed by Pete Walker (who also produced), the misleadingly-titled "Die Screaming Marianne" (without a comma) isn't a horror movie or a suspense-thriller; it's more of a character portrait-cum-criminal melodrama, one that is curiously coy in its violent and sexual matters. George is seen dancing in a bedazzled bikini under the opening credits, but she doesn't dance again, nor does she get much of a chance to create a genuine character. Marianne is unpredictable in all the wrong ways; she's a question-mark whose actions are confusing, confounding and often reach a dead-end (running off from her new husband in the early morning hours, she hitches a ride, stops to rest in the meadow grass, applies for a dancing job, turns it down when the boss asks to "see the goods," and then returns home). Finale at the Judge's seaside spread in Portugal is even odder, with lustful, jealous Judy Huxtable bent on torturing Marianne to get that account number before killing her. Before long, bodies have piled up, corpses have to be identified, the cops are on their way, and we still have no idea who Marianne is. *1/2 from ****
Not Pete Walker's Best Work
gavin694216 May 2013
After their parents divorce, one daughter lives with her mother in England while the other lives with her father in Portugal. After the untimely death of her mother, the one daughter stands to inherit a large sum of money and also a number of documents containing information that will incriminate her father, who was a crooked judge.
Another reviewer wrote that despite having Susan George, this is a rather boring film. I have to generally concur -- this is not the horror or exploitation that Walker fans have come to expect, and for those thinking this will be as good as "The Comeback"... well, expect disappointment.
Not to say it is a bad film, because it is not. But for a film that is called "Die Screaming", you get precious little dying and screaming from this one.
Another reviewer wrote that despite having Susan George, this is a rather boring film. I have to generally concur -- this is not the horror or exploitation that Walker fans have come to expect, and for those thinking this will be as good as "The Comeback"... well, expect disappointment.
Not to say it is a bad film, because it is not. But for a film that is called "Die Screaming", you get precious little dying and screaming from this one.
All In The Family...
azathothpwiggins6 September 2020
Director Pete Walker's DIE SCREAMING MARIANNE is about carefree go-go dancer, Marianne Evans (Susan George), who must stay one step ahead of her insane family, including her crackpot dad (Leo Genn) and homicidal sister, Hildegard (Judy Huxtable). Marianne has something they want, sitting in a Swiss bank account. Her diabolical family will do anything to get it!
Though far from exciting, this movie does have some semi-interesting plot twists, a handful of colorful characters, and a smattering of tension. An alleged "thriller", it suffers from a lack of any real thrills. The long-winded story and sporadic "action" sequences do little to hold our attention. A chore to watch, it's almost saved by its "big pay off" ending. Almost...
Though far from exciting, this movie does have some semi-interesting plot twists, a handful of colorful characters, and a smattering of tension. An alleged "thriller", it suffers from a lack of any real thrills. The long-winded story and sporadic "action" sequences do little to hold our attention. A chore to watch, it's almost saved by its "big pay off" ending. Almost...
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