House Of Mortal Sin [DVD] [2015]

Product Information

David McGillivray's bold script not only offers some spot-on scathing commentary on the abuse of power, religious hypocrisy, and deep-seated repression and thwarted desire, but also pulls off a genuinely startling doozy of a surprise grim ending. A deranged, lecherous old priest becomes obsessed with a beautiful young woman, and will stop at nothing, including murder, in his attempt to possess her!

House of Mortal Sin (1976) - House of Mortal Sin (1976 - IMDb

No matter who the girl turns to for help, Father Meldrum stays above suspicion at all times because he's a respected man of the Church and she's just a mentally unstable blonde. Though in the end it didn't matter - not when they came up against a tortured mind, a disturbed psychosis, singular in its goal. Norman Eshley as young priest Father Bernard Cutler seems to be the strangest of the characters, doing little to add to the narrative other than provide a link to Jenny and the church. She presents a pathetic picture in her sorrow that has nowhere to morph into except excitement at believing she is a match for the monster and can lay a trap for him.Although, for those who understand the deep, dark British sense of humor, there are some moments of black comedy to be found in some of the scenes—especially in the dialogue contained therein. well-executed and maintains a dark interest throughout, supported by interesting performances (especially Sheila Keith as Meldrum's devoted love). I bought this movie as part of the Pete Walker Collection, a wonderful coffin shaped boxset containing this movie, along with FRIGHTMARE, THE HOUSE OF MORTAL SIN, THE HOUSE OF WHIPCORD and DIE SCREAMING MARIANNE.

House of Mortal Sin - Wikipedia

Top honours go to Anthony Sharp for his demented and tormented loony cleric and also to the gorgeous Susan Penhaligon as the object of his desires. She does a fine job, but could have been given more to do, as she's pretty much absent from the climax.Later, Jenny heads to the church expecting to see Cutler, but she ends confessing her sins to Father Xavier (Anthony Sharp). The funniest parts are with the good Priest and his love affair with perpetually ditzy looking Stephanie Beacham.

House of Mortal Sin (1976) - Parents Guide - IMDb House of Mortal Sin (1976) - Parents Guide - IMDb

When young Jenny (Susan Penhaligon) discovers that her confession about having an abortion has been taped by local priest, Father Meldrum (Anthony Sharp), her boyfriend Terry confronts the priest, but ends up in hospital suffering a serious life-threatening injury… But as Jenny tries to convince her sister Vanessa (Stephanie Beacham) and young priest Father Cutler (Norman Eshley) to believe her that Father Meldrum is responsible, the deranged priest continues to punish his parishioners for their moral transgressions. In 1983, when Cushing acted in Walker's final film, The House of Long Shadows, Walker learned that Cushing actually liked the script, but had other film commitments. Then there's Susan Penhaligon who plays the troubled Jenny who becomes the object of the priest's obsession.Bernard discovers the bodies of Terry and Vanessa and confronts Meldrum, who claims that Brabazon committed the murders out of love for him. The three companies in question had dominated the British horror movie industry for over a decade, having made some truly superb productions. Within his stark vision, Walker—with the scriptwriting talents of McGillivray—neatly wraps his characters in intricate layers, especially when it comes to the villains of the piece. For dealing with the psychological aspects of the movie, Walker relies on the actors to carry the story.