Frightmare

"What terrifying craving made her kill... and kill... and kill..."

1974 1h 28m EN

😐

6.4

MID

⭐

6.2

IMDB

★6.4TMDB · 73★6.2IMDB · 2,764

HorrorThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In 1957, Dorothy and Edmund Yates were committed to an institution for the criminally insane, she for acts of murder and cannibalism and he for covering up her crimes. Fifteen years later, they are pronounced fit for society and released. However, in Dorothy's case the doctors may have jumped the gun a bit. Edmund and eldest daughter, Jackie, try to discover just how far Mother's bloodlust has taken her. Meanwhile, youngest daughter Debbie begins to explore the crazy roots of her family tree as fully as possible.

“What terrifying craving made her kill... and kill... and kill...”

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Cast

Rupert Davies
Edmund Yates
Sheila Keith
Dorothy Yates
Deborah Fairfax
Jackie Yates
Paul Greenwood
Graham Heller
Kim Butcher
Debbie Yates
Leo Genn
Dr. Lytell
Gerald Flood
Matthew Laurence
Fiona Curzon
Merle

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Pete Walker
Writers: David McGillivray, Pete Walker
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

88 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

52 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Pete Walker, shot by Peter Jessop. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Stanley Myers. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Robert C. Dearberg shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Rupert Davies and Sheila Keith and Deborah Fairfax carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "What terrifying craving made her kill... and kill... and kill...".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Pete Walker directs. Peter Jessop behind the camera. Stanley Myers scores. Robert C. Dearberg cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

188 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
252 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Directed by Pete Walker, shot by Peter Jessop. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Stanley Myers. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Robert C. Dearberg shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Rupert Davies and Sheila Keith and Deborah Fairfax carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "What terrifying craving made her kill... and kill... and kill...".
9IMDB entry: tt0071523 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Only 73 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Peter Jessop
Original score: Stanley Myers
Editing: Robert C. Dearberg
Makeup / hair: George Partleton
Runtime: 88 min · 1h 28m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Frightmare (1974)
IMDB rating: 6.2/10 · 2,764 votes
MPAA: R

Also by

Pete Walker

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2013-11-04
★ 5/10
Ghastly, Ghoulish, Grotty & Gory. Frightmare is directed by Pete Walker who also co-writes the screenplay with David McGillivray. It stars Rupert Davies, Shelia Keith, Deborah Fairfax, Paul Greenwood and Kim Butcher. Music is by Stanley Myers and cinematography by Peter Jessop. Edmund and Dorothy Yates are freed after fifteen years in an asylum, committed for despicable crimes, but is Dorothy cured? And what of their daughters? Frightmare is what it is, a British exploitation horror made at a time when it was out to get the best rise out of the audience. As much as Pete Walker’s fans don’t want to believe it, there is no social comment being made, no hidden agenda or attempts to push the boundaries of British horror in visual or thematic achievements. Walker, a very likable and honest man, even says his films are not for deep cranial pondering, he couldn’t believe his luck that he got to throw blood and guts about and got paid for it. Frightmare is a thinly plotted and written picture that serves only to bask in some shock and awe scenes. The ineptitude of the mental health authorities is given a cursory glance, but really the picture plods from one scene to the next waiting for Dorothy to get busy with her tool kit. It’s there, with the wonderfully scary Keith doing her stuff, where Walker excels. Though in today’s desensitised age it’s more fun than frightening, while there’s actually not as much gore on show as you would think. It’s all very basic in truth, but Walker achieved his aims back then, and kudos to him for serving up a truly bleak finale. 5/10

Production companies