IN THE DEVIL'S GARDEN

Suzy Kendall

IN THE DEVIL'S GARDEN (aka Assault/1971). Director: Sidney Hayers. 

A girl, Tessa (Lesley-Anne Down), is sexually assaulted in the woods and is so traumatized that she is unable to speak. Then another girl is not only raped but murdered. Dr. Lomax (James Laurenson) tries to get through to the mute girl without success. Detective Velyan (Frank Finlay of Lifeforce) is frustrated by the lack of clues in the case when Julie West (Suzy Kendall of Torso), the arts teacher at the nearby girls' school, gets a glimpse of the killer, but can only describe him as being "like the Devil." Nevertheless she, a reporter (Freddie Jones) and Velyan and his associates cook up a plan to use the brave Julie as a decoy. Meanwhile there are a few suspects, including the headmistress's sleazy husband, Leslie (Tony Beckley of Beware My Brethren), and even Dr. Lomax and some of the police officers. Julie discovers that the killer is much closer than anyone realizes ... 

Frank Finlay and James Laurenson

In the Devi's Garden, originally released under the dull title Assault, is an interesting and suspenseful thriller with some solid performances. The ending is dragged out a bit too much, and the identity of the killer is telegraphed a bit too soon, but there are some intriguing developments nevertheless. Lesley-Anne Down was introduced in this film -- it was actually her fourth movie -- and is unrecognizable at 17. James Cosmo, Dilys Hamlett, Patrick Jordan, and Anthony Ainley also have significant roles. Sidney Hayers also directed Circus of Horrors.

Verdict: Reasonably worthwhile suspense-thriller. **3/4. 

BEWARE MY BRETHREN

Ann Todd with Tony Beckley

BEWARE MY BRETHREN (1972). Director: Robert Hartford-Davis. 

Birdy Wemys (Ann Todd) lives with her son Kenny (Tony Beckley) in an old house which has a chapel in the basement. This is used by a batty minister (Patrick Magee) for a sect of Jesus Freaks and both mother and son are members. Meanwhile someone is running around in the neighborhood murdering young women. Birdy has a nurse,  Brigitte (Madeleine Hinde), who lives with her sister, Paddy (Suzanna Leigh), who is a reporter. Paddy decides that this church as well as mother and son are worth investigating, but she may get more than she bargained for when she enters this household as a new member of the church ...

Suzanna Leigh and Patrick Magee

This synopsis for Beware My Brethren may make the film sound interesting, but be forewarned that it came very close to making it on to my list of "Films I Never Quite Finished" -- it is that bad and boring. There are decent performances, especially from Ann Todd, the talented British actress reduced to appearing in this dribble, one startling moment (and only one), and a fairly exciting fight scene at the finish. Otherwise this movie is slow, tedious and terrible. This is nothing like the zesty Corruption, which Hartford-Davis helmed four years earlier. One very funny aspect of the picture is that on a couple of occasions it turns downright bizarre, with one of the Brethren -- as they are called -- breaking into song in the middle of the service, only these sequences are presented as if they were pop tunes in a musical! (The songs aren't actually that bad, but they hardly fit in into what is supposed to be a horror movie.) One of the murder scenes, none of which are shot with any elan, seems to have been lit by flashlight! Tony Beckley later made an impression in his last film When a Stranger Calls. 

Verdict: British horror at a very low ebb. *1/2.