Tender Dracula 1974 Written by Justin Lenoir, directed by Pierre Grunstein. A French film set in the world of TV production. We watched the Blu-ray from Severn, it's part of the Cushing Curiosities Blu-ray box set.
Peter Cushing is a horror TV show star, he wants to quit horror and make romantic content. His producer sends 2 scriptwriters and 2 women to talk Peter into keeping on with the horror show. Peter greets them and offers them a place to stay. There's a few odd characters in the castle Peter lives in and plenty of odd stuff happens. As the movie plods on it becomes harder and harder to believe what's really happening and what's imagined. It doesn't help to know that.
The movie might be a comedy but the jokes are few and often weak. Peter's character is rather insane and he likes to yell at people. Peter treats his wife poorly, she used to be married to Peter's Igor, a poor lumbering mute who's treated poorly. The scriptwriters try to talk Peter into staying with the horror program but Peter's not buying it. The two ladies seem to loose their clothes pretty regularly.
It could be more fun if the jokes were stronger. I didn't dislike the film but I'm not sold on it. I'm listening to the commentary, hoping that I might learn why it's what it is. So far, no go. They do have a bit of info on the production. We'll see if the interview with the director yields anything.
Fright 1972 Written by Tudor Gates, directed by Peter Collinson. Gates wrote a few movies I've seen: Twins Of Evil, Lust For A Vampire, The Vampire Lovers, Barbarella and Danger: Diabolik. Collinson directed a good lot of films, some I've seen: The Italian Job, Innocent Bystanders and Ten Little Indians.
A couple goes off to dinner with a friend, they leave the babysitter, Susan George, in charge of their 3 year old son. Susan's boyfriend comes to visit. She thought she had seen him at the window but we'll find out that wasn't true. The couple have a secret, the wife's ex-husband is in a mental institution for murder. She doesn't know that he's escaped and gone to visit his wife. Poor Susan's stuck in the house with the madman murderer. She screams all the time and that was making me pretty annoyed.
Other than for the noisy Susan, I would have enjoyed the movie more but it was pokey and kind of familiar. I didn't hate it but it wouldn't make me buy the BR. I would take too long to get back to it. Those Susan George screams were annoying, I'm not rushing back to that.