Persecution (1974)

Sorry, this movie sucks

Don't Believe the Hype

If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.

The first film from the short-lived Tyburn film company (that later gave us THE GHOUL and LEGEND OF THE WEERWOLF, two of my favourites) is a lot different from what you might expect. Here we have an extremely slow-moving, long, and yet compelling drama about the volatile relationship between two people, namely David Masters (Ralph Bates) and his domineering mother Carrie (Lana Turner).There are many things to recommend in this film, which may be too subtle and understated for some modern viewers who have an over-reliance on action/gore. From the odd opening - in which we see a young boy killing his pet cat in a bowl of milk - to the circular ending, in which that boy (now grown up) does the same thing, my eyes never left the screen. Top quality acting from an interesting cast and attention to detail make this film one to watch. Here we have fully fleshed-out, three dimensional characters who act and talk like real people. The story is rooted in reality for a change, and there are no physical horror aspects - except those of a cat, which may or may not be evil.Ralph Bates (who made his horror debut in TASTE THE BLOOD OF Dracula and who may not have been the best of actors, but was always enjoyable) gives what is, in my mind, his best performance as the tormented son of Lana Turner, forever a weak-willed victim. He always seemed to play the same kind of role throughout his short-lived horror career (his characteristics: quiet voice, floppy hair, handsome yet feminine) and here he reaches his highlight, the most in-depth role he played. His is a journey into complete madness, brought about by extreme cruelty and sheer wickedness from his parent over a period of thirty years. He is the son his mother never wanted, the son who will never be able to do anything right or make any decisions of his own. He has grown up to depend on his mother so that, even as an adult, he cannot bring himself to leave her and go to live with his wife.Lana Turner is the wicked mother, putting in a subtle performance of evil. Turner is very unlikeable and actually quite convincing in the role, and is never anything but serious: you can believe that she's capable of plotting devastation and murder in the back of her mind. Seasoned veterans Trevor Howard and Patrick Allen pop up for brief cameos, while Suzan Farmer and Olga Georges-Picot provide some pathos and sympathy as women caught up in the feud between mother and son.Although the film is slow-moving, the plot is a good one, and events gradually build up until they culminate in mass murder and total insanity. I definitely feel that this film is an underrated classic, simply as it tries something different from usual and succeeds in being original. I love the ending which has Ralph Bates saying - in a child's voice, to make it extra creepy - "Mother, I just killed a cat." PERSECUTION is a film that essays the total mental breakdown of an odd family - and does it in such a way to make it gripping, haunting viewing.

I found a copy of this movie in a thrift store, and since it only cost fifty cents, I figured what the heck? Probably I should mention that I'm not a die hard fan of British horror films, though I've seen a few that I've liked. I found this one unusual in several aspects. There's the casting of Lana Turner, of course, and she manages to be appropriately (and convincingly) hateful. But two other things struck me most about the movie, the first being was how effectively bleak the movie's atmosphere was; every scene felt grim and dark. Another thing was that the core story could have fit nicely in one of those notorious EC horror comic books. Note that I said, "the core" - as it is, the story in this movie is much too drawn out. While it never gets to be boring, it won't take viewers long to start asking the movie to simply get on with it, which it never does. This story may have worked as one of the stories in a horror anthology movie, but as it is, viewers will lose patience long before the movie reaches the end.

Halloween is upon us so the TV companies dust off a few horror films for late night showing . Last night saw the BBC broadcast THE WOLFMAN while tonight ITV transmitted a clichéd horror movie called LONG TIME DEAD with BBC 1 showing PERSECUTION As a horror film / psychological thriller totally fails because it uses something ridiculous as the focus of fear . The bringers of terror areCATS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!That's right . Cats . You know these fluffy cute mammals that sit in your lap making purring noises when you tickle their chin ? Well that's what the creatures of horror are in this movie . I'm not making this up and I also wish to point out that they're not ten foot tall mutant demon possessed killer cats , they're the type of moggy you see sitting out on window ledges in the summer . I know some people have an instinctive fear of felines , it's to do with the way they look at you , almost like the cats are planning something when you're back is turned . I don't know how anyone can believe this because I find cats the most affectionate type of pet and no matter how hard the director tries he just can't make moggies appear menacing in any wayI feel rather sorry for the late Ralph Bates since he also appeared in an awful horror movie shown on BBC 1 a few nights ago called I DON'T WANT TO BE BORN and looking at the actor's resume he has appeared in a lot of crap early 70s Brit horror movies . To give you a taste of how bad PERSECUTION is check out this sample of dialogue " You killed your mothers cat " " Yes I drowned it . In milk " " Oh darling " Believe it or not the above lines weren't meant to induce a laugh , though inevitably they did

Let's get one thing straight. I'm a huge Lana Turner fan. So even if I didn't particularly like this movie, chances are I would probably defend it anyway. Don't get me wrong, PERSECUTION(AKA: THE TERROR OF SHEBA and THE GRAVEYARD) is by no means a good movie, but as far as low-budget horror movies go, I've seen much worse. Turner stars as a ruthless woman who, with the aid of her beloved cat, makes life miserable for her spineless son(Ralph Bates) and his bewildered bride(Suzan Farmer), until her son finally decides he's had enough and gives his mom and her precious kitty their comeuppance. The suspense lags in places, and the plot is not terribly interesting, but any horror film that unites two pros like Lana Turner and Trevor Howard has to have something going for it. Admittedly, Turner isn't perfectly suited to her role. This is the kind of grotesque, no holds-barred histronics that would appeal to an easily carried away actress like Bette Davis or perhaps Joan Crawford. But, at least Turner has some fun with it. It's all so juvenile that it would be kind of hard to not enjoy it a little. One thing is for certain: Turner's presence gives this somewhat plodding film a much needed touch of class and classic Hollywood glamour.