House of Mortal Sin (1977)

Just perfect...

hyped garbage

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

The story-telling is good with flashbacks.The film is both funny and heartbreaking. You smile in a scene and get a soulcrushing revelation in the next.

Devout, but deranged and sexually repressed clergyman Father Xavier Meldrum (superbly played by Anthony Sharp) resorts to such foul things as blackmail and murder after hearing a shocking confessional from troubled young lass Jenny Welch (an appealing portrayal by the fetching Susan Penhaligon).Director Peter Walker relates the absorbing premise at a steady pace, does his usual expert job of crafting a macabre atmosphere, grounds the deliciously twisted premise in a believable workaday reality, and stages the brutal murder set pieces with grisly aplomb. 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. The excellent acting by the top-rate casts keeps this movie humming: Stephanie Beachum adds plenty of charm and spark as Jenny's perky and concerned sister Vanessa, Norman Ashley contributes a likable turn as the friendly Father Bernard Cutler, and Sheila Keith makes the most out of her juicy supporting part as sinister one-eyed housekeeper Miss Brabazon. Kudos are also in order for Peter Jessop's polished score and the spirited shuddery score by Stanley Myers. Recommended viewing for both British horror cinema aficionados in general and Pete Walker fans in particular.

'House of mortal sin' has an eerie premise, and some scenes on their own work okay, but there is too much silliness going on. Our leading pretty lady all too easily takes back her lover who had left her just the day before, only for the purpose of having our baddie kill the wrong guy. Then on to our baddie, who turns out to be a very silly mama's boy who never knew about the woman who really loved him all along. Or maybe he did and never cared; when she finally offs herself he is none to bothered. There are plenty of other questions popping up from time to time; why does the mother of the first 'murdered' woman not go to the police when she sees a body being buried (or at least write down that information in case she doesn't make it)? How can the disabled mother of Xavier write on a piece of paper, hide it from the ones who take care of her and know who to trust with it? Et cetera, and so on.It cóuld have worked, but it didn't. Sure, some scenes are atmospheric, some parts are utterly creepy, the kills are quite gruesome and the soundtrack is mostly just fine for a b-horror movie, but it never becomes more than that. Especially with the tagline on the poster in mind: 'The Omen', 'The exorcist', 'The Confessional' (the latter being the alternative title to this one), the unholy trinity is now complete. That's pretty pretentious...A small 6 out of 10.

Catholic priest Father Xavier Meldrum (Anthony Sharp) becomes obsessed with parishioner Jenny Welch (Susan Penhaligon) who unwisely pays a visit to his confessional after a break-up with her boyfriend. Excited by the gorgeous young woman, but unable to have her, Meldrum is driven to kill using rosary beads, a flaming incense burner and poisoned communion wafers as his weapons.House of Mortal Sin sees British exploitation legends David McGillivray and Pete Walker having fun at the expense of Catholicism, depicting the murderous antics of a sexually frustrated Catholic priest with a mother complex whose mind has been twisted by a lifetime of repressed carnal urges. It should be a whole lot of salacious silliness, but sadly falls short of the mark.Despite the film's deliberately controversial subject matter and plenty of sadistic violence, House of Mortal Sin is actually one of my least favourite Walker movies thanks to a dreary narrative, a plodding pace and surprisingly uninspired direction. Penhaligon is lovely as the poor subject of Meldrum's attention but is given little to do other than look frightened; likewise, Sheila Keith is wasted in yet another role that calls for her to be cruel and emotionless.

Even though the majority of his movies haven't gone on to win vast acclaim or classic status, any fan of cinema would have to admit that British horror maestro Pete Walker is one of the most fascinating directors of the seventies. House of Mortal Sin follows the common Pete Walker theme of hypocrisy in an institution; and this time it's the church that gets lampooned. The film does feel like an all too obvious attempt to drum up some controversy, but it's all so well done that it's easy to ignore this fact and just enjoy the twisted imagination of Pete Walker and scriptwriter David McGillivray. Catholic priests are always above suspicion due their high moral ground in society, and so the idea that one of them could go off the rails and abuse his privileges is as intriguing as it is frightening. The story follows Father Xavier Meldrum; a priest who tapes the confessions of his parishioners and then uses them for blackmailing purposes! And he isn't content to stop there, as if the blackmail doesn't go to plan - he isn't morally above murder! The film is a little overlong and slightly overindulgent at times; but Pete Walker paces the plot well, and although at least ten minutes could have been shaved from the movie; it never gets boring. Walker is great at creating atmosphere, and through ugly cinematography and downbeat locations, the director ensures that there is nothing pleasant about the movie. The murder scenes are graphic in a typically seventies fashion, although the talented director never lets the blood overtake the plot, and the murder scenes are an event within the movie; rather than the plot being tied around the gore. The film takes influence from a range of sources, including the slasher sub-genre (most notably Psycho), as well as the Italian Giallo (the black gloves towards the end being a particular highlight) and even Walker's own previous efforts. As usual, Walker pulls great performances out of his older actors. Anthony Sharp is suitably sinister in the lead role, and also manages to retain his edge of authority. Hilda Barry gives the film the right amount of horror as the mother, while Walker regular Sheila Keith rounds off the cast in a convincingly macabre role. On the whole; this may not be as great as House of Whipcord, but House of Mortal Sin is further proof that Pete Walker really knows how to make his audience think and comes recommended.