On the whole the acting was good, only Ann-Marie’s French accent lets it down. Just below that it reads "Ticket Confirmation#:" followed by a 10-digit number. Though undeniably trashy and exploitive, as well as overlong, House of Whipcord (1974) shows some intelligence in its depiction of self-appointed vigilantes running a secret prison in Britain's Forest of Dean. ” She must know that being alone with a man, who has pretended to slice-and-dice her, while wearing a ring that conjures imagery of de Sade is a dangerous dance with the devil. Joking aside, House of Whipcord isn't bad at all. Time Out is a registered trademark of Time Out Digital Limited. It also analyzes reviews to verify trustworthiness. Needless to say, there are not many survivors by the time the end credits roll, and the judges final words only go to confirm that the family where as nutty as a fruit cake. Castle of Blood (Danza macabra)(Coffin of Terror)(Dimensions in Death)(Tombs of Terror), Your Vice Is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key, J.R. 'Bob' Dobbs & The Church of the SubGenius, Fall TV First Look: Find Out What’s Coming, The Best Peacock Original Shows and Movies, All Upcoming Disney Movies: New Disney Live-Action, Animation, Pixar, Marvel, and More. The acting is generally very good; Irving is convincing as a none-too-bright but more or less innocent type, while the equally ravishing Ann Michelle (who fans of low budget horror can also see in the American production "Haunted") is credible as Ann-Maries' friend who in a subplot tries to track her down. Please click the link below to receive your verification email. Opening with the words "This film is dedicated to those who are disturbed by … An elderly ex-judge and his wife set up a kangaroo court to pass 'proper' sentence on wayward young women who they consider have been treated too leniently by the law. As all of Walker's films have a political or social undertone, much like George Romero does with his zombie franchise, this particular film satirizes corporal punishment and harassment in the workplace. Bleak, cold, disturbing British sexploitation for the genre enthusiasts only. I took this as a big “Fuck You” to the critics, who are trying to stop films like this. Mark's mother, Mrs Wakehurst(Barbara Markham)was once a prison governess who lost her job after her aggressive torturous methods towards a French inmate ended in death. If you're looking for a WIP film this is a sad excuse for one. | Cinemark If so, then there's a rather simple solution to your dilemma...open your own prison and mete out the forms of punishment you see fit, as depicted in House of the Whipcord (1974). Coming Soon. This place is a correctional institute for amoral women, and it's conditions are extremely harsh. They make a thought-provoking horror thriller about girls being abused at a correctional institute for girls by being tied to a cross and whipped. You are commenting using your Whlpcord account. Dumb ????? In his urgency to help her he inadvertently ends up returning her to the prison, and this puts the audience on the edge of their seat as they watch helplessly as the story unfolds. WIP, I suppose this could be described as, but how misleading. As it is, too many scenes are underlit and visually uninteresting and you never get the impression that this is an evil being perpetrated on many young victims. Wrong. Save your money. Don't have an account? I didn't notice it let up for a minute. The point is that sometimes crazy, traditional, censorship nuts go bat-shit crazy and hurt people. If I had to use a single word to describe this film, that word would likely be "grim". For example, the night she meets him, he flashes a knife. This is where it understandably goes from excitingly sinister to just full on nightmare fodder, especially, for us wild girls. Upon arrival it becomes apparent to Anne-Marie that this isn't a regular visit, and soon she finds herself captured in the only prison left that utilises capital punishment. The actress Sheila Keith comes to her own in her role as chief warden, Walker. Fast forwarded just to see how bad a Brit flic could be. The patrons of the institution (including Walker regular Sheila Keith, who is spine tingling) take the girls to the old man, who acts like a judge and doles out the punishments, enjoying watching the girls being whipped. The film is dedicated ironically to all those who wish to see the return of capital punishment in Britain, and it's about a senile old judge and his wife who are so appalled by current permissiveness that they set up a gruesome house of correction for young girls. Awards His mother is the sadistic Governor of her own prison where her son takes flagrant examples of the new 'permissive' society so that they can be punished and even executed because of their lax ways. After viewing product detail pages, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. Ann Michelle and Penny Irving are surprisingly good in their dramatic roles, but the film is stolen by Barbara Markham, Patrick Barr and Sheila Keith, chewing the scenery as the governess, the helpless judge and the most zealous warden respectively. Eight out of 10. See the list Pete Walker's film is both a sleazy seventies exploitation classic and a striking indictment of the justice system. Though naive, she’s not an idiot. And indeed, it's not long before the girl is thrust in front of Mark's father, retired Justice Bailey (Patrick Barr) and his mother (Barbara Markham) a former prison warden dismissed for her cruelty to the inmates. Quite the contrary. There's a problem loading this menu right now. Just as they would repeat it in the equally surprising successor "Frightmare", scenarists Walker and David McGillivray portray the women as the depraved lunatics while the men are weak and unable to interfere. It's needless to say that this film is grim, lacking the sense of good time excitement that usually accompanies films in the exploitation genre, and replacing it with a grim world full of sour-faced prison wardens and obnoxiously unlikable characters. She made the classic error of blindly trusting a stranger, especially one that raises major red flags. whose dating techniques are strange, to say the least. Older puritan zealots who go too far, also check. on DVD or Blu-Ray and I recommend almost all of them wholeheartedly. Anne-Marie is promptly sentenced and thrown into a cell, where she is informed by another luckless inmate that nobody ever leaves and three strikes against you and you're dead. A different taste of honey but not in my cup of tea. She is particularly interested in folklore and historical hauntings, "I've been intrigued by the paranormal from an early age. Our next introduction is to Ann-Marie’s flat mate, Julia, played by Ann Michelle (sister to Vicki, who played Yvette in 80s TV comedy ”Allo, ‘Allo’), who helps Ann-Marie to get ready for her evening out with the handsome Mark De Sade (yes, you read that correctly), and of course you don’t wear clothes when you come out of the shower! Reviewed in the United States on May 15, 2015. Hang 'em and flog 'em indeed, especially if they are pretty naked girls. Meanwhile, Julia confides in her lover, Tony(Ray Brooks)regarding Ann-Marie's whereabouts setting out to find her if she can, attempting to discover just who Mark is and his location. THE MGM MOD disc is horrible.) He’s a favorite of mine. She is picked up by Mark E Desade (Marquis Desade? I wanted to shout out “No! Ironically (hopefully) dedicated to the vocal minority who find sentencing too soft and the law largely impotent, WHIPCORD isn't for everyone - the faint of heart should steer well clear - but offers an upsetting glimpse into the heart of darkness for the curious. Prime members enjoy FREE Delivery and exclusive access to music, movies, TV shows, original audio series, and Kindle books. Moreover, Walker ably creates a potently grim and unsparingly harsh tone, depicts the brutal violence with admirable tact and restraint, and coaxes uniformly fine acting from a strong cast (Sheila Keith in particular gives a genuinely chilling and outstanding performance as coldly sadistic prison guard Walker). At a party she meets a mystery man named Mark E. De Sade (subtle, huh?) Film Review: House of Whipcord (1974) Adrian Halen 06/19/2016 Film Reviews. Walker has claimed that he shot the film to rub people up the wrong way, but that he wasn’t wholly happy with the amount of nudity in the film at the time. You really can’t tell what is going to happen and its very cleverly put together as it cuts from prison to countryside. and the Terms and Policies, Although advertised as a women-in-prison flick this is more of an attack on the absurdity of capital punishment but the film can also be read as a comment on the generation gap taken to absurd extremes. This actually is a very effective way of making the viewer immediately uncomfortable. Mark takes Anne Marie to a hellish remote countryside correctional facility for wayward young ladies that's run by his strict mother Ms. Wakehurst (a splendidly stern'n'steely Barbara Markham) and blind, senile Justice Bailey (a marvelously doddery Patrick Barr). A disgraced prison governess and a retired judge decide that the English court system has become too lenient so they turn their isolated country estate into a brutal prison that seems to exclusively house sexy young women who have violated "the public morality". Rate This Movie: SYNOPSIS: An old man that lives in an old house conducts a correctional institute for girls. The tongue-in-cheek opening text definitely lets us know what we're in for right off the bat. A couple of equally deranged guards are on hand to guide these wayward young things back onto the straight and narrow, along with several menacing rats. Read movie and film review for House of Whipcord (1974) - Peter Walker, Pete Walker on AllMovie - Cult director Pete Walker's disturbingly… "This film is dedicated to those who are disturbed by today's lax moral codes and who eagerly await the return of corporal and capital punishment". Penny Irving plays Ann-Marie Di Verney, a gullible French model living in London. Coming Soon, Regal Can't believe I wasted $15 for this piece of crap. Kino Lorber/Redemption Films offer most of Walker's films (But where is HOUSE OF THE LONG SHADOWS? Reviewed in the United States on May 2, 2020. Reviewed in the United States on November 25, 2016. But now I'm just splitting heirs…"House of Whipcord" is an essential euroshock film, often regretfully mistaken for depthless sleaze. Copyright © Fandango. Film, Horror. A notorious British shocker from the Seventies in which Barbara Markham runs a correctional institution for girls who have been let of lightly by the British courts. We follow Anne-Marie (Penny Irving), a French model who falls in love with a mysterious man called (wait for it) Mark E. Desade and agrees one weekend to meet his mother. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. FAQ Not like like, but like. She is able somehow to add a relaxedness to her role while even a touch(admittedly a rather small touch) of sympathy(the scene where she goes to get some lotion for the wounds she inflicted). They won't be able to see your review if you only submit your rating. It's wickedly funny, exciting and masterful film making. Please reference “Error Code 2121” when contacting customer service. Simply awful! Both titles and sound track are typical of other horrors of the period and we then settle in to a swinging ’70s get together, where we meet Ann-Marie Di Verney (Penny Irving – ’70s ‘Page 3’ girl) a 19 year old French glamour model, all alone in London to make her fame and fortune. You're almost there!