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DVD Description
Full of mysterious twists and turns, this expertly crafted thriller casts Strasberg as the wheelchair-bound step-daughter of Todd. When Strasberg pays a visit to her father's Riviera resort, she finds her father's corpse propped up in the backyard. Everyone thinks she's crazy, but she believes it's a plot to drive her mad.
Synopsis
Full of mysterious twists and turns, this expertly crafted thriller casts Strasberg as the wheelchair-bound step-daughter of Todd. When Strasberg pays a visit to her father's Riviera resort, she finds her father's corpse propped up in the backyard. Everyone thinks she's crazy, but she believes it's a plot to drive her mad.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
35 of 36 people found the following review helpful
Taste Of Fear (a.k.a. Scream Of Fear) is an early-1960s, edge-of-the-seat Hammer thriller scripted by Jimmy Sangster and directed by Seth Holt. Very much in the style of Henri-Georges Clouzot's "Les Diaboliques" and other Hammer thrillers such as "Paranoiac" and "Crescendo", the let's try to drive someone mad-type plot has more twists and turns than a rattlesnake on a helter-skelter ride.
To go into too much detail about the plot would spoil the film for those who have never seen it and I want to keep this review fairly short as well. So, to summarise the basic plot, a young, wheelchair-bound woman called Penny (Susan Strasberg) returns to her father's home on the French Riviera to see her father again for the first time in ten years. When she arrives at the house, she is welcomed by her stepmother, Jane (Ann Todd). Her father is not there and is supposedly away on business.
During the night, Penny hears a strange noise and makes her way down to the summer house where she finds the corpse of her father sitting in a chair. As she flees the scene in horror, she has an accident with her wheelchair and ends up in the pool. She is rescued by Bob The Builder, sorry - I mean Bob The Chauffeur (Ronald Lewis), and is tended to by a visitor called Doctor Gerrard (Christopher Lee). When she tells everyone what she saw, they do not believe her of course and when they return to the summer house the corpse is no longer there.
Then, later on, Penny sees her father's corpse again - this time in the study. Is Penny just imagining all of this? Is her father really dead or is there some kind of conspiracy going on to drive Penny insane?
This is one of those films where some characters and situations are not always what they intially appear to be and the viewer has to be alert at all times to follow everything that is happening on screen. The plot certainly keeps you guessing and, just when you think that everything is done and dusted, there are a few more surprise twists in store.
If you like Hammer films and Hitchcock-style thrillers then this film is a real treat. Check it out and I am sure you won't be disappointed but don't tell anyone the ending....
To go into too much detail about the plot would spoil the film for those who have never seen it and I want to keep this review fairly short as well. So, to summarise the basic plot, a young, wheelchair-bound woman called Penny (Susan Strasberg) returns to her father's home on the French Riviera to see her father again for the first time in ten years. When she arrives at the house, she is welcomed by her stepmother, Jane (Ann Todd). Her father is not there and is supposedly away on business.
During the night, Penny hears a strange noise and makes her way down to the summer house where she finds the corpse of her father sitting in a chair. As she flees the scene in horror, she has an accident with her wheelchair and ends up in the pool. She is rescued by Bob The Builder, sorry - I mean Bob The Chauffeur (Ronald Lewis), and is tended to by a visitor called Doctor Gerrard (Christopher Lee). When she tells everyone what she saw, they do not believe her of course and when they return to the summer house the corpse is no longer there.
Then, later on, Penny sees her father's corpse again - this time in the study. Is Penny just imagining all of this? Is her father really dead or is there some kind of conspiracy going on to drive Penny insane?
This is one of those films where some characters and situations are not always what they intially appear to be and the viewer has to be alert at all times to follow everything that is happening on screen. The plot certainly keeps you guessing and, just when you think that everything is done and dusted, there are a few more surprise twists in store.
If you like Hammer films and Hitchcock-style thrillers then this film is a real treat. Check it out and I am sure you won't be disappointed but don't tell anyone the ending....
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
God bless the internet and god bless DVD. The reason I say that is because once hidden gems like this film are now being discovered by a bigger audience. Taste Of Fear (AKA:Scream Of Fear) is produced out of that bastion of British horror, Hammer Films, it's directed by Seth Holt (The Nanny), written by Jimmy Sangster (X:The Unknown/The Curse Of Frankenstein) and stars Susan Strasberg, Ronald Lewis, Ann Todd & that cornerstone of Hammer Horror, Christopher Lee.
Shot in moody black & white by Holt and cinematographer Douglas Slocombe, and eerily scored by Clifton Parker, the story sees a young paralysed woman return to her family home in France to visit her father who she hasn't seen for years; and to finally meet her new step-mother. Upon arrival she is informed that her father has had to go away on business, which becomes a problem as she starts to see his dead body, first in the summer house, then in the lounge! The mind can play tricks, especially to the traumatised, but she's convinced that what she is seeing is real. Even the family doctor (Lee in a suitably suspicious role) thinks there are mental issues here. Undaunted she enlists the help of friendly chauffeur Bob and sets about unravelling either her mind, or the mystery that lurks at the Appleby home.
The film opens with an attention grabbing sequence as police drag a lake for a body, from there on the film becomes essentially a four character piece. Now it's been said in some quarters that this structure telegraphs where the film is going to end up. There's a tiny bit of truth in that but there are at least three twisty kickers here to steer this far away from charges of predictability. In fact the finale has a double whammy that is most rewarding. The whole film pulses with atmosphere and is cloaked in shadows and low tone conversations. The sound work here is also top quality, the constant jabber of the crickets gnaw away at the ears, while the swish of the nearby sea instills a calm that ultimately sets up a false sense of security. The acting is on the money too, be it Strasberg perfectly conveying a multitude of emotions from her wheelchair, or Todd doing a nice line in the "too good to be true?" wholesome step-mom routine. All parties ensure that the story is built up right and that the pay off provides maximum impact.
Christopher Lee once said that this was one of the best Hammer Horror film's he was ever involved with, that's a fine selling point to be sure. A different kind of Hammer Horror, one that drips with dread and thrives on its mystery elements. Taste Of Fear is highly recommended to genre fans who prefer psychological chillers over blood letting and overkilled boo jump movies. 8/10
Shot in moody black & white by Holt and cinematographer Douglas Slocombe, and eerily scored by Clifton Parker, the story sees a young paralysed woman return to her family home in France to visit her father who she hasn't seen for years; and to finally meet her new step-mother. Upon arrival she is informed that her father has had to go away on business, which becomes a problem as she starts to see his dead body, first in the summer house, then in the lounge! The mind can play tricks, especially to the traumatised, but she's convinced that what she is seeing is real. Even the family doctor (Lee in a suitably suspicious role) thinks there are mental issues here. Undaunted she enlists the help of friendly chauffeur Bob and sets about unravelling either her mind, or the mystery that lurks at the Appleby home.
The film opens with an attention grabbing sequence as police drag a lake for a body, from there on the film becomes essentially a four character piece. Now it's been said in some quarters that this structure telegraphs where the film is going to end up. There's a tiny bit of truth in that but there are at least three twisty kickers here to steer this far away from charges of predictability. In fact the finale has a double whammy that is most rewarding. The whole film pulses with atmosphere and is cloaked in shadows and low tone conversations. The sound work here is also top quality, the constant jabber of the crickets gnaw away at the ears, while the swish of the nearby sea instills a calm that ultimately sets up a false sense of security. The acting is on the money too, be it Strasberg perfectly conveying a multitude of emotions from her wheelchair, or Todd doing a nice line in the "too good to be true?" wholesome step-mom routine. All parties ensure that the story is built up right and that the pay off provides maximum impact.
Christopher Lee once said that this was one of the best Hammer Horror film's he was ever involved with, that's a fine selling point to be sure. A different kind of Hammer Horror, one that drips with dread and thrives on its mystery elements. Taste Of Fear is highly recommended to genre fans who prefer psychological chillers over blood letting and overkilled boo jump movies. 8/10
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Great to see this finally out on DVD - it's been really hard to find this for far too long. In the mid 1960's, Hammer films went through a phase of churning out a whole set of neat, twisty, psychological thrillers, filmed in black and white. Although they all shared a low budget and TV style appearance, they were created mostly by the talented team of Jimmy Sangster/Seth Holt/Freddie Francis, and they all had great plots and surprise endings. Titles included "Maniac", "Paranoiac", "Nightmare", "Hysteria" and this one, "Taste of Fear" from 1961 which was the first and undoubtedly the best.
The story is absolutely the crowning achievement here. If you don't know the plot of "Taste of Fear", stop reading this right now, look up no other reviews or summaries and go and buy it immediately. It's an hour and a half of pure suspense, thrills and queasy terror. I'm certainly not giving anything away except for the simplest basics: wheelchair bound heroine returns to family home to be told her father is away, but one night she stumbles across his corpse in the house, however when she reports it, nobody else can find it and she starts to doubt her sanity...what is going on?
By the time the truth is revealed you will have been on a thoroughly entertaining journey of suspense. The film is shot modestly in small locations such as the family's clifftop house and a few streets and offices, but when the suspense works it really works! The scenes in which the fathers Corpse appears (or does it...?) are real frighteners, as the stark black and white photography (and perfect lighting) makes the body appear truly ghoulish. Watch out for a sequence filmed underwater, at night in a dilapidated swimming pool, for the scariest shots of the whole film!
Susan Strasberg makes the most of her role as the paralyzed heroine and her plight is thoroughly believable. All the other parts are well played too, and the ending is terrific. I'm so relieved to see this on a Region 2 DVD at last - before all we had were imported copies and bootlegs - but trust me the wait is worthwhile. Buy it and treat yourself...just DON'T ready anything else about it first! I can honestly say I believe you will never guess the true surprise ending.
The story is absolutely the crowning achievement here. If you don't know the plot of "Taste of Fear", stop reading this right now, look up no other reviews or summaries and go and buy it immediately. It's an hour and a half of pure suspense, thrills and queasy terror. I'm certainly not giving anything away except for the simplest basics: wheelchair bound heroine returns to family home to be told her father is away, but one night she stumbles across his corpse in the house, however when she reports it, nobody else can find it and she starts to doubt her sanity...what is going on?
By the time the truth is revealed you will have been on a thoroughly entertaining journey of suspense. The film is shot modestly in small locations such as the family's clifftop house and a few streets and offices, but when the suspense works it really works! The scenes in which the fathers Corpse appears (or does it...?) are real frighteners, as the stark black and white photography (and perfect lighting) makes the body appear truly ghoulish. Watch out for a sequence filmed underwater, at night in a dilapidated swimming pool, for the scariest shots of the whole film!
Susan Strasberg makes the most of her role as the paralyzed heroine and her plight is thoroughly believable. All the other parts are well played too, and the ending is terrific. I'm so relieved to see this on a Region 2 DVD at last - before all we had were imported copies and bootlegs - but trust me the wait is worthwhile. Buy it and treat yourself...just DON'T ready anything else about it first! I can honestly say I believe you will never guess the true surprise ending.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Extremely well made thriller
"Taste of Fear" (or "Scream of Fear" as it was known in the US) is an extremely good, very well-written thriller. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Autonome
More twist and turns than brands hatch
Part of hammers psyhological films made in the sixties this is a gem of a film
wheelchair bound penny (susan strasberg) arrives in france to be with her estranged father... Read more
wheelchair bound penny (susan strasberg) arrives in france to be with her estranged father... Read more
Published 2 months ago by grasan
Taste of Fear Hammer DVD
Great film, I am a Hammer fan, but had never seen this one before, well worth a watch, had me guessing to the end.
Published 4 months ago by Stephen Stone
YOU HAVE TO BUY THIS!!!!
This film was a puzzle to me, as I'd had it for years on my 'Wants List' for when released on DVD - yet couldn't recall it at all, and now having just watched it, do not... Read more
Published 7 months ago by FAMOUS NAME
A CREEPY FILM
Taste of Fear is an outstanding film of its kind.Think Alfred Hitchcock and your
half way there. Read more
half way there. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Mr. D. R. Swindells
Taste of Fear [DVD] 1961 region2
Taste of Fear [DVD] [1961]
DVD INFO Taste of Fear USA title on screen comes up as
scream of fear
movie Black & white
DVD audio
English french... Read more
DVD INFO Taste of Fear USA title on screen comes up as
scream of fear
movie Black & white
DVD audio
English french... Read more
Published 16 months ago by Norman Pitkin
A Great Little Shocker
Don't find out too much about the story line or it will ruin the movie for you. Jimmy Sangster the screenwriter and producer, has never been on better form, aided by a strong cast,... Read more
Published 19 months ago by Adrian Drew
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