Tuesday, September 10, 2024

Fear in the Night, Are the Insane Really Insane?

Who determines who is insane?  Right!  The ones who are not currently in the cages determine that. This is why we have Biden in the Oval Office.  Look into his eyes and tell me he is not a total insaniac! However evil Biden is, can an insane person ever be right?  Can they ever be the good guy?  When not trying to bring about World War 3, the answer is yes. What happens if a group of insaniacs get together.  Scary thought, given Biden's cabinet.  However, are they always up to no good?  We have a Hammer film today starring Peter Cushing.  Today's feature is 1972's "Fear in the Night," directed by Jimmy Sangster.

She's lovely.  The perky blonde, Peggy (Judy Geeson). I guess she got a little too perky and ended up in an asylum with a "nervous breakdown." On her own accord, and against the recommendations of her shrink, she checks herself out, marries a dweeb, Robert (Ralph Bates), and moves to a cottage on the grounds of an all-boys school in rural England. Robert is a teacher there.  The duo arrive when the school has a break between terms and none of the students are there yet...or are they? Robert helps out on the grounds and seems to be the main assistant to Michael (Cushing), the headmaster. Michael has a wife, Molly (Joan Collins) who loves hunting and making Peggy feel inadequate and uneasy.  This is easy to do as Peggy is just out of an insane asylum. Peggy senses her husband has an attraction to the huntress Molly. Then one day, she voyages into the schoolhouse, hears children's' voices, and bumps into Michael.

Oh!  I should mention Peggy swears some man in black keeps sneaking into her house and trying to strangle her to death.  This evil guy has a prosthetic arm and the attacks end when Peggy pulls his arm off.  When Peggy wakes, there is no signs of the alleged attack.  Her husband believes she is going insane again. Now Peggy keeps hearing children laughing and learning in the empty schoolhouse.  What's worse, Michael seems to have a prurient interest in her.  Molly keeps doing things like bringing her dead rabbits and reminding Peggy she is too young for Robert. The attacks, or alleged attacks, continue. Peggy unravels. Michael seems more and more insane, Peggy brings the shotgun into the house. Now Peggy is aiming to murder her attacker.  She'll have that chance.

Is Peggy being attacked by a one-armed lunatic?  Is Peggy the lunatic? Will Molly and Peggy eventually resort to an erotic catfight?  The ending is a shocker and with any Hammer film, twists will abound.  You may be the sanest being in the world.  Your nemesis may be the craziest.  Still, you still may be the evil one.  For a neat ride into the insane, see "Fear in the Night." 

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