House of Whipcord
1974 · UK · 102m
Obscurity: obscure. watchable legallyPete Walker builds a secret prison to punish the censors who wanted one. Sheila Keith is the nightmare.
Exploitation films from the UK
reelscum catalogues 19 exploitation films credited to the UK. They were released between 1957 and 1980. The subgenres that appear most often are Euro-gothic (7 films), Occult & satanic panic (5 films) and Folk horror (4 films).
The busiest decades in the catalogue are the 1970s (12), 1960s (5) and 1950s (1). Directors with more than one entry include Freddie Francis (2) and Terence Fisher (2).
Entries include House of Whipcord (1974), Psychomania (1973) and Hawk the Slayer (1980). Each links to its own page with a verdict, rating axes and where to watch.
Psychomania
1973 · UK · 85m
Obscurity: obscure. watchable legallyZombie bikers, toad worship and George Sanders' last film. As English as horror gets.
Hawk the Slayer
1980 · UK/Australia · 90m
Obscurity: cult. watchable legallyJack Palance chewing a fantasy kingdom to splinters while a sword flies about on wires. Beloved for it.
The Blood Beast Terror
1968 · UK · 82m
Obscurity: cult. watchable legallyCushing called it the worst film he ever made. He was being generous.
Vampyres
1974 · UK · 87m
Obscurity: cult. watchable legallyTwo women lure travellers to a country house and drain them. British, bloody, erotic.
99 Women
1969 · West Germany/Italy · 108m
Obscurity: cult. watchable legallyFranco doing the formula early, with Mercedes McCambridge as the warden.
Tales from the Crypt
1972 · UK/USA · 92m
Obscurity: cult. watchable legallyThe best Amicus omnibus, and Joan Collins versus a killer Santa two years before Black Christmas.
Phase IV
1974 · UK/USA · 84m
Obscurity: known. watchable legallySaul Bass's only feature. Ants, geometry, and an ending nobody saw for 40 years.
The Blood on Satan's Claw
1971 · UK · 93m
Obscurity: known. watchable legallyA plough turns up a skull and a village falls apart. Coined the term.
The House That Dripped Blood
1971 · UK · 102m
Obscurity: known. watchable legallyFour Robert Bloch stories, Cushing and Lee on hand, and barely a drop of the title's blood.
To the Devil a Daughter
1976 · UK/West Germany · 95m
Obscurity: known. watchable legallyHammer's last gasp. Christopher Lee said it finished the studio off.
The Devil Rides Out
1968 · UK · 95m
Obscurity: known. watchable legallyHammer's best occult film. Lee as the hero for once, and enjoying it.
Dr. Terror's House of Horrors
1965 · UK · 98m
Obscurity: known. watchable legallyThe film that invented the Amicus anthology, dealt out as tarot on a train.
Witchfinder General
1968 · UK · 87m
Obscurity: known. watchable legallyVincent Price with the camp removed. Reeves died at 25, a year later.
The Vampire Lovers
1970 · UK · 87m
Obscurity: known. watchable legallyHammer clocks that the censors have loosened and sends Ingrid Pitt to make the most of it.
The Devils
1971 · UK · 111m
Obscurity: known. watchable legally. banned somewhereA great film about power, finally restored after fifty-five years.
The Curse of Frankenstein
1957 · UK · 82m
Obscurity: known. watchable legallyThe film that built Hammer, in blood-red colour the censors hated.
The Wicker Man
1973 · UK · 88m
Obscurity: canon. watchable legallyNot exploitation, filed here by shelf-adjacency. One of Britain's best films.
The Omen
1976 · USA/UK · 106m
Obscurity: canon. watchable legallyStudio horror with a Goldsmith choir and four very memorable deaths.