The Creeping Flesh *** (1973, Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Lorna Heilbron) – Classic Movie Review 3080

Director Freddie Francis’s 1972 British film for Tigon is a creaky but effective Victorian-age horror movie, with the perfect team for this sort of thing – Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee as Victorian sibling rivals. It’s a reasonably good one from the 22 pairing of the great horror icons.

Cushing plays mad scientist Emmanuel Hildern, determined to harness the essence of evil, who returns to London from Papua New Guinea with his discovery of paleontological bones. He finds that soaking the skeleton brings flesh back to the bones and unleashes the reincarnation of a malevolent ancient spirit as its severed finger puts on flesh again. Lee plays James Hildern, who locks his brother Emmanuel (Cushing) up in his asylum, while Cushing’s evil-inoculated daughter Penelope (Lorna Heilbron) goes on the rampage.

With a screenplay by Peter Spenceley and Jonathan Rumbold, this is a serviceable enough old tale. But it is the spirited acting and seasoned direction that ensure solid entertainment value with a few real chills.

Also in the cast of British stalwarts are George Benson, Kenneth J Warren, Duncan Lamont, Michael Ripper, Jenny Runacre, Marianne Stone and Harry Locke.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Classic Movie Review 3080

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com