Michael_Elliott A Taste of Evil (1971) ** (out of 4) Disappointing made-for-TV movie is pretty much a remake of Hammer's SCREAM OF FEAR. In this film, a young girl is raped and years later she (Barbara Parkins) returns home only to fear that someone is trying to drive her crazy. Her mother (Barbara Stanwyck) is trying to figure out if her daughter is crazy or perhaps there's someone really after her (and especially since the rapist was never caught). A TASTE OF EVIL comes from writer Jimmy Sangster who also wrote the previously mentioned Hammer movie so it's clear that he knew what he was doing. The biggest difference in the two films is that the original was actually quite eerie and that's certainly far from the case here because this entire film is just downright boring and doesn't feature a single character that you really care for. Director John Llewellyn Moxey had previously made THE CITY OF THE DEAD but he doesn't bring any of the same style or beauty to this thing. The entire movie has a very slow pace as if the director wasn't sure what he wanted to do with the material or perhaps he just knew the material wasn't all that good. Parkins is pretty good in the role of the daughter but the screenplay doesn't give her much to do outside of screaming and running around. Stanwyck is always watchable but this here certainly wasn't among her best work. Roddy McDowall was fun to see in his supporting role as was William Windom. Another problem with the film is that there's simply nothing going on that ever really keeps the viewer interested. The story is decent but nothing much is done with it and this is especially true if you've seen the original version, which was one of the best thrillers from the studio.

MARIO GAUCI This is basically a reworking of the classic Hammer thriller TASTE OF FEAR aka SCREAM OF FEAR (1961; a re-acquaintance with which will follow presently) – from the same scriptwriter, the late Jimmy Sangster – with the setting changed from the French Riviera to a San Francisco estate. Apart from the fact that the same plot had been done to death – by Hammer and Sangster themselves – in the intervening decade and its being a TV-movie, the results here are still mediocre when compared to the classy original (even if that had owed a good deal to the French suspense masterpiece DIABOLIQUE {1954} to begin with), largely because the frissons appear entirely telegraphed in this case!This is somewhat surprising given that many of the people behind it were cinema veterans and, what is more, hardly new to the genre: director Moxey had made the splendid occult horror THE CITY OF THE DEAD aka HORROR HOTEL (1960), leading lady Barbara Parkins would do THE MEPHISTO WALTZ in the same year as this, star Barbara Stanwyck had been in William Castle's superior THE NIGHT WALKER (1964) and Roddy McDowall was a staple of the PLANET OF THE APES franchise; incidentally, Moxey and Stanwyck previously collaborated on THE HOUSE THAT WOULDN'T DIE (1970; also made for TV, and which I own as well but have yet to watch). Anyway, the narrative centers around a girl who is raped at age 13 during a family party by an unknown assailant; this episode sends her to an 8 year spell in an institution but, when she returns home, begins to display alarming signs of being far from cured! She continually sees her alcoholic stepfather's corpse all over the place when he is actually supposed to be away on business – her mother (Stanwyck) is obviously concerned and calls in doctor McDowall to review her condition; also involved in all of this is simpleton handy-man Arthur O'Connell.However, while the original kept piling on the twists at the climax so that one had little time to ask himself whether they were plausible or not, this one demonstrates only mild ingenuity throughout. Incidentally, since the shadowy figure of the rapist keeps turning up to haunt and generally frighten her, there are really only two suspects who it could have been. That said, the ultimate reason behind the whole attempt to drive the girl mad anew and the choice of conspirators does not ring true…while the alliance to uncover the culprits between the victim herself, the Police and another unlikely associate is virtually ported over wholesale from TASTE OF FEAR!

perryvalentino A Taste of Evil is an unintentional funny movie. As mentioned before, story revolves around a daughter who comes home to an estate on the outskirts of San Francisco. Movie has an excellent lovely Barbara Parkins, underrated legend Barbara Stanwyck, Roddy McDowell, and Arthur O'Connell, most notably for "Bus Stop" with Marilyn Monroe. It is interesting because the first half of the movie is focused on Barbara Parkins and then the 2nd half is focused on Barbara Stanwyck. Movie has unintentional funny moments. Here are some of them. Barbaba Parkins calls the caretaker to see what is for dinner because the mother is out all night shopping, cold cuts and salad. However, the camp award goes to Barbara Stanwyck. The funniest scene, which my friend and I keep laughing at, is when Barbara Stanwyck is cooking. Barbara acts so bi-polar with a manic look on her face, she yells at Barbara Parkins as they leave to hunt, "Work up a healthy appetite, I'll have hamburgers piled right up to the ceiling." You have to see the scene to see what I am referring too. As the movie progresses, you see funny scenes as a Raggedy Ann doll floating in the bathtub. All the humor is on Barbara Stanwyck's facial expressions in the 2nd half. There is a surprise twist but guidelines won't allow me to tell you what it is. Enjoy and this is a must to keep your video collection. I am glad I taped this off t.v. 15 years ago.

willowgreen Although I've only seen this film once, it lingers in my memory: I saw it at age 1O in 1971 when it was originally broadcast on television. Although the rest of the cast, i.e. William Windom, Roddy McDowall & Barbara Perkins, etc. did fine jobs with their roles, it's Stanwyck's playing of Miriam Jennings which lingers in my memory: talk about an unsympathetic role for an older Hollywood star to take! If fans of Davis and Crawford doing their bits in the macabre thought Stanwyck stopped with THE NIGHT WALKER, think again! This is definitely her tour-de-force in the thriller genre. Although it probably looks a bit tired and dated today, I remember the diabolical twist as being memorably sadistic and cruel plus there was a helping of LES DIABOLIQUES in the plotline. The atmosphere was creepy - thunder and lightning and all - and I remember sinister Barbara dismissing her gardener (Arthur O'Connell) thusly: "You have until noon"...