Nigel P This film relies very much upon its tiny cast, so the importance of its casting cannot be underestimated. Spanish Director José Ramón Larraz, the often volatile personality who went on to direct cult classic 'Vampyres' the same year, selected an ensemble that could hardly have been bettered.Considered a lost film since its last showing on television in 1983, this carefully paced, deeply atmospheric tale is only beginning to find a new level of appreciation since its rediscovery. Peter Vaughn, often cast as 'heavies' at the time is quietly menacing as Brady, the 'odd job man. Lorna Leilbron, who was so good in 'The Creeping Flesh' plays Anne, eminently sensible and unflappable. And, providing her usual extraordinary performance, Angel Pleasance plays Helen, who lives in her huge inherited estate in the middle of secluded English countryside, convalescing from some undisclosed breakdown and yet still clearly suffering. Whilst not quite as other-worldly as she was in 'From Beyond the Grave' earlier in the year, her more subtle playing of quiet madness reveals itself as the story plays on.The direction is sedate and restrained by Larraz's standards, yet drenched in doomy, sinister atmosphere. Even a scene as seemingly innocent as Helen sitting alone in the spacious living room, darkened by the heavy clouds outside, the windows buffeted by the storm, is oppressive and unnerving.The story-line is thin and it comes as a huge non-surprise to find the deranged killer on Anne and other sundry characters is Helen. And yet the fact that Brady is too obviously a red herring (although hardly unimpeachable) doesn't disappoint because Pleasance plays it so fascinatingly well.

Scott LeBrun A young woman named Helen (Angela Pleasence, daughter of Donald P.) invites her friend Anne (Lorna Heilbron) to her country estate. Helen clearly has some mental problems, so it's unsurprising when she starts acting strange. She has a fixation on another young woman named Cora (Marie-Paule Mailleux), and also acts suspicious of the handyman on the grounds, Brady (top British character actor Peter Vaughan).Given that "Symptoms" is co-written and directed by Jose Larraz, the man who also gave the world "Vampyres" and "Black Candles", it's actually interesting how sleazy this film *isn't*. There is some out of left field T & A (for which Ms. Pleasence had a body double) and a *very* brief lesbian scene, but Larraz concentrates first and foremost on atmosphere. And "Symptoms" has tons of that, with many lovely shots of the English countryside. It also has quite the sombre quality, with precious little in the way of humor. The screenplay, by Larraz and Stanley Miller, doesn't play out in a particularly shocking way if you're familiar with this kind of psychological horror.But the actors all make this journey worthwhile. The striking young Ms. Pleasence does a nice job in the lead, with heavy assistance from a minimal cast of strong supporting players: Heilbron, Vaughan, Nancy Nevinson as the housekeeper Hannah, and Raymond Huntley (in his final film) as storekeeper Mr. Burke."Symptoms" may not deliver a lot when it comes to the sex quotient, but viewers may still appreciate the quick bursts of violence, which aren't overly gory.Worth a look if you enjoy this genre.Seven out of 10.

MARIO GAUCI This was the third Larraz title I've watched after VAMPYRES (1974) and THE COMING OF SIN (1978) – and will be promptly followed by another, THE HOUSE THAT VANISHED aka SCREAM…AND DIE! (1973); it's his second best-regarded effort after VAMPYRES itself and, in retrospect, a reputation that's fully deserved.Even so, the film is hardly the heady brew of erotica and visceral thrills that was the latter (though it contains similar lesbian undertones and the occasional outburst of shocking violence) but rather a deliberately-paced mood-piece – in fact, it might best be described as REPULSION (1965) in the countryside (with all the inherent eeriness that such a remote setting entails)! In any case, relying as it does on fleeting frissons (the subtle appearance of a 'mysterious' woman roaming the mansion), admirably-sustained tension (the connotations involving Peter Vaughn's character and, of course, the various murder sequences) and a carefully-deployed central puzzle (which keeps us guessing down to the very penultimate shot!), the film is surely a testament to Larraz's versatility within a genre which had all but turned stale by this time (even more so vis-a'-vis the then-crumbling British movie industry).Interestingly, the lead role is played by Angela Pleasence – daughter of horror icon Donald; just because she's his spitting image, the actress' odd looks are perfect for her mentally unbalanced character (though I doubt Larraz intended it to be a serious case history, there is the singular fact of SYMPTOMS being one of the competing entries at that year's Cannes Film Festival to consider!). Equally thoughtful was the selection of the other principal cast members: the aforementioned Peter Vaughan's burly and stern handyman could, at first glimpse, have been played by just any heavy-set person – but there's no denying that the part benefits immensely from his experienced presence; and pretty Lorna Heilbron (from THE CREEPING FLESH [1973]) as Pleasence's housemate, with short-cropped hair suggesting the then-fashionable androgyny. Affable character actor Raymond Huntley, a veteran of many a British comedy, plays the owner of the village drugstore in what proved to be his last film.Incidentally, this was yet another picture – bafflingly M.I.A. on DVD as we speak – which I recently acquired on DVD-R i.e. I've had to make do with a full-frame edition culled from TV with forced Spanish subtitles to boot…but which is appropriate in this case, since the director actually hails from that country!

John Seal Jose Larraz's Symptoms has atmosphere to spare: shot in a decaying manor house in the fecund British countryside, there's nary a set-up that doesn't feature dust, rising damp, shadows, or rain. It also features a truly excellent performance by Angela Pleasence as Helen Ramsay, the flower frail owner-occupier of the manor, as well as solid support from gorgeous Lorna Heilbron as her friend Anne. Unfortunately, the story itself is as predictable as can be, confirming all the worst suspicions you probably conjured up during the first reel. That said, this is a film in dire need of a DVD release: the only available source material is a wretched Belgian VHS tape with colours that drop in and out at random, hideous reel change markers, and poor image resolution that blurs much of the action and makes the interior sequences a chore to sit through. I'm giving it a 5 for now, but I suspect a nice pin-sharp digital restoration would reveal a film more worthy of a 6 or 7.