Possible (very) minor spoilers.
The Appointment is, it seems, a very obscure film. I don't know if it was ever theatrically released in the States, and the videotape isn't especially common.
For most people, the mention of British horror conjures up Hammer-style period images of castles, capes, etc. Here, the approach is decidedly different, as the film takes place in a modern, fairly innocuous Northern suburb and on a series of brightly-lit country roads. Edward Woodward and Jane Merrow are having trouble with their spoiled daughter Joanne (Samantha Weysom), who has ways of getting what she wants. Her pubescent routine is disrupted when Daddy is called away on business, forcing him to miss her school concert. Joanne is not happy...and Daddy, strapped into a rented Ford Granada, is in for a very disturbing journey.
The film's dry, uniquely British detachment will make it rough going for some, but it is definitely worth the trip. An extremely interesting look at horror in the places you would least expect it, The Appointment benefits from solid acting and striking use of sound. There are plenty of haunting, surprisingly beautiful visuals--some shocking (the scene in the auto garage), others very subtle, but always with that undeniable disturbance in the peaceful English atmosphere. With an excellent climax, definitely not for the weak-hearted. Too bad Lindsey Vickers never made any other films. Make an appointment to see it...provided your schedule is already clear, of course.
The Appointment is, it seems, a very obscure film. I don't know if it was ever theatrically released in the States, and the videotape isn't especially common.
For most people, the mention of British horror conjures up Hammer-style period images of castles, capes, etc. Here, the approach is decidedly different, as the film takes place in a modern, fairly innocuous Northern suburb and on a series of brightly-lit country roads. Edward Woodward and Jane Merrow are having trouble with their spoiled daughter Joanne (Samantha Weysom), who has ways of getting what she wants. Her pubescent routine is disrupted when Daddy is called away on business, forcing him to miss her school concert. Joanne is not happy...and Daddy, strapped into a rented Ford Granada, is in for a very disturbing journey.
The film's dry, uniquely British detachment will make it rough going for some, but it is definitely worth the trip. An extremely interesting look at horror in the places you would least expect it, The Appointment benefits from solid acting and striking use of sound. There are plenty of haunting, surprisingly beautiful visuals--some shocking (the scene in the auto garage), others very subtle, but always with that undeniable disturbance in the peaceful English atmosphere. With an excellent climax, definitely not for the weak-hearted. Too bad Lindsey Vickers never made any other films. Make an appointment to see it...provided your schedule is already clear, of course.