Dark Places (1973)

Day 69 of Sobriety.

Based on Dark Places’ credentials I was very much looking forward to it: A 1973 haunted house story directed by Don Sharp, the man at the helm of Hammer classics like Kiss of the Vampire (1963) and Rasputin, the Mad Monk (1966), as well as the nutty occult biker horror film Psychomania (1973), and starring Christopher Lee, Joan Collins, and Jane Birkin??—count me in!

The plot is about a man inherits a dilapidated mansion from a mentally ill acquaintance who dies in a psychiatric hospital. Having moved into the house and begun its renovation, he starts to look for a large sum of money that he knows is hidden somewhere therein. However, he is not the only one who knows about the money, and various scheming locals are also making their moves. Further to this, the house holds a dark secret, and the remnants of its tragic past begin to have a dire effect on the new owner’s mind.

It was not a bad film, but it did not nearly live up to the promise of its acting and production credentials. Don Sharp directed Guardian of the Abyss one of my favorite episodes of the 1980 UK TV series Hammer House of Horror, and Dark Places plays out much like an episode of that series, but stretched to ninety minutes instead of fifty-five. As such it felt pretty slow moving and uneventful, with repetitive scenes featuring the same small number of cast members and sets (albeit very good cast members and sets).

The plot reminded me of a certain type of supernaturally-tinged Italian giallo film, but it was not executed with the same sparkle that those films tend to have in terms of their look, soundtrack, and general finesse. Even Joan Collins looked uncharacteristically frumpy, and leading man Robert Hardy, while a very competent actor and pleasantly familiar face, is not the type of charismatic lead that would usually give an edge to equivalent European productions.

The story itself is not particularly original, but not bad either; however, it is presented in a pretty pedestrian and undynamic way, and when the final twist comes, it has been so heavily telegraphed that there are no real surprises. Given all the talent on board I have no idea why Dark Places isn’t a much better film. I didn’t hate it, but I see it as a sadly missed opportunity.