On Yer Bike (And Soon The Darkness (DVD))

Member Name: spencer_hawken

Product:	And Soon The Darkness (DVD)
Date:	16/08/08 (83 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A different brit thriller

Disadvantages: A bit drawn out

In 1970 British horror movies had become somewhat stale, every horror or thriller movie that the British studios turned out all was somewhat the same, while UK studios still turned out Dracula and Frankenstein flicks, America was producing for the first time far darker fare and overtaking the UK's horror output, movies like Rosemary's Baby and Psycho proving incredibly successful. But it was not just the Americans beating the British, in Italy the thriller movies known as Giallo had become incredibly popular, and the movies not just being popular on their own shores but across the world. Ever the resilient sole Doctor Who's Dalek creator Terry Nation acknowledged this popular growth in Euro-Thriller and struck back with the movie And Soon The Darkness.

Jane (Pamela Franklin) and Cathy (Michelle Dotrice) have taken the unusual alternative of leaving England on their holidays and heading on a cycling trip in France. As they enter the more rural areas tensions between the two, with Cathy wanting a bit more sun seeking and less cycling to make her holiday better. Eventually the two after a heated argument head their separate ways after Cathy becomes inspired by a local man to get more from her holiday, namely a little romance. Soon after Jane leaves her however she begins to hear stories of young blonde girls being abducted and murdered on the same stretch of road she left Cathy on, Cathy bearing a remarkable resemblance to the description of the last missing girl. Returning to the site she left Cathy, Jane finds she has gone, but not far obviously as she stumbles across Cathy's mangled bike.

And Soon The Darkness is one of those movies I always remember but chiefly for the wrong reasons, it stands out to me because its co-star Michelle Dotrice played the long suffering wife Betty of Frank Spencer from the popular sitcom Some Mothers Do Ave Em. Dotrice was an incredibly popular actress of the day, and atypically British sex siren of the most understated nature. During the 1970's you could not switch the television on without running into Dotrice, who starred in pretty much every popular TV show of the 70's. She only began to disappear from thescreen (although shestill manages the odd cameo) after she married Edward Woodward after falling in love on the set of The Equalizer.

As an attempt to mimic the success of Euro movies the movie has a fair attempt, but is somewhat flat in its storytelling, there is lots of suspense but sadly a little too much to make up for the slightly lacking reality of the story. While Laurie Johnsons soundtrack delivers all the atmosphere you could want from a movie, and Ian Wilson's cinematography captures the feeling of isolation that two British girls abroad must have felt, the story actually adopts little action with most of the movie being very much a case of whodunit but without knowing what has been done. There are no multiple killings, or effectively creepy characters till the end to draw your attention, and for the most part you find yourself watching what could easily be an afternoon thriller movie on some obscure satellite channel.

After the disappearance of Cathy the movies story digs its feet firmly in the ground and I find I spend much of the movie waiting for something really worthwhile to happen. To make matters worse though in fairness I have had 20 odd years to get over it, my onscreen squeeze Michelle Dotrice, my whole reason for watching the movie gets very little screen time despite being the second billed cast member. Instead the movie follows Franklins Jane, and the very silent and devious Paul played by Sandor Eles; Paul is obviously designed to be the creepy character of the piece, but simply comes off as being sly and French, but beyond that not a lot else.

I'm not condemning the movie, it's got a lovely kitsch 70's feel about it, and considering it was only just the 70's the movie feels much advanced in the decade if you compare it to similar offerings of the time. The movie does feel rather a lot like the works of Pete Walker (but without the shocks) a Director who changed the world's views on British movies through much of the 1970's. If you are interested in British movies of the decade then its definitely one to watch, it's a good taste of the turning tide for a new generation.

The DVD has no special features.

Spencer Hawken 08/08

Summary: Two young women on a cycling holiday get more than they bargained for