FORMAT: DVD
Years ago, angry villagers formed a lynch mob and hung an innocent man who worked as the ferryman in the swamp. Before he died, he placed a curse on the men and their descendants. Now, his ghost roams the swamps strangling the relatives of those responsible for his death. Meanwhile, a pretty young gal takes up the job of ferrywoman and begins a romance with a strapping young man. Naturally, thanks to long-buried family secrets, it doesn’t take long for the ghost to ruin their newfound bliss.
Strangler of the Swamp is well regarded in some circles. It was released by PRC, who were known for their “poverty row” horror cheapies. While it certainly looks more polished and is more atmospheric than your typical PRC horror quickie, it’s still far from perfect.
The biggest problem is with the landslide of exposition that kicks off the film. It would’ve worked much better if we actually saw the hanging that initiated the curse of the strangler instead of hearing everyone in town talk about it on and on. The love story scenes are strictly standard fare too, and the religious-tinged “love conquers all” ending is quite hokey.
That said, Strangler of the Swamp is certainly one cool looking flick. The swamp locations are atmospheric (it often looks like a Universal horror flick) and give the film a personality that most PRC flicks lacked. The effects of the ghost (played by Charles Middleton, best known for playing Ming the Merciless in the Flash Gordon serials) are surprisingly well done too, and the shots of him lurking in the fog are surprisingly effective. The running time clocks in at just under an hour and the pacing is relatively brisk, which certainly helps. It all results in a mixed bag, but a moderately entertaining one.
No comments:
Post a Comment