In the Devil's Garden

source: In the Devil's Garden

Assault

Too much talk and too little of the right kind of action, for me. But the talk is delivered capably; the sex is maximally restrained; and the gore is maturely, practically non-existent. The police in this story believably - albeit boringly - strive to come up with the identity of who, among a few possibilities, is the rapist? You're gonna hafta rent the movie to find out. That would be OK if it doesn't cost very much. But buy it only if that does not exceed the price of renting. My impression was: a little less than mediocre.

Surprised to see that this was a Peter Rogers production.Maybe if he had gotten Gerald Thoma to direct we could have had some laughs.Instead this is a limp lethargic thriller which long outstays it's welcome.The climax is out of The Spiral Staircase.Now there was a classy thriller.

If you like to see cute, cuddly schoolgirls getting raped in a special gentle way, then this is it! If you greatly admire a nice young Lesley-Anne Down being half-mute, then this is it! If you like obscure movies with acting that compares to an Orson Welles picture, then this is it! So what's not it? A movie that lures men into the seductive world of muddled mystery dramas like this one. Its B-budget production values and uninteresting clues won't deserve much further attention. The end is too predictable, to say the least. Real soft in a way, but overall, this one didn't hold my interest for long. Only if you like mini-skirts and knee-high socks. Also released as SATAN'S PLAYTHINGS.

This is almost unbelievable in its ineptitude. You get the feeling that some student, about a week into a course on programming has programmed a computer to write a thriller and detailed a few components; lots of vulnerable teenage girls wearing mini-skirts and stupid enough to walk through woods alone even after one of them is traumatised by a rapist;risible red herrings, a totally unrealistic newspaper reporter, and then, when it gets down to the actual writing the computer turns out to be both dyslexic and autistic. It's mind-boggling that actors like Freddy Jones and Frank Finlay can contrive to act like sub-Alan Lake and that the actual killer should be wheeled out in the last ten minutes with no preparation. Total RUBBISH!

The film, looks, sounds, 'feels' exactly typical of its period. The colour, camera angles, use of music, are similar to other films, particularly The Strange Affair, All neat in black stockings, Fright and, as biggee writes, in another review, the brilliant, almost forgotten, I start counting. Similarly the portrayal of young girls as provocative 'sex objects' without any hint of embarrassment, discernment or question, and that's not a criticism, that's what life was like - at least certainly at my school. Reasonable acting, I do like the period fashions and behaviours and cars and would watch it just for that. There are plenty of red herrings but, slight spoiler coming, if you look with care when Suzy Kendall sees the murderer in her car's rear view mirror - you only get a split second glimpse, you can see who the murderer is.

This was a surprisingly good movie.The plot and acting was good.Whoever composed the background music needs a few musical lessons..but the movie was worth 8/10.

I haven't seen this film in years, but from what I remember of it, it was a pretty good movie. The only thing that I think might be a little politically incorrect is the fact that the a few of the girls are pretty much seen as teases, especially in the scene in which the headmistress' husband fondles one of the girls as she stands on top of a stool. This scene is a little disturbing, especially when you consider the film was made in 1971. No wonder this film was mainly shown very late at night when the kiddies were asleep.

Suzy Kendall, another love of my youth and always! Admired in "To Sir, with Love" (1967), "The Penthouse" (1967), "Up the Junction" (1968), and especially in the fascinating role in "Fraulein Doktor" (1969) and in "Fear Is the Key"(1972). One of the most beautiful women ever and extraordinary actress in "The Penthouse", her best and most complex role in a movie. This "Devil's Garden"(1971)Assault (original title) is not bad but not great either. Frank Finlay is good as a cop, and Freddie Jones is even better as a journalist. Lesley-Anne Down, the later beauty from movies like "Brannigan" (1975), "Sphinx" (1981) and especially "Hanover Street" (1979), here very very young, just a teenager, is full of sexuality already.