1. Frightmare (1974)
Dorothy Yates, a middle aged woman, lives in a remote country house with her husband Edmund. Dorothy was institutionalised in 1957 for killing and partially consuming at least six people. Edmund faked being mad because he wanted to stay with his wife. He had nothing to do with the murders and now, it looks like Dorothy is heading for a relapse. Dorothy lures young people back to her abode for tea and tarot card readings. And then she eats their brains. Edmund's daughter from a previous marriage - Jackie - strongly suspects what Dorothy is up to. She also has to look after Dorothy's and Edmund's own daughter Debbie - who is a girl gone wild - hanging out with bikers. She also has a taste for human flesh. Debbie and Jackie argue about Jackie's whereabouts at night and Debbie finds out Jackie has been visiting their parents. Debbie finds out where they live and goes with her boyfriend to see them. As a family, they plot to punish Jackie for keeping Debbie from them. Frightmare is a very effective British chiller and may stand the test of time as director Pete Walker's crowning glory. Props must also go to writer David McGillivray - a man who wrote so many Britsploitation classics with style and panache. Sheila Keith is magnificent as Dorothy, especially when she is armed with a power drill! The film is quite a morbid and bleak affair - it has a real 1970s sleazy downer feel to it. There is ample bloody violence and scenes to shock. It may look quite outdated due to its 1970s setting but the acting really carries the film off and is uniformly excellent. One of the must sees of British exploitation horror.