Second Sight Films, out July 29

In order to prove himself, a young doctor is asked to interview four patients in an asylum and determine which is Dr Starr, the former head of the institution.

Boasting a high concept wraparound story, Amicus’ fifth portmanteau horror movie proved that there was still life in this format – they would go on to produce two further entries. Robert Powell (The Survivor) is the doctor tasked with working out who the previous custodian was, adding a ‘whodunnit?’ aspect to an already lively mix.

Director Roy Ward Baker (The Scars of Dracula) is an old hand at this sort of material thanks to projects with Hammer, and would go on to direct Amicus’ next anthology, The Vault of Horror. Known as House of Crazies in the States, this compilation begins with Richard Todd in Frozen Fear, his murdered wife’s neatly wrapped body parts coming to life from the deep freeze.

The ubiquitous and always welcome Peter Cushing joins Barry Morse (Space:1999) in The Weird Tailor in a tale about a suit that can reanimate corpses, while Britt Ekland (The Wicker Man) is an imaginary friend in Lucy Comes to Stay. The final story pairs Herbert Lom (The Dead Zone) and Geoffrey Bayldon (Catweazle) in Mannikins of Horror – a story about organic mannequins that also served as the conclusion to the wraparound.

Another crisp new HD transfer is enhanced by an audio commentary from director Roy Ward Baker from the previous 2006 DVD release (he passed away in 2010). Two’s Company is a fun 1972 BBC report from the set of the movie, featuring interviews with Producer Milton Subotsky, Roy Ward Baker and some of their stars, while screenwriter David J. Schow hosts an enjoyable 20-minute piece on writer Robert Bloch. Fiona Subotsky remembers producer Milton, and Inside the Fear Factory is a 20-minutes on the Amicus story by producer Max J Rosenberg – he shares that they made anthology films because single horror stories are too hard to sustain over 90 minutes!

Verdict: Well done to Second Sight for producing or sourcing such an interesting set of VAM to support their colourful HD UK premiere transfer. The stories may be predictable and lacking in sophistication for a modern audience, but they are a perfect example of a 70s pick ‘n’ mix horror movie that doesn’t take itself too seriously. 8/10

Nick Joy