I found the film somewhat amusing and didn't resent the time I spent watching it, and yet I can think of few reasons to recommend it to anyone else. The acting, script and direction are all pretty much what one expects of a British comedy of that era, however there are no particularly appealing characters or situations to endear the movie to a viewer.
It occurred to me, however, the storyline bears a vague structural similarity to the much-better-known 1973 blockbuster, THE EXORCIST; mysterious things happen in a large house, experts are called-in, attention centers on an adolescent girl, and finally, a team of experts combine their efforts to drive the supernatural force away. Expressed this way, it's a structure similar to most British science-fiction and supernatural movies of the 50's and 60's (well, the adolescent girl isn't AS common a factor, but still...) So, if you have a copy of this movie and you attend get-togethers of movie buffs, you can play a neat prank by announcing that this film was the "actual" source of the plot line for THE EXORCIST, and the articles about the teen-aged boy in the '50's were just used to provide details. With this introduction, film fans will find this older movie fascinating, and when it reaches its conclusion, they are bound to *gasp* at the parallel between the Insurance Investigator and the younger Priest. In fact, they'll enjoy the ending much more than if they had simply watched this otherwise unremarkable movie on its own merits.
Of course, if your cinema-buff friends do any research, they'll discover there is no connection at all between the two films, and they will be disappointed. It's a risk you'll have to take.
(I'm marking this review "Contains Spoilers" because it contains some hints and parallels regarding the story structure and the film's conclusion. If you have NOT seen this film or THE EXORCIST, I hope I haven't given anything substantial away.)
It occurred to me, however, the storyline bears a vague structural similarity to the much-better-known 1973 blockbuster, THE EXORCIST; mysterious things happen in a large house, experts are called-in, attention centers on an adolescent girl, and finally, a team of experts combine their efforts to drive the supernatural force away. Expressed this way, it's a structure similar to most British science-fiction and supernatural movies of the 50's and 60's (well, the adolescent girl isn't AS common a factor, but still...) So, if you have a copy of this movie and you attend get-togethers of movie buffs, you can play a neat prank by announcing that this film was the "actual" source of the plot line for THE EXORCIST, and the articles about the teen-aged boy in the '50's were just used to provide details. With this introduction, film fans will find this older movie fascinating, and when it reaches its conclusion, they are bound to *gasp* at the parallel between the Insurance Investigator and the younger Priest. In fact, they'll enjoy the ending much more than if they had simply watched this otherwise unremarkable movie on its own merits.
Of course, if your cinema-buff friends do any research, they'll discover there is no connection at all between the two films, and they will be disappointed. It's a risk you'll have to take.
(I'm marking this review "Contains Spoilers" because it contains some hints and parallels regarding the story structure and the film's conclusion. If you have NOT seen this film or THE EXORCIST, I hope I haven't given anything substantial away.)
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