Pete Walker was one of the most interesting British horror directors of the 1970's, with impressive efforts like The Flesh and Blood Show (1972), House of Whipcord (1974) and Frightmare (1974) to his name. This earlier film is sometimes described as his first foray into horror but really it is nothing of the sort. Despite a title that suggests that it could be, this one turns out to be a psychological thriller with really no horror aspects at all. A young woman's life is threatened when her crooked father tries to prevent her reaching her 21st birthday and in doing so inherit a fortune plus some documents which will incriminate him.Aside from being an early example of a Walker film, this one is notable for featuring Susan George in a starring role a year before she appeared in Sam Peckinpah's controversial Straw Dogs (1971). In truth, the opening credit sequence which has her gyrating in a bikini in front of a deep red background is very striking indeed, although it is probably in fairness the best bit in the entire film. The main issue with this one is its pretty poor script which meanders about somewhat with a definite lack of focus. The first half of the film which is set in England is the better part with some intrigue and character set-ups but once the action relocates to Portugal things grind to a bit of a halt and it does get a bit boring. It's kind of unfortunate, as the bare bones of the story has got at least some potential but there is something very half-hearted in how things are ultimately played out. Seemingly Walker had some issues with the young cast members during the Portuguese section and this may account for the results on screen being less than impressive. Whatever the case, this is still worth seeing if you have an interest in Walker's movies as it does at least showcase some of his recurring themes such as elderly villains interfering with the lives of the younger generation. But, despite its director and cute leading lady, it has to be admitted that this is not essential stuff by any means. With its cool title and nice cover art it will look good in your film library though and that's not such a terrible thing I guess.

That summary may sound a little harsh, but it's not far off in describing Pete Walker's "Die Screaming, Marianne". The biggest problem is that for a supposed psychological "thriller", this comes up awfully short on *thrills*. It works as an amusing, soap opera style melodrama, but is much too leisurely for its own good. And, to be perfectly frank, it's not terribly well written. The absolutely stunning Susan George plays Marianne, a poor little rich girl on the run who is practically forced into marriage by a stranger named Sebastian (Christopher Sandford). However, his plan goes awry when the name of his friend Eli (Barry Evans) mistakenly ends up on the marriage certificate. Sebastian drops out of the picture, if only for a bit, while Eli eventually has to be told the truth about his new bride: she's due to inherit a sizable sum upon her 21st birthday, which is imminent, and there are those in her family who want either revenge or to get their hands on the money and / or incriminating documents. Said relatives include a father (Leo Genn) who was a crooked judge, and a venal and nasty half sister (Judy Huxtable). "Die Screaming, Marianne" doesn't offer more than moderate entertainment. It does feature some impressive location work and scenery, and fine supporting performances by all, but its main drawing card - which is good enough of a hook - is its showcasing of the luscious young George in the leading role. She's often dressed quite provocatively and, in fact, Marianne likes to dance in a bikini. Ms. George makes this whole thing worth sitting through, and Evans is very likable as the true innocent of the piece. One can't help but feel some disdain towards the character of Marianne for being too cagey and not telling Eli the whole story when it would have helped him more; besides, she was doing nobody any favours by delaying the inevitable set of confrontations. The movie really could have used *some* more action, and only starts to get good near the end. It makes the mistake that a fair amount of movies make by being too talky and stretching out things too much. It's a pity - this easily could have been more fun. But Walker would only get better as he went along, creating such fine entries in the British New Wave of horror as "The Flesh and Blood Show", "Frightmare", and "House of Whipcord". Five out of 10.

It is hard to believe that 'Die Screaming, Marianne', a boring and uninspired 'shocker', was directed by British horror master Pete Walker, who would go on to make the wonderful 'Frightmare'. Admittedly this was his first film and he needed time to refine his art, but 'Marianne' has little if anything to recommend it. It is very like the Italian 'giallo' films which were popular back in the early seventies, and hardly deserves to be called a horror film.Susan George stars as Marianne McDonald/Evans and, to her credit, plays a strong and resourceful character. Her evil father, a corrupt judge played by Leo Genn, and her power-hungry and avaricious stepsister, are out to get their hands on Marianne's fortune - a hefty amount left to her by her rich mother - which she is to inherit on her twenty-first birthday.'Die Screaming, Marianne' belongs to the family of horror films whose titles promise much and then do not deliver the titular carnage. Such films as 'Driller Killer' and 'The Texas Chain Saw Massacre'. 'Driller Killer' is an interesting psychological horror film which owes much to 'Repulsion' and it certainly has its merits, but its reputation as a notorious video nasty is just silly considering the very tame gore in the film. And 'Texas' is a horror masterpiece but it definitely does not offer up a constant stream of blood and severed limbs as its title suggests.Susan George completists will want to see 'Die Screaming, Marianne' but anyone else will find the proceedings tedious and instantly forgettable. There is a good title song which has a nice melancholy feel to it, and there is a cool opening credits sequence which sees George go-go dancing in a black bikini. But the rest of the film - apart from the rather attractive scenery in the scenes shot in Portugal - is almost excruciatingly dull and pointless. Do yourself a favour, and catch Susan in the horror film 'Fright' instead. So much better.

Saucy free-spirited tart Marianne (a sweetly disarming performance by the delectable Susan George) will inherit a sizable sum of money from her wealthy, but severely dysfunctional family on her 21st birthday. Susan will also acquire several documents about the illegal activities of her crooked judge father (well played by Leo Genn). Pretty soon Marianne finds herself in substantial danger. Director Pete ("Frightmare") Walker crucially fails to wring much tension or momentum from the standard woman-in-peril thriller potboiler premise. Moreover, Walker lets the pace crawl along at a sluggish rate, thereby ensuring that a dull quality hangs heavy throughout most of the movie. Norman Langley's pretty, picturesque cinematography makes cool use of fades, dissolves and split screen. Cyril Ornadel's lush, elegant score, the scenic Portugal locations and the haunting melancholy theme song are all likewise solid and effective. Nice supporting turns by Barry Evans as loyal boyfriend Eli, the lovely Judy Huxtable as bitchy half-sister Hildegarde, and Christopher Sandford as bitter ex-suitor Sebastian. Susan George's deliciously considerable pulchritudinous presence keeps the picture watchable: Susan does a memorably sexy go-go dance during the groovy opening credits sequence and looks absolutely smashing in a skimpy black bikini. Unfortunately, Murray Smith's tediously talky script, an off-putting glum tone and the slow-going, largely uneventful plot make this feature a really draggy chore to endure. A merely decent timewaster.