US one sheet
It! (aka It, Anger of the Golem and Curse of the Golem) is a 1966 (released 1967) British/American horror film made by Seven Arts Productions and Gold Star Productions, Ltd. that features the Golem of Prague as its main subject. It is directed by Herbert J. Leder (The Frozen Dead) and stars Roddy McDowall (Planet of the Apes; The Legend of Hell House; Embryo), Jill Haworth (Tower of Evil; The Mutations) and Paul Maxwell (How to Make a Monster; Aliens). It was Ian McCulloch‘s debut film – he later starred in Zombie Flesh Eaters and a slew of Italian horror films.
Plot teaser:
After one of their store houses burnt down, museum director Grove and his assistant Pimm (McDowall) find everything destroyed – only one statue withstood the fire mysteriously undamaged. Suddenly, Grove is discovered lying dead on the ground – killed by the statue? Pimm finds out that the cursed statue has been created by Rabbi Loew in the 16th century and will withstand every human attempt to destroy it. He decides to use it to his own advantage…
Director Herbert J. Leder apparently wanted the film to have the style of the Hammer horror films that were popular. He directed the camera work and audio effects to have the characteristics of a Hammer film. Although it was shot in colour, U.S. theatrical release prints were in black-and-white.
Buy It! on DVD from Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk
Reviews:
“This colorful, whacked out version of the classic tale of the Golem is really fun and finely acted. Sure, it seems a little slow and outdated, but that just makes it all the more charming. It’s a classy little horror show with just enough eccentric and sexy touches in it to keep you interested.” Brutal as Hell
“McDowall is so over the top, the characters so odd and the plot so loopy that it’s actually fun to watch, if you’re the kind of person who enjoys a good bad movie.” DVD Verdict
“Some amusing touches to kiddie-orientated plot which progressively becomes more ridiculous to thoroughly ludicrous conclusion.” Castle of Frankenstein
“With echoes of dozens of other films, It stands on its own as a delightfully dark, tongue-in-cheek horror film that’s riddled with low budget nonsense, over-the-top hammy performances, and enough cheese to feed a third world country for decades.” Dread Central
WH
