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Making Mischief: The Cult Films of Pete Walker

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The much need regeneration of British horror continues with this well timed and needed study of a figure who looms large in British horror history. Largely overlooked and in some cases forgotten Pete Walker made an excellent trilogy of contemporary socially orientated horror films in the early 1970's. The films were his masterpiece "Frightmare", "House of Whipcord" and "House of Mortal Sin". Each film allegorised aspects of society, which in Walker's bleak world view are inherently corrupt, suppurating with violence, perversity and insanity. The family, psychology, the judicial system and religion respectively crumble under Walker's imperious and apocalyptic gaze. Walker articulated most effectively a Britain on the verge of implosion and self destruction, a dark, grimy and morally irredeemable world. What is notable in this trilogy is the maintenance of a gritty, naturalistic visual style which combines effectively with Walker's social critique. As a result academic Steve Chibnall argues in this text for Walker's status as an auteur. Walker, however was very concerned with the commercial properties of his films and would probably be quietly amused by the cultural ascension Chibnall proposes. Sadly outside of Walker's key trilogy, there is little to support the claims for authorship. Chibnall is always up against it in his argument because of Walker's close ties to exploitation cinema. Simply put outside of his excellent trilogy Walker made fairly lacklustre and ultimately forgettable films, examples include "The Comeback", "Man of Violence" and "House of the Long Shadows", perhaps only "The Flesh and Blood Show" is worthy of reappraisal and further study. Nevertheless Chibnall must be commended for taking this difficult task on, and he should be further commended for an entertaining prose style, that doesn't take the book beyond fans and into the stuffy netherworld of academia.