In "Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide", he gives this film a savage review and in hindsight I probably should have listened to him, as this is a portion of my life I probably wasted. That's because this is a perfectly dreadful film in just about every way--particularly in how the characters were written. Heck, my cats could probably write better characters and dialog! I was also quite surprised as I watched the film, as it had a very significant amount of nudity and sexual content. That surprise was because it was shown on Turner Classic Movies--a channel that rarely has nudity but even when it does, there's far less than in this film. Oddly, the nudity made little sense because the film was set on an island in Britain (and you DON'T want to run around naked there--especially at night--it's just too cold!). Also oddly because if you DO want a soft-core pornographic movie, you should certainly hire better looking ladies. I didn't want to see a skin flick but couldn't see why these flat-chested and mediocre ladies were chosen. As I said, I don't usually watch films with this much skin in it but for those who want this in a film, you'll be pretty disappointed--though the men seemed a bit more photogenic in this regard.

As for the plot, it was pretty stupid but had possibilities. The problem wasn't just than having Phoenicians and the pagan god Baal in the UK was silly but the characters were just pathetic. Here's the story in a truncated form. 3 of 4 young nudists are murdered and the 4th kills one of the rescuers. They aren't sure if she was the one who murdered the others or if she just panicked and killed the rescuer because of her mental condition following the massacre of her scantily-clad friends.

A psychiatrist uses a form of shock therapy (using chemicals and goofy lights) to get this survivor to tell her story, as once she's in custody, she'd become catatonic. The folks are able to learn that she believed they were attacked--but by what they still don't know. What I would like to know, though, is how this lady not only knew what she and her boyfriend were doing (this mostly involved getting naked and her saying 'she wasn't THAT kind of girl' when he later wanted to have sex?!?) but she also detailed what the other couple was doing on another part of the island at the same time!! While they still don't know what happened, an 'expert' announces that one of the victims was impaled with a Phoenician sword associated with funerals and Baal worship and they MUST search the island for treasure. Oddly, no one in the group that then heads back to the island appears to be an archaeologist or anthropologist--just a motley crew of adventurers who look nothing like the sort to investigate--particularly the slutty lady whose only interest in life is sex. Why they would bring this nympho along is beyond me, but the others, too, seem completely out of place. There's no 'Indiana Jones' here--or anyone remotely like him. Also, while this makes no sense, what makes even less sense is why such a small group goes there--and they have no backup plan! Think about it--a group was slaughtered there and they aren't sure who did it. The mass murderer might still be on the island waiting but they don't even consider the possibility or bring weapons or a cop!!! But, fortunately, they did bring a horny lady who talks incessantly about sex and who lifts her skirt at the first available moment on an island where mass murder just occurred!! I could try to say more about the plot or the rest of the idiot characters, but frankly it's like shooting fish in a barrel.

So, what we have is a dumb plot, horrible characters who make no sense and who are dumber than eels and lots of nudity featuring not especially attractive people. Need I say more?! This is just a terrible film and I can see almost nothing interesting to say about this low-budget bucket of bile. It only manages a 2 because at least, on rare occasions, it does offer a few decent chills (aside from those experienced by the nudists at the beginning of the film).

Oh, and by the way, this isn't a huge plot problem because they guy was not supposed to be a forensics expert, but at the beginning when the two men discover the massacre, one says to the other "how long have they been dead?". The other guy says "...about a week"--even though the bodies showed no evidence of critters nibbling on the corpses, putrification or discoloration at all and there was fresh blood all about the bodies. Maybe this man's not an expert, but he apparently was an idiot--especially since this moron returns to the island later in the film!

This effective shocker from the early '70s is well worth watching. The beginning is excellent, with the discovery of the dead naked people - check out the head rolling down the stairs - and also very graphic for its time, both in the portrayal of sex and gore (something to be expected, seeing as this is a '70s film where moral principles were quickly disappearing down the drain). It's certainly an arresting way to begin a film.

The somewhat clichéd story is enlivened by the presence of popular actors - Dennis Price and Anthony Valentine appear in small roles, as well as Bryant Halliday (Halliday appeared in a couple of horror films during the '60s, THE DEVIL DOLL and THE PROJECTED MAN). Robin Askwith, who made a name for himself with a number of sex films in the 1970s, appears in a typical role - taking his clothes off and acting badly once again.

There are a number of effective shocks, such as the decaying corpse and the giggling, manic laughter. While some parts are enjoyably cheesy now, you won't be disappointed if you see this under-rated chiller which plays a bit like a slasher film, with teenagers being killed in violent ways. If this seventies schlock isn't your cup of tea, then "go dig" something else. While the monster may not be very scary (let's face it, it's a dirty bloke covered in hair and dandruff) the spooky giggling is sure to send a chill down anyone's spine!

There's probably a reason why actress Jill Haworth didn't have much of a career past the original Broadway cast of "Cabaret" and the epic "Exodus" 12 years before that. She's not a magnetic actress on screen, and yet her name is the only familiar one in this gore fest that has a great opening, a fantastic nightmare sequence, but nothing in the way of a strong story.

The saga involves a series of gruesome murders at a spooky looking castle of some sort where a bloodied hand is seen grabbing onto creaking doors, reaching out to scare the young revelers who invade the space later, and grunt like a mute demon when they are finally shown. That presence alone is jarring, and there's a lot of shocking visuals, but there's no motivation or substance to make this be ranked as a horror film that I would watch over again, and therefore, I can't really recommend it.