Too much of everything

Simply Perfect

I wanted to but couldn't!

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

Timid proofreader Ernie (Kenneth Connor) travels with his best pal Syd (Sid James) to Blackshaw Towers on the Yorkshire Moors for the reading of his Uncle Gabriel's will; also present at the reading are Ernie's eccentric relatives (played by Dennis Price, Michael Gwynn, Valerie Taylor, George Woodbridge, and Esma Cannon), plus Gabriel's sexy nurse Linda (Shirley Eaton), creepy butler Fisk (Michael Gough) and sinister solicitor Everett Sloane (Donald Pleasance).As a thunderstorm rages outside, trapping the beneficiaries in the creepy house for the night, someone begins to bump off the visitors in variety of gruesome ways. Will Ernie and Syd make it through the night?As a big fan of both the Carry On series and the 'Old Dark House' horror sub-genre, I was very keen to see What A Carve Up!, which is apparently based on the classic 1933 chiller The Ghoul and features Carry On regulars James and Connor, as well as occasional Carry On players Eaton and Cannon. Sadly, although the film exploits every creepy cliché in the book in an effort to reap the laughs, the film as a whole doesn't deliver, the gags being as creaky as the huge wooden door of Blackshaw Towers. Connor's familiar nervous wimp routine and Sid James's trademark cackle are no substitute for decent jokes, and the whole affair soon becomes rather tiresome.Still, I guess it's no worse than the official Carry On attempt at mixing comedy with horror, Carry On Screaming, which also failed to impress despite the combined talents of Jim Dale, Joan Sims, Kenneth Williams, Fenella Fielding, Harry. H. Corbett, Charles Hawtry, Peter Butterworth, Jon Pertwee, Bernard Bresslaw and Angela Douglas (but no sign of Sid James or Kenneth Connor—a case of 'once bitten, twice shy', perhaps?).

This is one of those films that, if you are of a certain age, holds fond memories for you. I clearly remember watching it as a kid and thinking it was one of the funniest films I'd ever seen but now, seen through adult eyes, I realise it is really just a mediocre farce indistinguishable from many of the British comedies coming out in the early 60s.Sid James and Kenneth Connor play the two bumbling friends who visit a remote country mansion to claim Connors' inheritance following the death of an uncle. Once there they meet various members of Connors' dotty family, who begin to be picked off one by one during the course of a dark and stormy night.Sid James is always enjoyable to watch, and his crumpled face is as familiar to Brits as the Queen's. He's always good in whatever role he plays – and he appeared in some truly dire films – simply because he plays the same role over and over. Connor did pretty much the same, but his timid coward act was more irritating than enjoyable, as it is here. Donald Pleasance also appears in a creepy role, and it is he and James who provide the film's better moments. The film itself is pretty uneven, starting off brightly enough but then becoming mired down, reaching its lowest point during a protracted and desperately unfunny sequence which sees our heroes trying to sleep together in a four-poster bed.If your over 40, watch this one only if you're prepared to have your childhood memories crushed.

I often wonder if movies like this had the audiences of the time rolling in the aisles or did folk react in much the same way most people today would, with a certain cynical boredom? Personally, I'm a fan of all sorts of humour, and that includes the light silliness of movies like this. Few people, probably nobody in fact, will get belly-laughs from this film, but my girlfriend and I, and her sister, watched it together smiling and chuckling all the way through. We were entertained and we'd watch it again.Part of the appeal, of course, for a thirty-something like me is that strange nostalgia for a time you never experienced and certainly never was. Even though it's an unrealistic spooky murder mystery, you'd still quite like to be there with the characters, enjoying this curiously innocent world where people die in a remarkable bloodless fashion.There's a good cast, full of recognisable faces - there's fun to had from finally realising that you're looking at a very young Michael Gough and playing a butler long before Alfred in the first four Batman movies.It's ultimately absurd, but it's a well-put-together little film, with a great cast, an atmospheric set and a light but entertaining plot, perfect for lazy Sunday afternoon viewing.

What is it about these old black and white comedies which makes you want to watch them over and over again? I think that us brits have a real talent for the old spoof/comedy horror and this, in my opinion is the finest.Kenneth Connor plays 'Ernest Broughton', a cowardly proof reader who finds he is a beneficiary to his late Uncle Gabriel's estate. Alongside him is Sid James who plays 'Sidney Butler' , his scheming, but tolerant flatmate. These two are excellent, playing the parts to their strengths as they go to 'Blackshore Towers' for the reading of Gabriels will.The supporting cast of Shirley Eaton, Dennis Price and Esma Cannon are superb, each playing parts which are perfectly suited to their own individual styles, whilst Michael Gough gives a great portrayal of 'Fisk', the sinister old butler. There is also a great performance by Donald Pleasence as 'Everet Sloane' the solicitor acting on behalf of the deceased.If you are a fan of this type of film then you won't be disappointed. It is up there with 'The house in Nightmare Park' and 'The old dark house', only better in my opinion. Sadly though, it is not available on DVD and has been deleted on VHS, but it does crop up on TV occasionally. If you haven't already seen it then keep an eye on your TV guide for it and set the video for, in my opinion, one of the most watchable britcoms of all time.