Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.5

House of Mortal Sin Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf June 25, 2014

In an attempt to rile up religious forces, director Pete Walker fumbles the basics of suspense cinema in 1976’s “House of Mortal Sin” (a.k.a. “The Confessional”). It’s not that the picture is a disaster, far from it, but the helmer is clearly out to provoke with this story of sin and murder, turning a respected Catholic priest into a stone-cold killer. Walker is begging for publicity with this one, but the movie doesn’t earn is rabble-rousing intent, moving forward as a thriller that features some inventive violence, strong performances, and a perfectly acceptable message on human nature, only to lose potency with painful overlength and a bizarre choice to identify the antagonist right away, thus abandoning any hope for a proper mystery. In the end, there are more pros than con with “House of Mortal Sin,” but Walker feels constipated with this effort, unsure if he wants to court controversy or make a cracking chiller.

Jenny (Susan Penhaligon) has just experienced a horrible break-up with her boyfriend, and during this mourning period, she stumbles across her old friend, Bernard (Norman Eshley), who’s now a priest in need of an apartment. Invited to move in with Jenny and her concerned sister, Vanessa (Stephanie Beacham), Bernard becomes a close confidant to the women, while dormant romantic feelings for Vanessa are revived in these close quarters. On the hunt for Bernard one afternoon, Jenny stumbles into a confessional manned by Father Meldrum (Anthony Sharp), who secretly records the private exchange, which touches on the rattled woman’s experience with an abortion. Using the tape to blackmail Jenny into submission, Father Meldrum viciously murders anyone who gets in his way, returning home to the soothing disorder of his elderly mother and the troubling presence of house caretaker, Brabazon (Sheila Keith).

As previously mentioned, “House of Mortal Sin” doesn’t mess around with the enigmatic ways of the killer. Father Meldrum is immediately identified as the man responsible for the murders surrounding Jenny, with his fury unleashed on a few victims during the course of the picture, employing such memorable items as a coffee maker, a poisoned communion wafer, and a smoldering thurible to dispatch his opponents. Walker teases giallo-style entertainment early on, staging the first kill with a black-gloved POV, hinting at a rousing offering of whodunit to come. Unfortunately, Walker isn’t interested in chasing clues and detailing suspicions, preferring to spotlight his intentions right away, establishing the feature’s thematic lunge as both Father Meldrum and Bernard are tested by their earthly desires, jeopardizing the purity of their Godly duty.

Without a menacing question mark terrorizing the good people of England, “House of Mortal Sin” hopes to tempt with motivation, introducing a sizable but manageable amount of characters, each in possession of upsetting desires that lead them to Father Meldrum and his Old Testament-style punishment. Dialogue is windy, finding Walker delivering more tell than show with the troubles at hand, including Jenny’s dented love life, Bernard and Vanessa’s forbidden love, and the saga of Mrs. Davey (Julia McCarthy), a grieving mother who lost her daughter to Father Meldrum’s wicked ways. And there’s an entire subplot devoted to Brabazon, a one-eyed servant who enjoys inflicting a little elder abuse on Father Meldrum’s mother, who’s powerless to stop it. Kelly is the highlight of “House of Mortal Sin,” funneling Walker’s broadness into amateur opera, sparring amusingly with Sharp, with the two evil figures living up their potential as they dissolve into manic behavior.

There are disturbing qualities to “House of Mortal Sin” that work. Jenny’s haunted past with her sinful deed proves to be an apt way to sharpen Father Meldrum’s threat, with the blackmail scheme effectively unsettling, especially when Bernard is caught between his heavenly mission and the needs of his friends (Eshley has a few solid moments in the role, sharing plausible chemistry with Beacham). The killer’s obsessive qualities also come through clearly, with Walker emphasizing the developing madness of a priest who’s no longer in contact with reality, delighting in his manipulation. Without mystery, “House of Mortal Sin” struggles to build steam, but there are a few moments of behavior and conflict that register as intended, bringing some life to a movie that’s in dire need of a tighter edit.

House of Mortal Sin Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.66:1 aspect ratio) presentation does wrestle with crush issues, with most blacks showing solidification, while a few low-lit distances are difficult to make out. While most of the picture is capture during the daytime, visits to church and the climax, which takes place at night, are limited in detail. Textures on faces and costuming are passable, with an adequate amount of sharpness present to identify frame particulars, while gore zone visits retain the intended shock of grisly make-up effects. Colors are slightly muted but remain communicative. When away from black and white Catholic garb, hues do arrive with costuming and store interiors, while bloodshed offers a nice pop of red. Print shows signs of wear and tear, but the damage, speckling, and judder isn't distracting.

House of Mortal Sin Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 LPCM sound mix carries the mood of "House of Mortal Sin" adequately, emphasizing performances with clear dialogue exchanges, allowing the listener to grasp extremes of emotion and accents. Atmospherics are present, with a decent push of street activity and rainfall, while church echo is also retained. Scoring is pronounced but never shrill, carrying the suspenseful tone of the feature without distortion (one brief dropout was noticed). Hiss is detected with varying intensity throughout the effort. There's limited scope for the track, but it carries out the essentials without triggering too much concern.

House of Mortal Sin Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary with director Pete Walker and "English Gothic" author Jonathan Rigby keeps to a calm British sensibility. Walker has trouble with his memory, but his enthusiasm for the picture (sharing disappointment that it didn't offend Catholics as it was intended to do) is stoked by Rigby, who's a fine interviewer, working with his knowledge of the genre to keep Walker on task.

• "Pete Walker: An Eye for Terror, Part 2" (11:00, HD) continues a conversation with the helmer, who recounts the origin of his company, Heritage Films, and his start in the entertainment industry as a stand-up comedian. Realizing "the commercial possibilities of naked ladies," Walker made the transition to moviemaking. Little is shared about "The House of Mortal Sin" specifically, but this is a quick and informative career overview.

• A Theatrical Trailer has not been included.

House of Mortal Sin Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I'm not sure if "House of Mortal Sin" is offensive, though its desire to be fogs every frame. Ideas concerning the abuse of power from a religious figure are created to stir up some objection, but viewers are probably going to forget such incendiary material as the movie limps to a close. To Walker's credit, "House of Mortal Sin" is an interesting curve in his career, trying to sneak away from straight-up horror to try out a different type of terror. It works in fits, but remains elusive when it comes to consistency, struggling to be a devilish commentary on Catholicism when all it really needs is a ripping pace.