Fans of ’70s horror will appreciate the nasty revenge shocker Terror From Under the House, a 1971 entry in which some British townsfolk take the law into their own hands. As the film opens, we learn that a young girl has been raped and murdered by a local perv. Perhaps Clint Eastwood saw this movie and it inspired him to make Mystic River, but I actually doubt that, because this one has really crummy production values, nutty dialogue and virtually no plausibility. But dang, it’s fun!

Upon learning that the police have let the prime suspect go free due to lack of evidence, a few of the townsfolk (including Joan Collins, who plays the grieving mom) kidnap the guy, kick the crap out of him in the basement of the town pub and then realize they’ve killed him. But have they? They soon realize he isn’t deceased—and may well be the wrong man! The entire affair is made all the more lurid by the rather cheap nature of the DVD transfer; there are lines running through the print and occasional unexplained bursts of red on the screen. A relief from the tyranny of pristine studio releases. Another funny thing is the number of alternate titles for this movie, including Revenge, After Jenny Died, Behind the Cellar Door and Inn of the Frightened People. Great trash, by any name.

In slightly classier DVD news, Away From Her, Sarah Polley’s acclaimed directorial debut, arrives this week—an exceptional film well worth the rental.

by MATTHEW HAYS