There is absolutely no justice for the babysitter in peril! Babysitting has got to be ONE of the most dangerous (if not the MOST dangerous) of professions. Lunatics, madmen, psychotics and thirsty children are constant obstacles, in a job that most certainly does NOT end at bedtime (despite what you may have heard). These poor girls are overworked and underpaid as "all the ice cream that you can eat" and $2.50 an hour is hardly compensation for the life threatening ordeals these poor young ladies have to endure on a nightly basis. Even a visiting boyfriend is no match for the unknown terrors that lurk and stalk the babysitter. With this plea for some sort of organized, hmm, what's the word I'm searching for, UNION of babysitters, I bring to you the 1971 film that helped to start it all, Fright.

From the opening frames of Fright as Amanda (the oh so cute Susan George of Straw Dogs) creeps through the forest on her way to the Lloyd's desolate English mansion, we know that trouble is 'a brewin. Mrs. Lloyd (Honor Blackman, Pussy Galore of Goldfinger) seems even more nervous than the usual parent leaving her 3 year old child with someone she's never met before (go figure). It's obvious that Mrs. Lloyd is harboring a secret, and it's also obvious that something (or someone) is watching (or stalking) Amanda.

With a title like Fright, one would think that they would be in store for the scare of a lifetime, and the film does work very well on many levels. However, this isn't to say that Fright is a film that isn't without its problems. The picture of celluloid perfection this film is not, although Fright is at times quite scary. I found myself looking over my shoulder a few times as I watched the film alone in my apartment. Even as I sit here writing this, I'm wondering what that noise in the other room was...

The film itself contains some genuine scares. Much of the action takes place within or around the grounds of the house, which provides for an effectively creepy claustrophobic feel. Before the audience knows exactly what's going on, the creep factor is at an all time high The sleaze factor is also elevated here as well and scenes with both the babysitter and child in peril are outright frightening. I pray that this kid was not scarred for life after participating in this film. The film loses points, as it becomes tiredly predictable towards the second act. This is where things begin to drag a bit despite the tight running time of less than 90 minutes.

Performances are all top notch in Fright, nearly everyone is dead on (pardon the pun please) with their parts. Susan George is superb as the frightened babysitter, yet I couldn't help but wonder a few things about her character. Why does Amanda freak out when her boyfriend stops by and tells her creepy stories about the house, only to sit back and watch horror movies on TV, by herself once he leaves? Is she asking for trouble or what? Ian Bannen (Watcher in the Woods) is also great as the psychotic, stalking poor Amanda. Director Peter Collinson handles his subject matter well as he always makes excellent use of his tight frame (I know it sounds dirty, but it really isn't). Placement within the frame, is most certainly no accident here. I guess this really just leaves me with only one more question. Did they really serve tea in English police stations like this? Weird!

Not overly violent or sexual, the packaging claims that Fright is not rated. There is an insert included, which features a reprint of the original poster design that boasts a "PG" rating. This seems about right, as sexual situations are limited to Ms. George participating in a few scenes of heavy petting and spending much of the film running around with her shirt torn open and bra exposed (thank you god!). There isn't much in the way of onscreen violence, but the sleaze factor alone should earn this film at least a PG-13 rating by today's standards (they were much more lenient back in the day).

The packaging states that Fright is presented in a new widescreen transfer in its original 1.66:1 ratio. The framing looked a bit more like 1.75:1 to me, as it was a bit tighter on the top and bottom of the screen. Not quite 1.85:1, but not as open as 1.66:1. Either way, the bottom line is that Fright looks great. This is an excellent transfer with nice solid colors and hardly any noticeable print damage. Dark scenes are handled really well (as there are plenty of them) with no visible artifacting and deep solid black levels. Overall this is a pleasing, and impressive video presentation of a lesser-known horror title, that SHOULD be known more among fans of horror.

Audio on the other hand does not fare nearly as well as the video presentation. At lower volumes the Mono audio is acceptable, however, turn it up a bit and during scenes with loud shrill screams (believe me, there are PLENTY of them) we're in distortion city here folks. The audio sounds a bit tinny at times as well (just a few isolated instances). Anchor Bay has done better with previous titles (just look at the bulk of their Giallo Box Set) so all in all the audio is a minor disappointment.

This is pretty much a bare bones release as extras are limited to a theatrical trailer (in nice shape) and a Peter Collinson Bio. There is also an easy to spot easter egg that is definitely worth seeking out. It's only a few minutes in length, but was a nice surprise nonetheless.

Fright may not be one of the best horror films I've ever seen. However, it is a mildly effective treat for genre fans in general. Back in 1971, this film was a precursor for the likes of Halloween and When a Stranger Calls. Historically speaking Fright is an important film, and an entertaining treat for genre fans.