Here I go again highlighting my love of the politically incorrect. I jumped at the chance to review some of these recently released titles even though I believe theyre not the best examples of this truly cheeky British comedy series. Theres one thing I have to get off my chest immediately  when are all the truly classic Carry On titles being released in Australia? I have a deeply sentimental attachment to some of these films, made when the gang were at the peak of their delivery of double-entendres? Hopefully the releasing of these poor cousins is a testing of the waters?

Dont get me wrong  this particular Carry On is actually up there with my favourites. I have four of these to review, and this is the best so far. I realise that the ones I have chosen to review are all poking fun at a particular film genre. This one has a go at the (again very English) Hammer Horror series. And, boy, is it ripe for it! As I have stated many times before, my purist tastes finds me lamenting the fact that the charismatic Sid James and Hattie Jacques are not in this film, but Ill resist the temptation to claim that theyre not true Carry Ons without them. Thankfully many of the other cast regulars are present, as well as a couple of unfamiliars. Some may recognise Harry H. Corbett of Steptoe and Son fame as the lovestruck police inspector who bears an uncanny resemblance to Sherlock Holmes. And Fenella Fielding makes a cheesily wicked vixen as Valeria Watt, with a voice to die for. The wonderful and irreplaceable comic talents of Joan Sims, Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey and Jim Dale all ensure that the film delivers. The wonderfully irreverent characterisations from this inspired comedy series are universally recognisable, I think. They are excellent stereotypes.

The story unfolds with a rash of disappearances of young women over the last year that have remained unsolved. When the hapless Albert Potter (Jim Dale) reports his beau as missing, the investigation changes gear, with Sidney Bung (Harry H. Corbett) and his loyal but obtuse assistant Slowbottom (Peter Butterworth) deciding to pursue the case personally. In the course of their investigations, they visit an old mansion nestled in the immediate vicinity of these disappearances. They meet mad doctor Orlando Watt (Kenneth Williams) and his sister Valeria (Fenella Fileding) who have many skeletons in their closet and do their best to foil the authorities by using whatever means they can. You are told very early on that they are as guilty as hell! Given that its a Carry On film, you can guess that the foul methods employed are decidedly sexual in nature. But what sinister aims motivate their dastardly plot? Youll have to watch and see!

I love this stuff, and the actors are clearly HAVING fun with the whole idea. If you like schlock-horror you should enjoy this send-up. Its great fun, and I think modern comedies have learned a lot from the tongue-in-cheek approach that characterised British comedy of the 1960s. I love it because I grew up with it, but you could easily accuse these films of being horribly dated thanks to the sexist content. If you like Benny Hill, The Two Ronnies, or many of the 60s and 70s British sitcoms that are being replayed on cable TV these days, youll enjoy these films. This is a better example of the Carry On series, but what makes people laugh is clearly still a matter of taste. Im not a belly laugher by any means, but this stuff makes me smirk. In fact, these days it could be viewed as downright subversive. Bring it on!

THE EXTRAS

Chapter selection only.

CONCLUSION

If you like Benny Hill, The Two Ronnies or anything British that is downright cheeky and relies on stereotyping for laughs, this is the film for you. The Carry On series of films are an institution, and some are clearly better than others. This is one of the better ones, sending up the whole schlock horror genre. There are classic stereotypes that we would all recognise. There are no extras at all apart from chapter selection, the sound is mono, regrettably, but it still beats video. No language options, either. Many of the regular cast make an appearance, plus a few new faces, and all actors are clearly HAVING fun with the subject matter. Highly recommended  I grew up with these comedies, and I find that Im appreciating them more with time. Theyre unashamedly sexist, dated and politically incorrect, but great! Some of the scenes are priceless.