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The Asphyx (1972 England)

 
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 18, 2015 12:15 pm    Post subject: The Asphyx (1972 England) Reply with quote

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Also released as Spirit of the Dead, this is a truly strange movie.

Scientist-photographer Robert Stevens discovers that the "spirit of death" -- the Asphyx -- comes to claim each person's soul when they die. Stevens manages to photograph the otherwise invisible wraith at a public hanging, and he photographs it again by accident when his son drowns.



Stevens later succeeds in capturing the Asphyx with a dandy hi-tech device when it comes to claim his own soul -- which results in the man becoming effectively immortal.





A thoughtful, eerie tale with a twist ending, told in a manner unique to British film makers. Directed by Peter Newbrook from a screenplay by Brian Comport.

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Last edited by Bud Brewster on Sun Aug 07, 2022 2:50 pm; edited 7 times in total
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Bud Brewster
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Joined: 14 Dec 2013
Posts: 17018
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 12, 2017 3:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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This unusual movie has the distinction of presenting us with the scariest Muppet every! Shocked
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_________ THE ASPHYX (1972) theatrical trailer


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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)
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Bogmeister
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 10, 2019 4:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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___________ The Asphyx 1973 Theatrical Trailer


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This film, which I first viewed many years ago on TV, came into being due to the decline of the once-popular Hammer films. Smaller studios, attempting to fill some gap left by Hammer, stepped in with their own films.

Most were not successful financially, including this one — unfortunately.

This is a unique little sci-fi/horror film, with compelling themes, excellent performances and strong science fiction elements in the Frankenstein mold. The main character (Robert Stephens) is not an evil man — in fact, he's something of a benefactor. His aim is to help mankind, to improve the human condition. He's driven by personal tragedy and, of course, goes too far . . . way too far!



The problem is that he's a scientist. And scientists (like Dr. Frankenstein) are compelled to find answers and solutions, the types of which the rest of us may not want to bother with.

He, along with his adopted son (Robert Powell) steadily descend into their own private hell — the situation becomes worse & worse as the film progresses and we, the audience, are transfixed, unable to turn away from the escalating horror of science . . . misused? abused? overused?

You decide as you watch.

I believe this is the best and most difficult type of sci-fi/horror — not physical monsters attacking but the personal descent of a mind, a brilliant mind, in this case. The horror is very personal — and, as a result, tragic.



I think I'll not reveal any details of the plot and story. Usually, I go into some detail in my posts — at least for the first half of the plot for each film, thinking that members have seen the film in question anyway or have heard a lot about it.

I suppose that's not the case here. It's worth the wait — as the film progresses, you wonder what the next step (or misstep) by the characters will b. It's absorbing storytelling. A 25th-anniversary DVD of this film was released when DVDs were in their infancy, way back in early 1998.

BoG's Score: 7.5 out of 10



BoG
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johnnybear
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 14, 2019 8:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I wondered how Stevens was able to survive for all those years afterwards as the decaying, decrepid creature that we see he has become. But what if someone unearthed his asphyx, surely then he would die? And why haven't they in the interim years? His ruined house would have been rebuilt and his goods examined I would think!
JB
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ralfy
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 27, 2020 9:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

720p version:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zNNz8JDDiE
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Phantom
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PostPosted: Sun Mar 29, 2020 10:14 pm    Post subject: The Asphyx Reply with quote

I had no idea this movie existed until the late seventies, well after its theatrical run. It just fell under my radar.

It's extremely well crafted, the art decoration and photography is sumptuous and the acting superb.

This is another example of the failure of good intentions and a rash decision that leads to tragedy. The idea can be traced back to the string of low budget Columbia releases of the 1940's starring Karloff, Leo G. Carroll's benign scientist in Tarantula and the two versions of The Fly.

There are some real surprises here, particularly the unexpected result of Christine Cunningham's participation in her father's experiment. I certainly didn't see it coming.

The stunning final scene had me thinking about the similar fate of the creatures in John Carradine's basement in The Unearthly ("My God. What if they do live forever.") Only, here, it isn't so amusing.

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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 15, 2022 1:53 pm    Post subject: Re: The Asphyx Reply with quote

Phantom wrote:
The stunning final scene had me thinking about the similar fate of the creatures in John Carradine's basement in The Unearthly ("My God. What if they do live forever.") Only, here, it isn't so amusing.

Reading the comment above made me realize that I don't quite remember "the stunning final scene" in The Asphyx, and I've never seen The Unearthly!

I can fix the first problem with the YouTube link below, and the other problem with the second link! Very Happy


_ The Asphyx Full HD Movies For Free - Flick Vault


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Lured to the house of monsters The Unearthly (1957)


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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)
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