The Monster, originally known by the great schlock title I Don't Want to Be Born, is also directed by Sasdy. But it's an absolutely ludicrous movie with loose woman Joan Collins being cursed by a dwarf and giving birth to a killer baby. It sounds more enjoyable than it is. Donald Pleasance turns up in one of his many horror bit-parts, and the now hugely respected Eileen Atkins plays the nun who saves the day. Bet she leaves this movie off her CV. However, anything with Joanie in has got to be worth enduring.

Finally, The Uncanny. Producer/writer Milton Subotsky, who initiated a seemingly endless series of anthology horror films at Amicus, continued to make them even after that company went belly-up. This is a UK-Canada co-production starring Peter Cushing as a man who hates cats. Not surprisingly he's the best thing in the film, as he tells a barely-alive Ray Milland three stories to prove the evil in all felines. I had fond memories of this movie from seeing it on TV as a kid, but actually it's rubbish. The first story's the best, with Joan Greenwood as a cat-lover whose pets avenge her after she's killed by Susan Penhaligon. The second, incredibly boring story is all Canadian and features a girl with a murderous imaginary cat-friend. And the third's a rubbish Poe rip-off with Donald Pleasance and Samantha (The Brood) Eggar.

This set's worth buying just for Hands of the Ripper, but the other films are really just for UK horror movie completists (that would be me then).

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