Corruption is a British doctor-gone-mad horror film/ thriller from the late 1960s, which really pushed the level of sleazed violence- meaning it became highly controversial and censored in both its UK and US releases. The film featured Peter Cushing as a respected surgeon in the then present-day swinging 60’s, who rather goes off the rails after his younger model girlfriend gets her face badly burnt. Here from Powerhouse is a deluxe reissue of this sleaze 'n' gore envelope-pushing film- featured here are three cuts of the film, a good selection of extras, and an eighty-page book/ selection of art cards.

Released in 1968 Corruption ( aka Carnage, Laser Killer ) was split between groovy ‘n’ swinging London, and UK’s south coast- all topped with an often energetic and pacey trad jazz score. The film was directed by English born Robert Hartford-Davis- he had thirteen feature lengths to his name. These went from nihilistic, sleazed and cheap house invasion thriller Crosstrap (1962), onto gothic horror mystery The Black Torment(1964), WIP meets psychological thriller/ soapy romance film School For Unclaimed Girls (1969), and black panther-like gang film Black Gunn(1972). Corruption- in either of the three cuts- runs around the one and a half hour mark, and is largely a pacey/ eventful film with some quite nasty and sleazed violence in the full uncut version, which is the version I watched.

The film introduces us to respected and debonair Sir John Rowan( Crushing)- he’s in a relationship with up and coming model Sue Lloyd(Lynn Nolan). One night while at a grooving ‘n’ swinging London party, an accident happens with Sue getting badly burnt on one side of her face Sir John steals pineal gland from a recently dead young woman to heal her face, it seems to have initially work with her face seemingly back to normal- so the pair going on a cruise, sadly with-in days they are back at their London home, as her face deteriorates. Sir John is panicking with Sue putting constant pressure on him- in the end, he decides he needs a just dead head to do the operation on Sue. He goes to use a brash hooker- with a nasty and sweaty attack from Cushing as the topless woman is rapidly stabbed, then her head removed. Once again this seems to have worked, though fairly soon things return to normal/ burnt again- with pressure put on Cushing to get another body.

Cushing as always is great in his role as a slowly-but-surely become a deranged doctor- with his attacks been all sweaty intense-ness and messy-haired manic-ness. Nolan is good as the brattish and arrogant model, with some largely passable to good supporting cast- with worthy Anthony Booth as the flashy and vapid photographer Mike Orme, David Lodge an animalistic and deranged gang henchman Groper. The violence/ attacks are very sexualized- as we get the first attack with the hooker- who is topless, then Cushing goes on a stabbing frenzy, then starts to cut her head off. Later we are on a train attack on a woman, then the final head stealing attack is the most intense, as it brings together looped footage of all the sleaze that has gone before with the woman been brutally attacked on the beach, with her nipples clearly seen. But it’s not just the violence that is effective- the plot remains fairly tight ‘n’ tense throughout, with the whole thing move towards an intense if slightly silly medical laser gone awry killing folk. All in all, Corruption is an effective slice of surgeon gone mad horror- with some great moments of intense and highly sleazed violence.

Moving onto this new region B Blu Ray release of the film- and the disc features three different cuts of the film censored UK theatrical cut (92 mins), the US theatrical cut (92 mins), and the graphic continental version (91 mins). As far as I can gather each of these features a 2k restoration from the original negative- I watched only the continental version for this review, and it looks good- with a nice blend of bright 60’s colourings, good English seaside/countryside colourings, and spurting reds. 
New extras wise on the disc it’s itself we only a few things- a seven-minute introduction to the film by horror writer Stephen Laws – this finds him giving a good overview of the picture, how it was reviewed when it came out, it’s different cuts and the novelisation- which apparently is quite different from the finished film. We get an on-screen interview with Phillip Manikum- who played the leader of the nasty beatnik gang- and this is most worthy. He talks about how he got into acting, this been his first on film role, Cushing giving him on set tips, the wig he wore, and much more- so well worth a play. On the archive extras side of things we get a good batch of things- there’s a commentary track from Peter Cushing biographer David Miller and English Gothic author/genre commentator Jonathan Rigby. And this a great chatty, fascinating fact-packed, and worthy observation lined track- they talk about the film in the context of Cushing’s output of the time, moving on talking about its production, and the production company behind the film Titian International & Oakshire Productions- talking about other films they made. They comment on Cushing performances in general, and great/ key scenes with him in. They give bios of even supporting actors, and much more.
Moving onto the other archive extras and we have the following- an audio interview with the film's producer/ cameraman Peter Newbrook from 1995 this runs ninety-two minutes. A seventy-two-minute audio interview with Peter Cushing from 1986. A sixteen-minute onscreen interview with actress Wendy Varnals, who played one of the female members of the nasty beatnik gang. Fourteen-minute on-screen interview with actor Billy Murray who played another member of the beatnik gang. Nine-minute onscreen interview with actress Jan Waters who appears in the UK cut of the film.. Alternative opening titles for the film when it was released under the Laser Killer title. Isolated music & effects track, Original UK and US theatrical trailer Edgar Wright trailer commentary three minutes. TV spots & spots, Image galleries: production stills and promotional material, and director’s shooting script gallery. The finished set also comes with an eighty-page book featuring a new essay by Laura Mayne, a history of production company Titan International Films, an archival interview with producer and cinematographer Peter Newbrook, a look at the film’s music, cast and publicity, excerpts from the novelisation, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and film credits.

Though I’ve been a Cushing fan for many years Corruption is one of the few of his films I hadn’t seen, and it certainly lives up its reputation- been one of the more sleazed and nasty films the gentleman of British horror ever made. As we’ve come to expect Powerhouse does a nice job with this reissue- so if you are either a Cushing fan or enjoy the nastier/ sleazed side of Brit horror of the ’60s/ 70’s this is most certainly something you need to pick up. Head to Powerhouse direct to pick up a copy.