Schlock master William Castle's last film, 1974's "Shanks," is a travesty and not worthy of some of his earlier efforts. It's particularly awful considering the fact that he totally wastes the great French mime Marcel Marceau and everyone else of note in the cast. As far as movies go, this one has all the appearances of one directed by a deranged first-year film student. The pacing is entirely off, the editing is nearly nonexistent and the acting (if one can call it that) is so sophomoric as to be distracting to one's nerves. The fact that there's virtually no dialog in the movie qualifies as its only saving grace. The fault lies squarely with director Castle. He was a somewhat noted producer of low-budget yet effective fright films in his day, but directing surely was not his forte as this abomination clearly demonstrates. Lost in this mess are a few fine actors such as Don Calfa (best remembered for his role in "Return of the Living Dead") and Helena Kallianiotes (memorable in "Five Easy Pieces"). The less said about the rest of the cast, the better. As for Marcel Marceau, the so-called star of this turgid nightmare of a movie, he can only blame himself and his agent (maybe Mr. Castle too) for getting involved. The great Marceau certainly deserved better. Almost as sad as this worthless movie are the few reviewers who actually gave it a positive rating. Either they have never seen this pile of garbage or their collective expectations for what constitutes a work of art are on a par with what ends up in a cesspool.
Review of Shanks
