The Asphyx

The Asphyx
Directed by Peter Newbrook
Produced by John Brittany
Written by Christina Beers (story),
Laurence Beers (story),
Brian Comport
Starring Robert Stephens,
Robert Powell,
Jane Lapotaire,
Alex Scott
Music by Bill McGuffie
Cinematography Freddie Young
Editing by Maxine Julius
Distributed by Cinema Epoch
United Entertainment
Release date(s) 1972
Running time 99 min
Country UK
Language English

The Asphyx is a 1972 British horror film[1] directed by Peter Newbrook. Also known as Spirit of the Dead and The Horror of Death, it stars Robert Stephens and Robert Powell.

Contents

Plot

The Asphyx tells the exploits of rich scientist-philanthropist Sir Hugo Cunningham, who discovers an unexplainable blur being recorded while he searches the negatives of dying men whom he had recorded. Later on, at a party, he is making a motion picture of his wife-to-be and son, who are boating in a lake, and ends up filming their accidental deaths as well. At first, Cunningham does not realize that he has captured that same misshapen blur on the camera, but once he does, he comes to a conclusion: that the blur is a person's soul leaving the body. It is not until he re-examines the pictures and film however, that he makes the startling discovery that the blur was not moving away from the bodies of those who were dying, it was moving TOWARDS them. After doing some research, the good Doctor finds that he has found a ticket to immortality through the blur, an ancient Greek spirit known as an "Asphyx". According to legends, the spirit will appear only at the moment of a person's death to take them away to the Underworld. Cunningham, in his brilliant madness soon deduces that if he can only stop this process from happening at all, it would make any person immortal and unable to die—unless their particular Asphyx is released.

The Doctor soon goes to his task and makes a deal with his adopted son for help in perfecting and utilizing the procedures, and from there his laboratory becomes filled with torturous devices and instruments of death. He soon comes to understand however, that immortality comes at a high price, not easily fulfilled by mortal man.

Cast

Remake

On 30 October 2009, it was announced that Black & Blue Films was planning to shoot a remake of the movie. Slated to begin principal photography in early 2011, the new version would star Alison Doody as the lead actress,[2][3][4] and Matthew McGuchan in the director's seat.[5]

References

External links