Review – Corruption

Peter Cushing’s name in the credits gets me set for some creaky Victorian skullduggery from Hammer Studios, so I was a little disappointed to learn that this wasn’t a Hammer production and the setting was 1968 contemporary. That notwithstanding, we get a fair amount of creepy murder. Cushing plays a surgeon seeking a way to repair the burned face of his fashion model fiancé. Unfortunately the cure he comes up with involves glands from other women, the more recently dead the better. After the good doctor reluctantly commits a handful of murders, the crime spree is interrupted by a pack of hippie housebreakers who are less Manson Family scary and more acid-is-groovy-kill-the-pigs stupid. I was intrigued by the rare complicity of the love interest. Usually the mad scientist’s girlfriend/wife has a “he was doing what?” moment somewhere along the line, but here the woman knows what’s going on and even forces the hapless doctor to kill just to maintain her beauty. The poster proclaims “Corruption is not a woman’s picture! Therefore no woman will be admitted alone to see this super shock film!!” Their loss, I’m sure. Also released as Carnage. Mildly amusing