You Can’t Hide What’s Brewing Beneath the Surface

Read Time:5 Minute, 56 Second

MOVIE REVIEW
Pete Walker Crime Collection
Die Screaming, Marianne –
Cool It, Carol! –
The Big Switch –
Moon (Man of Violence) –
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Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller, Exploitation, Action
Year Released: 1971 / 1970 / 1968 / 1971, Kino Lorber Blu-ray 2025
Runtime: Approx. 6h 30m Total
Director(s): Pete Walker
Writer(s): Murray Smith / Pete Walker / Pete Walker / Pete Walker, Ian Cutler
Cast: Susan George, Barry Evans, Leo Genn / Robin Askwith, Janet Lynn, Jess Conrad / Sebastian Breaks, Virginia Wetherell, Derek Aylward / Michael Latimer, Luan Peters, Derek Aylward
Where to Watch: Available May 13, 2025, pre-order here: www.kinolorber.com or www.amazon.com

RAVING REVIEW: PETE WALKER CRIME COLLECTION doesn’t just introduce you to four crime stories—it drops you straight into an underworld where morality is negotiable and violence lingers. This set from Kino Lorber uncovers a lesser-discussed chapter in Pete Walker’s career, veering away from the horror that would later define him, and instead spotlighting a filmmaker unafraid to get tangled up in London’s unseen side, exploitation-laced melodrama, and low-budget noir grit.

There’s a rebellious energy coursing through these titles, feeling reactive to the times and cinema itself. Walker wasn’t chasing trends—he was dragging them down a dark alley to see what they look like when they’re covered in sweat, shame, and desperation. The result is a chaotic, uneven, but undeniably fascinating glimpse into a director testing boundaries while still figuring out which ones he wanted to break permanently.

DIE SCREAMING, MARIANNE is the most structurally ambitious of the four, and arguably the most fully realized. Susan George leads with a mix of innocence and defiance, offering a performance that anchors a narrative teetering on the edge of dysfunction. This is where Walker seems to be most focused—balancing psychological suspense with the rough textures of exploitation cinema. The movie walks a fine line between class and chaos, and though not all its twists land, its pacing and bold tonal shifts keep you locked in. There’s enough paranoia baked into its DNA that you’re never quite sure where allegiances lie—or whether you should even care. That's part of the thrill.

COOL IT, CAROL! throws subtlety out the window and revels in its reputation. Loosely disguised as a cautionary tale, it’s more interested in the transactional nature of sex and survival in the big city. Robin Askwith and Janet Lynn bring a vulnerability to roles that are often more exploitative than exploratory, but that feels like the point. This isn’t a film about character growth—it’s about decay, which creeps up slowly until there’s no going back. Despite the provocative marketing and softcore window dressing, the film stings with an intentional and disturbing moral emptiness. There’s discomfort in how Walker frames the loss of innocence, but also a willingness to confront it without flinching.

THE BIG SWITCH feels like a proving ground. It’s rougher around the edges, technically and narratively, but still carries the fingerprints of a filmmaker looking to push beyond the standard Brit-crime template. The title may scream pulp, and the plotting leans hard into the kind of noir that’s more interested in mood than logic, giving it personality. Sebastian Breaks gives a performance that’s more committed than the material probably deserves, and there are flashes of style that hint at what Walker would develop later. It’s sleazy, but with purpose—like a test run for how far he can go before the seams show. They do, often, but there's charm in how bold it is anyway.

The final entry, MOON (aka MAN OF VIOLENCE) is arguably the most cynical. This film is dripping with distrust—not just of its characters but also of the institutions they operate within. Spies, mercenaries, and business people merge into one amorphous cloud of corruption, and Walker relishes the murk. Michael Latimer plays the role with cold precision, and the movie trades narrative momentum for a thick, almost oppressive atmosphere. It’s less interested in violence as spectacle than in inevitability. That might frustrate viewers looking for cleaner genre thrills, but it aligns with the set’s mood. There’s no one left to root for, and that feels intentional.

Technically, Kino Lorber treats this material with the level of respect you would expect. The transfers vary, but all present the films with clarity and care, especially given their age and origins. The grain remains intact, and the color leans into the grit rather than polishing it away. It feels right—these movies shouldn’t look pristine. They should look like they’ve been handled, like they’ve survived something, because they have.

This collection won’t be for everyone. The pacing can be erratic, the dialogue occasionally stilted, and the genre switches from film to film, which might throw viewers off looking for consistency. But if you come in willing to sit with the grime and appreciate the ambition behind the aesthetic, there’s a lot here to admire. Walker’s transition from exploitation to something darker and more psychological wasn’t linear, and these films are proof of that messy journey. Each one shows the wear and tear of its era—and its creator.

PETE WALKER CRIME COLLECTION is a time capsule with teeth. It captures an era when independent British filmmakers could still operate outside the system and make noise. The rough edges aren’t just part of the package—they’re the whole point. Walker wasn’t afraid to make his crime stories ugly, confrontational, and occasionally contradictory. That’s what makes them interesting. That’s what makes them endure.

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[photo courtesy of KINO LORBER]

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