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aka The Curse of Siniestro. The Wolfman.
A beggar asks for charity from a cruel Marques, for which he tormented, thrown in jail and forgotten, until more beast than man. Years pass and the jailers daughter takes over the task of feeding the wretch. For which she is re-payed by being raped by the Marques and then the by now madman. From this human cruelty is born Leon, a child who grows up tormented by an evil spirit.
A great Hammer, which dwells on the consequences of evil deeds. If cruelty was not enacted then little Leon would not have been cursed, and if Leon had been able to live a virtuous life he wouldn't have become evil. So a morality tale is acted out by one of the best feral actors there's been, Oliver Reed. How can you not enjoy that?
"He was my son. Now he is only... a beast of the night."
The sequel to Dracula, and although he's in the titles, the fanged one makes no appearance in the film. Instead we follow Mariann (Yvonne Monlaur), a young teacher who is abandoned in a Transylvanian village and gets embroiled with the Baroness Meinster, and her insane son.After releasing him and the death of the Baroness, she is found, exhausted, by Dr. Van Helsing. He takes her to the local village where they are mourning the mysterious death of a young woman...
A dreamy Gothic horror, with a subtile script that hints at themes of incest, sadomasochism and homosexuality. This sees Hammer treading water somewhat, but how can you go wrong with Peter Cushing reprising his Van Helsing role. And Martita Hunt brings great pathos to the role of the Baroness, a doting and protective mother who knows real torment when her son is freed.
A travelling salesman stumbles into a horrific scene, a dying Dracula (from 'Dracula Has Risen From The Grave'). Once dead he quickly scoops up Dracula's cape and some residual blood. Cut to three respectable men in Victorian London. They are jaded, seeking new experiences and excitement. Excitement that Ralph Bates promises them but only if they are willing to sell their souls to the devil.
Here we have a fine and entertaining Gothic horror and although Christopher Lee appears for all of five minutes, we hardly miss his presence.
The forth Dracula created by Hammer finds a Monsignor going back to the village where he conquered Dracula exactly one year previously. What he finds disturbs him and he decides to exorcise the castle, to prove that Dracula is dead once and for all. Unfortunately being a horror this doesn't go as planned and Dracula determines to exact his revenge.
Unfortunately Christopher Lee has little to do of any note, but it still makes for an entertaining horror, filled with brooding menace.
In a sand pit in Berkshire, (it certainly doesn't look like Egypt), an archaeological expedition discovers the tomb of an Egyptian prince. On returning home the expedition members find the traditional curse seems to being enacted, as one by one they are being killed. How can they stop this murderous rampage?
The third incarnation of mummy's by Hammer runs through the by now standard mummy formula. It looks good, with some great performances, without rising much above the average. Enjoyable in itself but nothing great to write home about.
It's the early 1900's and the police and local doctor appear baffled about a series of murders and who could be committing them by the light of the full moon. A cover up comes to light when a young suicide victim is blamed for the murder of his girlfriend. His father determines to get to the bottom of it and enlists the help of his other son to investigate, and he soon hears about the legend of the Megaera. Could it be that the doctor knows who the Magaera is and why is he so protective and possessive of Carla, his assistant?
A fine example of a gothic Hammer film, with Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing swapping the good/bad roles. This time it's Christopher Lee who is the crusading detective and Peter Cushing is the frightened doctor, covering up the crimes. A decent horror that doesn't disappoint.
Egyptologists discover the tomb of an Egyptian prince and are persuaded by an American showman to put the sarcophagus on display. The trouble starts when the exhibition is burgled, then the mummy goes missing.
This was the second Mummy film from Hammer and it starts well, but seems overlong and finds it hard to keep up the pace. Dipping somewhat in the middle, before the mummy finally arrives to liven things up for the big finish. This version of the mummy is much more vicious than in previous films and there is a nice twist in the tale. All in all it's a great looking and entertaining film, without being more than an average Hammer.
aka The Zombies.
The new doctor in a Cornish village is baffled when men start dying mysteriously and asks his old Professor for help solving the problem. The Professor's daughter persuades him to help and they travel down, managing to antagonise the local gentry on the way. When they arrive they find the locals distrustful of the doctor and unwilling to help him discover what, or who, is killing their family members. Then a villager swears that he's seen his dead brother on the moors.
John Gilling keeps things rattling along nicely, with plenty of shocks along the way. This is another example of a how good Hammer films could be.
aka Kronos. Vampire Castle.
Young women are literally having the youth sucked out of them. Enter ace vampire hunter Capt. Kronos invited there by an old friend the local doctor. Kronos and his side kick Grost search for clues which lead them to the mysterious Durward family, and the aged Lady Durward.
One of my favourite Hammer horrors, which combines the gothic horror they are so well known for, with tongue in cheek humour and an element of the old swashbuckling serial vibe. All wrapped up within some brilliant directing by Brian Clemens. Oh and Caroline Munro doesn't harm matters as the love interest.
aka Make Them Die Slowly. Woman from Deep River.
Anthropologist takes her brother and a friend to the South American jungles to study the natives and prove cannibals don't exist. Unfortunately the natives have revolted against a couple of of drug dealers, who had enslaved and tortured them, and their taste in revenge leads down some very dark paths.
A dumb script populated with even dumber people! If I was told that there was a tribe of cannibals on the rampage I'd run in the opposite direction. Not this lot, they decide to go to their village and start taking photo's! Its just a feeble excuse to get some gore in. You name it, it gets gouged, pierced, or cut off. Not for the feint-hearted or those that feint at the sight of blood, brains or castration!
Charlton Heston is the last man alive, surrounded by 'the family' a group of mutants who only come out at night. This has the same source book as The Last Man On Earth and I Am Legend. But in this biological warfare has devastated the world, leaving Heston as possibly the lone survivor wandering the deserted city looking for the family's hide out and also something to entertain himself with.
This is an entertaining version, not least because the mutants are reasoning human beings, all be it ones that have a warped sense of right and wrong! A vicious luddite religious cult out to exterminate all examples of science. Also the film has that early 70's hippie, blacksploitation vibe about it, that dates it but gives it an interesting style.
aka Atomic Monster. Strangers from Outer Space. The Meteor.
A couple see a meteor crash near their desert home, but when the man investigates he finds its actually a spaceship. They try to inform the authorities, but no one seems to be interested. This changes when people start going missing, and when they return acting strangely.
A great example of 50's sci-fi on all levels, everything from the score (by an uncredited Henry Mancini), to the pervasive sense of cold war paranoia. This was the 3-D version, which adds nothing to the story, but occasionally adds to the theatrics of events, especially the rockfall. Great film in 2 or 3D.
aka L'ultimo Uomo Della Terra. Naked Terror. Night People. The Night Creatures. Vento di morte. Wind of Death.
As in the previous post Dr Robert lives in a city in ruins. Alone, the last survivor of a terrible virus that he alone seems to be immune to. He searches for survivors with no success, and continuing his research to find a cure. Whilst hiding from the mutant victims that come out at night and seek to kill him.
Vincent Price gives a muted and poignant performance as a man struggling to survive, conveying his loneliness and desperation in this low budget Italian offering. Much darker and infinitely better than the Will Smith version.
2012 and New York City lies in ruins. Robert Neville is alone, the last survivor of a terrible virus that he alone seems to be immune to. He searches for survivors with no success, and continuing his research to find a cure. Whilst hiding from the mutant victims that come out at night and seek to kill him.
Not really a b movie - as its a Will Smith mega-bucks vehicle, that delivers none of the expected shocks or horror. You would be much better to see the Vincent Price version (The Last Man On Earth), made for a tiny percentage of this, but with much more heart.
14-year-old Hayley agrees to meet a fashion photographer, named Jeff, that she has been chatting to on the web. She seems to like him, despite the age difference invites herself to his house. But what is it that each is after and what are their motivations. Is it possible that Jeff is a paedophile, and what is it that keeps Hayley there?
A great example of what can be done with a little money and a good script. With barely a character in the film barring these two, who play a psychological game of cat and mouse until it inevitably turns nasty.
aka Gwoemul.
Personnel at an American military base release toxic chemicals into the Han River. Years later, the clumsy and inept Park Gang-du is scrapping a living selling snacks by the river when a mutant creature suddenly attacks. Unfortunately during the mayhem his daughter is carried off by it. Whilst grieving he receives a phone call from his daughter telling him she is stuck somewhere in the sewage system. The Park family vow to set out and find her as the authorities do not believe him.
A brilliantly realised film with pathos, bravery, comedy and a great cgi monster.
The Baron is back, this time as a ruthless psychopath, once again performing his illegal experiments and he has enlisted the help of a young doctor, by means of blackmail. Together they perfect Frankenstein's creature.
This proves to be one of the best Hammer horrors, beautifully realised with a devilish Frankenstein and Freddie Jones bringing real pathos to the role of the creature. A must for horror fans everywhere.
aka Eyes from Hell. Eyes of Hell. Face of Fire. The Spooky Movie Show.
A young man is seen pursuing and strangling a woman. He tells his psychiatrist that he believes he is cursed by a mask. Before committing suicide, he mails the mask to his psychiatrist, who soon succumbs to the the power of the mask.
An interesting horror with the added gimmick of 3D, when anyone puts on the mask. Especially interesting are these nightmare sequences and the sound design featured in them. Well worth a viewing, especially if available in 3D.
aka Santo vs. Las Lobas.
The she-wolves elect a new queen and terrorise a mexican village. Santo Mexico's favorite luchador is approached for help, but refuses to believe in werewolves. That is until he's attacked by a pack of wolves (well Alsatians) and decides to help protect the Harker family who are immune to a werewolfs bite. This makes them mortal enemies of the she-wolves.
A convoluted plot, bad acting, bad editing and direction. Really there is not many good points to this film, but it's still enjoyable on a 'bad' meaning good level. Watch only if you like badly filmed men wrestling.
aka Terror of the Hatchet Men.
Hong Kong 1910 and Christopher Lee is the leader of the murderous Red Dragon Tongs. Geoffrey Toone is a ships captain, who goes after the Tongs when they murder his teenage daughter and with the help of Lee (Yvonne Monlaur) persuades the Chinese residents to stand up to the terror in their midst.
A rollicking adventure that benefits from some great colour photography, a good script and some thrills along the way. Just overlook the fact that all the main actors are European made up to look Chinese!
aka The Stranglers of Bengal.1820's India and Capt Lewis is on the trail of a Kali worshiping religious cult that is robbing and killing the caravans. He gets frustrated when he is taken off the case and replaced by Capt Smith, who knows nothing off and cares little for Indian culture. Lewis resigns when no-one will take his talk of the Thuggees seriously and vows to continue his investigations.
At the time this was considered extremely violent, with eyes branded, tongues pulled out and a man who literally jumps into a hangman's noose to die. All in all it's a much darker film than Hammer usually make but still a fast paced adventure.
The men of the European village of Schtettel kill their lord, Count Mitterhaus, who has been feasting on their children. Before he dies he curses them and vows to return. Fifteen years later and the village is under quarantine because of the plague. To everyone's joy a circus breaks the cordon and arrives to entertain them. But soon disturbing events start happening...can the curse be coming true?
Here Hammer continue with their 70's formula of sex and gore in this likable gothic horror. Whilst Vampire Circus brings nothing new to the genre it trips along a a fair pace and provides fine entertainment.
"The coffin has gone!"
Part of the Karnstein Trilogy, based on the Le Fanu story Carmilla. It stars Ingrid Pitt as Marcilla, who comes into the the care of Von Spielsdorf (Peter Cushing). She befriends his daughter, but the daughters health rapidly deteriorates. With her death Marcilla mysteriously vanishes, only to turn up at another house as Carmilla, and soon the daughter of this house (Madeline Smith) suffers a similar malaise.
Architypal 70's Hammer when they added nudity to the gothic horror. It has all the classic Hammer trademarks, misty castles, flimsy nightgowns and beautiful female vampires, what's not to like?
aka The House Across The Lake.
Kendrick is an American hack writer who narrates his sorry tale. Of how he met a rich neighbor Forrest (Sid James) and was seduced by his indiscreet but beautiful trophy wife Carol. Of how Carol murders her husband and persuades Kendrick to cover it up and say it was an accident, and that's where his troubles start.
A straight up thriller, with likable men and a dastardly woman spinning a web of intrigue. The film will never stun anyone, but it's good solid entertainment.
aka The Curse of Siniestro. The Wolfman.
