Matt-131 Reviews

Flesh and Blood: The Hammer Heritage of Horror (1994 TV Movie)

An interesting 2 part documentary

[9/10 · 18 June 2000]

I found this documentary to be very interesting. Although most of the clips from the Hammer films were in the format of theatrical trailers (due to actual film clips being too expensive), I found that there was enough of a mix of interviews and clips to keep most people happy. The narration was good (as you would expect from Peter Cushing & Christopher Lee) but was also tinged with sadness, as when it was shown in the UK (on consecutive Saturday evenings) Peter Cushing died before the second part was shown. It can truly be seen as his swansong for Hammer, for whom he made so many classic films.

Wilde (1997)

Great film

[9/10 · 18 June 2000]

Not really knowing alot about the life of Oscar Wilde, I looked forward to viewing this film, hoping that it would fill in one of the many gaps in my education. I was not disappointed.

This is a film of exceptional human warmth and I can highly recommend it. It deals matter-of-factly with the "issue" of homosexuality, it doesn't condemn or condone what happened in Wilde's private life, the viewer just gets a look at the man underneath the legend.

Stephen Fry does a great job as the title role, making Wilde a sympathetic character with whom the audience empathises. How he contrasts with the Marquess of Queensbury! I will long remember the confrontation between the two men, with Wilde giving as good as he gets against the Marquess' pathological hatred.

Jude Law gives an expert performance as Bosie (or Lord Alfred Douglas), with his deeply contrasting nature shown to full effect, sometimes being tender and loving, at other times changing into a screaming "madman".

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this film and can heartily recommend it to anyone who likes good films.

The Vampire Lovers (1970)

Ingrid Pitt on the loose!

[18 June 2000]

This film is really a vehicle for the beauty and guile of Ingrid Pitt. She seems to have been having a great time as the femme fatale, leaving large sways of lovely young women dead in her wake.

This film is the first of the trilogy of Karnstein vampire movies made by Hammer, based on the book Carmilla by Sheriden Le Fanu. It has quite a cast and they all seem to be enjoying themselves. Peter Cushing has a brief role as General Spielsdorf, Douglas Wilmer is the Baron Hartog and George Cole plays Morton. Along comes the mysterious Marcilla, and suddenly beautiful young women fall in love with her and die.

While this film is not the best that Hammer ever made, neither is it the worst and is rather enjoyable overall, as long as you remember to keep the crucifixes handy!

The Horror of Frankenstein (1970)

A failure

[18 December 1999]

This film fails to deliver, I am afraid to say, any shocks or inject any new ideas into the Hammer Frankenstein saga. It is a thinly veiled reworking of "The Curse of Frankenstein" with some added sexual antics and a few (failed) jokes. The whole film seems to have been made with a tongue-in-cheek mentality and it shows. Ralph Bates is no replacement for Peter Cushing, although he struggles well with the inept script. Kate O'Mara does a very hammy impression of a yokel temptress and Dave Prowse looks rather ridiculous in an oversized nappy (diaper). On the whole, this is a movie best left alone and is one of the least impressive Hammer horror's.

Frankenstein Created Woman (1967)

Metaphysical horror

[16 December 1999]

With this, Hammer's fourth Frankenstein film, the director Terence Fisher took a more philosophical approach to the proceedings. The film deals with some fairly hefty issues, such as the existence of souls and their substance, the nature of personality and the effects of trauma upon the psyche. Fisher weaves these elements around a tale of love and revenge.

Instead of some crazed monster roaming around destroying things (and people) we see the delightful Susan Denberg portraying the "creation". Because she is visibly more human than Frankenstein's other creations, the audience therefore builds a greater sympathy for her and her situation than would otherwise be possible. Although Denberg was not a professional actress she deals well with the demands placed upon her and her transformation from disabled waitress to disabling beauty is convincing.

Peter Cushing is on fine form (as ever) as the Baron, helped in his experiments by Thorley Walters. The supporting cast all do well with their roles, the script is good and the atmosphere very gothic (as you would expect). The only real shock is the ending, which is incredibly understated.

Hammer House of Horror: The Silent Scream (1980) Season 1, Episode 7

Effective TV outing

[7/10 · 15 August 1999]

This installment from the Hammer House of Horror is fairly effective. The plot concerns a recently released prisoner trying to find work, who falls under the spell of peter Cushing. Needless to say, things don't work out smoothly!

There is a tiny cast of only 5 named characters, but this helps with the claustrophobic feel of the story. Peter Cushing is at his purring best as a pet shop owner with a mysterious past. On the whole, a rewarding, if unchallenging experience.

Carry on Screaming! (1966)

Very funny

[10/10 · 15 August 1999]

This is one of the silliest films that I have seen, and it is also one of the funniest. Only a Carry On film could come up with a plot about women being stolen by giant beasties to be petrified by an undead raving lunatic to be sold as shop dummies! That says it all. All the actors seem to be having a whale of a time, with Kenneth Williams on top madcap form, Harry H Corbett being suitably dense and Fenella Fielding smoulderingly seductive. A real romp and highly recommended.

The Evil of Frankenstein (1964)

A mysterious addition

[15 August 1999]

This film appeared from no-where. It did not follow from The Revenge of Frankenstein, which had immediately preceded it, and the next film in the series, Frankenstein Created Woman, makes no mention of this film. This is a one-off film in the Hammer Frankenstein saga much in the same way that Scars of dracula is a one-off in the Dracula saga. For once, the story is rather flimsy, and the characters fail to build any pathos with the audience. The acting is good, but has no-where to go. It seems to be a remake of any number of Universal horror films rather than an original Hammer film. The direction is rather flat and the monster is just some monolithic doomsday machine running around, destroying everything. On the plus side, the atmosphere is suitably gothic and the costumes are realistic. It is, however, the least best Frankenstein film featuring peter Cushing.

The Devils (1971)

Shocking

[10/10 · 10 January 1999]

This is a shocking film, full of uncompromising images and ideas. It raised a huge outcry when it was released, with many people branding it as blasphemous. It is, however, a work of sheer brilliance and breathtaking daring, and sitting through it is like being repeatedly slapped in the face. Ken Russell achieved, in my view, his finest film with this picture. Oliver Reed gives the finest performance of his life and Vanessa Redgrave is totally convincing as the hunchbacked, repressed nun whose wild fantasies unleash a torrent hideous proportions.I highly recommend it to those who are open-minded.

The Gorgon (1964)

Worth watching

[7/10 · 10 January 1999]

This is not a scary film. This is not an expensive film. But it is worth watching, if for nothing less than the fine performances given by Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. The film is very atmospheric, with swirling mists in graveyards at midnight and a good score. The real let down is the make-up of the gorgon herself, whose snake hair looks like something bought from a cheap joke shop. This having been said, it is a charming "little" film, and you could do a lot worse!

The Curse of Frankenstein (1957)

A breakthrough movie

[10/10 · 10 January 1999]

This is one of the best films to have come from the Hammer studios. Like its more famous counterpart,(Horror of)Dracula, it oozes gothic charm and horror. It made the names of Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, and paved the way for all subsequent horror films. It is acted with gusto, is wonderfully atmospheric and still manages to raise a few shudders more than 40 years on. I suggest that anyone who hasn't seen this film become acquainted with it.

The Fearless Vampire Killers (1967)

A masterpiece.

[10/10 · 7 November 1998]

What can I say about this film? Creepy, funny and a dream to watch, this has to be one of the finest "horror" films ever made. Polanski, gently satirising his favourite Hammer Horror films, directs with a real feeling for the subject. This film walks the path between horror and humour and often leaves the viewer wondering whether to laugh or shudder at what is going on. The acting is spot on, the sets are amazing and the music score has to be one of the most original and haunting ever written. A must see!

The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989)

Disturbing, engrossing, entertaining-sheer magnificence.

[10/10 · 2 November 1998]

To see this film is to enter a dark world of violence, passion and retribution. The characters are complex creations, the sets are steeped in ever changing colour and the script swings wildly from vulgarity to erudition, all held together by the inspired direction of Greenaway. Not a film to watch without the knowledge that it will shock, its sheer power is its greatest asset. In short, one of the masterpieces of English cinema.