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Starring Sherlock Holmes
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Sherlock Holmes has been portrayed on screen more often than any other character in history. This...
Awix (3310 KP) rated From Beyond the Grave (1974) in Movies
Sep 1, 2019 (Updated Mar 6, 2020)
Final Amicus portmanteau horror sticks to the format very agreeably. Peter Cushing runs a junk/antique shop; ghastly supernatural fates afflict everyone who tries to swindle or steal from him. Starts off relatively seriously but becomes increasingly camp and tongue-in-cheek as it continues; the usual strong cast helps to lift some slightly schlocky material, and the familiarity of some of the stories is offset by something approaching an actual plot twist.
The hard-to-describe segment with Ian Bannen and Donald Pleasance is probably the best, the one with Ian Carmichael and the elemental the weakest, but the stories are more consistent than in many films of this type. Does what you expect from this kind of film; also very good value if you enjoy watching actors called Ian.
The hard-to-describe segment with Ian Bannen and Donald Pleasance is probably the best, the one with Ian Carmichael and the elemental the weakest, but the stories are more consistent than in many films of this type. Does what you expect from this kind of film; also very good value if you enjoy watching actors called Ian.
Awix (3310 KP) rated The Gorgon (1964) in Movies
Feb 10, 2018 (Updated Feb 10, 2018)
Every Day a Bad Hair Day
Hammer horror from the studio's imperial phase, with the period setting and star names (Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing) that might lead one to expect something quite distinguished. However, the premise is such an odd one - a monster from Greek mythology is lurking in German-occupied Europe, petrifying the unwary - that the film-makers really struggle to know what to do with it, settling in the end for a story structure partly knocked off from the less interesting kind of werewolf movie.
Well-directed in parts, with some good imagery and set piece scenes, but the movie struggles to give the cast the material they deserve and the meandering and repetitive storyline can only charitably be described as a plot. All a bit bleak and cheerless; inevitably comes across as slightly misogynistic too.
Well-directed in parts, with some good imagery and set piece scenes, but the movie struggles to give the cast the material they deserve and the meandering and repetitive storyline can only charitably be described as a plot. All a bit bleak and cheerless; inevitably comes across as slightly misogynistic too.
Awix (3310 KP) rated The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires (1974) in Movies
Feb 7, 2018 (Updated Feb 9, 2018)
Chop Sucky
One of those movies where a bunch of very talented people get together and somehow manage to produce something not all that great. The famous British horror movie studio Hammer gets together with Hong Kong's Shaw Brothers to produce a Gothic horror kung fu movie that also manages to pastiche The Magnificent Seven (et al).
You want to know the plot? Well, a gaggle of Chinese vampires feel they aren't getting the respect they deserve, and so they recruit Dracula as a sort of foreign signing to help with their brand awareness, or something. However, also on a lecture tour of China is Dracula's nemesis Van Helsing (Peter Cushing, using all his powers to elevate deeply suspect material), even though they've apparently never met before, and he sets off with a gang of local kung fu experts to sort the problem out. Cushing is not required to do any kung fu, the Chinese cast are not required to say 'Transylvania' more often than is absolutely necessary, and Christopher Lee flatly refuses to participate (Dracula, who appears to be overdoing his make-up, is played by another actor).
Nevertheless this is still schlocky good fun, although the script doesn't even make sense on its own terms and credited director Roy Ward Baker doesn't seem quite sure of what to do with the kung fu genre. One of the most bonkers of the late-period Hammer horror movies, not that this is necessarily a bad thing.
You want to know the plot? Well, a gaggle of Chinese vampires feel they aren't getting the respect they deserve, and so they recruit Dracula as a sort of foreign signing to help with their brand awareness, or something. However, also on a lecture tour of China is Dracula's nemesis Van Helsing (Peter Cushing, using all his powers to elevate deeply suspect material), even though they've apparently never met before, and he sets off with a gang of local kung fu experts to sort the problem out. Cushing is not required to do any kung fu, the Chinese cast are not required to say 'Transylvania' more often than is absolutely necessary, and Christopher Lee flatly refuses to participate (Dracula, who appears to be overdoing his make-up, is played by another actor).
Nevertheless this is still schlocky good fun, although the script doesn't even make sense on its own terms and credited director Roy Ward Baker doesn't seem quite sure of what to do with the kung fu genre. One of the most bonkers of the late-period Hammer horror movies, not that this is necessarily a bad thing.
Awix (3310 KP) rated The Abominable Snowman (1957) in Movies
Mar 23, 2018 (Updated Mar 23, 2018)
Solid Hammer genre movie. Really an odd piece of atomic-era pessimism, as you'd expect from famously glum screenwriter Nigel Kneale; expedition to track down the Yeti goes rather awry, and the question becomes that of who the real monster is.
A bit dated now, especially in terms of the production values - there are some exterior shots filmed in the Pyrenees, but all the dialogue scenes were done on a sound stage. Despite being the main character, Peter Cushing (in only his second film for Hammer) is second-billed to the American Tucker in the hope of flogging the movie to the States (pretty much standard practice at the time). Decent script ticks all the plot boxes; curiously ambiguous ending doesn't hurt either, but the Yeti suits are not much cop, it must be said. Probably worth watching if you like unusually brainy B-movies.
A bit dated now, especially in terms of the production values - there are some exterior shots filmed in the Pyrenees, but all the dialogue scenes were done on a sound stage. Despite being the main character, Peter Cushing (in only his second film for Hammer) is second-billed to the American Tucker in the hope of flogging the movie to the States (pretty much standard practice at the time). Decent script ticks all the plot boxes; curiously ambiguous ending doesn't hurt either, but the Yeti suits are not much cop, it must be said. Probably worth watching if you like unusually brainy B-movies.
Awix (3310 KP) rated The Horror of Frankenstein (1970) in Movies
Feb 24, 2018
(The other) Young Frankenstein
At the start of the 1970s Hammer tried to relaunch both their main series with new leading men (Ralph Bates replacing Christopher Lee in this case); this was the only reboot which eventually happened. The basics of the Frankenstein story are (just about) retold; young Victor decides to make a man, if not of himself, then from some body parts.
There's no doubt that Ralph Bates could have been a brilliant Frankenstein, but not in a film with a script like this one's. The film attempts to appeal to a hip young audience by including cleavage by the yard and lots of sub-Carry On film humour; script is also thick-headed and repetitive. The moment Frankenstein's experiments included resurrecting a tortoise everyone involved should have realised there was a serious problem here. Not funny, not scary, not interesting, barely worth watching except for Hammer fans. They got Peter Cushing back for the next one.
There's no doubt that Ralph Bates could have been a brilliant Frankenstein, but not in a film with a script like this one's. The film attempts to appeal to a hip young audience by including cleavage by the yard and lots of sub-Carry On film humour; script is also thick-headed and repetitive. The moment Frankenstein's experiments included resurrecting a tortoise everyone involved should have realised there was a serious problem here. Not funny, not scary, not interesting, barely worth watching except for Hammer fans. They got Peter Cushing back for the next one.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Blood from the Mummy's Tomb (1971) in Movies
Jan 31, 2020
Slightly oddball mummy movie from Hammer: much mayhem, sort of prefiguring The Omen in some ways, and a crawling severed hand, but no-one staggering around covered in bandages, either (at least not until the very end, and this may be intended as a knowing joke). The spirit of an evil Egyptian queen possesses the daughter of the man who dug her up and attempts to recover the relics she needs to resurrect herself.
Just about hangs together, but there are some very ropey-looking sequences and the plot doesn't really cohere - there even seems to be some uncertainty as to when exactly it's supposed to be set. A heroically earnest performance from Valerie Leon, given the camera keeps mysteriously panning down onto her chest; everyone else is okay; you wonder if the movie might have been lifted somewhat if first choice Peter Cushing had been able to complete his role. Probably not, but Hammer fans will find it passes the time reasonably enough.
Just about hangs together, but there are some very ropey-looking sequences and the plot doesn't really cohere - there even seems to be some uncertainty as to when exactly it's supposed to be set. A heroically earnest performance from Valerie Leon, given the camera keeps mysteriously panning down onto her chest; everyone else is okay; you wonder if the movie might have been lifted somewhat if first choice Peter Cushing had been able to complete his role. Probably not, but Hammer fans will find it passes the time reasonably enough.
Awix (3310 KP) rated A Chump at Oxford (1940) in Movies
Mar 24, 2019 (Updated Mar 24, 2019)
Disjointed L&H slapstick comedy, one of their last films for Hal Roach. Originally made as a 40-minute 'streamlined feature' and was extended to 62 minutes by the addition of an opening section which is a tidied-up remake of their 1928 short From Soup to Nuts; naturally, this has no connection with the rest of the story. Stan and Ollie try their hands at catering (badly), stop a robbery (accidentally) and as a reward are sent to Oxford University to better themselves. They antagonise the local students which leads to some surprising revelations as to Stan's past.
The individual sections are not too bad, but the episodic nature of the film means it feels longer than an hour; there are some good bits, but also a sense of the boys having run out of ideas and either repeating themselves or trying too hard. Spotting Peter Cushing (this is possibly the best-known of the films he made while in Hollywood for a couple of years as a young man) adds to the fun, though.
The individual sections are not too bad, but the episodic nature of the film means it feels longer than an hour; there are some good bits, but also a sense of the boys having run out of ideas and either repeating themselves or trying too hard. Spotting Peter Cushing (this is possibly the best-known of the films he made while in Hollywood for a couple of years as a young man) adds to the fun, though.
Morecambe & Wise: Bring Me Sunshine
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For over 40 years the Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise epitomised the best of British comedy. Beginning...
Sherlock Holmes on Screen
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Conan Doyle's master detective Sherlock Holmes has appeared on screen more times than any other...