For this last week, my brother and I watched horror movies from Hammer Film Productions.
1. The Man Who Could Cheat Death (1959)
A slow burn mystery film, The Man Who Could Cheat Death is an interesting exploration of mortality and obsession. It features a strong lead performance from Anton Diffring as Dr. Georges Bonnet, a scientist who has discovered how to prolong his life and preserve his health indefinitely, which leads him to begin seeing himself as being above the common lot of humanity. Arnold Marlé is great as Bonnet's aged companion, who tries, to no avail, to prevent his old friend from losing himself. Christopher Lee is featured in a supporting role as fellow scientist who begins to suspect Bonnet's dark secret.
Score: 8/10
2. The Stranglers of Bombay (1959)
A tale of the Thuggee in colonial India, The Stranglers of Bombay is a rather flawed horror/adventure film. The British authorities in the film are so incompetent that it takes away from the films verisimilitude. It's also an oddly paced film with the climax, in particular, being rather rushed, with Guy Rolfe's protagonist simply stumbling upon the Thuggee's secret temple and being caught, only to be set free by one of the Thugs, who has a convenient last minute change of heart. On the other hand, Rolfe makes a likable protagonist and the film's portrayal of the Thuggee is relatively accurate to the history while also doing a decent job making them a genuine threat.
Score: 7/10
3. The Brides of Dracula (1960)
Director Terence Fisher returns for this follow-up to his 1958 classic. The Brides of Dracula also sees the return of Peter Cushing's Doctor Van Helsing, though Christopher Lee's iconic vampire does not make an appearance, instead we are introduced to a younger vampire played by David Peel. The strongest aspect of the film is its measured pacing and true sense of terror it evokes, especially from Martita Hunt's Baroness Meinster, mother of the vampire who tries to hide him from the world, to no avail. Jack Asher's cinematography is amazing and the costume and set design are, as always, top notch. Malcolm Williamson's score is unusually emotional for a film of this kind. Yvonne Monlaur's Marianne is a bit of a weak link, behaving so naively that she becomes more of a plot device then a character. Its a solid sequel nonetheless.
Score: 8/10
4. The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll (1960)
As a study in moral dissolution, the Hammer version of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic novella makes an interesting contrast to the 1931 adaptation produced by Paramount Pictures. In that film, Hyde is a violent, domineering reprobate, with little sense of self control. Here he is a cold, calculating deviant, dedicated absolutely to the attainment of pleasure. It's a good critique of the hubris of modern man, believing he can unshackle himself from moral restraint and be ruled by pure intellect. While Jekyll suffers as a result this hubris in both films, his fate differs somewhat. While Frederic March's Jekyll repents too late and is killed while under the form of Hyde, here, through a herculean struggle and at the cost of his life, he is ultimately able to exorcise the monster inside.
Score: 8/10
5. The Curse of the Werewolf (1961)
Terence Fisher's werewolf film is a minor masterpiece. Deliberately paced, it slowly builds a sense of uneasiness surrounding Oliver Reed's Leon Corledo. The werewolf isn't even seen until the third act but it is well worth the wait. Fisher's religious sensibilities are on full display here. It is only through the love and care of others that Leon can keep the beast at bay but one night spent in a dance-hall is enough to bring it raging back to life. Arthur Grant's moody cinematography beautifully captures the film's impressive production design and the Benjamin Frankel's bombastic score lends a film a tragic, operatic quality.
Score: 9/10
6. The Shadow of the Cat (1961)
An eerie, atmospheric horror film Shadow of the Cat evokes, at times, the unnerving quality of Edgar Allen Poe (whose poem "The Raven" is quoted at the beginning of the film). John Gilling's unconventional direction makes clever use handheld camerawork to create an unsettling feeling. The shots showing the point-of-view of the cat, which are intentionally distorted, are particularly effective. Barbara Shelley's Beth Venable provides the film with a relatable center, surrounded by petty, selfish characters who are slowly driven mad by their own guilt. The pacing can be a bit erratic and the denouement is just a little too neat but, other then that, this is a solid little horror film.
Score: 8/10
Though not really a horror film, Captain Clegg features enough intrigue and macabre imagery to make it appropriate October viewing. It features an (as always) solid performance from Peter Cushing, as a village parson who is not quite what he appears. Anthony Hinds script, loosely based on a character created by Russell Thorndike, is a little episodic, but the characters are all fairly well fleshed-out and the film has a good cast. Director Peter Graham Scott keeps the film moving at a decent clip and the costume and set design are up the Hammer's usual standards. There are worse ways to spend 80 minutes.
Score: 7/10
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