Captain Clegg AKA Night Creatures (1962)

Captain Clegg was a notorious pirate, hunted down by the King's men (led by Patrick Allen) and killed by hanging. His body was then buried in the grounds of a church in a small coastal town. But his spirit lives on. When the King's men visit the town, looking for alcohol that has been smuggled in from France, the locals are seen to be a cunning group that Clegg would be proud of. Even the local reverend (Peter Cushing) is in on the act. In fact, he's pretty much leading the sneaky revolt. With rumours of creatures in the surrounding marshlands scaring people to death, the town soon becomes quite a claustrophobic hotbed of paranoia, fear and anger.

Written by Anthony Hinds, with some help from a tale by Russell Thorndike (and extra dialogue by Barbara S. Harper), Captain Clegg is up there with the very best Hammer movies. Mixing in some wonderful, atmospheric moments with many scenes that feature some of the best Hammer actors doing some of their best work, this may not be an outright horror movie, but it retains that quintessential Hammer feel.

Director Peter Graham Scott handles everything well, helped by the great design work, the cinematography by Arthur Grant, and that glorious cast.

Cushing is always worth watching, of course, but this role is such a delight that it's one of my new favourites from his filmography. Allen isn't a match for the master, but he holds himself with dignity as he and his men are constantly given the runaround by the locals. A handsome Oliver Reed does well, and is matched nicely to a gorgeous Yvonne Romain for one story strand. Martin Benson and Derek Francis both do fine in their smaller roles, but the undeniable highlight for fans is seeing Michael Ripper having so much fun in what may be his best role.

If, like me, you have made the mistake of not seeing this movie yet then rectify the situation immediately. You won't regret it.

9/10

http://www.amazon.com/Werewolf-Paranoiac-Nightmare-Creatures-Frankenstein/dp/B0009X770O/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1392407449&sr=1-1&keywords=captain+clegg

The Phantom Of The Opera (1962)

A version of the classic Gaston Leroux tale that never seems to receive much love from fans, Hammer take on The Phantom Of The Opera and provide horror fans with a delightful interpretation of the famous story.

Herbert Lom, obviously masked for most of the runtime, plays the Phantom this time around. Eschewing the doomed romance at the heart of the classic tale, the Phantom till ends up after a young singer named Christine (Heather Sears) to make her into an unforgettable star of the stage. Christine, for her part, seems nice enough. When she's not being uncomfortably chatted up by Lord Ambrose D'Arcy (Michael Gough) she is developing a relationship with the handsome Harry Hunter (Edward de Souza). But the Phantom has a habit of reminding people that he's around.

Directed by Terence Fisher, The Phantom Of The Opera is as lavish and baroque as you'd expect, at times. The main opera being performed is all about the life of Joan Of Arc and the sets and design are both wonderfully theatrical and also nicely settled within a typical Hammer budget. In fact, there are only a few sets used in the movie, or it at least seems that way, but each one is so carefully put together and made into such a nice showpiece that the relatively small scale of the production is covered up, and even turned into an asset.

The script by Anthony Hinds takes the classic tale and adds some nice twists to it, making it fresh while never betraying the essence of the material. This has never been my favourite of the beloved horror classics and, personally, I enjoyed the changes that were made. Perhaps the fact that this is overlooked so often tells me hat other Phantom fans didn't like the changes as much as I did.

Sears is fine in the role of Christine, and de Souza is an okay leading man, but this movie belongs to two men, Lom and Gough. The former gives a great physical performance, and also does sterling work in a pre-Phantom flashback sequence that reveals the backstory of the character and the cause of his rage, while the latter has so much fun being nasty to everyone around him that this ends up being one of his best roles. Michael Ripper has a VERY small role (billed, I believe, as Cabbie #1) and Patrick Troughton steals his main scene, playing a callous and carefree ratcatcher.

Give this one a go sometime, especially if you've forgotten about it while catching other interpretations of the story. You might just end up liking it as much as I did.

7/10

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Phantom-Opera-Region-Hammer/dp/B001MZXAZE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1381237284&sr=8-1&keywords=the+phantom+of+the+opera+1962

The Reptile (1966)

Filmed back to back with The Plague Of The Zombies, this Hammer horror movie not only shares many of the same sets with that movie but also treads quite similiar ground when it comes to the actual plot. There are some major main differences, but it actually makes for a nice companion piece alongside the lone zombie movie to be released from Hammer studios in the 20th century.

Ray Barrett and Jennifer Daniel play Mr. and Mrs. Spalding, respectively. The two end up inheriting a cottage in a small country village after Harry's brother dies in mysterious circumstances. Finding out just how his brother died, and dealing with unfriendly locals, becomes the focus for Harry as he and his wife gets used to their new surroundings. A local innkeeper (Michael Ripper) offers some advice, despite the fact that his inn always empties out whenever Harry walks in, and a large finger of suspicion seems to keep pointing at the brusque Dr. Franklyn (Noel Willman), a man who spends most of his time being quite harsh to his beautiful daughter (Jacqueline Pearce).

John Gilling is the assured hand in the director's chair, working from a decent, lean script by Anthony Hinds, and there's nothing about this movie that looks or feels cheap. Sharing some of the sets between numerous movies, as they did quite often, was a great move on the part of Hammer, allowing them some more money for practical effects and some impressive set-pieces. At least, thats how it appears to this particular viewer (with the ending of The Reptile being just as enjoyable, as, and quite similiar to, the ending of The Plague Of The Zombies).

All of the cast do well in their roles, with Barrett and Daniel being a likeable pair of leads. Michael Ripper brightens up any Hammer horror movie (just ask any of his fans if you don't believe me), Noel Willman is the standard, snippy gentleman with a possible dark secret and Jacqueline Pearce is sweet and lovely enough to add some real pathos to the final third of the film. Marne Maitland is also very good, and John Laurie steals his few scenes as Mad Peter, a man who may not be as mad as locals like to make out.

This remains one of my favourite Hammer horror movies, and I hope that many others feel the same way about it.

8/10


N.B. Anyone who enjoyed the film as much as I did should check out the episode of "Dr. Terrible's House of Horrible" entitled Curse of the Blood of the Lizard of Doom. Not only is it hilarious but it's often spot-on too. 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Reptile-Blu-ray-DVD-Barrett/dp/B006C1B104/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377374168&sr=8-1&keywords=the+reptile

The Plague Of The Zombies (1966)

Perhaps my very favourite Hammer horror movie (certainly giving The Nanny a good run for its money), this features a crowd of the undead causing problems in a Cornish village. While it's far removed from the type of thing we horror fans have been given by the likes of Romero and Fulci, this still remains a great entry into the zombie movie subgenre and contains at least one quintessential zombie movie moment.

André Morell plays Sir James Forbes, a standard Hammer hero. He's elderly and wise and refined and ends up travelling with his daughter, Sylvia (Diane Clare) to visit his ex-pupil, Dr. Peter Thompson (Brook Williams). The doctor and his wife (Alice, played by the lovely Jacqueline Pearce) have been having a hard time of things lately. They have been living in the small Cornish village for about a year and the doctor has, unfortunately, seen about a dozen deaths in that time. All unexplained and rather mysterious. He would like to perform autopsies to help his investigation but the local squire (played by John Carson) has not allowed him. Meanwhile, there would seem to be far too many spaces in the graveyard that should have bodies inside.

Sharing some cast members, and it's set, with the movie that followed it (The Reptile), it's good to see that, despite the obvious cost-cutting measures brought about by filming two movies with shared resources, there are no corners cut here.

Director John Gilling (working from Peter Bryan's enjoyable script) creates a great atmosphere throughout. Yes, we have the usual fainting female and some overreaction dotted here and there but this movie manages to stay eerie and tense even during it's many daylight scenes (something often quite difficult to achieve in the genre). The acting is all adequate (Morell in particular makes for a good, noble lead, Carson is great and Michael Ripper gets a few decent moments), but what really gives this movie the edge is its portrayal of the zombies themselves and the ritual used to bring them about.

Throw in some amusing cads (aka rich, spoilt gits), a Hammer standard tavern scene and a finale that starts with a poorly executed fight scene but then moves on to some impressive fire damage and you have a film that moves along at a brisk pace while constantly entertaining.

9/10

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Plague-The-Zombies-Blu-ray-DVD/dp/B006C19NQI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1368191408&sr=8-1&keywords=the+plague+of+the+zombies

Quatermass 2 (1957)

It's the return of Professor Bernard Quatermass, in case you couldn't guess that from the title, in this Hammer movie that is again based on a TV series written by Nigel Kneale. Val Guest is back in the director's chair, after doing justice to the character and material in The Quatermass Xperiment, and everything is in place for another slice of low-key sci-fi drama.

This time around, Professor Quatermass (Brian Donlevy in the role once again) becomes involved in a mystery that involves meteorites causing a fair bit of trouble for those who get too close to them. The meteorites have all been landing at an area known as Winnerden Flats, but when Quatermass gets there (with his colleague, Marsh, played by Bryan Forbes) he finds more than he bargained for. As the plot thickens, Quatermass is told that what he saw at Winnerden Flats wasn't just a design very similiar to his own plans for  a moon colony but actually a plant where artificial food is being made. Quatermass finds this hard to believe, but finding out just what IS going on could prove very difficult. Time is against him, as are a number of people who no longer seem in control of their own minds.

Thanks to his character being slightly less arrogant in this outing, Brian Donlevy fares better in the main role than he did the first time. He is the pursued as opposed to the pursuer in this tale, seeking help from others as opposed to nominating himself as the one and only chance of fixing a situation. John Longden is very good as Lomax, someone who might just be the help that Quatermass needs, and it's great to see Sid James in a fairly straight role, playing a reporter named Jimmy Hall who likes to drink a bit too much, but works best when all sobered up. The rest of the cast includes William Franklyn, Vera Day, Charles Lloyd Pack and Hammer stalwart Michael Ripper. They may not all get to play particularly memorable characters, but the performances are just fine.

It may not feel quite as quintessentially British as the first movie, but this is a fine sci-fi drama with a fair share of thrills, one or two decent shocks (okay, nothing in the movie shocks nowadays, but back in 1957 this could have been gasp-inducing stuff) and a nice development of the plot that keeps it all entertaining enough to stop viewers from picking over the implausibility of it all. While it's not on a par with the first movie in terms of intelligence and tone it remains an equally enjoyable piece of entertainment.

7/10

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Quatermass-Collection-Experiment-Pit/dp/B000772838/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1366773093&sr=8-4&keywords=quatermass+2

The Curse Of The Werewolf (1961)

The Curse Of The Werewolf is, surprisingly, the only werewolf movie that Hammer ever made. You might be about to argue with me on that point, but I assure you it is so. The Beast Must Die was an Amicus release and Legend Of The Werewolf was from Tyburn Film Productions Limited. Nope, I can't remember hearing of them either, but they existed long enough to release a few movies in the 1970s (and some TV stuff in the 1980s). Now that I have digressed, let's get back to discussing the only werewolf movie that Hammer ever made.

Directed by Terence Fisher, and written by Anthony Hinds (based on a novel by Guy Endor), this is a tale that begins with the mistreatment of a beggar (Richard Wordsworth). The mistreatment of the beggar leads to the mistreatment of a young woman (Yvonne Romain) and the mistreatment of the young woman leads to the birth of a child, Leon (played by Justin Walters). Leon is looked after by kindly guardians (Clifford Evans and Hira Talfrey), even when it becomes apparent that he has some dangerous nocturnal habits.
Fast forward a decade or so and Leon (now played by Oliver Reed) is setting out to make his way in the world. His inner beast seems to be soothed and all is well. Sadly, it may not be a permanent respite for the young man, especially with new experiences to try that will appeal to his baser urges.

Set in some Hammer universe idea of Spain, this isn't up there with the best examples of cinematic lycanthropy, but it's a decent, handsomely assembled piece of work. The opening section is a lot of fun in the typical Hammer mold - the inn full of unhappy locals, the nasty marques (Anthony Dawson), the lust and bloodshed - but then the movie dips slightly while showing moments in the life of young Leon. Thankfully, the appearance of Oliver Reed signals a return to better form as his charm and brooding good looks are put to great use. Reed is joined onscreen by a cast that includes Warren Mitchell as a watchman who once, unwittingly, shot Leon, Michael Ripper as a drunkard, Ewen Solon as Leon's employer, Martin Matthews as a buddy and Catherine Feller as a woman that Leon falls for. Mitchell and Ripper are both great, the rest do what's asked of them, but not much more.

The script by Hinds is a bit flat, as is the direction from Fisher, but all is saved by the wonderful third act, featuring a number of scenes allowing Reed to really gain sympathy even after viewers have seen the hairy incarnation of him covered in make up based on the classic look created for The Wolf Man by Jack P. Pierce.

It's certainly worth seeing if you're a fan of werewolf movies and, of course, if you're a fan of Hammer horrors, but it's more interesting than actually impressive. I have a soft spot for it (I saw it on TV when I was very young thanks to a babysitter who let me stay up late), and I'm sure that many others feel the same way, but I don't know how anyone would react if coming to view it for the first time in adulthood. Give it a watch sometime and find out. Then you can let me know.

7/10

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Curse-Werewolf---DVD--Exclusive-Limited-Steelbook/dp/B0067LXQA2/ref=sr_1_2?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1365138134&sr=1-2&keywords=the+curse+of+the+werewolf

Scars Of Dracula (1970)

While I admit that I was a little disappointed to see that this Hammer movie was missing my particular favourite actor known for his work with the studio, Peter Cushing, I knew that I would be in for something reasonably entertaining with Christopher Lee reprising, arguably, his most famous performance and the fact that it was directed by Roy Ward Baker and written by Anthony Hinds (two names probably familiar to fans of horror from this era).

The movie starts off with Dracula being resurrected thanks to the help of a daft, rubber bat. Then the fun really begins as the Count gets straight back to reprising his reign of terror, making some trouble for himself when he takes in a stranger (Paul, played by Christopher Matthews) and then doesn't let him leave. It's not long until Paul's brother (Simon, played by Dennis Waterman) comes looking for him with the beautiful Sarah (Jenny Hanley) by his side.

While this is not really a GREAT Hammer movie it is a damn entertaining one, despite how silly and slight it may be. Dennis Waterman makes for a decent enough leading man, Patrick Troughton is great as a servant of the fanged Count (even if he does resemble Oddbod from Carry On Screaming!), the lovely Jenny Hanley is quite lovely and everyone else does their bit portraying Hammer standards such as the scared priest (Michael Gwynn), the grouchy innkeeper (Michael Ripper), etc.

Nothing really feels too slick or polished but it doesn't ever feel like a rushed hatchet job either, falling somewhere in between the two and doing just enough to smooth over the more ludicrous moments in the movie. The ending is a bit of an anti-climax but such a slip-up is allowed when the rest of the movie is so much fun.

I actually found it more endearing than irritating whenever there was someone getting overly dramatic or whenever anyone was threatened by a distinctly rubbery bat but others may not feel the same way. That is, of course, their choice. If nobody agrees with me then I'll happily keep this treat all to myself.

7/10

Available in this super duper bargain boxset - http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Ultimate-Hammer-Collection-Disc/dp/B000HN31KQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1353949514&sr=8-1

Dracula Has Risen From The Grave (1968)

Dracula (played again by Christopher Lee) returns and this time he's mad at a monsignor (Rupert Davies) who has exorcised his castle and left a ruddy big crucifix on the front door. To get his revenge he plans to take the monsignor's niece (Maria, played by the lovely Veronica Carlson) away and keep her with him. This displeases both the monsignor and the young man (Paul, played by Barry Andrews) who would rather keep the monsignor's niece for himself.

Written by Anthony Hinds and directed by Freddie Francis, the majority opinion seems to be that this is one of Hammer's weaker Dracula outings (though there would be much worse to come) and I have to agree. That's mainly due to a few of the lead characters being pretty dull or even, as is the case with the monsignor, not that likeable.

The actors all do okay, and there's a decent role here for fan favourite Michael Ripper, but there's just an overall feeling of disinterest as one scene plods along into another. Barbara Ewing's character has some good moments, and makes quite an impression in her first scene, but the rest of the supporting cast don't really make much of an impression (except the aforementioned Ripper and Carlson). Ewan Hooper, playing a priest who ends up doing Dracula's bidding, is especially weak.

It's a good job we have Christopher Lee back in the cape because his presence compensates for a lot of the other shortcomings. His portrayal of the fanged fury is always watchable, at the very least, and this is what stops Dracula Has Risen From The Grave from being something you should avoid like a plague rat. There are also a few individual moments, particularly at the start of the movie, that tick the boxes for standard Hammer horror goodness.

I recommend this one to the Hammer completist as being something far from the worst that the studio would make but also way down the list when compared to the other films in the Dracula series.

6/10

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dracula-Has-Risen-Grave-DVD/dp/B0001XLY4W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1352234761&sr=8-1

The Mummy's Shroud (1967)

Directed by John Gilling, who also wrote the thing based on a story by Anthony Hinds, The Mummy's Shroud is another one of those movies that makes you think carefully before writing a review whether it's worth expending any more energy on the thing. It's just so . . . . . . middling.

The second-last, and the least (Blood From The Mummy's Tomb was bad but at least had the gorgeous Valerie Leon in it), of Hammer's movies featuring someone swathed in bandages out to kill is a plodding, dull affair that provides neither the horror nor the entertaining drama of those that came before it.

The plot has nothing new in it as a bunch of people uncover a tomb and are then cursed to be killed by the all-too-lively mummy. That's it, with the one addition that someone holding the mummy's shroud and saying the right words can control the creature.

The cast are quite a mixed bag. Andre Morell is quite good but he's not onscreen for that long. I didn't like John Phillips much but his character, the selfish and callous Stanley Preston, was quite a bit of fun when on screen. Elizabeth Sellars is very good as his suffering wife. David Buck is a bit bland as the younger Paul Preston and Maggie Kimberly is a pretty translator. The best performance though, as many fans will be pleased to hear, comes from Michael Ripper and it's his presence alone that makes the film worth watching. His character, Longbarrow, is a weak, toadying man who tries to stay onside with the one person who may help him out.

Even the mummy is a disappointment this time around, the look of the thing certainly not up to the design of either of the first two movies and the backstory doesn't make the creature as sympathetic as it has been in other movies. Oh, it's supposed to, when it's told in the first few minutes of the film (with narration provided by someone who sounds like, but apparently isn't, Peter Cushing), but it doesn't.

I would wholeheartedly encourage everyone to avoid this one if it wasn't for that fantastic turn from Ripper. With that in mind, I have to warn anyone to approach with caution but to give it a watch if you're a fan of one of Hammer's star players.

5/10

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Mummys-Shroud-Blu-ray-DVD/dp/B0085MXQAG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1351953765&sr=8-1

The Curse Of The Mummy's Tomb (1964)

As mentioned in my review of The Mummy, I'm not a big fan of mummy movies. So the fact that I enjoyed that film and, to a lesser extent, this one too should bode well for those who like to see their bad boogeymen shuffling around while swathed in bandages.

Michael Carreras directs, and writes, this time around and the first half of the movie is very familiar territory. A tomb is opened, treasures are removed and deaths start to occur. The second half brings in one fresh idea but by then all the fun is to be had watching the mummy go about its business anyway (and I, for one, thought that this particular mummy had a great look to it . . . . . in as much as a mummy CAN look good).

The cast are a real mixed bag. Ronald Howard is the standard Hammer hero, a solid gentleman always ready to help a damsel in distress in between his academic pursuits. Terence Morgan is smooth as Adam Beauchamp, Jack Gwillim is okay in the first half of the movie but doesn't really convince in the latter half as his character becomes a bit of a drunkard, Fred Clark is great fun as an American entrepreneur wanting to make big money from the discoveries and George Pastell plays a character very similar, superficially, to the one he played in The Mummy. And Michael Ripper pops up, too. Oh, then there's Jeanne Roland, one of the most irritating women I have watched in a Hammer movie. I'm sorry to say it but her accent felt like nails on a blackboard to me. That may seem unfair, considering the fact that she was dubbed but her acting wasn't all that good either.

It's definitely not up there with the better Hammer horror movies but The Curse Of The Mummy's Tomb is a decent enough, consistently entertaining, entry in their extensive catalogue. Boredom never sets in and the ending provides a satisfying mix of tension and tragedy. Worth a look.

6/10

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Curse-Mummys-Tomb-DVD/dp/B000HWXQHU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1350997685&sr=8-1

The Revenge Of Frankenstein (1958)

Following on from The Curse Of Frankenstein, and with the three main players back for more (Terence Fisher directing, Jimmy Sangster writing - with additional dialogue from Hurford Janes and an uncredited George Baxt - and the irreplaceable Peter Cushing as the Baron) we get a lot of familiar fun in this Hammer horror movie.

Taken to the guillotine for the deaths that resulted from his handiwork in the previous movie, Baron Frankenstein stages a sneaky escape and sets himself up in practice far away in an area where he hopes not to be recognised. He even completely changes his name to Doctor Victor Stein. However did he think that one up? The bad news is that he is recognised by someone but the good news is that the person who recognises him wants to help him carry on his scientific work. The venue may have changed but the song remains the same as Frankenstein and his new assistant (Doctor Hans Kleve, played by Francis Matthews) set about to take the brain of trusty Karl (Michael Gwynn) and place it in a superior body. Let's just hope that nothing happens to knock the brain while it's adjusting to it's new home as that could lead to madness, murder and cannibalism. But I'm sure nothing will disturb the Baron's good work. Aren't you?

Cushing is as great as ever in this film with Baron Frankenstein being, arguably, his greatest characterisation. The mix of superiority, charm, intelligence and arrogance so superbly moulded into one of the most likable rogues in horror movie history is a result of both the great writing and Cushing's own delivery of the material. Matthews is very good as the eager assistant who shares Frankenstein's progressive thinking and Gwynn is very good, whether playing a damaged human being or a damaged experiment gone awry. Eunice Gayson is the lady unwittingly endangering herself this time around and she does fine with her role. Michael Ripper fans will be pleased to see the actor in a small role (his first for Hammer) and George Woodbridge is either amusing or annoying, depending on how you react to his character.

Full of many moments of black humour, as most of the Frankenstein movies are (the subject matter seems to practically beg for it), the film is a swift, entertaining romp that may not really scare anyone but that does have one or two shocking moments here and there en route to it's enjoyable final scene, a fun if implausible punchline that will hopefully make viewers smile as opposed to scowl.

7/10

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The Brides Of Dracula (1960)

While this is the second movie from Hammer to use the Dracula name it doesn't actually feature Dracula himself. But we're still in Transylvania and there are still fanged threats around, mainly thanks to the dapper Baron Meinster (David Peel), and when a young travelling woman (the lovely, though not overly endowed with acting talent, Yvonne Monlaur) finds herself in trouble she is more than a little relieved to be given a helping hand by the great Dr. Van Helsing (played again by the great Peter Cushing). But things don't stop there and it's not long before Van Helsing realises that there is more than one vampiric beast he needs to lay to rest in Transylvania.

Directed by Terence Fisher, and written by a quartet of people, The Brides Of Dracula may not quite manage to make you forget that you wanted to see Christopher Lee appearing in the title role but it certainly manages to make its own mark thanks to a mix of great atmosphere, spooky imagery and moments of originality (Van Helsing dealing with a bite wound springs immediately to mind).

Cushing is as good as he always is, Monlaur is very pretty, Peel tries hard with the character he's given and Martita Hunt and Freda Jackson do very well with their screen time. There's also a very small role for Michael Ripper as a coachman and the beautiful Andree Melly makes a great impression as Gina but this is all about the dread and foreboding ladled over everything and it works very well in that respect.

The finale may not be quite as intense and exciting as some other releases from the studio but it again impresses with a bit of originality and I enjoyed the use of that Gothic horror staple - the creaky old windmill - immensely. There's really only one thing I can hold against it, but it's a biggie, and that's the fact that the title is a big, fat lie.

7/10

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Brides-Dracula-DVD-Martita-Hunt/dp/B000W22234/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1350321904&sr=8-1

The Mummy (1959)

Well, despite the pedigree (Terence Fisher directing, Jimmy Sangster writing, Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee starring) this is a mummy movie and, when played as straight horror, I have always found mummy movies to be a little bit lacking in atmosphere, scares or anything else that can put them higher up the horror league table. So the fact that I've given this a 7/10 is actually a very good sign.

The plot is the standard gubbins that you get from every mummy movie: a tomb is excavated and a mummy is released to exact some revenge. Deaths occur. Then there's someone who looks like a lost love (in this case it's Yvonne Furneaux playing both Isobel Banning and Princess Ananka).

The direction from Fisher is fine, even if the material isn't quite as exciting as most of his other Hammer films, and the script by Sangster structures things in a way that helps the pacing of the movie by making viewers wait longer for "the big reveal" and building up the storylines for each character.

It all looks nice enough, and there's always entertainment provided by watching Cushing and Lee (with the former being the hero of the piece and the latter doing a great job as the bandage-swathed mummy), but it's also just not that exciting. George Pastell gives a worthwhile performance as the man trying to control the mummy, and there's a fantastic exchange between him and Cushing, but the movie still can't quite claw its way up to anything great because it adds nothing new to the mythos of this creature.

Why the generous rating then? Well, although it's retreading very familiar territory (an accusation I realise that could be levelled at almost every Hammer movie ever released) it does it very well. The performances are all great and the mummy is given an adequate backstory that allows it to be depicted as quite a sad and pitiable creature, much like Frankenstein's monster. If I actually liked mummy horrors then I'm sure I would have rated this one as highly as many other Hammer fans. It's a very good film.

7/10

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Mummy-DVD-Peter-Cushing/dp/B0002VF5LG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1350162465&sr=8-2