The Vampire Lovers (1970)

Another Hammer horror movie that takes its cue from "Carmilla" by Sheridan Le Fanu, this contains plenty to keep fans happy, and stands up as one of the better films to be spun off from the source material.

Ingrid Pitt plays Mircalla Karnstein, a young woman who ends up staying in the house of General von Spielsdorf (Peter Cushing) and repaying his kindness by feeding off his daughter. Then, when she's had her way with the available blood, Mircalla manages to get herself placed in a household that also contains the lovely Emma (Madeline Smith) and her governess (Kate O'Mara). Twice the food supply. If she's not found out for what she really is.

Directed by Roy Ward Baker, this is a beautiful, seductive chiller that makes the most of its lead cast members to create something that consistently alternates between the erotic and repulsive. The script, ultimately credited to Tudor Gates, helped by Harry Fine and Michael Style in adapting material into movie form, isn't that good, but it doesn't have to be. This is about a beautiful woman casting a spell on those around her, and seducing other beautiful women until she can sink her teeth into them.

Pitt is just wonderful as Mircalla, beautiful and sexy and dangerous and pretending to be laughably innocent at times. She is, however, just one of many beautiful women onscreen, and Hammer really filled out this movie with gorgeousness. Smith is another beautiful actress, O'Mara has a softness to her features here that I've never seen before, and Pippa Steel, as the daughter of Cushing's character, is yet another image of loveliness in a film that is, in some ways, an embarrassment of riches. Okay, so the menfolk may not have the same allure, but Cushing is welcome in any movie, no matter how small the role (and he's only in this for about a quarter of the runtime), George Cole is decent enough as Roger, the father of Emma, and Douglas Wilmer is good fun in his role, the one man who knows the full horror of the situation, and also what is needed to resolve it.

Some may roll their eyes at the fact that this movie is aimed, first and foremost, at anyone who will be won over by the physical charms of Ingrid Pitt, but as I am one of those viewers I can only rate the film as a wonderful success.

8/10

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Vampire-Lovers-Lust-For-DVD/dp/B001AOHQ0M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1389884125&sr=8-1&keywords=the+vampire+lovers

The Horror Of Frankenstein (1970)

Frankenstein for a new generation. This movie doesn't have any of the elderly Hammer stalwarts (and they're sorely missed) but it does have an energy to it and a lot of positives thanks to a witty script and a great central performance from Ralph Bates. He may be no Cushing but he gives an enjoyable, youthful take on Victor Frankenstein and carries the film through some of its lean patches.

Directed by Jimmy Sangster (who also co-wrote the film with Jeremy Burnham), this movie may upset the purists but it's hard to see how anyone can come to hate it. Yes, it's essentially a rehash of The Curse Of Frankenstein but that's not the worst cinematic crime in the world. Young Victor upsets a number of people, from his father to his lecturers, as he grows from a boy into a man obsessed with the idea of bringing the dead back to life.

The pacing is brisk, the acting is all enjoyable (highlights = Kate O'Mara playing a great, lusty housekeeper, Dennis Price as a professional graverobber and Veronica Carlson as the fragile beauty this time around) and everything still feels lovingly crafted and unrushed, even if it is aiming for a younger audience.

I felt, as many others surely did, that I would miss many of the more seasoned Hammer stars this time but I actually managed to put them aside and enjoy almost every moment of the movie, a testament to just how many things the movie gets right. The one, big, negative point is the monster itself when it finally appears. Dave Prowse just doesn't cut it as the creature and it's in the moments featuring his lacklustre performance that the movie falters.

I'm sure that I'm not going to change the minds of any die-hard fans here but I liked this film a fair bit and think it deserves a bit more praise than it gets. It maintains a balance between nastiness and dark comedy from the first scene right up to the wonderful punchline just before the end credits roll and, personally, I think it's a much better way to push the character to modern audiences than the approach that was attempted with Dracula A.D. 1972.

Of course, I may be completely wrong (it wouldn't be the first time). Give it a look and see what you think. If you enjoy it then I can put on my smug face for a day, if you hate it then I can go back to hiding behind the false beard and dark glasses.

7/10

Yet another movie available in this bargain boxset - http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Ultimate-Hammer-Collection-Disc/dp/B000HN31KQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1354487105&sr=8-1