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Post by franklinmarsh on Jun 30, 2008 10:28:17 GMT
It improves with viewing - honest!
I hated it when I first saw it, just as I did Dracula AD 1972. I was a morbid introspective teenager who took things far too seriously. Age and time have mellowed my outlook, and I can enjoy them for the hokum they are - the more I see them, the better they get.
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Post by Johnlprobert on Jun 30, 2008 10:50:19 GMT
Well I loved Dracula AD 1972 for years but when I recently got the DVD I realised that it would probably be the last time I watched it - it had just grown too awful over time.
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Post by The Lurker In The Shadows on Jun 30, 2008 11:19:35 GMT
It's Angus Hall Week at the Vault!... If you say so... Again too long since I read it, but here's a cover and blurb: First published as Qualtrough by Herbert Jenkins, 1968; this Sphere edition, 1969 Dedicated to Patrick Hamilton (1904-1962) From the cover: "Lydia Crosse was brutally dead. "No-one suggested that Adam Crosse, beneath the respectable exterior of a suburban reporter was a psychopathic killer. "Adam had a perfect alibi. At the hour of her death he had an appointment with a man named Qualtrough, and witnesses to prove it. Qualtrough didn't exist because Adam invented him. He enjoyed his newfound freedom and his new mistress. "Until the stranger arrived. The stranger who said his name was Qualtrough." * ...Extremely good. Mr Hall carries us most convincingly into terrifying uncomfortable cerebral territory at compulsive pace. We watch the perfect murder calculatingly conceived, detachedly carried out.Books & Bookmen ExcellentThe Sun Spine ChillingGlasgow Times I wonder if I should have started a new thread? Nah, keep quiet and nobody will notice."Deathday" was adapted for television as part of the fourth and final series of "Out of the Unknown", when they'd moved away from pure science fiction into more psychological and supernatural horror areas. Robert Laing played Crosse and Qualtrough was renamed Quilter. I have the book, but haven't read it, so I don't know how far the adaptation strays, but Angus Hall seemingly hated it. |
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Post by David A. Riley on Jun 30, 2008 12:18:00 GMT
Funnily enough I've never loved that particular film, even though I saw it when it first came out at the cinema. Even then it's version of London looked dated, especially the fashions, which was one of the biggest complaints at the time.
Putting these and the other tawdry references to then current pop culture to one side, it does have some good moments, the best being Dracula's "death" inside the church, which I still think it possibly the best death scene for Dracula in any of the Hammer films, apart from the first. Just a pity most of the rest of the film couldn't live up to that.
Cushing, as usual, was excellent, though, and his updated Van Helsing was superb. Worth watching it for that alone.
David
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Post by Johnlprobert on Jun 30, 2008 17:52:35 GMT
well I'm happy because apparently my copy of Amicus' The Skull is now in the post!
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Post by David A. Riley on Jun 30, 2008 20:17:34 GMT
well I'm happy because apparently my copy of Amicus' The Skull is now in the post!
That's one of my favourite Amicus films. Is it out on DVD?
David
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Post by Johnlprobert on Jun 30, 2008 20:22:34 GMT
It's been out on Region 1 for a couple of weeks now, David. I've no idea how good the transfer is, but I'm pretty sure it's 2.35:1
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Post by dem on Jun 30, 2008 20:32:56 GMT
That was a wonderful piece of satire, Dem. For a moment you almost fooled me into thinking you meant it! David "Satire"? Uh, I don't know how to break this to you, David .....  Not only am I truly taken with The Horror Of Dracula but I also worshipped at the satanic alter of Dracula: AD 1972 for years but last time I saw it I reacted exactly the same as he from Probert towers ... and felt like a part of me had died. Here is a review from vampire days. It could have been worse. You might have got the equally stupid appraisal of Taste The Blood Of Dracula. It's longer. Dracula AD 1972 A lovably inept attempt at hipping up the Count by letting him loose on Chelsea's happening 'The Cavern Club', an establishment patronised by the most ancient teenagers this side of The Fenn Street Gang, and whose house-band, Stoneground, would hardly have been considered trendy even at the time (presumably they couldn't get Kensington's other famous export, The Beatles, to reform for the occasion). Johnny Alucard, a direct descendant of the miserable old Count, fronts a bunch of hippies who he persuades to assist him in raising the Devil at a deconsecrated church (legend has it that Marsha Hunt nearly cried off for fear that the Satanic rituals the cast were obliged to perform were so convincing they'd actually succeed in summoning forth the dark one and, looking at the film today, you can certainly, well, wonder at her definition of the word "convincing"). Among the tribe of clean-cut dropouts and mini-skirted gogo chics who take part in the solemn ritual is Van Helsing's grandson's grand-daughter (Stephanie Beacham), who decides it's all gone a bit far when Dracula materialises before them and sinks his fangs into Caroline Munro. She spills all to her great-granddad, Dracula works his way through his disciples in the traditional manner and for a while it seems he's got the upper hand, but we know the script by now. Sure enough, Johnny comes to an ignoble end when - the indignity of it -he's forced to take a bath, and Dracula, rather than just bite Jessica and have done with it, instead kidnaps her and secures her in the anti-church. Van Helsing races to the rescue, Dracula catches a phial of Holy water full in the face, blunders into a stake-pit and we're back where we started. The title is great, but the working title was epic; Dracula Chases The Mini Girls.  Fig. AWould that I could torture you with the Ralph Bates Is Great! tribute on MySp*c* too, but that gurning, misbegotten unutterable total bastard Tom (fig. A) removed it for reasons he never saw fit to explain. Had a nice Horror Of Frankenstein slide-show and everything! Indeed, so inoffensive and free of sweary stuff was Ralph ... that I never bothered taking a back up because who was ever likely to ban it? Well, now we know. Fig A., that's blooming who. And he said he was my "friend". |
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Post by andydecker on Jun 30, 2008 21:42:15 GMT
@ Demonik just for a good laugh, Dracula chases the mini girls is the actual german title of the movie. It´s the literal translation.  I wonder if the movie was back then as squirm-inducing as it is today. Caroline Munro looks great as as ever, even Steph Beacham looks nice - a bit too old for the role, imho - but Johnny Alucard has to be the most incompetent vampir ever presented in a movie.  |
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Post by David A. Riley on Jun 30, 2008 22:11:58 GMT
Ordered it!
Not only The Skull, but also Terror of the Tongs, The Stranglers of Bombay, The Devil-Ship Pirates and the Pirates of Blood River (thgough I have the last 2 already).
Fantastic!
David
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Post by dem on Jun 30, 2008 22:45:31 GMT
but Johnny Alucard has to be the most incompetent vampir ever presented in a movie. I'm not sure if I agree with you there, andy. Now don't get me wrong. I like Dracula as much as the next man, but for a guy who's been around for centuries, you'd think he would'nt keep coming to an embarrassing end every time? anyhow ..... Surgically removed from an longer piece but you should be able to get the gist of it, not that I'd bother if I were you. Just ... let me entertain me. Taste The Blood Of Dracula ".... and that's for Last Of The Summer Wine ..." Hammer liked this location enough to use as a backdrop for a Veronica Carlson publicity shoot to celebrate her reprisal of Ms. Kimberly's (and countless others') coveted lead blonde with big tits in dire peril role for Dracula Has Risen From the Grave (1968-69). From late October to early December 1969 they were back again to nab the splendidly atmospheric footage they'd graft on to their next box- office attraction .... Veronica Carlson in the Western grounds. Pre Friends of H**gate Cemetery epoch, obviously. You wouldn't get away with dressing like that in there these days, young lady!Hammer's famous Taste The Blood of Dracula, released May 7 1970, is another of those pseudo-Victorian morality romps in which the company specialised. After a hard weeks exploitation of the poor and needy, three holier-than-thou businessmen surreptitiously frequent a bordello for some hard-earned relaxation (the brothel, incidentally, is cunningly concealed out back of a workhouse). One night they encounter fellow debauchee Lord Courtney who promptly recruits them for some important black magic tinkering, namely, the ritual that will revive Count Dracula. Unfortunately, Courtney's subsequent triumph is short-lived as the fledgling occultists are so appalled at what they witness they promptly bludgeon their mentor to death. Dracula swears vengeance and systematically vampirises the children of the odious old duffers. Soon the teenagers are merrily murdering their parents - Alice, played by Linda Hayden, memorably lops off her dads head with a shovel - but, just as it seems as if Dracula has sufficiently avenged his disciple and can devote himself to the serious business of destroying mankind, he allows himself to be cornered in a church, takes a belly-flop onto the altar cross and crumples to dust yet again.  |
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Post by Craig Herbertson on Jun 30, 2008 23:00:00 GMT
one of the classic quotable lines from any reviewer in some time, Dem.
I confess my life would be a pale landscape if it wasn't for Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. Hammer films were iconic. Dracula peculiarly British and the variety of impalation a kind of subliminal sexual reversal: the climax we all looked forward to at the end of long spells of tedium and tiny moments of excitement
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Post by killercrab on Jul 2, 2008 9:22:26 GMT
Watched The Skull last week! The skull of the Marquis De-Sade acquires a new owner - Peter Cushing. Rival Christopher Lee breathes a sigh of relief , whilst the skull gets on with it's business... Whilst Hammer films were pitting old lags Cushing and Lee against an assortment of monsters , Amicus had a skull. A floating one at that. For one glorious moment the viewer is transported to a european graveyard , swinging lanterns and bodysnatchers , before we awaken rudely in 1965 at an auction in London. In many ways this has always been Amicus' strength - presenting horror in a contemporary landscape - but this tiny glimpse of eurogothic proves they had more than that up their sleeves. Cushing and Lee play rival collectors - the more esoteric the better - though money bags Lee usually wins out. So when Cushing is presented with the option on the Skull ( stolen from dear Chris) - he can't resist , naturally. What follows is all from the skull's point of view thematically speaking and literally too. Skull-o-vision the next big cinematic innovation. Very surreal , rather slow , but with Cushing and Lee in earnest form , you could do worse than watch this skullduggery.  ade |
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Post by killercrab on Jul 2, 2008 9:33:06 GMT
Hammer's famous Taste The Blood of Dracula >>
Ah Taste - what a cast! - Geoffrey Keen , Peter Sallis , Ralph Bates , John Carson , luscious Linda Hayden and not forgetting the brill Roy Kinnear! This was my first Hammer and if they hadn't made Dracula Prince Of Darkness it would have no contenders for my heart. I don't think any of Hammer's Draculee films had such a great opening - the gibbering idiot after the snow globe , Roy going arse over tit out of the carriage before finding Dracula impaled with a huge cross ( from Dracula Has Risen From The Grave's ending). Continuity people...
Just brilliant cinema - even if Chris gets to glower mostly from the trees ( unless you are unlucky enough to watch the U.S. edit - where's he's not even doing that!) - destroying the revenge motif. Finishes on a mad psychedelic spiritual thing too. Crazy stuff...
ade
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Post by franklinmarsh on Jul 2, 2008 9:39:30 GMT
This was my first Hammer ade My first ever late night horror film on TV -on a miniscule black 'n' white telly. Fantastic. Christopher Lee must have loved that script. 'The First.' 'The Second.' A short haired Ralph in a purple frilly fronted shirt. Russell Hunter as a camp pander. Martin Jarvis, Anthony Corlan and John Carson. Tremendous. Thanks for the poster, Dem! A wicked parody of the Milk Marketing Board's Drinka Pinta Milka Day. I remember that poster outside our local village cinema, although I remember it as green rather than red?! My school friend Pete blagged a school trip to a local theatre because Isla Blair was appearing in School For Scoundrels. He met her and asked about Taste The Blood. She said she enjoyed it apart from having to float in a @%$* freezing lake. |
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