Horror Express (1973) Starring: Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, and Sylvia Totorsa Director: Eugenio Martin Rating: Eight of Ten Stars
A British explorer (Lee) finds what he believes to be proof of Darwin's theory of evolution high in a frozen mountain glacier on a mountain in northern China. As he is transporting the frozen carcas back to the West on the Trans-Siberian express, a weasely collegue/competitor (Cushing) decides to get a look at the find, and inadvertently unleashes a horror that has lain dormant for tens of thousands of years. It quickly becomes apparent that no-one onboard the train is safe as it makes its way across the frozen wilderness....
"Horror Express" is another one of those movies I remember being scared by as a kid. Specifically, the scene where the Kozak leader (played by Telly Savalas(!)) and his men are battling the monster in a darkened traincar. This is one of those films that is exactly as scary as I remember it!
A bit slow-moving at times, "Horror Express" still provides plenty of chills and shocks... and even a couple of unexpected plot-twists. The lighting, camera-work, and special effects all help underscore the growing tension in the film--even if some of the FXs are a bit cheesy--and the actors are all very good, despite the fact that this is one of those international European production where a dozen different languages were being spoken on the set. Lee and Cushing in particular shine; I think this movie features some of the better performances given by either one of them.
I think this is a must-see if you're a fan of Cushing, Lee, or the Hammer Films-style of movies.
The Mummy (1959) Starring: Peter Cushing, Yvonne Furneaux, and Christopher Lee Director: Terence Fisher Rating: Eight of Ten Stars
A Victorian archeology expedition unearths and carries off the treasures from the tomb of Egyptian princess Ananka, so the secret society devoted to protecting it pursues the members back to England. Here, the fanatics unleash her eternal protector, a mummy (Lee), onto the British countryside. Whether the expedition members are in manor houses or insane asylums, the mummy finds and kills them, until only John Banning (Cushing) remains. When the mummy confronts Banning, however, it becomes captivated with his wife (Furneaux), who bears a strinking resemblance to his long-dead mistress.
Hammer Films' revival of "The Mummy" in gorgeous color is one of the best films that production house was responsible for. Better than "Horror of Dracula", but not quite as good as "The Curse of Frankenstein," it is a suspenseful movie. Cushing is as good as ever, and Lee also turns in a good performance as Kharis, whether as the shambling mummy, or as the living man during the flashback to ancient Egypt. The entirety of the final confrontation between Banning and the mummy is movie-making excellence.
The Creeping Flesh (1973) Starring: Peter Cushing, Lorna Heilbron, Christopher Lee, George Benson and Hedger Wallace Director: Freddie Francis Rating: Six of Ten Stars
A 19th century paleontologist (Cushing) uncovers what he first believes is the missing evolutionary link between apes and men, but later finds it to be the skeleton of a demon, a skeleton that flesh appears on when it becomes wet. He devises what he believes is a inoculation against evil, injects his innocent daugther with it... and that's when the nightmare begins.
"The Creeping Flesh" is a decent chiller that is a bit slow in getting started, but once it gets going, it's a riveting experience. It's got Peter Cushing giving one of his best performances as a mentally unstable scientist, Christopher Lee at his most effective as a monstrous villain hiding behind a veneer of respectability, and the unique-looking Lorna Heilbron as a gorgeous and completely deranged young woman.
Out of all the films that uses Victorian-style fantasy, horror, and pseudo-science, this is perhaps the film that captures the sexual repression and misogynism that was at the heart of so much of Victorian thought. And Cushing and Heilbron capture this mindset to a tee.
It may not be the best horror film ever made, but "The Creeping Flesh" definitely captures the mood of "gothic horror" that I was shooting for back when I worked on the Ravenloft line. It's also a film that fans of both Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee will be happy for seeking out.
(It might be a bit hard to find, though... near as I can tell, the film is officially out of print. Amazon.com still has some copies for sale, and I suspect it might be rented from various outlets as well.)
Scream and Scream Again (1970) Starring: Vincent Price, Christopher Lee, Marshall Jones, Peter Cushing and Christopher Matthews Director: Gordon Hessler Rating: Two of Ten Stars
One day, during the Swingin' Sixties, three clerks collided in the hall of American International Productions. Each and been carrying a film script--one was a supernatural/political thriller set within a fictitious East bloc country, the other was a modern-day psycho-vampire flick set in London, and the third was a mad doctor/Frankenstein flick--and the pages went everywhere. They tried their best to sort them out properly, but in the end the three scripts were hopelessly jumbled together. In the hopes of covering their sloppiness, they simply put the three mish-mash "scripts" in for review. One ended up being gree-lighted by an indifferent executive. A shooting script was then approved by a drunk producer. Directors went about finding actors, and soon principle photography on "Scream and Scream Again" was underway.
I don't know if that story accurately describes how "Scream and Scream Again" came to be produced, but it's a more generous explanation than one that assumes this incoherent and disjointed movie was intended to be this way.
For more than 3/4ths of the picture there is barely a connection between the various plots, except for a single actor who crosses over between the two. And when they do come together, it's only barely and it's not in any way that seems terribly well thought out. (A sign of the complete confusion that reins in this film is even evident in the theatrical preview where the actor who is identified as Peter Cushing is actually Marshall Jones.)
The story, such as it is, starts with a series of "vampire murders" in London. It turns out that these are being perpetrated by the creation of a mad scientist (Vincent Price) who is working as part of a global secret scientific society to create a superior human race through surgery. When the police refuse to investigate due to political pressure a young coroner (Christopher Matthews) starts doing his own investigation. He is soon in over his head and that's when things get really stupid.
Although Cushing, Lee, and Price get top billing, Cushing is only in one scene (and it's a pointless one at that) and Lee's presence isn't much more than Cushing's. Price's role is larger and very important to the story, but his screen time is still very limited and he doesn't have much to do. His presence is almost as big a waste as that of Cushing and Lee.
And the score, the easy-listening rock/jazz fusion score, is almost too painful for words!
All in all, this film should go on the "must-miss" list, except for those who might be looking for the worst "day-for-night" shots since Ed Wood stopped making Z-grade thrillers and turned to Z-grade pornos. It makes the worst of the Hammer Film efforts look like the work of Orson Wells. What's even more embarrassing for this film is that it looks like it probably had a bigger budget than several Hammer Films combined, based on the number of locations and aerial shots featured.
The Gorgon (1964) Starring: Peter Cushing, Barbara Shelley, Christopher Lee and Richard Pasco Director: Terence Fisher Rating: Nine of Ten Stars
When the spirit of the sole surviving Gorgon sisters of Greek legend rises again to plague a Balkan village, The doctor in a small Balkan village (Cushing) attempts to cover up the fact that citizens are being turned to stone under the full moon, even as a visiting scholar (Lee) attempts to determine the fate of a colleague.
"The Gorgon" is a curious mixture of elements, being part ghost movie, part romance movie, part fantasy epic--but all the elements congeal into a fabulous horror film.
With the usual lush sets that marked Hammer Films of this period, and the usual topnotch direction from Terence Fisher, we have a film that is gorgeous to look at. Add a great script being performed by a fantastic cast, some of whom are in parts we don't typically see them in (Christopher Lee is the monster-busting scholar here, while Peter Cushing is the antagonist who may or may not be in league with the monster) but all of whom are at the top of their game.
"The Gorgan" contains a number of truly chilling moments and the script features a couple of twists and turns, so that the viewer is kept guessing as to who is actually host to the gorgon's spirit until it is revealed. Even better, the final confrontation between the heroes and the Gorgon is one of the most dramatic endings to a Hammer film, period! (The film loses a bit of steam as it heads toward the climax, but the finale more than makes up for the slight drag.)
"The Gorgon" is one of the most underrated horror flicks from Hammer Films. For years it was unavailable even on VHS, but last year Sony finally released four Columbia-distributed Hammer Films in a multi-movie set as part of their "Icons of Horror" series. Get it. All four films in the set are excellent, with the "The Gorgon" being the very best.
The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959) Starring: Peter Cushing, Andre Morell, Christopher Lee, and Marla Landi Director: Terence Fisher Rating: Eight of Ten Stars
Sherlock Holmes (Cushing) is retained to find the root of and bring to an end the curse that's been haunting the Baskervilles family for centuries before it claims the family's final male member, Sir Henry Baskervilles (Lee). With Dr. Watson (Morell) at this side, Holmes ventures onto the haunted moor to seperate fact from fiction and legend from the all-too-real killer who lurks there.
The Hammer Films adaptation of "The Hounds of the Baskervilles" is one of the best Sherlock Holmes movies ever made. Peter Cushing is excellent as Holmes, Morell is a fine Watson (and he is playing the part in a script that doesn't portray Watson as a bumbling idiot whose only reason for being around is for Holmes to made rude comments about--Watson is an intelligent, capable partner to Holmes here, just like he is in the Arthur Conan Doyle tales--and the rest of the cast is likewise perfect in their various parts.
This version may take some liberties with the novel here and there, but Cushing and Morell should definately be near the top of any list of "Great Homes & Watsons of the Movies." It's a must-see for fans of any of the stars or anyone who loves a well-done Sherlock Holmes adaptation. Lovers of director Terence Fisher's other films for Hammer (such as the Frankenstein series) will also definately want to check this one out.
Horror of Dracula (1958) Starring: Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Melissa Stribling, Michael Gough Director: Terence Fisher Rating: Eight of Ten Stars
"The Horror of Dracula" starts out looking like a straight adaptation of Bram Stoker's novel, but ten minutes in, the film takes a hard left when its revealed that Jonathan Harker has come to Castle Dracula not as a hapless victim but as an agent of vampire hunter Dr. Van Helsing and that Harker is fully aware of Dracula's true nature.
But it all works, because when Van Helsing appears on screen (played by the late, great Peter Cushing), we get a different interpretation of him than offered in Stoker's novel, and a different spin on vampirism as well. In the Hammer version, Dracula is devoted to spreading a cult of undeath that consists not only of vampires but of human minions who thirst for everlasting life and who are committed to turning the world into a cesspool of evil and corruption. Van Helsing is a man both of action and letters who is the center of a network of brave men and women who have dedicated themselves to eradicating this sinister evil, which, by the close of the 19th century, is viewed as so much superstitious poppycock.
As "Horror of Dracula" unfolds, Dracula claims Mina and Lucy as victims, mostly because he wants to take revenge against Harker and Van Helsing for being pains in his rear... but this vindictive streak becomes his downfall, as Van Helsing penetrates Dracula's lair and confronts him in one of the neatest climaxes of any of Hammer's Dracula films.
While Cushing's energetic, action-hero Van Helsing is a sharp departure from how the character comes across in Stoker's novel, the Dracula in this and subsequent films in what I designate as the "Van Helsing Papers" is truer to Stoker's portrayal of him than any other film version I've come across. He's not the incongruously eveningwear-sporting-but-decaying-castle-dwelling Bela Lugosi, nor is he the pathetic whiner that Gary Oldman portrayed in so so-very-inaccurately named "Bram Stoker's Dracula"... no, the Lee Dracula is a blood-thirsty monster who preys on the life and emotions of the living. He is a strange and alien fearsome outsider, just as Stoker wrote him.
It's over 50 years since "Horror of Dracula" was released, yet it's still a an exciting item to pop in the VCR or DVD player when you're looking for a chilling, adventuresome diversion.
One of my favorite versions of monster-maker Victor Frankenstein is the one portrayed by Peter Cushing. Although Cushing appeared in a total of six Frankenstein movies from Hammer Films, it is the following four films--the ones I think of as "The Frankenstein Chronicles"--that are his best.
The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) Starring: Peter Cushing, Paul Urqhart, Christopher Lee, and Hazel Court Director: Terence Fisher Rating: Seven of Ten Stars
In this first movie in Hammer's Frankenstein cycle, scientific genius Victor Frankenstein embarks on his life-long quest to be the first human being to create life. He is initially aided and abetted by a fellow scientist, his boyhood tutor, but as Frankenstein turns to murder in order to ensure his success, the assistant turns against him. Soon, Frankenstein's cold-blooded schemes are spinning out of control, and all his evil is turned back upon him. The technical aspects of the film are top-notch, the acting by all the principals is excellent, and on every other level this is a fine horror film.
Although Christopher Lee is present as the creature Frankenstein creates, the real monster is Victor Frankenstein, a man who becomes consumed first by ambition, then arrogance, and eventually madness. Cushing's portrayal of Frankenstein, however, makes this monster personable and likableóthe viewer almost wishes at times that he succeeds in the end. This effect is further enhanced by the fact that the film actually provides a solid reason for why Victor Frankenstein is the way he is. (We have a character who grew up under the tualage of a morally questionable mentor, and who was undoubtedly scarred by the early death of his parents. In fact, although I think he was intended to be sympathetic character, Urqhart's Paul Krempe is as big a villain as Frankenstein, perhaps even bigger. Paul was supposed to be the older, wiser man, but he never instilled his young charge with proper morals... and he never really tried to stop him. He just stole his girlfriend!)
Revenge of Frankenstein (aka "I, Frankenstein") (1958) Starring: Peter Cushing and Francis Matthews Director: Terence Fisher Rating: Eight of Ten Stars
Although Baron Frankenstein seemed certain to pay for his sins against man and nature at the end of the first film, Hammer and director Fisher nonetheless managed to save him for an intelligently written and solidly directed sequel. Assuming a new identity and becoming the new head of a hospital for the poor, he builds a body for his crippled assistant from parts amputated from his patients. Unfortunately, body battles mind for supremacy and turns the newly ambulatory man into a shambling, murderous cannibal.
This is one of those rare sequels that is as good as the original. Cushing's Frankenstein is once again a likable character, showing himself to be the only man of medicine in a town who cares about the health of the poor... even if his concern is largely derived from a desire to keep a steady supply of raw materials available for his experiments.
Once again, Cushing is supported by a strong cast and a great script. If there's anything that dissapoints me about this this film, it's that Frankenstein didn't really get revenge on anyone. When I first heard that this film was a direct continuation of "Curse of Frankenstein," I thought the people who stood by and let him go to the guillotine would also return, but they are no where in this story. But, that's a quibble that doesn't make the actual movie any weaker.
Frankenstein Created Woman (1967) Starring: Peter Cushing, Susan Denberg, and Thorley Walters Director: Terence Fisher Rating: Nine of Ten Stars
"Frankenstein Created Woman" is one of the most unusual Hammer films. Although obstensibly a horror film, it is probably better described as a poetic mood piece steeped in gothic romanticism. As such, it ranks among most intelligent of all Frankenstein films.
The usual elements of a Frankenstein story are all but missing here, and the mad doctor isn't creating a terrible patchwork man, but instead a beautiful woman. What's more, he is endevours to inhabit the body with a soul. (It seems he is operating under the theory that previous efforts went awry because he was just dealing with brains, not souls.) The story is a quirky one, but it has all the elements of a great gothic tale--dark secrets, tragic love, and ultimate justice. The ending is also a curiously melancholy one.
While Cushing doesn't have as much screentime in this film as in other entries in the series--Frankenstein is more of a catalyst for the film's events than its focus--he gives a performance that is equal to the one in "Curse of Frankenstein." It may even be better than his original portrayal of the character, as something truly different is done with Victor Frankenstein in this film. While all the perfomances here are all superb, Cushing's more gentle portrayal of the fiendish doctor truly shines.
Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell (1974) Starring: Peter Cushing, Shane Briant, and Madeline Smith Director: Terence Fisher Rating: Six of Ten Stars
Victor Frankenstein has buried his old identity and taken control of an insane asylum that serves as a rich source of parts for his continuing experiments. With the help of a young medical student who has read Frankenstein's 20-year-old texts on his early efforts, Frankenstein creates a creature from parts of the asylum's most promising inmates. Unfortunately for the not-so-good doctor, he is once again saddled with a protoge who starts to suffer pangs of conscience when the lengths to which Frankenstein is willing to go becomes apparent. In the end, everything that can go wrong, does go wrong.
Once again, Cushing's Frankenstein comes across as likable, even kindhearted when contrasted with the officials in the insane asylum. However, any admirable qualities are quickly revealed as illusions when it becomes apparent that he no longer has within him even the slightest shred of human decency or even a genuine interest in scientific pursuits. For Frankenstein, the creation of his creature has become the means to its own end... he is through and through a heartless monster.
The dark, dank, cramped asylum where the story takes place serves as the perfect mirror of Frankenstein's spiritual state, and Cushing's intense and commanding performance of this man now totally lost in madness is spellbinding. Although Hammer Films was quickly dying as a production house, the final reunion for Cushing and Fisher, who together launched Hammer's gothic reign with "The Curse of Frankenstein" is a splendid and worthy end to an era in cinematic history.
