HAMMER HORROR 1961: (CURSE OF WEREWOLF, SCREAM OF FEAR, TERROR OF TONGS, SHADOW OF CAT)

THE CURSE OF THE WEREWOLF (1961) d. Terence Fisher (UK)
SCREAM OF FEAR (aka Taste of Fear) (1961) d. Seth Holt (UK)
THE TERROR OF THE TONGS (1961) d. Anthony Bushell (UK)
THE SHADOW OF THE CAT (1961) d. John Gilling (UK)

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While Hammer Films is most often remembered for its Gothic reimaginings of Dracula, Frankenstein, and other classic monsters, the year 1961 showcased an adventurousness and willingness to experiment with different styles of horror and suspense. Our four films up for discussion demonstrate Hammer’s evolving state in the early 1960s to impressive effect.

HAMMER HORROR: THE GORGON (1964) / THE REPTILE (1966) Round Table!!!

THE GORGON (1964) d. Terence Fisher (UK)
THE REPTILE (1966) d. John Gilling (UK)

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By the mid-1960s, Hammer Studios had exhausted its supply of classic Universal monsters, with vampiric counts, stitched-together reanimated corpses, lycanthropic curses, and bandaged Egyptian shamblers all present and accounted for. In response, the creative teams dug out their tomes of Greek mythology and exotic travel guides to conjure two original monsters, both – coincidentally or not – featuring female creatures levying doom on the locals.

THE PLAGUE OF THE ZOMBIES (1966) Blu-ray Review

The Plague of the Zombies (1966) d. John Gilling (UK) (91 min)

In a remote 19th-century Cornish village, a mysterious plague relentlessly consumes lives at an unstoppable rate. Unable to find the cause, Dr. Peter Tompson (Brook Williams) enlists the help of his mentor, Sir James Forbes (Andre Morell). Desperate to find an antidote, they instead find inexplicable horror: empty coffins with the diseased corpses missing. Following a series of strange and frightening clues, they discover a deserted tin mine where they discover a world of black magic and a doomed legion of soulless, murderous slaves... the walking dead.

THE GORGON (1964) Movie Review

Scare-A-Thon Totals to Date:

Total Movies Watched: 12
Total First Time Views: 7
Amount raised for ALBANY PARK THEATER PROJECT: $583.80

The Gorgon (1964) d. Terence Fisher (UK) (83 min) (3rd viewing)

A series of strange and unexplained deaths plagues the rural town of Vandorf in the early 1900s, the latest victim being Sascha Cass (Toni Gilpin), lover of local artist Bruno Heitz (Jeremy Longhurst) (as in she is carrying his child, although I’m sure she’s fond of his painting as well). What makes the beautiful model’s demise so curious is she has been literally petrified to death, i.e. discovered having turned completely to stone. Inspector Karnoff (Patrick Troughton) conspires with Dr. Namaroff (Peter Cushing) and his assistant Carla (Barbara Shelley) to cover up the mystery, but when Bruno’s body is found in the forest hanging by the neck, the collective attentions of his professor father (Michael Goodliffe) and brother Paul (Richard Pasco) are raised, along with Paul’s colleague Professor Meister (Christopher Lee). In this dawning age of science and logic, could the spirit of Megaera, an ancient snake-haired monster of legend, be the culprit?

THE SHADOW OF THE CAT (1961) Blu-ray Review

SCARE-A-THON Totals to Date:

Total Movies Watched: 22
Total First Time Views: 13
Amount raised for BOXVILLE: $1,657.04

The Shadow of the Cat (1961) d. John Gilling (UK) (79 min) (1st viewing)

Wealthy Ella Venable (Catherine Lacey) is brutally murdered by her manservant Andrew (Andrew Crawford) at the behest of her cold-blooded husband Walter (Andre Morell) and the two, along with long-suffering housekeeper Clara, conspire to bury the corpse in the forest; at the same time, they produce a brand-new will and testament that conveniently leaves Ella’s fortune to Walter. So far so good, as far as murders go. However, the one spanner in the works is that Ella’s beloved feline, Tabitha, has witnessed everything and is seemingly intent on driving the trio insane and/or into their own shallow graves. The battle lines are now drawn, with innocent (and disinherited) daughter Beth (Barbara Shelley) caught in the middle of a full-on war of wills where humans tumble down stairs, drown in quicksand, suffer heart attacks, or fall from parapets while cats purr with demonic delight.

THE REPTILE (1966) Blu-ray Review

The Reptile (1966) d. John Gilling (UK) (91 min)

A deadly epidemic is spreading through the remote Cornish village of Clagmoor Heath. As darkness falls, its victims are found foaming at the mouth, their skin discolored, with savage wounds on their necks. After his brother falls prey to the “black death,” Harry Spalding (Ray Barrett) travels with his new wife (Jennifer Daniel) to Clagmoor to investigate his sibling’s mysterious demise. With little help from the unfriendly locals, Harry follows a trail of clues that leads him to the sinister Dr. Franklyn (Noel Willman), the doctor's strange, but beautiful daughter (Jacqueline Pearce) ... and a horrific family secret.