Review Category: DVD/Blu Ray

Alongside the two other releases in the October 2017 slate of Studio Canal’s Hammer celebration on Blu-ray, Blood from the Mummy’s Tomb another welcome addition to the collection of classic British Horrors. The producers of the recent Tom Cruise reboot of The Mummy might do well to learn a thing or two from this cheap production that probably cost the equivalent of the food budget for the hundreds of technicians, but which tells the story in a far more effective way, and at a fraction of the cost.

Bond girl Valerie Leon plays dual roles of modern girl Margaret and evil Egyptian Queen Tera, whose remains have been transported back to the London home of her father, Professor Julian Fuchs (Andrew Kier, Professor Quatermass in Quatermass and the Pit) after an expedition he led in Egypt discovered Tera’s tomb.

The day before her birthday, Julian presents Margaret with a mysterious ruby ring which contains a representation of the Plough constellation which she is instructed to wear at all times. However, a curse and Tera are about to emerge and the dark and deadly power is about to get a second lease of life centuries after her previous demise…

Probably not as blood-soaked as other Hammer offerings of the time, Blood From the Mummy’s Tomb still provides a solid and satisfying addition to the Mummy series of films, be it the Universal classic of yesteryear or the Raiders-style blockbusters starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz. Simple production values and some neat little physical effects add to the impact. Leon is very good in the dual role and Keir was solid in the sort of role he made his own in films like the Quatermass series.

It’s not as scary today, and looks relatively tame compared to the still-bloody offerings from the era like Scars of Dracula and Demons of the Mind, but fans will still have an affection for this film and an appreciation of what Hammer was aiming to achieve overall.

Blood From the Mummy’s Tomb, like William Friedkin’s The Exorcist, is a film that was plagued by troubled production issues. Peter Cushing was originally cast in the Andrew Keir role, but left after one day when his wife was diagnosed with emphysema. Tragically, director Seth Holt died one week before filming was to be completed of a heart attack, with directorial duties completed by Michael Carreras.

It is little facts of trivia like these that will help give Blood From the Mummy’s Tomb a new platform for people to discover. It’s a darkly fun yarn – and another proud example of what can be achieved on a limited budget with talent.

BLOOD FROM THE MUMMY’S TOMB / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR: SETH HOLT, MICHAEL CARRERAS (UNCREDITED) / SCREENPLAY: CHRISTOPHER WICKING / STARRING: ANDREW KEIR, VALERIA LEON, JAMES VILLIERS / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Another of the Anniversary re-masters from Studio Canal commemorating Hammer’s 1957 colour debut, The Curse of Frankenstein, the 1972 release Demons of the Mind is a contrasting affair compared to some of the more Gothic offerings, although set in a similar period to the Cushing and Lee classics.

The recently-deceased Robert Hardy plays Baron Zorn, a widower who is determined to keep his two children, Emil (Shane Briant) and Elizabeth (Gillian Hills) locked up and under sedation in light of his ongoing fear of them losing their sanity in a similar fashion to his dead wife. Meanwhile, in a locality of 19^th Century Bavaria, a mad priest (Michael Hordern) and others are gathering. Events are going to also heighten with the arrival of Professor Falkenberg (Patrick Magee) who may hold the key to curing the children of their problems…

Whilst it may not have been as high-profile as other Hammer releases from the time, Demons of the Mind does represent a change in tone, if not a change in genre, for the brand. It’s an intriguing film dealing with the effect of conditioning and medical malpractice on two seemingly healthy and intelligent youths. Patrick Magee certainly had much to be proud of around the time of the original release, as he was also prolific thanks to his key role of Mr Alexander in Stanley Kubrick’s classic 1971 work A Clockwork Orange.

It is certainly a great opportunity to view the film now and in the context of the advancement of medicine and science, it is one that will have much cross-over appeal, not just to fans of Hammer, but also medically-minded cineastes. There are two strengths to the film, with the period setting rendering the concept timeless and it has a tendency to play well alongside some of the more contemporary David Cronenberg offerings like Rabid and Dead Ringers, where sinister ideals and beliefs temper the desire to survive in a strange world.

If you remember Robert Hardy from the likes of All Creatures Great and Small, he is barely recognisable in the lead role as Zorn, but still gives a stirring performance. Another revelation to contemporary fans here in the supporting cast is the late Robert Brown, who took over the mantle of M in many of the later James Bond films which starred the late Sir Roger Moore and Timothy Dalton amongst others. Here he plays a rather rowdy farmer having his wicked way with a local female and is another of the wonderful heritage that Hammer gave classic British actors in their production slate.

Demons of the Mind is a welcome contribution to the series of films and deserving of a new Blu-ray release.

DEMONS OF THE MIND (1972) / CERT: 18 / DIRECTOR: PETER SYKES / SCREENPLAY: CHRISTOPHER WICKING / STARRING: ROBERT HARDY, SHANE BRIANT, GILLIAN HILLS / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

In 1981, Lawrence Kasdan’s Body Heat helped usher in a resurgence of interest in film noir. Laden with genre homages, including John Barry’s atmospheric score, sizzling on-screen chemistry between William Hurt and Kathleen Turner hotter than the heatwave that provides a heady backdrop, and with barely hidden plot twists, it is a film that compares favourably with classic noirs such as Double Indemnity.

With the cinematic beats of film noir so familiar, Kasdan makes little effort trying to disguise the plot, instead revelling in the depth and intrigue those beats provide. From the moment Turner – in her debut film role – breathily appears in a haze of cigarette smoke and soft focus, you know where things are headed; she might as well have stood provocatively beneath a bright pink neon sign screaming “femme fatale”. Hurt’s horny, knowingly seedy lawyer barely pauses to wipe his permanently sweaty brow before embarking upon a steamy affair with the married Turner, and the repercussions are as predictable as they are engaging.

And yet that predictability doesn’t lessen Body Heat’s impact. Film noir is renowned for style and murder – this isn’t the genre of complicated plotting and surprise-laden twists and turns. You come to the genre to be absorbed in the future-less nature of the relationships, to luxuriate in the lack of moral, principled characters and to drift away on a wave of smoke and bourbon. Kasdan knows his responsibilities and provides his audience with everything they would expect and more.

Accompanying the film are a selection of documentaries and footage from filming, but while interesting to a point, lack the style of the film itself and are rendered somewhat bland by comparison. The interviews are largely standard and provide little extra to what you may already know about the cast.

That said, if Body Heat is a film missing from your collection, then this is a good time to invest in a strikingly beautiful version. Despite being filmed in a cold snap, the heat the film generates will keep you warm on the chilly nights ahead. There has, and will rarely be, such a compatibly incompatible couple as Hurt and Turner, and as the film that turned the latter into an instant sex symbol and in-demand star, Body Heat carries a certain cinematic relevance.

BODY HEAT / CERT: 18 / DIRECTOR: LAWRENCE KASDAN / SCREENPLAY: LAWRENCE KASDAN / STARRING: WILLIAM HURT, KATHLEEN TURNER, RICHARD CRENNA / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW (HMV EXCLUSIVE)

The Czech historical drama Witchhammer was released not too long after Michael Reeves’ Witchfinder General and could be compared to it in some ways. Both are about the panic that overtakes society when the hysteria of witchcraft accusations begins to pit neighbour against neighbour. Of course, both are about other things too, from commentaries on violence to, in the case of Witchhammer, a blunt allegorical fable on Communism and the total moral corruption of the desire for power.

A closer cinematic relation is Ken Russel’s The Devils but, if possible, this film is even bleaker than that masterpiece. When an old woman foolishly tries to steal a communion wafer from church, events spiral out into an investigation that will find almost everyone in an area of a couple of towns in Moravia accused of conspiring with the devil. It ultimately pits two men against each other, Lautner (Romančík), a flawed man of God, and the monstrous inquisitor Boblig (Šmeral). The film tracks the historically accurate events of the trials as, one after another, innocent women (and men) ‘confess’ to witchcraft after brutal torture.

Although this doesn’t spare on depictions of violence and nudity, there’s no element of exploitation here. It’s instead serious-minded stuff with a clear point to make about political oppression and violence against women, and it’s nearly impossible not to become angry at the rampant hypocrisy taking place, not least because it’s something we have done time and again as people, seemingly refusing to learn the lessons of history. Performances are excellent from all involved, with Romančík an outstanding, compelling lead clinging hopelessly to faith that devastatingly dwindles as he finds himself at the centre of a vendetta by Boblig. And as the vain, venal, power-hungry Boblig, Šmeral is fearsomely good, giving us probably one of cinema’s most wicked, immoral villains ever.

Otakar Vávra, who directed and co-wrote the film with Ester Krumbachová, presents us with a measured, coldly matter-of-fact film that still manages many moments of mournful visual poetry. The cinematography by Josef Illík is remarkable, and the production design here is excellent. The black and white print on this Second Run Blu-ray is generally in good shape, and despite some damage here and there, it’s a more than acceptable presentation of the film. As for extras, you get a 22-minute visual essay by critic Kat Ellinger that provides historical and cultural context. You also get a valuable booklet with writing on the film by Samm Deighan, and The Light Penetrates the Dark, an experimental 1931 short by Vávra.

It’s subversive, haunting, horribly compelling stuff, and that comparison with The Devils is one Witchhammer can well withstand.

WITCHHAMMER / CERT: TBD / DIRECTOR: OTAKAR VAVRA / SCREENPLAY: VACLAV KAPLICKY, OTAKAR VAVRA / STARRING: VLADIMÍR SMERAL, ELO ROMANCIK, JOSEF KEMR / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Notable for being Brigitte Bardot’s first major movie role – and notorious for being the shoot whereat that famous photo of her naked on the beach was taken (she’s not quite so naked in the film itself) – Willy Rozier’s film is a dreary production with a script and performances that most school plays would put to shame. Nevertheless, it does possess a weird kind of otherworldly charm, almost in spite of itself.

Gérard (Calvé, like a waxwork double of Guy Pearce) is a 25-year-old student who realises the myth he’s currently studying, concerning sunken treasure off the coast of Tangiers, matches a small find he made on holiday some five years previously, rather too closely to ignore. He then spends the entire first half of the film securing passage back to Tangiers, before finally rocking back up at the lighthouse where he had previously been friends to the 13-year-old Manina – now a buxom Bardot wearing a bathing costume at least two sizes too small.

If you’ve got this far, you can guess how the latter 45 minutes plays out, doing so without bothering to attempt a single surprise along the way. There’s a brief hunt for the loot, involving some relatively nice underwater photography, and an even briefer romance that goes from “Remember me?” to “Let’s spend our lives together” faster than you can get a Peloponnesian penny out of your pocket. The highlight of the film is the “erotic” sequence during which a waterborne Bardot follows Calvé’s trail of air bubbles around the sea as they break upon its surface. It’s trite and embarrassing, and about as sexy as steaming cabbages.

Most of the photography is pretty pedestrian too, failing to show off the admittedly beautiful locations to anything like their fullest extent, and while this new restoration has returned a crispness to the picture, the budget sadly doesn’t appear to have stretched as far as removing any of the blemishes on the print. Some of the reel changes are in shockingly bad repair, for maybe hundreds of frames on either side.

The extra features are just as bizarre, including as they do an entire bonus film (albeit in standard def) – the equally bland courtroom sexual politicker 56, Rue Pigalle – and a short about a sword fighting duel fought between Rozier and the film critic François Chalais (is it too late to place some money on our fellow critic?), plus a twenty-minute photo gallery comprising around a dozen photos in repeated rotation.

Bardot, of course, is the main attraction, and when she finally appears she certainly holds the attention far more than the tame bar brawl, the laboured comedy lecture or anything else about this dim-witted, bizarrely unadventurous fairy tale.

 

Extras: 58 Rue Pigalle (feature) / the Rozier-Challais Duel / Photo gallery

MANINA, THE LIGHTHOUSE KEEPER’S DAUGHTER (aka THE GIRL IN THE BIKINI) / CERT: PG / DIRECTOR: WILLY ROZIER / SCREENPLAY: WILLY ROZIER / STARRING: JEAN-FRANÇOIS CALVÉ, BRIGITTE BARDOT, HOWARD VERNON / RELEASE DATE: NOVEMBER 13TH

Peter Sellers was, and still is, regarded as an icon of comedy; Seeding the Goons style of comedy with the likes of Spike Milligan that would, in turn, help to birth the mighty Python.

Perhaps best known for the ‘Pink Panther’ films, Sellers’ work includes the seminal Kubrick classic Dr Strangelove or: How I learned to stop worrying and love the bomb. Alongside this we can count Chance, a gardener with learning difficulties in Being There, and Casino Royale’s ‘sort of Bond’ in the diverse list of roles Sellers played. Add to this the bile inducing paedophile (though never clearly labelled as such), Claire Quilty, in another Kubrick masterwork Lolita, and we can clearly see the man could act. Whilst perhaps not in Starburst’s wheelhouse, Lolita is absolutely worth your time.

It is unfortunate that The Peter Sellers Collection, from Fabulous films, feature none of the above titles, nor Sellers on anything close to form. It should be noted that during the late sixties and early seventies, the period during which the collected four films were made, Sellers was battling with depression and a drink and drug addiction. This shows in scenes across all four films, often the erratic performances seem tainted by whatever Sellers was going through at the time and, when the films are firmly in the mould of seventies slapstick farce, some of his performances leave the sour taste of a man going through the motions.

The Magic Christian is unfortunately weighed down by the one thing that brings in the punters – Ringo Starr. After his scene stealing turn as a heightened version of himself in A Hard Day’s Night, Starr struggles to fill the screen and as such it falls to Sellers to carry him throughout the film. The pair play practical jokes on their unsuspecting friends and the film degenerates into a game of spot-the-cameo.

‘Ghost in the Noonday Sun follows in the slapstick tradition of Monty Python and Benny Hill.’ So states the blurb on the film’s cover. Monty Python has stayed in the hearts and minds of many a fan and continues to garner a new audience. Benny Hill is slowly, blissfully, being consigned to the annals of time. Guess which of the two Ghost in the Noonday Sun is more like?

A reteaming of Sellers with his ol’mucker Milligan brings the funnies back with The Great McGonall. One would be entirely forgiven for expecting John Cleese to turn up behind his desk in between what is essentially a sketch show. Peter Sellers is no Terry Jones when it comes to donning a dress.

The Prisoner of Zenda shows Sellers in both his guises as serious actor and comedian, and still not hitting the heady heights he had achieved before, on either count. Doctor Who did it better with The Androids of Tara.

One for the aficionados who probably already own them, the films in this collection are the sort of thing you flick past showing as a Saturday afternoon matinee on BBC2 when there is bugger all else on. Give them a go; they may be your thing.

 THE PETER SELLERS COLLECTION / DIRECTOR: VARIOUS / SCREENPLAY: VARIOUS / STARRING: PETER SELLERS / RELEASE DATE:  OUT NOW

Eureka Entertainment’s new Blu-ray release of the 2015 South Korean period drama, The Tiger: An Old Hunter’s Tale is recommended viewing to those of you who were gripped by the Oscar-winning The Revenant, in a truly epic tale of man vs nature at a time of significant change in the South-East Asian country.

Renowned hunter Man-duk (Choi Min-Sik, who appeared in the original version of Old Boy) has hung up his rifle and picks herbs amongst the cherished mountains he lives in with his son Seok (Sung You-bin). It’s a tranquil, if challenging, experience and he is recovering from the stress of a family tragedy years earlier. However, his existence is about to be compounded and compromised by the on-going presence of a 400ft tiger that roams the mountain forest and range and known to the locals as ‘The Mountain Lord’.

His fellow men appreciate and respect his privacy, but the stakes involving the killing of a tiger mean profit and hunger relief, something not lost on his son, who has a hunter’s heart and a desire to go after the ultimate prize. An ongoing conflict between the local Koreans and the arrival of Japanese soldiers, themselves interested in the mysterious animal inhabitant of the area for their own material gain, also makes Man-duk question his place in the world – and whether or not he has the desire to pick up that weapon for one last hunt…

Although at times the film overreaches its intention (it is about twenty minutes too long), it has to be commended for not being another martial arts or horror yarn with extreme violence, a staple of the territory. The classification rating will certainly deny younger viewers a chance to experience and enjoy an admittedly mildly gory adventure movie, which has echoes of the Oscar-winning Dances with Wolves, as there is some virtue and morality in the characters here, and there is sufficient spectacle throughout (the action sequences are excitingly staged, reminding one of the likes of Cliffhanger, First Blood and Southern Comfort in tone).

The CGI-rendered tiger is a masterstroke and the experts have scored highly as well with this, helping to reaffirm the potential of storytelling through visual effects. The director wisely keeps visual sightings of the tiger to a minimum and relies more on the human element in the story, the conflict of whether these hunters and soldiers should pursue their goal of stopping the animal for fortune or glory.

It’s a pity that this particular Blu-ray release doesn’t come with any major special features about how the film was produced, limited to a couple of trailers. Still, perhaps that is a blessing in disguise, as it will help the viewer concentrate on a purely cinematic experience and reflect on what the film represents as a complete work.

THE TIGER – AN OLD HUNTER’S TALE / CERT: / DIRECTOR: HOO-JUNG PARK / SCREENPLAY: HOO-JUNG PARK / STARRING: MIN-SIK CHOI, MAN-SIK  JEONG, HONG-PA KIM / RELEASE DATE:  OUT NOW

“Vampires with machine guns … what’s not to love?” runs the strap-line for Eat Locals, a line from the script; in the film, its garbled delivery is almost unintelligible. And that’s symptomatic of the entire project. There’s plenty of decent talent both behind and in front of the cameras, most of them doing good work. Unfortunately, there’s a lack of focus that mainly stems from the writing – which probably looked great on paper – that leaves Eat Locals so far adrift tonally, it’s hard to be certain what it really wants to be or say.

Actually, what it wants to be is patently obvious. This is Jason Flemyng’s directing debut – notably his father supervised the 1960s Dalek films – and it’s clear he’s aiming to emulate Edgar Wright, with a hint of Joe Cornish. The languorous long takes interspersed with quick bouts of idiosyncratic kinetics, the left-field musical choices, the distinctive compositions; all are present and correct, such that Eat Locals manages that graphic novel feel so sought after among emerging British film-makers. But the comedy and characterisation are so sorely absent, it’s impossible to engage with what’s happening on screen.

Newcomer Billy Cook is Sebastian, invited to unwittingly join a council of vampires on their five-yearly meet-up on the very night the Vatican has sent its military division to seek the bloodsuckers out. Essentially what we get, therefore, is an all-night siege with the bickering undead hiding out in an isolated farmhouse while the poorly prepared soldiers work out what to do about them. Shades of Dog Soldiers, of course, especially in the substitution of humour and ostensible action in place of horror.

But what Danny King’s script provides is simply a series of situations included because they presumably felt either cool or interesting, rather than because the characters would have prompted their happening. Thus the actors, who are certainly game enough to try and make things work, end up behaving without any rationality, and rather than promoting a tension about what’s going to happen next, Eat Locals instead begs the response “WTF’s going to happen now?”

It has its moments, certainly. Any one of its scenes might have made a worthwhile basis for another film coherent to what’s occurring therein. But jumbled together like this, Eat Locals isn’t funny, it’s not exciting, has no scares, and very little of it manages to stick long enough to live on in the mind. It’s not exactly tedious, it just lacks the consistency necessary to matter, to make the viewer care.

There is enough ability here for sure to make this worth a look. But somewhere between page and screen, whatever it was that attracted all that talent has evaporated into the night.

Extras: Making of, cast interviews, Danny King interview

EAT LOCALS / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR: JASON FLEMYNG / SCREENPLAY: DANNY KING / STARRING: BILLY COOK, ANNETTE CROSBIE, VINCENT REGAN, TONY CURRAN, EVE MYLES, FREEMA AGYEMAN, MACKENZIE CROOK, CHARLIE COX, DEXTER FLETCHER, RUTH JONES, JOHNNY PALMIERO, LUKAZ LEONG / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Bat-fans across the world were saddened at the passing of Adam West earlier this year. However, fans get a final treat from this much-loved actor in the form of Batman Vs. Two-Face, a sequel to last year’s Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders, in which West, Burt Ward and Julie Newmar reprise their roles as Batman, Robin and Catwoman in animated form. This film also marks the first significant appearance of Two-Face, who never appeared in the original 60s television series and is brought to life by another icon of 60s television, William Shatner. We took a look at the film and the legacy of Adam West.

Following on from the events of the last film, Batman and Robin are invited to Gotham State Penitentiary as the guests of Harvey Dent and Professor Hugo Strange, who has devised the Evil Extractor, a machine which absorbs the evil of a person into a huge vat. However, the sheer evilness of Batman’s rogue’s gallery causes the machine to overload, exploding in the direction of Dent who, despite Batman’s best efforts, has the left side of his face scarred and, thus, Two-Face is born. Two-Face is of course apprehended and rehabilitated back into Harvey Dent. However, in the Dynamic Duo’s battles with the likes of King Tut and the Bookworm, there’s evidence that Dent may be going back to his wicked ways again. All is not what it seems!

Batman Vs. Two-Face is a very entertaining piece of animation, it has all the hallmarks of the ’60s series, the performers are on top form –  in particular William Shatner who hams it up brilliantly as the Two-Face alter-ego –  as well as a few other gems for fans old and new, including Hugo Strange, a certain Dr Harleen Quinzel, and dodgy lawyer Lucille Diamond (as played by other ’60s Catwoman Lee Meriwether); the latter ending up in a Catwoman costume and loving it is a nice touch!

There is of course extras with this release including features and comments from Burt Ward and Julie Newmar, but also the Comic-Con Tribute Panel to Adam West himself. As Adam West’s final performance, this animated film was always going to be significant regardless. Thankfully, the film is very good and shows Adam West at his best. He is the Batman to many fans, being the first introduction to Batman for many. Batman Vs. Two-Face is great and is a fitting tribute to Adam West. In the words of the final dedication to him at the end of the film: Rest well, Bright Knight.

BATMAN VS TWO-FACE / CERT: PG / DIRECTOR: RICK MORALES / SCREENPLAY: MICHAEL JELENIC, JAMES TUCKER / STARRING: ADAM WEST, BURT WARD, WILLIAM SHATNER, JULIE NEWMAR / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

 

With the exception of 2012’s The Woman in Black starring Daniel Radcliffe, Hammer has been more than a little anonymous amongst the horror community in terms of visible offerings and, to today’s audiences, the historical back-catalogue is relegated to screenings, in the UK at least, on London Live and Horror Channel amongst the more contemporary offerings like Hostel and Saw.

To commemorate the release of their 1957 debut colour offering, The Curse of Frankenstein, Studio Canal and Park Circus in conjunction with the likes of FrightFest (where several titles were screened during this year’s London event in August 2017) are releasing eight new Blu-ray restorations, including Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde, Blood from the Mummy’s Tomb and To the Devil a Daughter, the last major film release in 1976 for decades.

Scars of Dracula, the 1970 offering directed by Roy Ward Baker, may seem a little tame by today’s standards. Indeed, in the context of the horror films coming out of America particularly at the time, it looks a little out of sorts. However, there is still sufficient unease and menace within it today to give a little kick to audiences keen to find out what a Hammer film was.

The ghoulish fun of these films is not only to see legends like Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing at their very best, but also to see some of the UK’s best-loved talent, in this case Denis Waterman pre-Minder and Sweeney and Jenny Hanley, then coming off the Bond film O.H.M.S.S, showcasing their abilities.

Dracula (Christopher Lee) is revived from bones by the blood of a bat and is out to get his fill of flesh, notably from a local village who have lived in fear of him for ages. A young man, Paul Carlson (Christopher Matthews) disappears after being banished from one of the villager’s houses and his brother Simon (Waterman) and fiancée Sarah Framsen (Hanley) are determined to get him back, in spite of the unhelpful locals. Dracula’s right-hand ghoul, Klove (Patrick Troughton, suitably sinister) drives a mad coach and horses and tries to redeem himself in his master’s eyes by bringing suitable female flesh for consumption.

This film pales into comparison compared to the extreme gore and shock of later horror films like Friday the 13th , Hostel and Saw, but the make-up effects are startlingly good, especially in the Blu-ray re-mastering, and would do the likes of Giannetti Di Rossi and Tom Savini proud. Lee is incomparable as the Count and the production values are first rate.

Scars of Dracula belongs to a different area, and you sense that Hammer were clearly looking over their shoulder at what was emerging and their twilight was fast approaching in terms of what they could bring to the big-screen. Still, there is a great joy in watching this and others in the new release slate through Studio Canal and this ranks as one of Hammer’s greatest ever.

SCARS OF DRACULA  (1970) / DIRECTOR: ROY WARD BAKER / SCREENPLAY: ANTHONY HINDS, BRAM STOKER / STARRING: CHRISTOPHER LEE, DENNIS WATERMAN, JENNY HANLEY / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW