Blood Of The Vampire (1958)
Here's an interesting little movie. An early, and often effective Hammer Rip-off. It's a bit shocking actually just how much this film looks and feels like a Hammer picture. Not that's it's as great as Hammer's early triumphs, but it's easily as good as a mid-level Hammer. And that's not bad at all.
First of all, besides being made to cash in on Hammer's success, the title of the movie is more than a little misleading. I mean you could be forgiven for thinking a movie called Blood Of The Vampire will be about a Vampire, but you'd be wrong. Instead we have a Mad Scientist (Doctor Callistratus) who runs an Asylum For The Criminally Insane, who needs blood transfusions to stay alive. He also has a murderous hunchback for an assistant, and a basement full of scientific equipment, and shackles. Things are looking up when a young doctor is arrested for practising illegal medical procedures (that's right, blood transfusions). The young doctor tries to convince the court that although his patient died, it was not the blood transfusion that killed him, but Callistratus interferes with the case and the doctor is sent to the asylum. All the better to help the Mad doctor with his experiments. Unfortunately for Callistratus, the young man is decidedly of the "Hero" type.
The plot plays out by the numbers, but if you like these old chillers, there a lot of fun to be had.
Oh, and did I mention that it's shot in glorious Eastman Colour?
First of all, besides being made to cash in on Hammer's success, the title of the movie is more than a little misleading. I mean you could be forgiven for thinking a movie called Blood Of The Vampire will be about a Vampire, but you'd be wrong. Instead we have a Mad Scientist (Doctor Callistratus) who runs an Asylum For The Criminally Insane, who needs blood transfusions to stay alive. He also has a murderous hunchback for an assistant, and a basement full of scientific equipment, and shackles. Things are looking up when a young doctor is arrested for practising illegal medical procedures (that's right, blood transfusions). The young doctor tries to convince the court that although his patient died, it was not the blood transfusion that killed him, but Callistratus interferes with the case and the doctor is sent to the asylum. All the better to help the Mad doctor with his experiments. Unfortunately for Callistratus, the young man is decidedly of the "Hero" type.
The plot plays out by the numbers, but if you like these old chillers, there a lot of fun to be had.
Oh, and did I mention that it's shot in glorious Eastman Colour?
No comments:
Post a Comment