The man with eyebrows that can kill! Not really, but that’s the impression given by the poster illustration. The Baker/Berman producing team gave their Hammer/Terence Fisher imitation a decent production — good color, autopsy-grade gore, female victims in low-cut gowns — but neither Jimmy Sangster’s script nor the flat direction bring it to life. Donald Wolfit is the resurrected mad doctor stealing transfusion blood and committing murders with the help of his deformed servant Victor Maddern but the highlight is the strong performance from favorite scream queen Barbara Shelley. Artus’ fancy special edition Blu is Region A friendly, although the DVD is Pal and all the extras are French-only.
Blood of the Vampire
Blu-ray + DVD
Artus Films
1958 / Color / 1:66 widescreen / 87 min. / Le Sang du Vampire / Street Date April 6, 2021 / Available from Amazon.fr / 29.99 €
Starring: Donald Wolfit, Vincent Ball, Barbara Shelley, Victor Maddern, William Devlin, Andrew Faulds, John Le Mesurier, Bryan Coleman,...
Blood of the Vampire
Blu-ray + DVD
Artus Films
1958 / Color / 1:66 widescreen / 87 min. / Le Sang du Vampire / Street Date April 6, 2021 / Available from Amazon.fr / 29.99 €
Starring: Donald Wolfit, Vincent Ball, Barbara Shelley, Victor Maddern, William Devlin, Andrew Faulds, John Le Mesurier, Bryan Coleman,...
- 5/25/2021
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
By Hank Reineke
Sir Christopher Lee left us in 2015. In doing so he left even his most rabid fans to spend a good portion of their lives trying to track down all of the films he appeared in since 1946. This Kino Lorber Studio Classics Blu-ray release of director Kevin Connor’s Arabian Adventure (1979) will be a welcome one to his many devotees, especially as it sports a transfer superior to the old Televista DVD issued in 2007. This new transfer is colorful and bright, with very few issues of scratches or speckling and with just enough authentic film grain.
Though a near life-long fan of Christopher Lee’s work, I somehow managed to miss this film when on U.S. release in 1979. I vaguely recall a feature cover story on the film in a very early issue of Fangoria magazine but, perhaps since Arabian Adventure was marketed as a “family film,...
Sir Christopher Lee left us in 2015. In doing so he left even his most rabid fans to spend a good portion of their lives trying to track down all of the films he appeared in since 1946. This Kino Lorber Studio Classics Blu-ray release of director Kevin Connor’s Arabian Adventure (1979) will be a welcome one to his many devotees, especially as it sports a transfer superior to the old Televista DVD issued in 2007. This new transfer is colorful and bright, with very few issues of scratches or speckling and with just enough authentic film grain.
Though a near life-long fan of Christopher Lee’s work, I somehow managed to miss this film when on U.S. release in 1979. I vaguely recall a feature cover story on the film in a very early issue of Fangoria magazine but, perhaps since Arabian Adventure was marketed as a “family film,...
- 6/5/2019
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Powerhouse Indicator continues its series of exotic attractions from the house of Hammer — productions that found new ways to shock audiences than tradition-breaking gore and violence. Two are war pictures with sharply contrasting themes, and the second pair constitute a popular-cinema referendum on racist colonial attitudes.
Hammer Volume 3 Blood and Terror
Blu-ray
The Camp on Blood Island, Yesterday’s Enemy, The Stranglers of Bombay, The Terror of the Tongs
Powerhouse Indicator
1958-1960 / Color / B&W / 1:85, 2:35 widescreen / / Street Date July 30, 2018 / available from Powerhouse Films UK / £44.99
Directed by Val Guest, Terence Fisher, Anthony Bushell
It’s true — unless one is a full-on Hammer true believer that considers The Brigand of Kandahar and Creatures the World Forgot to be timeless classics, delving into the lesser-known Hammer films can be a case of diminishing returns. But when the company got truly creative, either with a radical screenplay or a committed director — Terence Fisher,...
Hammer Volume 3 Blood and Terror
Blu-ray
The Camp on Blood Island, Yesterday’s Enemy, The Stranglers of Bombay, The Terror of the Tongs
Powerhouse Indicator
1958-1960 / Color / B&W / 1:85, 2:35 widescreen / / Street Date July 30, 2018 / available from Powerhouse Films UK / £44.99
Directed by Val Guest, Terence Fisher, Anthony Bushell
It’s true — unless one is a full-on Hammer true believer that considers The Brigand of Kandahar and Creatures the World Forgot to be timeless classics, delving into the lesser-known Hammer films can be a case of diminishing returns. But when the company got truly creative, either with a radical screenplay or a committed director — Terence Fisher,...
- 8/14/2018
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Bourne and Mission: Impossible, right back to Harry Palmer and Danger Diabolik - meet the many pretenders to James Bond's throne...
Since 1962, the James Bond franchise has come to define the spy genre, for good or ill. More broadly, every thriller and action film that comes out now either uses them as inspiration, or attempts to ignore or re-work the tropes that have come to be associated with the series.
Coming off the release of Kingsman: The Secret Service, and with the release of a new Bond film this year, now seems like the perfect time to take a look at a sample of the films which have been inspired by James Bond — either as homages, parodies or reactions.
The Ipcress File (1965)
Produced by James Bond producer Harry Saltzman as a more grounded alternative to the largesse of Bond, The Ipcress File is more concerned with the intricacies of real spy-work — the endless paperwork,...
Since 1962, the James Bond franchise has come to define the spy genre, for good or ill. More broadly, every thriller and action film that comes out now either uses them as inspiration, or attempts to ignore or re-work the tropes that have come to be associated with the series.
Coming off the release of Kingsman: The Secret Service, and with the release of a new Bond film this year, now seems like the perfect time to take a look at a sample of the films which have been inspired by James Bond — either as homages, parodies or reactions.
The Ipcress File (1965)
Produced by James Bond producer Harry Saltzman as a more grounded alternative to the largesse of Bond, The Ipcress File is more concerned with the intricacies of real spy-work — the endless paperwork,...
- 5/3/2015
- by simonbrew
- Den of Geek
“My name is Bond - James Bond". That classic introduction to the cinema’s greatest secret agent is as famous as “I am Dracula, I bid you welcome.” When the box office success of Dr No (1962) turned the unknown Sean Connery into a movie legend, Hammer was never far away from the franchise. With their own films running parallel to the Bond series, Hammer and Eon Productions often made use of the same talent.
Dr No also marked the debuts of Bernard Lee (the first of 11 films as M) and Lois Maxwell (the first of 14 as Miss Moneypenny). Lee had a brief turn as Tarmut in Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell (1973) and despite never starring in a Hammer horror, Maxwell turned up in their early fifties thrillers Lady in the Fog (1953) and Mantrap (1954).
As doomed double-agent Professor Dent, Anthony Dawson is best known as the vile Marquis in Curse...
Dr No also marked the debuts of Bernard Lee (the first of 11 films as M) and Lois Maxwell (the first of 14 as Miss Moneypenny). Lee had a brief turn as Tarmut in Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell (1973) and despite never starring in a Hammer horror, Maxwell turned up in their early fifties thrillers Lady in the Fog (1953) and Mantrap (1954).
As doomed double-agent Professor Dent, Anthony Dawson is best known as the vile Marquis in Curse...
- 6/1/2011
- Shadowlocked
Despite Daniel Craig successfully taking over the role of James Bond in Casino Royale (2006), Eon Productions has now put the immortal series on a backburner because of a potential take-over of MGM. Whether another Bond film will be produced under the partnership remains to be seen, and even if the series kick-starts once more, there’s no guarantee that Craig will return as the world’s most famous secret agent.
The past 40 years has seen a number of actors who have contributed to more than one film. So with this imposed hiatus, it's worth taking a look at those performers who have been in the most 007 movies.
Making her debut in the first 007 outing Dr No (1962), the durable Canadian actress Lois Maxwell made 14 appearances as Secretary Jane Moneypenny, forever flirting with 007 when he returns home from another world-saving assignment. Ian Fleming always regarded Maxwell, who died in 2007, as the perfect Moneypenny because,...
The past 40 years has seen a number of actors who have contributed to more than one film. So with this imposed hiatus, it's worth taking a look at those performers who have been in the most 007 movies.
Making her debut in the first 007 outing Dr No (1962), the durable Canadian actress Lois Maxwell made 14 appearances as Secretary Jane Moneypenny, forever flirting with 007 when he returns home from another world-saving assignment. Ian Fleming always regarded Maxwell, who died in 2007, as the perfect Moneypenny because,...
- 12/21/2010
- Shadowlocked
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.