TrueJoshNight Truly Dreadful Film

Nonureva Really Surprised!

Pacionsbo Absolutely Fantastic

Glimmerubro It is not deep, but it is fun to watch. It does have a bit more of an edge to it than other similar films.

Uriah43 This movie begins in 1874 at a graveyard in Transylvania with a stake being driven through the heart of a corpse. Not long afterward a seriously deformed man enters the local tavern and requests the presence of the local doctor. Upon being taken to a nearby laboratory the doctor inserts a freshly removed heart from a man recently killed into the chest of the corpse from the graveyard. Six years later the scene shifts to the city of Karlstadt where another doctor named "Dr. John Pierre" (Vincent Ball) is sentenced to life in prison for accidentally killing his patient by using a certain procedure not recognized at the time by the medical community. However, rather than being taken to his assigned prison, Dr. John Pierre is instead taken to a place for the criminally insane which just happens to be supervised by the same person who had his chest punctured in Transylvania six years earlier, "Dr. Callistratus" (Donald Wolfit). Now rather than reveal any more I will just say the title is somewhat misleading as there isn't an actual vampire featured in this movie at all. At least not in the usual concept. Because of that this film doesn't contain the usual action or horror one might expect either. As such I found this movie to be slightly disappointing in that regard. Even so it was an adequate film for the most part and having an attractive woman like Barbara Shelley (as "Madelaine Duval") certainly didn't hurt. In any case, I have rated the film accordingly. Average.

moonspinner55 A lunatic doctor in 1874 Transylvania, thought to be a vampire and killed with a wooden stake through his heart, is given a new ticker and resurrected from the dead; after changing his identity, he is put in charge of a remote prison for the criminally insane, but finds he needs medical help after his antagonistic blood cells are at odds with each other. Enter Vincent Ball (who amusingly resembles Edward Norton!) as a young doctor railroaded into prison via tampered evidence, and Barbara Shelley as Ball's sweetheart who believes her fiancé is innocent. Amazing, unusual screenplay from the talented Jimmy Sangster and solid performances bolster this horror-movie-which-really-isn't. A prologue complete with vampire-hunters and bright red blood prepares us for the standard bloodsucker set-up, yet Sangster is more interested in the wronged victim than the so-called vampire, and the action inside the heavily-guarded jail is surprisingly suspenseful. Some of the violence is a bit timid or rushed through, such as when a sadistic guard lands on his own bayonet blade (either director Henry Cass or his editor skitter passed the gruesome incidents), and there are a few plot-holes which the writer leaves gaping. Otherwise, an efficient and enjoyable British-made thriller filmed in muted, gloomy Eastmancolor; not the 'shocker' advertised, but actually so much more. *** from ****

MARIO GAUCI Decent Hammer imitation with a script by that studio's chief scribe, Jimmy Sangster. Producers Monty Berman and Robert S. Baker competed with Hammer in the horror stakes during the late 1950s/early 1960s (with Berman usually doubling also as cinematographer) via such efforts – besides the one under review which was actually their first – as THE TROLLENBERG TERROR aka THE CRAWLING EYE (1958), JACK THE RIPPER (1959), THE FLESH AND THE FIENDS (1960) and THE HELLFIRE CLUB (1961). Director Cass is best-known (if at all) for the Alec Guinness comedy LAST HOLIDAY (1950), itself recently retooled for the dubious talents of Queen Latifah! The film (which I had been looking forward to for ages after viewing stills from it in critiques of the genre penned by film historian Alan Frank) is a lurid melodrama in vivid color and with, pardon the pun, full-blooded performances – but the contrived end result somehow misses the mark. For starters, the script seems uncertain whether it wants to be a Dracula (given its title and 'bloodthirsty' villain) or a Frankenstein (in view of the villain's guinea-pig experimentations with moribund or dead subjects) clone; the fact that it is almost entirely set in a mental institution-cum-prison (that includes future "Carry On" member Bernard Bresslaw as a rowdy jailbird) brings forth comparisons with the superior final Hammer Frankenstein entry FRANKENSTEIN AND THE MONSTER FROM HELL (1974)!Distinguished thespian Donald Wolfit is surprisingly but effectively cast in the lead, while Victor Maddern has a memorable look as his knife-wielding henchman (although, again, bearing hideous features that are never explained); future Hammer startlet Barbara Shelley and Vincent Ball (playing a character saddled with the amusing name of John Pierre!), then, are reasonably appealing as the romantic leads. The rousing score is equally notable – as is a nasty climax featuring a pack of wild dogs prefiguring the one in Georges Franju's EYES WITHOUT A FACE (1959)! Incidentally, there is a very noticeable jump-cut during one of the lab scenes (suggesting that the film had censorship issues back in the day); incidentally, the Dark Sky DVD – which cleverly pairs it with the aforementioned THE HELLFIRE CLUB – amusingly allowed one to watch the show just as if it were playing in an old-fashioned Drive-In (complete with a host of schlocky trailers, ads and announcements)

Scarecrow-88 Dr. John Pierre(Vincent Ball)is sentenced to prison for performing a procedure scorned by his superiors as illegal practice by attempting to transplant a different type of blood to a man who was bound to die anyway. He has a doctor who could vouch that his procedure was done under only the most unusual circumstances, but an evil scientist, Callistratus(Donald Wolfit, actually pretty decent under hideous make-up)has a corrupt Prison Commission officer Auron(Bryan Coleman)transport him to his insane asylum. Callistratus, the supposed "vampire" of the title, was brought back to life thanks to a new heart transplanted to him through the work of his freakish assistant Karl(Victor Maddem, a face on one side drooping with this disturbing eye giving him a scary, mangled disposition)and a drunk surgeon.Pierre is granted a reprieve when it's found that his witness, of the procedure considered malpractice was in fact a case of trying to save his dying patient, did not send a damning letter supposedly claiming that he doesn't even know Pierre. The fact that Auron was the forger increases Callistratus' motivation for using Pierre as quickly as possible. He desires Pierre to finish his work regarding counteracting a blood disease where one set of cells are killing another set..Callistratus' heart is not helping his blood function normally so he needs Pierre to discover his cure before death returns his way. Soon, Pierre tries to escape with a prisoner chum, Kurt(William Devlin)resulting badly. Callistratus sends, through Auron, a letter announcing Pierre's death by trying to escape hoping to buy as much time as possible for him to discover the answer to the blood problem. What he doesn't suspect, nor Auron, was Madeleine Duval(Barbara Shelley)coming under disguise as a housemaid..she is Pierre's lady-love who just wouldn't believe her man was dead. This will put her in great danger for Karl knows who she is(..he stole her photo locket from Andrew Faulds' evil Chief Guard Wetzler, who confiscated it from Pierre)and so does Auron. Can Duval help her love escape? Will Pierre be able to free himself from the clutches of Callistratus?Not really a vampire film as the title suggests, but Callistratus is quite the nemesis for our falsely imprisoned hero. He wants to live and will take the necessary steps to see this happen. The prison conditions, and the overall Middle-Ages-type prison setting are what makes this such a colorful horror flick. There are deadly dogs that are released to attack a few people, we understand that many people suffer horrible deaths thanks to Callistratus' blood-draining experiments. You have the corrupt middle-man Auron halting Pierre's release from his asylum and the "innocent trying to escape from these harsh environs" is a plot that always works in such a macabre setting as is in this film. You add Duval's in disguise facing possible peril, the suspense increases. Not too shabby for a film that was not made by Hammer studios. Good production values and stylish direction are assets. Flawed, but entertaining.