Genres

Visitors Review

Henrik Larsen 2012-05-23 16:12:37

The greatest series that never was!

Hammer had planned CAPTAIN KRONOS: VAMPIRE HUNTER to be a series of films(like their FRANKENSTEIN and DRACULA series), so in a way the existingfilmis a pilot - and what a pilot. Swashbuckler, spaghetti western andtraditional Hammer vampire lore rolled into one cracking adventure film.Unfortunately, since CAPTAIN KRONOS didn't make any money, all plans weredropped. Having re-watched it recently I think there could be material foragreat TV-series. Anyone in the industry reading this??

2012-05-23 08:01:05

Begs for a sequel

This is certainly one of the most unorthodox and best of the Hammer films. While the title screams "cheese," it is in fact a well-plotted, confidently-directed film that was well ahead of its time (in light of the subsequent appearance of such films as "Vampire Hunter D" and "Blade"). It is also refreshingly low-key, making the most of atmosphere and an unusual premise, rather than cheap shocks. It may not be gory, and some of the effects certainly expose its low budget origins, but the sheer inventiveness of the film makes it worth seeking out. It's the little touches that make the film great, from the inspired score to the novel twists on vampire lore. And of course the unmistakable colors and sights of Hammer films. "Kronos" also stands up nicely to repeat viewings, something that can't be said for a lot of horror films. I suspect that the solidness of the character-- part Sabatini hero, part Peckinpah anti-hero-- has something to do with that. It's a shame that a sequel never materialised, but then again that means that we're spared the agony of seeing a brilliant character reduced to a one-liner spouting fast food tie-in.

2012-05-23 13:36:31

The Only Man Alive Feared by the Walking Dead!

Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter (1974) aka Kronos is one of the better films to come from Hammer Studios in the 70's. It's basically a horror movie with a heaping helping of adventure thrown in and just a whole lot of fun.Written and directed by Brian Clemens, the film stars German actor Horst Janson as Captain Kronos, a master of the sword and ex-solider, a freelance vampire killer, accompanied by the hunchbacked Professor Hieronymos Grost (John Cater), an authority on vampirism and good friend to Kronos. The film also stars the lovely and infinitely easy on the eyes Caroline Munro who appeared in others films like Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972), The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1974), and The Spy Who Loved Me (1977).The film wastes no time on the horror aspect as we witness a young, comely woman in the woods attacked by a mysterious, cloaked stranger. The once young woman is now old and withered, due to having her youth literally drained from her person. A couple more attacks occur within the small English village, and this prompts Dr. Marcus (John Carson), the local physician, to contact his old friend, Captain Kronos. On the way to the village, Kronos and Grost meet Carla (Monroe), an errant peasant girl, whom they allow to tag along, probably because she's so hot. On arriving in the small village, Grost utilizes a unique vampire detection device to try and track the vile creature terrorizing the village, while Kronos has mad monkey love with Carla and rests for the upcoming battle. Meanwhile, the village loses a couple more young women, decreasing the overall population greatly as I didn't see a whole lot of townsfolk to begin with...The hunt is on as Kronos and Grost search for clues as to the identity and location of the vampire. Dr. Marcus may already have the answer to the mystery, but is not forthcoming due to personal reasons. Also, forces have begun to conspire against Kronos and his group, and our hero seems to be threatened from a number of sides. What drives the man to do what he does? His motivations are spelled out later in the film, and while pretty simple, they satisfy nicely. Will Captain Kronos discover the identity of the evil that plagues the village before he succumbs to it himself? What secret does Dr. Marcus harbor? Do we get to see Caroline Munro in the raw? Watch the movie and find out...I really enjoyed a number of elements within this film. The notion that there are actually different types of vampires, and different methods of dispatch for each was a nice touch. Also, Janson really provided a wonderful performance as the sort of swashbuckling hero, one with no fear, and an eagerness to perform his self define task of ridding the lands of the scourge of vampirism. I also liked that his friend and maybe even mentor, the hunchbacked Professor Grost was actually presented as a highly intelligent individual, capable of assisting his friend in their exploits with the undead. The swordplay within the movie was a whole lot of fun, but I was a bit perplexed with scenes where Kronos would jam his swords into the ground, or use them to dig in the dirt. I know little of swords, but I would have thought a master swordsman would take more care with his weapons, not using them in such fashion for fear of dulling or nicking the blades. Oh well, a minor nuance that struck me as strange. The whole mystery element as to who is the vampire is played for all it's worth, and there are obtuse clues sprinkled throughout the story that may help the viewer uncover this on their own. The print provided by Paramount looks excellent and there is a commentary track available including genre historian Jonathan Sothcott, filmmaker Brian Clemens and actress Caroline Munro. Kronos is swashbuckling action, Hammer style, and well worth looking into whether you're a fan of horror, action, or both.Cookieman108

2012-05-23 03:25:42

"And suddenly the toad shall live"

By 1974 Hammer Films was in its death throes, its films had become formulaic--boring and predicatable. Their vampire films in particular were suffering from severe anemia despite copious amounts of blood being spilled, and not even the savage, arrogant charisma of Christoper Lee seemed capable of rescuing the Dracula films from certain death at the box office. It was at this point that Hammer finally decided to change its approach. Toward this end they hired Brian Clemens, best known for his work on television's AVENGERS, to "revamp" the genre. The film he created was CAPTAIN KRONOS VAMPIRE HUNTER, possibly the freshest, most creative vampire film to ever grace the genre. It completely re-thought the entire concept of the vampire, taking him out of the drawing room that Bela Lugosi had been limited to and away from the image of the revenge seeking, magnetic animal Christopher Lee frequently portrayed. His vampires (for this film was to have been the FIRST of a series of films) would be of many types, almost as if they were each of a different species. They would each "live" in a different manner, survive by taking different things from their victims, be detected in different ways, and be destroyed by totally different means as well. How cool is that?! In addition to having a good old fashioned monster movie of sorts we are also given a new type of monster movie that includes a mystery to be unraveled.CAPTAIN KRONOS begins with the arrival of our titular hero (portrayed by Horst Jansen)who sports a Japanese katana,and his hunchbacked assistant/mentor Professor Hieronymos Grost (John Cater). They are seeking the village of Durward having been summoned by Kronos' old friend Dr. Marcus after some very strange deaths occurred in the village. Along the way they encounter the luscious Carla (Caroline Munro), a naughty gypsy girl whom Kronos frees from the stocks. Her crime? Dancing on Sunday. Of course she joins them, which is handy since they will need her for vampire bait later in the story. Marcus quickly fills our intrepid duo of vampire hunters in on the killer's modus operandi; it seems that young girls have suddenly been drained of their youth and left to die of old age, with only the slightest trace of blood upon their lips! This is a killer who seems to have no respect either for crosses or, as we soon learn, churchs themselves since one of the next girls meets her doom within the supposed safety of a church's walls. There are still more deaths as Kronos and Grost lay traps devised from Grost's knowledge of ancient folklore in an effort to determine the vampire's identity. Since this vampire steals youth itself from its victims rather than blood, they must seek out someone who has a "cheek with a bloom on it".CAPTAIN KRONOS is one of the few 34 year old films that plays as well today as it did when it was initially released. One reason was the addition of the swordplay scenes which were choreographed by William Hobbs who also choreographed the 1974 Richard Lester version of THE THREE MUSKETEERS. The fight between Hobbs and Jansen pitted katana against a fencing foil and had a wonderfully, messy, realistic look to the action. The use of the katana was no doubt intended to capitalize on the new-found popularity of Asian martial arts films in the west. Hammers' own co-production with Shaw Brothers THE LEGEND OF THE SEVEN GOLDEN VAMPIRES was released in 1974 as well. Another reason was the film's absolute break from the traditional Hammer/Hollywood vamps whose vampire "lore" had been established primarily by Bram Stoker in his novel and which had been taken as gospel ever since. Instead Clemens has given us something unique and completely original. This is a vampire film based on folklore rather than a Victorian novel, some of the lore is real some of it "reel". The influences of its ground breaking storyline can still be seen today in BLADE and BUFFY and their ilk where for better or worse vampires and their eternal foes have evolved into the 21st century and perhaps fallen into their own brand new cliches. While we may occasionally long for a good old fashioned Victorian romp a la Cushing and Lee, I still live for the day that I might walk into a movie and see something as stunningly original as CAPTAIN KRONOS was in 1974.This film unfortunately failed upon its initial release for reasons I can't fathom. Its recent release on dvd seems to have enabled it to finally have found its audience however, and its about time. But its far too late to do us any good. There will never be a series of CAPTAIN KRONOS films as Brian Clemens had intended, and all I can say is what a loss. If you haven't seen it, pick up a copy and give it a chance. The photography and sets are excellent and the film simply oozes vintage Hammer in that respect. The actors are all at their peak--Jansen, who looks like a taller, blonder Roman Polanski, was dubbed even though his English was supposedly more than acceptable--I defy you to notice the dub job. There is virtually no violence, the "killing blow" is delivered via a kiss, and even less gore. But there are a great many wonderful touches that more than compensate for this. And best of all the script and direction by Brian Clemens couldn't be better--with THE AVENGERS on one's resume, what would you expect? Come on, give it a try!

2012-05-16 19:52:56

We're vampire hunters!

This review is from: Captain Kronos - Vampire Hunter (DVD) Hammer Horror spent years churning out vampire flicks, but ironically they did their best shortly before the studio died. "Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter" was supposed to be the first in a series of gritty, action-packed movies, but it was a box-office flop. Too bad, because "Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter" is actually one of Hammer's best movies, and one of the most unique vampire movies ever made. It's the very definition of a cult hit -- not many people know about it, but it was ahead of its time and is still fresh and enjoyable. (And I defy anyone to think that Stephen Sommers was not influenced...)Mysterious ex-soldier Captain Kronos (Horst Janson) and hunchbacked professor Gorst (John Carson) arrive in a small English village, where young ladies are being aged into crones. Gorst suspects that a vampire smooched away each girl's youth, to regain eternal life for itself. The vampire hunters -- and a pretty gypsy girl (Caroline Munro) go about finding the vampire. But they soon discover that the villagers are getting antsy, a friend is infected with vampirism, and all clues point to the icy children of the aged Lady Durward. To lure out the vampire, Kronos must set a lethal trap..."Captain Kronos" was a departure for the vampire crowd. No sexy counts, Gothic castles, or elegant Peter Cushing characters. Instead we get a swashbuckling, pot-smoking hero in the midst of a slightly grimy English countryside. And he didn't pick that katana up at a secondhand store!That grittiness is half the movie's appeal. But it also has a lot of creepy, great moments like flowers withering as a vampire walks past, or the repeated attempts to kill a character who is turning into a vampire. That last one is almost comic, as our long-suffering heroes try to do the guy in.It's also cleverer than the usual vampire-hunter movie. It's strewn with red herrings, and a surprise ending when the vampire's identity is finally revealed. The dialogue can be quite cheesy ("What he doesn't know about vampires, you couldn't put in a flea's codpiece!"), but it's intentionally cheesy. Janson has a presence a lot like Viggo Mortensen's -- sinewy, quiet and watchful. Since Kronos can survive vampire bite, seduce gypsies, and cut down a dozen villagers, it's a credit to Janson that we can actually like this apparently perfect guy. But Carson steals the show as the hunchbacked professor, who knows virtually everything there is to know about vampires.In fact, Carson provides the movie with a bit of enlightened pathos that not many horror/action flicks have. Not once is he used for comic relief. And after his deformity is mocked (Kronos chops up the jokers), he sadly questions whether he is ugly. Carla and Kronos' responses show that they are real friends, not just travelling companions.This cult movie is mainly known to vampophiliacs and Hammer fans, but it deserves to be noticed by anyone looking for a good supernatural swashbuckler. Solid and chilling, a great horror/action flick.

2012-05-16 15:49:23

Smart and dark vampire yarn from the House of Horror

Captain Kronos, Vampire Hunter stands out at a time when Hammer Studios were in rapid decline. It's a handsome-looking production, a well-filmed horror adventure with a few original twists on old legends and a darkly tongue-in-cheek sensibility.

Death_to_Pan_and_Scan 2012-05-12 16:20:21

A truly inventive and original vampire film from Hammer and Brian Clemens

Wow! This DVD sat among my collection of Hammer films for months and Ifinally got around to watching it tonight after the numerous times Ialmost picked it off my shelf and then choose to watch other titles. IfI'd known how good it would be, I'd have watched it ages ago.I have to rate it highly for its sheer inventiveness and the new ideasit brings to the vampire mythos. The vampire genre has become as staleas the zombie genre over the years, but this past gem still holds somesurprises for jaded movie fans. I can't say enough how much I enjoyedwhat writer/director Clemens added to vampire lore for his little worldin this film, from the suggestion of different types of vampiresrequiring different methods to dispatch them and ideas for detectingvampires, which I hadn't previously encountered in other films.Basic plot: Kronos is a vampire hunter who, in addition to a wealth ofknowledge of (previously unknown) vampire lore, uses a Japanese katanaas well as European style swords and a variety of methods to battle hisnemeses with the help a his hunchbacked sidekick. I won't pick apartplot points because this film deserved to be experienced without goinginto it knowing too much.The cast does a great job, especially those in key roles. The gorgeousgenre film starlet Caroline Munro does well here in addition to theusual stable of attractive females you've come to expect from Hammerfilms (used here mostly as vampire fodder). For film students andcineastes, there is some very good camera-work and editing hereincluding a very nice suspenseful reveal shot sequence later in thefilm.As others have said, while not among the Terence Fisher and other oftenconsidered A list titles, this IS one of Hammer's most underrated filmsand is much better than any of Christopher Lee's later Dracula films.It is a shame that Brian Clemens (who also wrote this and Golden Voyageof Sinbad) never directed again and never got to see this become a filmfranchise as he had hoped. Considering all the lame film franchises andremakes we see these days, it's sad that the UK film industry hasn'tseen fit to get the rights to these characters and have Clemens writesome sequels and hire a talented director and cast to bring back thesecharacters. Sadly, it is past time to have some of the original castreprise their roles. If I make it into the industry, those would besequels (if done right) that I'd actually be proud to be involved with.As a fan of the vampire genre (when done well), I think this has to beamong my top ten list of vampire films along with: Browning's Dracula(1931), Schumacher's The Lost Boys (1987), Bigelow's Near Dark,Romero's Martin, Merhige's Shadow of the Vampire, Fisher's Horror ofDracula (1958), del Toro's Cronos, etc. It is definitely in any top 20vampire film list I could conceive of making. This might even make mytop 10 Hammer list. Most modern vampire films aren't as good as"Captain Kronos". Let's just hope the newest upcoming attempt atbringing Richard Matheson's classic story "I Am Legend" to the screendoesn't suck as badly as I fear it will.I highly recommend this film to all vampire and Hammer fans. I onlywish there were more adventures of Captain Kronos for us to enjoy.

tyler-and-jack 2012-05-11 21:38:29

The flashing Blade.

In some ways this is a typical Hammer outing and, yet, in so many otherways it is definitely one of their more unusual releases. A number ofyoung women are found dead or dying in the English countryside, theyhave blood on their lips and have aged terribly in the space of just afleeting moment. What can be the cause of this? The local doctor (DrMarcus, played by John Carson) feels that his good friend CaptainKronos (Horst Janson) will be able to get to the bottom of things.There is foul play here and no man is better than Kronos for dealingwith such dark matters, ably assisted as he is by the hunch-backedProfessor Hieronymus Grost (also the name of an old-timer here on thesevery Horror boards . . . . and "what he doesn't know about vampireswouldn't fill a flea's codpiece"). Oh, did I say vampires? Yes, theyare the evil perpetrators here, and while this may not come as much ofa surprise the way the attacks occur in daylight and the revelationthat every vampire needs a different method of being despatchedprovides a new slant on things.With the added lure of the beautiful Caroline Munro, playing Carla, andthe usual Hammer production values (hmmm, okay, the films may havevaried at times but this one looks good enough to me), this is a greatfilm for fans who want their standard fare with some nice, quirkytouches. The vampires also have reflections, nothing here is rooted sodeeply into the accepted mythos that it cannot be turned on it's head.We also get some wonderful moments and additional titbits such asburied dead toads coming back to life if a vampire walks over/closeenough to them and the fact that the cross only protects those whobelieve in it. I do not know if these have ever had any basis in thelore of olden days but they are fascinating and enjoying new additionsto the proceedings.The acting is fairly good all round (although John Gater is thestandout as the Professor), there are enough red herrings to keep youwondering who is the ultimate baddie (surely that Durward family hassome skeleton in the closet . . . or what about the local thug in yeolde tavern?), the script is full of both light and very, very darkhumour (most noticeably in a scene with Grost and Kronos trying to findout how to kill a vampire they have restrained) and the pace neverflags as our swashbuckling hero strives to save the English countrysideand, of course, his companions. A wonderful little movie that deservesto be seen by fans of the genre and the company it came from.See this if you like: Caroline Munro, quirky Hammer flicks, vampires.

2012-05-06 22:43:53

The vampires aren't the only thing that sucks.

Alright, normally I love a good B-movie but this dosen't even rate that high. Captain Kronos is a lame attempt at a vampire tale. It ignores most of the traditional rules which you will either love or hate and is pitifully acted. The first 1/3 of the movie is all set up and exposition with no pay off at the end. Most of the movie consists of Kronos flashing a colgate smile and giving lines to his new found girlfriend that even Austin Powers would find chessy.The rest of it are scenes of young girls who suddenly have a black robbed figure appear out of no where while on a frollick some where or another and have their youth drained away. The climax if you can call it that is as about as scary as robin hood men in tights without the humor.If you read these other reviews and are tempted remmeber this 99% who write them are die hard fans who will love it no matter what because it's a hammer film. The other one % just got screwed.

TheFiendsThatPlagueThee 2012-05-06 10:15:54

Underrated Hammer

Captain Kronos Vampire Hunter is a really fun horror movie, with theHammer feel to it, about a dashing young captain and his hunchbackedcompanion, who are summoned by an old doctor friend to clear hisvillage of vampires.While it is definitely a horror movie (what with vampires and all), italso has the look of a Robin Hood style adventure story or a sword andsorcery fantasy. Horst Janson and John Cater work very well together astraveling vampire slayers and give effective performances.But this is no ordinary Dracula style vampire story. George Romero tookthe traditional vampire story and gave it a twist in Martin (1977).While that is a very different movie than this one, Brian Clemens alsogives the traditional vampire story a bit of a shake in this to give ita bit of freshness and energy.Overall, a very entertaining film with horror, adventure and fantasyelements that will appeal to a wide audience.

Michael O'Keefe 2012-05-02 20:59:35

A stake to the heart is what it takes.

An above average horror film that blends adventure with fright. CaptainKronos(Horst Janson)a sword-wielding hero and his hunchback sidekick are aprofessional team of vampire killers. Story line is interesting enough.Special effects are par for this type of movie. I knew it had me for theduration as soon as I heard the wind blowing... creepy and foreboding.Plussome winsome lasses to keep you entertained. Another very good HammerProduction from the UK. The players include:John Cater, Caroline Munro,JohnCarson and Lois Daine.

djfoster 2012-05-02 05:45:52

Strangely bloodless

One of the forgotten Hammer vampire films, "Captain Kronos" was an attemptto revive the genre by rewriting the rules, winking at the audience andintroducing a swashbuckling new vampire hunter. While the Christopher Lee/Peter Cushing "Dracula" series had been exhaustedby 1973, "Kronos," too, failed to excite audiences. Hammer needed atransfusion, but lead Horst Janson was too anemic to pull it off. Even worse, director/writer Brian Clemens rewrites the rules so differentbloodsuckers are vulnerable to different weapons. This leads to a veryentertaining scene with Janson failing over and over to off a bound vampire.But Clemens's new version of the legend lacks the visceral horror of"Dracula." Still, "Captain Kronos" has a major cult following.

2012-04-28 19:54:17

Captain Kronos Rides Again!

With so much hype now surrounding this as one of Hammer's best efforts from the 1970's I was expecting something special. And I got it! Although obviously done on an even smaller budget than most Hammer films, the limited production value didn't detract from a first rate story and script. Producers Brian Clemens and Albert Fennell have managed to establish their own style at a time when Hammer was more concerned with T&A than plot. CK neatly avoids this syndrome. The movie focuses firmly on the story and wonderful action sequences. After the film ended I felt a little sad, for two reasons: 1). That more Captain Kronos films or even a television series didn't materialise and 2). That Brian Clemens and Albert Fennell didn't produce more films for Hammer, because arguably their "Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde" and "Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter" were two of the finest productions to come out of England's House of Horror. Munro/Clemens/Sothcott provide an entertaining and informative commentary. Interesting fact: Clemens originally wanted Kronos to sleep in a Golden Coffin , but budget restraints curtailed this groovy idea. I've a nagging notion, that we may have eventually found out that Kronos was indeed a type of vampire himself. Paramount provides a solid anamorphic transfer, with few blemishes ot dirt. They really should be praised for putting so much effort into what is still an obscure film from England.

John 2012-04-28 03:11:46

awesome, fun Hammer classic

"Kronos" is one of the most fascinating Hammer movies ever made, andthat'ssaying a lot. Before seeing this I put every Hammer film into twocategoriesand watched and bought accordingly: ones with Christopher Lee and PeterCushing, and ones without them. This, along with "The Brides of Dracula",isproof that Hammer just knew how to make a great horror movie with orwithouttheir star actors, which is a sign of true creativity. Needles to say,"Kronos" is a little campy, but there are genuinely sinister scenes (suchasthe one in the woods with the 'old woman vampire') and the action is bothfunny and exciting at the same time. a must.

Golgo-13 2012-04-24 23:36:58

Kronos is part ninja.

Quirky, stylish, humorous, and creepy, this flick makes for a fineintroductory experience to the world of Hammer. This take on vampirelore has said creature drain the actual life of its victims, rightthrough the lips, leaving merely an ancient shell of the personafterwards! Kronos is part ninja. There's a great scene in the barwhere three hired baddies attempt to cut him down…Kronos has his sworddrawn, two bloody swipes, and put back in its sheath before the guysknew they were dead! Kronos also moves with the speed of a ninja. Eachtime his peasant girl (the hot Caroline Munro) rests up against him andhe gets called for, the next scene just shows her falling over. Greatstuff. Another highlight was the trial and error vampire deathtest…watch it and see. Overall, Captain Kronos made for a prettyentertaining watch and had some nice original details and twists.

krasnegar 2012-04-24 21:33:34

Nicely Packaged, Tongue-in-Cheek

Someday, when i least expect, it, i am sure that i will stumble over theJapanese film that MUST have inspired this film.Great silly vampire fun; not to be taken seriously for a moment. On thatbasis, there are a couple of nice scenes and scares.Kronos is another of those guys whose mother survived a vampire attack whilepregnant; as such, he's a bit more than human. He's FAST == look for thescene where Caroline Munro has her head cradled in his lap, and watchcarefully. He's clever, and, with his hunchbacked doctor friend, he's outto rid Europe of vampires.Non-traditional vampires, by the way -- they don't take blood as such, theysteal youth, the life-force, leaving a young girl looking about seventy whenshe dies. And they don't necessarily die from a stake to the heart, either-- each "line" of vampires has a unique weakness, which the hunter has todiscover. (The scene in which Kronos and his friend try to kill [at hisrequest] a friend who is fated to become a vampire is both funny andsomewhat gruesome as they try different things that would certainly kill anormal man and he doesn't die.)Written and directed by Bryan Clemens (co-creator of "The Avengers") andfeaturing "Avengers" original star Ian Hendry in a small but juicy part,this is just about what you would expect...

2012-04-22 20:03:23

CORNY, RIDICULOUS, SILLY MOVIE.

This review is from: Captain Kronos - Vampire Hunter (DVD) DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME ON THIS STUPID MOVIE. IT IS AS CORNY AS CORNY GETS.

2012-04-22 16:05:44

Very uncharacteristic Hammer is one of their very best

This review is from: Captain Kronos - Vampire Hunter (DVD) You may want to get your hands on this 74' Hammer film while it's available at such sweet prices (4-3-11) as of this writing . I've seen most of the Hammer films . What sets this very smart and fun entry apart is first and foremost its unusually fine script . Coupled with unusually good acting by all involved and having a solid sense of humor about itself and its subject matter , director/ writer Brian Clemens certainly did his part (and then some) in trying to keep the Hammer house open . I've no clue why it failed . Very top tier Hammer from my perspective . Outstanding .

2012-04-21 22:36:34

A real (quirky) Classic

For me, this film was Hammer's most intriguing product. It's most unlike any other vampire movie of which I'm aware. The adventures of Captain Kronos are both amusing and engaging, with a "who-done-it" plot thrown in for good measure. And the obligatory luscious females are of the highest standard in the shape of Miss Munro and, especially for me anyway, Wanda Ventham. The general atmosphere is up to the usual Hammer standards. There is one scene in particular, involving the killing of a vampire at his own behest, which is to my mind one of the most darkly comic in all the genre. Especially - but not exclusively - if you're a Hammer horror fan and haven't seen this film, you really ought to do so without delay.

2012-04-21 15:13:47

Indiana Jones Meets Vampire Slayer In This Fun Hammer Film!

This review is from: Captain Kronos - Vampire Hunter (DVD) I admit not knowing a lot of the history of the making of this film, but I must say I never had so much fun watching another one of Hammer's over the top vampire films.Director Brian Clemens both wrote and directed this unusual take on vampirism. As explained in the film, there are various species of vampire and they don't all die by the same method. The stake & cross & garlic only work on the bloodsuckers, such as Dracula-types. Kronos (Horst Janson) needs to polish off a vampire that sucks the youth from the bones of comely young women of the village as they blithely pick flowers and frolic in the streams. The fun comes when Kronos and his hunchbacked friend are searching for ways to kill this particular vampire. Unfortunately one of his best friends from the war, a surgeon by the name of Dr. Marcus, gets infected with the 'sucking the life force' type vamps. After several attempts of hanging, stabbing and so on, he stumbles onto the solution. Also joining our gang is a very young and sexy Carla, who was being pilloried for dancing on a Sunday. Can you imagine? Played in a cheesy, sexy style by Bond girl Caroline Monroe, she adds some romance and attractiveness to the film. And she acts as bait! Not to give a lot away, but I was impressed with several things:The script was peppered with lines like: He knows as much about vampirism as you can fit into a flea's codpiece!" Hilarious!The tough guys in the bar looking for a fight but no match for Captain Kronos! The photography was awesome as well (to use an overused word). Clemens use of framing and shadow were reminiscent of horror films of the silent era, as suspense and horror are built through the haunting melodies of Laurie Johnson. Great soundtrack. The film struck my attention in the first place because of a comment made by Blade writer David Goyer that Captain Kronos was the first film to delve into different species of vampire and how this film had inspired him to create Blade (as well as from the comic book by Marvel). Let's concentrate on the vampire hunter rather than the vampire. Hey, perhaps Stephanie Meyer's Twilight vamps are a different species too, who sparkle in the sunlight and play baseball? But I digress! The only real cons in the film are the clearly low-budget constraints of the film by Hammer. The fight scenes were not all that realistic but were fun to watch. The leg kicks miss by a mile and yet you hear the Thud or the Wham of the hit. And of course having Caroline Monroe take her clothes off is worth the price of admission (joking, sort of). Please see this film! It has blood, sex, swordplay and a little cheese in this great, original 1970s Hammer classic.Other Great Hammer Classics:The Icons of Suspense Collection: Hammer Films (Stop Me Before I Kill! / Cash on Demand / The Snorkel / Maniac / Never Take Candy from a Stranger / These Are the Damned)Hammer Horror Series (Brides of Dracula / Curse of the Werewolf / Phantom of the Opera (1962) / Paranoiac / Kiss of the Vampire / Nightmare / Night Creatures / Evil of Frankenstein)