5 STANDALONE HAMMER FILMS I THINK ARE UNDERRATED

[@dr.impossibleofcounterpunc1984]

Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde for me. Ralph Bates was a starlet of Hammer and known as the Prince of Gothic horror, but this film still has one of Bates's finest performances for me. With the films intelligent take on the old story by Robert Louis Stevenson, the atmosphere and performances really do bring the concept to life. Martine Beswick has the sexyness of a Hammer Goddess, and Bates blends into Sister Hyde with ease. Both match each other perfectly. Her cold deminour and ruthless efficiency in murder all to effective. Nicely directed by Ward Baker, I would consider this film a remarkably successful Hammer film with a fine pedigree to boot. Cash on Demand was another highly effective Hammer film. One which I saw back in the late 1980's on TV. Both Morrell and Cushing excell with great performances and clever plotting.

[@Truegho]

Funny you should mention Dr Jekyll and Sister Hyde, Dr., because that just bubbled under my final five picks. Totally agree with you on this classic film. One of Hammer's best, and it was quite remarkable the way they got Martine Beswick and Ralph Bates to look alike. In fact, you would have even thought they were brother and sister! Thank you for watching.

[@LarryFleetwood8675]

Bates was great in all his Hammer films, a really fine underrated actor sadly gone now 32 years already.

[@dr.impossibleofcounterpunc1984]

@Larry Fleetwood Ralph Bates was related to Louis Pasteur. Bates was brilliant in the bold Granada TV production The Ceasars. He played Caligula, and the performance was even more insane than John Hurt in the BBC adaptation of I, Claudius. Bates was also top dollar in Poldark as George Warleggan. The BBC's more recent version of Poldark, the actor who played Warleggan was absolutely terrible. I think Winston Graham liked Bates's performance a lot. He was less impressed with the drama back in 1970's because the BBC didn't adapt the books effectively enough from Graham's original material, and was deeply disgruntled with how Poldark turned out. I'm not a fan of the new Poldark, but will say they did adapt the books as Graham intended. I still like Robyn Ellis as Ross Poldark in the 1970's series. Both Bates and Ellis spared beautifully together. The actor who played Jud, the servant of Ross Poldark in the 1970's series was absolutely brilliant. Paul Curran was his name. The Jud in the new series of Poldark just didn't live up to Curran in 1970's series.

[@dr.impossibleofcounterpunc1984]

@Alan Scouser yep. Bates was deeply underrated as an actor. He barely gave interviews, and was extremely private. I think his daughter was an actress if my memory serves me, Daisy Bates. She starred in a successful ITV series called Forever Green with Pauline Collins and John Alderton. They filmed it in Gloucestershire . Christ! That was back in 1988. 30 plus yrs ago. Just nuts!

[@LarryFleetwood8675]

@@dr.impossibleofcounterpunc1984 I really like the old Poldark series a lot, several Hammer people in that one as well, like Judy Geeson and Angharad Rees. Bates was terrific here, they really let the actors play out the scenes in the good old videotaped days, like filmed theater.

[@jockmctodger]

Superb choices Alan! I'd be tempted to make it 10 films and include Hands Of The Ripper, Never Take Sweets Off A Stranger, Countess Dracula & The Devil Rides Out. It's so good having these cracking films on blu ray these days. Proper classics

[@Truegho]

Totally agree, Jock.

[@RealSuperNintendan]

Hello my friend. I found your channel from your 1973 movie review of The Baby. I just turned 50 on Jan 22nd.. and now I want to watch ALL movies released in my birth year of 1973. I got a long, long road ahead of me. I’m only about 15-20 movies into my quest.

[@Truegho]

Hi there. Welcome to my channel. Nice to make your acquaintance.

[@rapscallion896]

Another great video and terrific selection of hammer films Alan, I love plague of the zombies, the gorgon and the reptile and curse of the werewolf is simply amazing with ollie reed a film I've always adored was quatermass and the pit with Andrew kier wish hammer had done a follow up with him in role although I did enjoy the John mills quatermass a few years later.

[@Truegho]

Thanks.

[@roybarratt5609]

Hi Alan some great movies there.I used to have a big Hammer dvd boxset which I stupidly sold on. My favourite film from it was The Nanny with Bette Davis as the titular character and an early role for Wendy Craig from Buterflies. It was real edge of your seat stuff and just thinking about it now I can kick myself for getting rid of it.

[@Truegho]

Hi Roy. Thanks for your comments. Haven't seen The Nanny, but will definitely check it out. Thanks for watching.

[@bushmanblu426]

Hi Alan, another great Hammer video, Not watched The Reptile but i did buy the Blu-ray recentley so that's in my watch pile. Fear in the night i have on DVD but again i haven't watched it, not a very good Hammer fan am i lol. Blood from the Mummy's tomb i have seen but from DVD, i have the Blu-ray but have yet to give it a rewatch, I did enjoy that one. Plague of the zombies is fantastic and one of my favorites. again i have The Gorgon and its brilliant, would have loved a sequel. another film i would pick is Curse of the Werewolf. thanks for the great video mate.

[@Truegho]

Hi Mark. Thanks for your comments. Really appreciate them. Yes, you should enjoy The Reptile. It's a great one. Yes indeed, Plague of the Zombies is an awesome movie, and my all time favourite zombie flick. The Gorgon is another great Hammer classic. Yeah, love Curse of the Werewolf too. The late, great Oliver Reed was really on the money in that one!

[@geoffjoffy]

I watched The Reptile last summer for the first time and I really enjoyed it. Colors were really vivid. Good acting, and a very interesting film. Like you say, it's underrated. I agree, with Fear In the Night - an excellent film, rich in atmosphere and intrigue. And I don't know why, but I always assumed The Plague of the Zombies was in black and white. But yet again, the color in that is vivid. Good film. Haha, and The Gorgon was so scary, I looked away when it was on screen. I was a kid though. Haha. Cheers, Alan.

[@LarryFleetwood8675]

The Reptile is awesome, very atmospheric. Watched Ray Barrett recently in Revenge (1970) with Joan Collins, directed by the underrated Sidney Hayers.

[@geoffjoffy]

@@LarryFleetwood8675 Well said.

[@Truegho]

Hi Geoff. Thanks for your comments. Yeah, The Reptile is a brilliant movie, and as regards The Gorgon, yes, I too was spooked by her face, which was as scary as Regan McNeil's Exorcist face! Yes, Hammer had great colour for those movies, and it is a great pity the horror movies of today are so devoid of that stunning picture quality, most of which instead look dull and washed out, and often too dark.

[@geoffjoffy]

@@Truegho Well said, today's movies sometimes drained not of blood but color. LOL. Cheers!

[@spectralmusings6244]

If you don't already have it, the blu ray of Paranoiac is worth picking up. This is the best of Hammer's psycho thrillers, in my opinion. The disk has a great bonus feature where the author Wayne Kinsey gives the background to the film on the site of Bray Studios. Some great shots of Hammer's old stamping ground in this.

[@zamiadams4343]

Great film!

[@LarryFleetwood8675]

I agree, such a brilliant and goold looking atmospheric film.

[@Truegho]

Yes, indeed it was.

[@scottthemoviecritic8576]

Excellent video Alan. Really enjoyed it mate. Awesome choices mate. I really like the Plague of the Zombies. Really solid movie there.👍

[@Truegho]

Thanks Scott. Glad you enjoyed my review. Yes indeed, Plague of the Zombies is an awesome Hammer movie, and as I say, my all time favourite zombie movie next to Romeros Night of the Living Dead.

[@scottthemoviecritic8576]

@@Truegho no worries Alan. Yeah it is a great film. I agree.👍

[@inthesegoingsdown]

Great choices. Blood from The Mummy's Tomb is one of my favorites, very grisly and atmospheric. Valerie is out of this world! Never saw Fear in the Night or Cash on Demand..yet. The Gorgon is severely underrated, switching the usual Cushing-Lee Hero/villain paradigm. The two Cornwall films have original creatures and that countryside atmosphere. They has so many great one off films. It can only be 5 I know, but I would add Kiss of the Vampire, Captain Kronos, Vampire Circus and Dr Jekyll and Sister Hyde... They say 70s hammer was bad but I don't see it, they made some really crazy and fun films in their last decade.

[@Truegho]

Thanks for the kind comments. Much appreciated.

[@coastliner5848]

"Plague of the Zombies" is definitely my all time favourite Hammer (closely followed by "Twins of Evil")

[@Truegho]

Two great classics!

[@coastliner5848]

@@Truegho 👍👍

[@miserableoldgit1411]

great vid alan loved those movies take me back to my teans itv would put on friday night fear 1030 to midnight used to watch with me mates but did you run home when the movie was over looking all around you lol loved plauge of the zombies great end and cash on demand never heard of it till saw on your chat great movie like the uk cut best but nice to have the us cut as well tc steve

[@Truegho]

Thanks Steve. Glad you liked my video.

[@rickykilby4672]

I love all the movies here alan.My favourite being Plague of the zombies.The Gorgon is wonderfully atmospheric,and unusual in that cushing is the villain and lee the good guy.

[@horrorhands666]

I enjoyed all of these with the exception of Fear In The Night which didn’t do anything for me. Cash On Demand sounds good. I’d say Brides of Dracula is one of their best and The Devil Rides Out which, in my opinion, is Hammer’s best film. Great list, Alan.

[@Truegho]

I would definitely echo your liking for both Brides of Dracula and The Devil Rides Out. Two absolute Hammer classics. Yes, Cash On Demand is definitely worth checking out, but as I say, it is more of a battle of wits kind of tale, with a very significant Christmas message underscoring it, rather than a straight horror film. Glad you liked the list, Bryn.

[@davidprice6994]

Hi mate yes i have all those films you just reviewed, brilliant films.

[@Truegho]

Great stuff.

[@simonparry5958]

Met Valerie Leon and bought a couple of videos off her including one with all the Hai Karate adverts lovely lady

[@sonerali3047]

What do you think of Hands of the ripper Al

[@Truegho]

I love it, Soner. A great Hammer film.

[@sonerali3047]

@@Truegho Ye I know it's not the so called going golden period but hammer made some crackers in the 70,s

[@daniellewillis2767]

Amazing!

[@zamiadams4343]

All great films Alan!

[@Truegho]

Thanks Zami.

[@jamescardello6173]

Hammer films screaming for remakes The Gorgon, The Reptile, Plague of the Zombies, Kiss of the Vampires, Quartermass and Karnstein series. Hands of the Ripper, Dr. J. and Sister Hyde, Krono, Vampire Hunter.

[@Truegho]

Not a fan of remakes. Prefer the original.

[@jamescardello6173]

I love the originals, don't get me wrong. What I meant was with a bigger budget, improved makeup effects, special effects. Many of these films can be so improved. It's true that remakes, in most cases can't match the original. But there r exceptions. Hammer's Frankenstein series as a whole r superior to the Universal films simply by focusing the stories on the creator rather than the creation. Other films like the Thing, Invasion of the Body Snatchers r also noted. Hammer had small budgets and limited time to get these films out, many were quickly rushed and some unfortunately hurt the films. But there was always something good even in a bad film. Resputin had a bad script but the superior acting of Lee and Barbara S made it enjoyable. It's a shame the Gorgon was a boxoffice failure. The characters weren't fully explored like they should have been. Now a remake can do this. Plus, if the new film is a hit u can do series of such films. Professor Meinster could be a Van Helsing character but instead of vampires he could battle mythology monsters all over the world. It's a thought. Yeah, forget about any Frankenstein or Dracula films. U can't replace the The Masters. Long live Hammer.

[@Truegho]

Cheers James.