Blood of the Vampire/The Hellfire Club
February 26th, 2010
- Blood of the Vampire: When Dr. John Pierre (Vincent Ball) is falsely accused of practicing medical heresy, he is sent to a remote castle prison run by Dr. Callistratus (Donald Wolfit), a maniacal scientist who specializes in strange diseases of the blood. Aided by violent prison guards and a creepy hunchback, Dr. Callistratus proves to be much more than he seems. A moody Gothic horror film in the
Description
Blood of the Vampire: When Dr. John Pierre (Vincent Ball) is falsely accused of practising medical heresy, he is sent to a remote castle prison run by Dr. Callistratus (Donald Wolfit), a maniacal scientist who specializes in strange diseases of the blood. Aided by violent prison guards and a creepy hunchback, Dr. Callistratus proves to be much more than he seems. A moody Gothic horror film in the grand Hammer tradition, penned by famed terror scribe, Jimmy Sangster (Curse o… More >>
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2 Responses to “Blood of the Vampire/The Hellfire Club”
These two British films are obscure and a rare find and DarkSky is to be commended for trotting them out. I’m not crazy about the “drive-in” packaging with the corny drive-in ads et al but the films alone are worth the purchase of the disc. 1958′s color “Blood of the Vampire” was thought long lost but here we have a good print that is only slightly faded. In 1880, a good doctor is accused of malpractice and railroaded into a prison for the criminally insane run by a mad doctor experimenting in blood types. He has the good doc brought there to assist him. But the good doc is repelled by the fiendish experiments and held at bay by a deformed mute assistant. The good doc’s fiance (British scream queen Barbara Shelley in an early horror role) sneaks in as a new “housekeeper” to save the good doc and winds up in peril. There is no “vampire” per se but the evil doc has to be kept alive through blood transfusions. He was executed (having been THOUGHT to ba vampire) and revived through a sloppy heart transplant. Pretty grisly for 1958 with more blood than was the norm (save for the Hammer horror films that were just coming out). This is a satisfying Gothic horror film well worth checking out due to it’s rarity. The 2nd film 1963′s “The Hellfire Club” is not a horror film but a period melodrama/adventure about a secret vigilante group that seeks to right wrongs when summoned. A good print here too and a good cast featuring Peter Cushing. All in all, a worthwhile treat and a collector’s item due to the obscurity of both films. Enjoy.
Rating: 5 / 5
This is indeed a rare find. I saw this on the late show when I was a kid in the early 70s and I have never seen it since. I don’t think that it has been on TV in decades. It’s 19 century setting and unusual plot made it unforgetable. Being made in color is a real plus. It scared me so much back then, that I bought it now more for nostalgia reasons than anything else. It has definately not lost any of its charm. I’m not a horror movie buff per se but I’ll watch a Classic on TV if I happen to be up late. The new horror movies are mostly gore with no story line. This old one definately has a story. I just had to see it again! Well worth the price! A MUST for classic horror buffs(Hammer fans; although it’s not a Hammer film)
Rating: 5 / 5