Showing posts sorted by relevance for query twins. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query twins. Sort by date Show all posts

Thursday 22 July 2021

THE BIRTHDAYS OF MARY AND MADELINE COLLINSON : TWINS OF EVIL HAMMER FILMS 1971


REMEMBERING TODAY: Madeline Collinson. I must admit, I wasn't quite sure how I was going to present this today. The sad and premature passing of Madeline Collinson on August 2014 shocked everyone. For several years, fans and admirers were unaware of the struggle that Madeline had experienced with her health, a condition that through a series of unexpected and believed to be unfortunate timing, that sealed her fate. Madeline suffered from quite chronic emphysema. For months, she was nursed at her home, living quite a restricted life supported by  a ventilator system. In a horrendous turn of fate, the system shut down, as a result of a prolonged nationwide power cut. Mary, who now lives in Milan, later complained to the 'Times of Malta' newspaper that, 'Madeleine could have survived if the emergency services had got her to hospital quicker. . . ' A sad and tragic ending to a life. . .  Both her and her twin sister, Mary for a short time had a career in film, where their uncanny 'double-take' resemblance to each other, was the perfect device for films like '#HAMMERFILMS 'Twins of Evil'. 
 

BOTH MARY AND MADELINE, Both her and her twin sister, Mary for a short time had a career in film, where their uncanny 'double-take' resemblance to each other, was the perfect device for films like '#HAMMERFILMS 'Twins of Evil' which starred Peter Cushing, Damien Thomas and Denis Price. Neither Mary or Madeline, let their inexperienced in acting for the big screen get in their way. They knew their limits, and played to their strengths, and the results were very good indeed. . . . Both Madeline and Mary gracefully retired from their film careers, and went on to have families, children and lives..far, far away from the clutches of Count Karnstein! Mary still makes the occasional appearance at signing events, and is always happy to talk.
 
IN POSTING this tribute today also at Facebook PCASUK Fan Page, it is interesting to read and see the response from many, many admirers and fans, who remember and still appreciate both Madeline and Mary's work. 


Mary and Madeline with director John Hough during the making of Hammer Films 'Twins Of Evil' (1972) 
 

John Hough with 'The Twins' Madeline and Mary, during the filming of Twins Of Evil (1972)
 
 
BOTH MARY AND MADELINE featured in a rare Norwegian lobby still for 'Twins of Evil' where the feature was theatrically released with the confusing title of 'Twins of Dracula'!
 

PETER CUSHING and MARY COLLINSON wait for the cameras to start rolling and the flames to start roaring, on the woodland set of 'Twins of Evil'  
 

 
A FULL PCASUK REVIEW OF 'TWINS OF EVIL' WITH GALLERY OF STILLS 
CAN BE FOUND HERE!
 

PART ONE of a THREE PART GALLERY SERIES of RARE photographs on set during the making of Hammer films 'Twins of Evil' can be FOUND HERE
 

PART TWO RIGHT HERE! 
 

YOU ARE MOST WELCOME TO JOIN US and over 34,000 others Peter Cushing followers at the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE! With posts every day, rare images and photographs, features and prize competitions.. all celebrating the LIFE and CAREER of Peter Cushing  OBE    

Friday 6 January 2012

PETER CUSHING AND THOSE BIRDS OF PARADISE! 'TWINS OF EVIL' HAMMER FILMS 1971


As the second of Hammer's Karnstein trilogy (preceded by 'The Vampire Lovers' and followed by 'Lust for a Vampire') 'Twins of Evil' has an integral part to play in the legacy of Hammer Films, and as the midpoint of the trilogy is, for most peoples' money, the best of the three. The Studio that Dripped Blood had an affinity with the vampire for almost 20 years, and while not all quite met the mark, 'Twins of Evil' is deservedly famed as one of its true highlights.


The story revolves around orphaned twins Maria and Frieda (Mary and Madeleine Collinson), their puritanical guardian Gustav Weil (Peter Cushing) and the dashing Count Karnstein (Damien Thomas), who is made a vampire after blood from a Satanic ritual murder rouses Mircalla, Karnstein's vampiric ancestress. As Frieda joins the legions of the undead, her innocent sister Maria takes the blame for her twin's wickedness, almost being burned at the stake by witch-slaying Uncle Gustav in the process, until hero Anton (David Warbeck) steps in with a bit of common sense and a crucifix to save the day. Frieda is finally trapped and beheaded, Count Karnstein is impaled and rots dramatically away, and the dubiously-motived Gustav is similarly impaled on a thrown axe and plunges to his death. Good apparently triumphs over evil, though the image we are left with is not the most positive one we could have been given. Instead of Maria and Anton safely received back into society, the film's final moments focus our attention on Karnstein's rotting head.
'Twins of Evil' is a morality play in the grand old medieval fashion.


The stark figures of good and evil are frustrated in their efforts by ambiguous characters who commit personal evils in the process of protecting the greater good (Gustav). The contradictions of a split personality are also emphasised in the use of twins – one purely good, the other willfully mischievous and quickly seduced to pure evil. It is a morality play because it deals with the private morality of individuals – the bored aristocrat corrupted by Satanism who gets his come-uppance, the rebellious young woman exploiting her sexual power for the first time who is condemned and destroyed as the most evil of beings, the religious fanatic who seeks to purify the countryside from an imaginary menace of witches – and the wider public morality – religion without excess as typified by Gustav's wife Anna, and education for social improvement in the characters of Anton and his schoolmistress sister. That the plot hinges upon the battle between God and the Devil, the living and the (un)dead, the light and the darkness, is the final seal on the mediaeval morality play angle this film – perhaps unconsciously – adopts.Vampires are often portrayed in films – especially by Hammer – as ambiguous characters.


 We know, as the viewer, that they should be regarded as manifestations of pure evil, and yet their promise of tabooed sexuality and experience tempt us away from the morality in which we spend most of our lives. It is this seductive evil that is encapsulated in Damien Thomas' Count Karnstein. Although not as sexually predatory a vampire as Christopher Lee's Dracula was to become, Karnstein is undoubtedly a sexy, seductive and highly persuasive vampire. And yet it is not he who seeks out the twins as objects of possible corruption – it is Frieda who seeks out the thrills of meeting him. The inference is always present that it is she who is in control of her destiny and her choices – she wants what she gets, and gets what she obviously wants.


Victorian morality still manifests itself today in Western society, particularly in England. Western society's fear of the sexuality of children and adolescents is the driving force of what makes us interpret Frieda's behaviour as evil. She seems the very match of her pure sister – upon meeting the twins for the first time both their aunt and the schoolmistress remark "I shall never be able to tell you apart" – and yet she is shown to be Hyde to Maria's Jekyll. And, horror of horrors, she actually seeks out sexual experience herself instead of having it thrust upon her by the burdensome demands of a boorish husband (the acceptable face of Victorian female sexuality). The perversity of her quest for sexual experience – the fact that she turns to a vampire who dabbles in Satanism for her deflowering – simply adds to the conceptualisation of her evil. Thus Frieda's true evil has more to do with the notion of her sexual nature than the surrender of her humanity by becoming a vampire!


The dichotomy of the split personality is here given two identical faces, a neat twist on the more common Jekyll and Hyde variety, where the two personalities look and act differently, and the confusion never exists as to which one is which, except of course in the mind of the split personality's better half himself. With twins the situation is visually confused, and the plot of the film makes clever use of their physical similarity to baffle the key plays for good and evil. And since there are two people there can be no blurring of guilt as there is with Jekyll and Hyde. Whilst Hyde commits evil deeds and Jekyll (since he is Hyde) has to take the guilt and ultimately the punishment for these deeds, Maria is ultimately blameless of her sister's crimes. They may look similar, but they are very distinct individuals, a fact that only really becomes obvious when one chooses so dramatic a path away from her sister. They are not alter egos of the same tortured mind, but both sane and reasoning people: the only difference is that one chooses to be good and the other chooses to be bad.


Film-makers can have great fun with twins, utilising all the familiar stories and myths about them – their shared experiences for example. This is the closest this film comes to laying some of the culpability for Frieda's sins at Maria's door. When Frieda is bitten by Karnstein, Maria awakes clutching her throat, seeming to know on a subconscious level that something has happened to her twin. Similarly when Frieda is beheaded, it is Maria who feels the pain of it and knows the moment of her sister's death. Additionally, the ruse of Karnstein's henchmen to transport Frieda out of jail by substituting Maria provides a visual reminder of how similar the girls look, and how easy it would be for a casual observer to miss the difference. Even when Maria is tied to the stake preparing to be burnt to death for his sister's sake, mad Uncle Gustav confuses her silent passivity to her fate with a confession of guilt. It is left to Anton to produce the all too familiar crucifix to attest to Maria's innocence, and finally the witch-hunting party turn their efforts to the destruction of some real villains for a change!

 
With its overtones of Puritan excess and religious mania, 'Twins of Evil' is a marvellous vehicle for Peter Cushing as Gustav, and the closest he ever came to playing Matthew Hopkins, England's celebratedly notorious Witchfinder General. The conflict of trying to do good by evil means, of trying to see justice done by taking unjust measures, has rarely been so finely explored as here. As arguably the most controversial and ambiguous character in the film – even more so than Karnstein – Gustav is in many ways the more villainous of the two, in that he dresses up his mania and excesses in religious piety and ultimately hypocrisy. Karnstein never makes any pretence at being a saint or even good – we first see him cavorting with a woman who is subsequently carted off by Gustav and his cronies and burned as a witch. Whilst Karnstein is the most obviously evil character, Gustav is insidiously the more evil because of his attempts to justify his acts, something which Karnstein never does, except to declare that it is his nature to do what he does. Part of this film's magick lies in its proof that Cushing – best remembered for his heroic role as Van Helsing to Christopher Lee's Dracula – could play the full range of good and evil characters. He was truly one of the greatest British film stars of all time, and this films stands as a great testament to his ability as a character actor.


In between the polarities of good and evil, in between the light and the darkness, lie all the worst psychological traits that mankind is heir to. The conflict between what we are expected to do and what we want to do are never more clearly exemplified than by the behaviour of the two girls, and this struggle spills over into the rest of the film's main characters. Human life is a constant struggle, a constant battle between doing what society wants you to do and the individual drives that compel you into sometimes contradictory stances. The only ones in 'Twins of Evil' who do not suffer remorse or regret, who are not plagued by fears and petty grievances, are the vampires.


It is easy to see why Frieda is so easily seduced by their promises. As the picture of nervous angst she rebels against everything required or expected of her: she openly flirts with Anton; she dresses provocatively; she stands up verbally to her uncle and aunt on occasion; she goes out at night when expressly forbidden to do so; and the assumption is there to be drawn that it was Frieda's decision for her sister and herself to come out of mourning clothes so shockingly soon (according to Gustav's standards). She flaunts convention in any way she can, and openly confesses her sins to her shocked and terrified sister.


But, like all good morality plays, evil is always conquered by the powers of goodness. Although in most conventional vampire films religion is seen as the conquering good, in this film the emphasis is pushed more onto education and learning, onto intelligence rather than faith. Faith, as typified by Gustav Weil, can be corrupted, but the intellect cannot. Anton suffers before finding the strength and wit to battle against the vampires – his sister died at the hands of Karnstein and his gang of nasties – but when he does decide what to do he follows his course through steadfastly, seeking redemption not only for his dead sister, but for the woman he loves (Maria), for himself and the rest of the village. He takes the role of Everyman, put upon the Earth to conquer the evil in humanity for the sake of all others. In mediaeval morality plays this figure acted almost as a Christ figure, waging a personal war against the sins he sees around him, and acting as final redeemer and Saviour for the rest of humanity. Played with obvious believability by the late David Warbeck (in one of his earliest film roles), Anton is a sympathetic figure, intelligent but still innocent of the evils of the world, on a crusade to educate all for the benefit of all. He is the ideal spirit of a new age which will stamp out the curse of vampires once and for all.



David Warbeck was one of the great British character actors, specialising mainly in low-budget horror roles, and 'Twins of Evil' was probably the most high profile film he ever made. How strange it should be that his first major role and his last should have been in British-made vampire films. From his days as Anton for Hammer to his enjoyable cameo in 'Razor Blade Smile', horror and vampires seem to have had a special place in Warbeck's heart. His rare talent for finding humour in the most horrific of scenes, his powerful and sardonic voice, his entire Britishness – all these things set him apart from the majority of character actors in his genre. Much respected on the convention circuit, he is also sadly missed by many.



 
For twins Mary and Madeleine Collinson, the opportunity to star in a Hammer film was a rare and special one, and one which they both remember with fondness. "Working for Hammer Productions was a wonderful experience. The atmosphere on the set was friendly and everybody was helpful and very professional," enthuses Madeleine. "I think the story about identical twins, one good and the other bad, was original as a concept and obviously was a great success. There was never any doubt as to who should play who: although we are similar we are different enough in some respects. I could never have played the goody goody Maria was. I photograph harder than my sister Mary. I loved playing the evil twin and Mary played herself!"


The twins were found by Hammer following their centrefold shoot for Playboy magazine (the first 'twins' feature ever to appear in that publication), and after the film they moved to Milan to continue their modelling careers. After a brief stay in the US, they returned to Europe. Madeleine now lives in Malta, Mary in London.

On the subject of vampires they are enthusiastic. "The idea of living forever by sucking blood sounds inviting. We all would love to live forever. Vampires have always proven to be mysterious, frightening, and fear is one of the most exciting sensations that we all like to feel. Whether vampires are real I couldn't begin to answer. But why not? Dracula still has lots of thrills to bestow upon his adoring public. The new generation of youngsters find vampires fascinating. Dracula is the aristocracy of horror films. May he live forever."


In conclusion, it is fair to say that 'Twins of Evil' is one of Hammer's most complex and in-depth films, and also one of its most entertaining. All the central characters are well-moulded and obviously cast to perfection, the script is well thought out and has a lot to say about social conditions and the nature of religion, education and sexuality, above and beyond the vampire story which is familiar to all. It is a challenging film, pushing boundaries and daring to be controversial at times. It has a grim sub-plot about the witch hunts of Puritan Europe, but balances this with plenty of gentle humour and occasional moments of tasteful nudity. If you want a vampire film with substance, character and imagination then this is the one.



review: Louisianax for more of Louisianax review please visit her site click here
images: Marcus Brooks

Sunday 4 March 2012

PETER CUSHING: PAUL MCNAMEE'S PETER CUSHING MARATHON: COLLINSONS INGRID PEEL! LAP THREE


Scoff all you like at that most basic of puns (and really, I AM sorry) but I was chuffed to pieces when I thought of it after the latest of my triple-bill Cushenings. This week’s trio is thematically tied by bosoms bare and bared teeth, and I’ll throw in a little cinematic historical discussion while we’re at it (hey, as long as the history’s Hammer, I’m a grade A student with a major in weak metaphors.)


Twins Of Evil is a misleading title, but Twin Of Evil And The Other Twin hasn’t the same schlocky ring so I’ma let it go. The film opens with a fairly weak scene in which a witch (aha) is burned for her presumed sins under the authority of Gastav Weil (pronounced Vile, and altogether descriptive of his general demeanour). Weil is played by Cushing of course, and at first I had trouble getting into the film as Christian crusaders against the morally unjust really turns me right off a movie, but it wasn’t long before the sheer energy of Cushing’s performance won me over (I think it was around about the time he roars “by BURNING THEM!” in response to a query on how best to deal with the devil’s dearies) and by the end of the film I was struggling not to root for him despite his general nastiness and unrootforability. I think in any other actor’s hands the role wouldn’t be as sympathetic but this is a Cushing Classic right off the bat and his Weil is unforgettable, from his handling of a cane to his two-fingered point (now officially my favourite point in movie history, and I AM a point enthusiast). His sunken cheeks belie his state of health but there’s no denying that look defines the force of Cushing throughout the decade.


Despite his starring role, at times it feels as though the film is an expose for its titular twins Madeleine and Mary Collinson, Maltese Playmates and occasional actors who don’t help confusion by dressing identically from the very beginning of the film. When they’re introduced they’re observed sharing a coach with an elderly pair who seem to disapprove of their very being young and youthsome, not to mention their Venetian origins (after all, if these girls are from Venice then they’re not from HERE, which won’t do at all. “We didn’t mean to offend you”, the nicer of the sisters offers, but I’ll tell you what I reckon, right, I reckon they DID, for these are no mere twins, but Twins...Of Evil (really driven home as Cushing despairs “the devil has sent me...twins of evil”, which is the best shoehorning of a film’s title into its dialogue I’ve ever seen and won a gen-yoo-ine Arms Up in celebration).


The basic plot of the film is that the twins (OF...oh, I’m sure you know which twins by now) have been sent to live with their God-bothering, Bible-blasting uncle (Weil) who’s swanning about the village looking for wenches to burn to slake his thirst for violence and general bastardry. One such scene sees he and his merry, murderous mob descend upon a woodland shack outside which sits a broom in one of the least intentionally humorous moments in Hammer history. Within, Count Karnstein (the implausibly fey Damien Thomas) is up to badness with a local lovely and his machinations are caught just short of copulation by the invading Weil whose actions point ultimately to a subtly-implied spiritual impotence that, again, in lesser hands would make him hard to get behind. Karnstein is an enjoyable villain but is undermined by Thomas’ resemblance to Rowan Atkinson, making the claret-fond fop look most often like a particularly nasty, camp Edmund Blackadder.


The nasty twin decides to get embroiled with Count Karnstein (whose Matte Painting home is visible from her window) because she’s just a bit of a bad ‘un really, despite her sister’s protests. Soon enough Weil gets wise to her vampirism but not before a bankable switcheroo (if the best episodes of Sister Sister have taught us anything it’s that twins MUST be switched over during the course of any work of fiction starring them). Needless to say promiscuity is punished and prudence praised, though Cushing’s crusades go unrewarded as he plunges to his death, an axe in his back.


Elsewhere, we have an Anton (box: checked), some impressive eyebrows, phallic candle abuse, fairly pervy camera attention paid to the bust of a bust of Karnstein’s ancestor and a character named Ingrid Hopper, Prim And Proper. Fair enough, that’s not her actual title, but it sums her up perfectly and anyway, I’m in charge here, sonny boy. When Karnstein bites the dust we’re treated to the usual Hammer vampire demise of various layers of decomposition but most notably Karny goes bald before decaying into a slab of skull meat. The Cushing Ruckus is fairly ongoing, though his speedy decapitation near the end of the film is easily the highlight. There’s a Hammer Scream in there, too, and what Hammer would be complete without those distinctive ugly gulders wrenched from the throats of poor doomed chaps?


Twins Of Evil is a fairly expensive looking production and I couldn’t help feeling that the nudity cheapened affairs somewhat, though for a film whose driving force concerns sexual attitudes it’s hardly a fair gripe. Most importantly, after a weak start it emerges as a great film, and it’s not only one of the most enjoyable Hammers but one of my favourite Cushing performances to date. Still, if gratuitous boobage annoyed me in Twins, I was hardly prepared for what was to come...


The Vampire Lovers actually precedes Twins Of Evil in Hammer’s oft-called Karnstein Trilogy but the connection is scant and not worth observing them in order or succession. On the whole, the film is a lot weaker thanks in no small part to Sir Pete’s “and Peter Cushing as” credit as opposed to the hallowed “Peter Cushing IN” which spells a starring role and most often something worth looking forward to. Alas, his role here is a supporting one, and coming off the back of Twins Of Evil it suffers in comparison to the sheer bombast of Weil. Still, it was worth it if only to pick up on some Hammer Staples and make a few cackhanded observations about sexuality and the studio’s steady metamorphosis from class to trash.


First off, the Ms in the Hammer title card are in italics which bothered me to no end ‘til I forgot about it seconds later. Confusing further is the night’s second (but chronologically first) appearance of the name Joachim, which I’m hesistant to add to the list of Hammer Staples until I spot a third use, though two films in a row is pretty good going for a new entry. Fairly quickly we’re introduced to a much nicer Matte Painting for our cast to live in (or be murdered at) than that of Twins Of Evil and a spooky prologue set in a spooktacular graveyard just bloody rife with spooktastic spookening. In less infuriating terms, there’s a lady roaming about in a sheet while someone who looks a bit like Doctor Who watches her from a window on high and in a voiceover that soon vanishes altogether informs us that she’s a vampire and he’s wrecked her bed so she just has to wander about until he graciously sends her head on a holiday a few minutes later. Our first Hammer Scream comes early on and is courtesy of a toothy sex git who probably deserved to have it torn from his throat.


As the credits roll I am given double cause for concern as in addition to Sir Pete’s reduced role I spy that one John Forbes Robinson from Legend Of The Dancing Hopping Vampires is also in it. If you don’t recall my not inconsiderable distaste for his big silly self, well, there you have it. I’ve just declared it. Introduced to Cushing, we learn that he’s really just background noise as the film is ultimately a vehicle for the undeniably enthralling Ingrid Pitt. Another Hammer Staple box can be ticked off as within moments we have an INSTANT CARL. Carl, Hans, Paul, Anton – there’s always one...


Moments later (I should mention this is all set at a thoroughly boring looking party) the film’s lesbian agenda is confirmed as one male character comments that dear Ingrid (whose character boasts names innumerable and shall be ‘Ingrid’ throughout) is in fact checking out his girlfwife who, like Ingrid, ALSO HAS OVARIES. An awfully pale Forbes-Robinson enters in a black and red cape and you begin to wonder if there might be something suspicious about him. Also he’s a vampire. At first I thought it might be a sort of red herring, something to throw us off the scent. After all, most of the characters in this film are...shhhhh...(not heretosexual). But no, yeah, he’s totally a vampire. Fangs and everything.


One thing these early scenes hammer (hehehe) home is how much Cushing changed physically in the immediate wake of his wife Helen’s death. Here, around a year beforehand, he is his classic, handsome self, but Twins Of Evil (from a year or so afterwards) presents the later, gaunt and altogether mesmerising Cushing who’s perfectly suited to just about any major villain or even in that film’s case a hero who’s hard to root for.

Now, one of the defining images I had for Hammer before I really began digging into its canon was that sex and gore were the films’ primary ingredients, though a few  years’ study has proved that to be the opposite. The majority of Hammer’s 60s output is at best thoughtful, tasteful and often iconic, and at its worst inoffensively redundant or straight-up bad, but it wasn’t until it rolled into its last decade of filmmaking that that nudity quotient really became a calling card, and in terms of mainstream exposure it is this film that serves as that calling card. This isn’t heaving cleavage, this is teeth marks on bared breasts, and it’s less an obsession with sex than smut. Vampirism, as these films go, carries certain sexual connotations by default – this increase in fleshtime is titillation.

The basic scenario isn’t much different from the main Dracula series and on the whole it’s not that compelling either. I would go as far as to say, for all its revolutionary attitudes towards the presentation of sexuality within that medium, it still manages to feel overfamiliar and even a little stale. The typicality of the predator role has been reversed but the victim remains the same. A Hammer film with male vampire fodder may have fared a little better, historically, and I can imagine that the studio thought they’d struck a goldmine with this new “this time, the vampire is a WOMAN...A GAY WOMAN” mindset, not to mention a way of prolonging the ailing franchise, but it’s little more than opportunistic and exploitative from a group that really should know better. Like I said, it’s a solid showcase for Pitt, but not in any real way a good film.


Honestly, once Sir Pete left I basically turned off upstairs. The film ran apace but I didn’t engage with this like I did with Twins Of Evil. Still, I noticed another Hammer Staple in the off-roaded horse and cart, as well a reuse of that shot that appears in Twins Of Evil of the woodland shed in the opening prologue with the broom outside. There’s, um, also, well, there’s a horse named Jupiter, which is cool I guess...

Um...

Yeah. Oh, I was at least mildly amused by another imitation of subversion by having Ingrid’s portrait disingtegrate rather than her actual vampire self like in the rest of the Hammer set, but I’m clutching at straws here and rather fancy nipping off for a sandwich.

Ultimately, Sir Pete is superfluous in this ‘un, and really there’s nothing to see. Well, no, there’s piles and piles of naked ladies to see if that’s your bag, but you’re not on the Naked Ladies Appreciation Society’s website (and if you ARE reading this there, I did NOT authorise this reproduction, you pesky boob fans!)

Skip it.

Last up...



Last night’s final screening (you know, for me and all the dust bunnies in my living room) consisted of Hammer’s second “Dracula” film, The Brides Of Dracula, in which neither Christopher Lee or some gangled substitute make an appearance. Instead, Cushing (as the thoroughly heroic Van Helsing, allowing me to cheer him on without so much as a trace amount of guilt for the first time this night) turns his attention to Baron Meinster, a rather crap vamp who’s making for himself an army of subservient lady wives… and a whole heap of trouble! (That’s how you speak if your life is one big long comedy trailer).



Amongst his conquests is a little French teacher of a thing who agrees to marry him after nothing more than a kiss of the hand, a pair of indistinguishable raven-haired waifs (who Van Helsing is quick to burn alive, er, undead) and, most disturbingly, his own mother, especially when you consider the whole sexual element of cross-gender vampirism.


Now, there, SEE, ya got me doing that! Sigh. I was supposed to watch this film as part of my A-Level Media Studies course way back in my youth but seeing as it wasn’t on DVD then we settled for Horror Of Dracula instead. I’ve not seen it ’til now, and I couldn’t help treating it like the type of film you’re usually exposed to on a course of education. As such, I felt compelled to address (up in my thoughtscape) that the fact the heroine was wearing a red dress in the final scene meant she was in DANGER, as well as developing half-hearted notions about gender scrutiny and identifying symbols and all manner of involuntary media studies reactions. This is the bedrock of film criticism but, as I'm sure you've gathered, it's not how I operate.


That’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy the film, because despite Lee’s absence it still manages to be one of the better films in the troubled Drac Canon and the face melting, windmill-focused antics of its finale are particularly thrilling, but I couldn’t help feeling a little worn out by it and didn’t make a lot of notes, though I did enjoy seeing Michael Ripper’s childface and there’s a brief appearance by Henry Oscar whose stiff theatrics make the lines “you shameless little hussy” and “I’m no tenant of yours, you young jackass” a riot.



Other than that, it’s the usual yada yada yada, with top notch direction and photography and not a lot to fault. In the end, Vampire Lovers sort of ruined things for me and Twins Of Evil surprised me altogether by setting a benchmark right off the bat. Also, that bat I just mentioned? It’s a vampire bat. Geddit?

NEXT WEEK: AMICUS!

Review: Paul McNamme
Images: Marcus Brooks

Saturday 30 August 2014

NEWS: TWINS OF EVIL GETS UK BLU RAY RELEASE FROM NETWORK SEPTEMBER 8TH


British distributors Network have officially announced and detailed their upcoming Blu-ray releases of John Hough's Twins of Evil (1971) and Peter Sasdy's Countess Dracula (1971). The two releases will be available for purchase on September 8th.


TWINS OF EVIL:
Directed with characteristic style and energy by cult filmmaker John Hough (The Legend Of Hell House, The Watcher In The Woods) and starring horror legend Peter Cushing, Twins of Evil (15) combines the signature Hammer elements of supernatural horror, black humour and fabulously lurid sensuality.

Featuring an all-time classic score by Harry Robinson, Twins Of Evil also stars Kathleen Byron (Black Narcissus), Isobel Black (The Kiss of the Vampire) and Dennis Price (Kind Hearts and Coronets), and featuring Mary and the late Madeleine Collinson as the twins.
Glamorous identical orphaned twins Maria and Frieda move from Vienna to the village of Karnstein to take up a new life with their submissive aunt and grim uncle - a fanatical Puritan and leader of a witch-hunting religious sect who is determined to kill his nemesis, Count Karnstein: a devil-worshipping libertine who has been turned into a vampire.

Special Features:
  • Original theatrical trailers and TV spots
  • Deleted scene
  • Image gallery
  • PDF material
  • Commemorative booklet
  • Instant play facility

COUNTESS DRACULA:
One of Hammer's most enduringly popular films and a benchmark for 1970s horror, Countess Dracula stars Ingrid Pitt (The Wicker Man) in an iconic, career-defining role as the aged countess who must regularly bathe in virgins' blood to regain her fading youth.

Genre stalwart Peter Sasdy (Hands of the Ripper) directs arguably his best Hammer film, from a script by award-winning writer Jeremy Paul and showcasing a rousing score from composer Harry Robinson.

In medieval Hungary, Countess Elisabeth Nádasdy, an embittered, ageing widow, discovers by accident that virgin's blood causes her skin become youthful and smooth. Determined to retain her new youth at all costs, the Countess coerces her lover to abduct a string of young virgins to keep her supplied with the blood she now craves to stay beautiful...

Special Features:
  • Audio commentary with Ingrid Pitt and horror experts Kim Newman and Stephen Jones
  • Original theatrical trailer
  • Archive interview with Ingrid Pitt
  • 50 Years of Hammer - news feature
  • Thriller episode
  • Conceptions of Murder episode
  • Instant play facility

Twins Of Evil
Gets UK Blu Ray
Release
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