Mildly intriguing attempt to follow in the
footsteps of Hammer in the middle of the 1960s. It creates an eerie atmosphere
and a solid story of vampires and devil worshippers but it just pulls its
punches way too much. Not really scary but with a few mild chills along the
way and some good touches such as cutting a portrait painting and having
it bleed. Detrimental to the film though is the lack of charisma from the
two leading men. They are sort of just there taking up space. On the other
hand, the two women give the film a bit of spark and sex appeal. But where
the filmmakers really fall short is the ending that has the excitement of
watching your grandmother nap. That should have been the time to pile on
what had mainly been a cerebral film with some wam bam action but it just
fizzles like a popsicle left in the sun. Peter Cushing would have been
very disappointed. So was I.
A group of tourists are holidaying in Brittany, France and they observe a
strange and creepy religious ceremony going on. At the same time two of them
die while exploring caves after one sees a hand reach out of a coffin. Another
one dies from drowning and the only one left Paul (William Sylvester) goes
back to England but decides to investigate. Sylvester is the type of
actor where you know you have seen him in other things but can't remember
why. He is as stolid as a bed post. Behind it is a Satan worshipping cult
who also seem to raise the dead and the leader Count Sinistre (Hubert Noël)
is a vampire having been around for hundreds of years (there is also a touch
of voodoo to round it off). His lover and companion for some of those many
years is Tania (Carole Gray). Mixing these genres of the devil, raising the
dead, voodoo and vampirism doesn't really make sense. Neither does a lot
of the film.
They decide to enjoy the weather in England and make for its shores - also
to regain a talisman that Paul had picked up off the ground. They land up
in swinging Chelsea where they consort in libidinous parties where all these
devil worshippers cavort with drugs and lesbianism. Why do I never get invited
to parties like that. They go to great trouble to get the talisman which
again makes no sense - why not just hypnotize Paul or kill him - or can the
Count only hypnotize the weaker sex (sarcasm intended). But instead the Count
becomes enamored of another women - the wonderfully slinky looking Karen
(Tracy Reed) and wants to initiate her into the cult. Paul on the other hand
would like to initiate her into his bed. Tania doesn't much like the attention
the Count is paying to Karen. Even among the dead jealousy can still raise
its ugly head. Though in her case a very pretty head.
Directed by Lance Comfort, helmer of many low budget British films and produced
by a company called Planet Film that only seems to have made a few films.
It was up on YouTube.
