Color, 1966, 90 mins.

Directed by John Gilling

Starring Andre Morell, Diane Clare, Brook Williams, Jacqueline Pearce, John Carson, Alexander Davion, Michael Ripper / Written by Peter Bryan / Produced by Anthony Nelson Keys / Music by James Bernard / Cinematography by Arthur Grant

Format: DVD - Anchor Bay (MSRP $29.99)

Letterboxed (1.85:1) (16x9 enhanced) / Dolby Digital Mono


Though not usually mentioned as one of Hammer's landmark horror films (e.g., most of the Terence Fisher titles), Plague of the Zombies may well be the scariest. Skillfully shot and paced, Plague maximizes its dark, desolate Cornwall setting for maximum effect and delivers a surprising number of jolts (gory and otherwise) for a mid-'60s British title.

A strange, deadly curse has swept over a small Cornish village, causing several laborers to die mysteriously only to turn up shambling through the night near a mine several days later. Sir James Forbes (Hammer regular Andre Morell) offers his assistance to the desperate Dr. Tompson (Brook Williams), who cannot fathom the presumably supernatural cause of this epidemic. Any horror fan will naturally know the answer, thanks to the voodoo ritual opening sequence -- someone is killing off the residents and turning them into zombies.

Leaping off from the same basic story conceit used in the '30s horror favorite White Zombie, this Hammer version turns the concept on its head by presenting the zombies as horrifying, menacing creatures freshly risen from the earth, particularly in the legendary dream sequence which shows a zombie clawing out of the ground. Several equally potent moments are worth mentioning, however, particularly the first real zombie appearance on a nocturnal hillside, one of the most horrifying moments in the Hammer canon. The cast manages to wring a high amount of tension and believability out of this material, turning it into more than a visceral series of shock mechanisms, and a typically excellent score by James Bernard works up a heavy sense of dread right from the first scene. The fiery mine finale disappoints slightly due to some clumsy flaming zombie costumes, but otherwise, Plague of the Zombies has held up remarkably well over the years and deserves even more than the cult reputation it has already achieved. Interestingly, apart from the occasional oddity like Sugar Hill, this was really the last major horror film to utilize the voodoo master concept in relation to zombies, serving as an efficient bridge between the classic-style walking dead and the terrifying, independently animated zombies of George Romero and Lucio Fulci.

Anchor Bay's DVD looks essentially the same as Elite's laserdisc, albeit with more textured shadows and the added bonus of anamorphic enhancement. The mono soundtrack is clear and impressive throughout, and while the dull brown and green color schemes don't really make for dazzling eye candy, the image is very satisfying nonetheless. The disc also includes the theatrical trailer and double bill TV spot (with Dracula, Prince of Darkness), plus another installment in the World of Hammer British TV retrospective hosted by Oliver Reed. This edition, focusing on mummies, werewolves, and zombies, features the usual potpourri of clips from films ranging from this one to The Mummy's Shroud and Curse of the Werewolf. Not terribly deep, this treat is still great fun and offers some rare film snippets in nice DVD quality. The non-animated menu features a mono version of James Bernard's theme music.


Color, 1966, 90 mins.

Directed by John Gilling

Starring Noel Willman, Jennifer Daniel, Ray Barrett, Jacqueline Pearce, Michael Ripper / Written by John Elder (Anthony Hinds) / Produced by Anthony Nelson Keys / Music by Don Banks / Cinematography by Arthur Grant

Format: DVD - Anchor Bay (MSRP $29.99)

Letterboxed (1.85:1) (16x9 enhanced) / Dolby Digital Mono


Featuring the same director and much of the same cast and crew from Plague of the Zombies, The Reptile was originally intended to belong with that film as a kind of "Cornwall terror" double feature that sadly was never meant to be. Interestingly, many of the new cast members are carryovers from Kiss of the Vampire, making The Reptile a kind of visual fusion between Hammer's different styles of monster movies.

A series of mysterious murders in a small village leads a victim's brother, Harry Spalding (Ray Barrett), to arrive and investigate along with his wife, Valerie (Jennifer Daniel). After snooping around and listeing to local gossip, the couple makes the acquaintance of the secretive Dr. Franklyn (Noel Willman), who resides in a lonely estate with his young daughter, Anna (Jacqueline Pearce). Legend has it that the creature prowling the countryside is actually a strange reptile woman who sheds her skin, transforming from a seemingly human appearance into a venomous, deadly monster. Who could it possibly be?

Though powered by John Gilling's usual strong visual and narrative skills, The Reptile only occasionally manages the full throttle force of such other Gilling titles as Plague and Mania. That said, the film does manage to conjure up a sinister, magical atmosphere unlike any other, and Pearce makes for a fascinating, sympathetic character despite her clumsy (but oddly endearing) monster makeup. The actual horror content is fairly low, confined to a few brief and subdued attack sequences, but the overall effect of the film was strong enough that Ken Russell even used it as a partial inspiration for Lair of the White Worm, notably the sensual snake charming sequence.

Like Plague, The Reptile resembles its previous Elite laserdisc version but in this case suffers somewhat from the added clarity of DVD. The opening in particular swarms with grain, not helped by the inaccurate day for night tinting, but the image improves dramatically during the daylight sequences and those haunting, dusky fireside shots. It's a perfectly acceptable presentation, but don't expect to be astonished by any major revelations in the image quality. The disc includes the usual supplementary goodies: the theatrical and 30 second spots (with Rasputin the Mad Monk), as well as a juicy episode of World of Hammer, entitled "Vamps" (focusing on female bloodsuckers, naturally).


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