Blood: The Last Vampire (2000)

With my last review I took a trip back to high school and now I am doing it again, but further back in time. I orginally watched this DVD 10 years ago back in 2002 and I remember thinking then how awesome it was. Now, I decided to rewatch it to see if it is like I remembered it. So off we go on a very short adventure... 60 minutes to be honest.

The story - Saya, a young woman working for the government, goes undercover as a high school student to battle evil forces. It turns out these evil monsters are posing as humans, but are really vampires. Only Saya has the power to destroy these creatures as she is the last Original. Armed with her katana she sets out to destroy them all.

The artwork - Thinking back to when I first saw this film I had fond memories of the artwork. Now after viewing it again, I am not sure what I saw ten years ago. The background is nice with shadowy colors and a horror movie feel to it. The look of most of the human characters is something to be desired. I couldn't believe how ugly the characters looked. They just seemed to have strangely large lips and gaps from eye to eye like small valleys. With that said I think the monsters were well done. Scary looking were-vampires type things, really worked here. The action scenes were very well done. So really other than the characters looking a little strange I think the art looks pretty sweet.

Final Thoughts- There is a lot to this story that we are not given as a viewer. The film is very short and we are left with so much to wonder about. I do know there is a series based on this film and I will set out watch that soon. Overall, this is a pretty decent watch.

Written By John Price

Wanna see "Blood: The Last Vampire" or films of a similar nature? Check out John's recommendations below!

Devil's Sword, The (1984)

THE DEVIL'S SWORD

Following “The Warrior”, Indonesian star Barry Prima became a heroic action star in his home country and Rapi Films wasn’t going to just waste his talent and struck when the iron was hot. They loaded up his schedule with numerous, quickly made but endlessly entertaining exploitation actions films and out of this flood “The Devil’s Sword” became one of the most popular due to its bizarre combination of both the Martial Arts and Sword and Sorcery genres.

 In a far away land the sadistic crocodile queen demands a small coastal village to sacrifice their young males to her in order to quench her insatiable need for physical love. A nearby warrior gets wind of this and decides to go on a quest for the mighty ‘devil’s sword’ to aid in defeating the bitch. It ain’t going to be easy though as he has to fight his way through crocodile men, witches, paper mache monsters and even an old nemesis.

Attack of the alligator people!

 “The Warrior” was a crazy film but not even half as insane as “The Devil’s Sword”. This film is like “Conan the Barbarian” on an acid trip as the filmmakers throw everything imaginable into the mix to see what sticks. Not all of it works thanks to weak special effects and a uneven pace, but a large portion of the film does in the favor of being a trashy delight. Highlights include our hero with supernatural powers flying on rocks to crush invaders and slicing and dicing up men in bad crocodile costumes. Hell even the flying guillotine made popular in the Shaw Brothers duology makes a bloody (literally) appearance.

Much like the cast of "Twilight", this sword 'sparkles'

Barry Prima is wooden as ever in the lead role, but he still has a small charismatic charm about him and his martial arts abilities are about as good as they get, for Indonesia that is. All the craziness and graphic gore in the plot is more than enough to cover-up his acting ability, or lack-there-of.

Attack of the paper mache cyclops!

“The Devil’s Sword” is one of the craziest most outlandish films I have ever seen, even more so than “The Warrior”. If you have soft spot for Indonesian exploitation cinema or films that are just a wild ride for the senses then “The Devil’s Sword” is definitely worth picking up for your collection. Unlike “The Warrior”, “The Devil’s Sword” was never followed by a sequel which is just a damn shame.

 Written By Eric Reifschneider

Grand Duel, The (1972)

THE GRAND DUEL

 AKA "The Big Showdown", "Storm Rider"

Even towards the end of Lee Van Cleef’s career in the Spaghetti Western field he still was able to pump out strong entries in the genre. Though films of his like the Shaw Brothers co-production “Blood Money” and the American co-production “Take a Hard Ride” are easily written off by fans and audiences for incorporating outside influences like martial arts and blaxploitation into the Spaghetti Western mix, it’s not so easy to write off “Grand Duel” as this is a straight forward solid spaghetti western guaranteed to please fans of the late, great LVC.

This title card just screams "alternate title"

Cleef plays a shunned sheriff, fired from his job for speaking his mind at a trial in which the judge was bought and paid for. Not content on walking away with his tail between his legs, he sets out to find the wrongly convicted man and prove his innocence and taking down the corrupt family behind the cover-up.

LVC is back

"The Grand Duel” is director  Giancarlo Santi’s first film but one would never know as it is marvelously directed and paced with skill and a keen eye for action and style. Why this guy only directed a handful of films is beyond me as he proves with "Grand Duel" he had what it took to be a solid director in any genre, especially the Spaghetti Western thanks again to Sergio Leone for teaching him the way of filmmaking by allowing him to serve as assistant director on both “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” and “Once Upon a Time in the West.”

"So Cleef, do you ever sleep or do you just wait?"

The aging and more scraggly looking Lee Van Cleef is badass as ever though his character is hardly a stretch for him as it is essentially of copy of most other characters he played in previous, better known genre entries. Cleef is a lot like Charles Bronson in that sense playing the same tough guy that people have grown to love and rarely breaking out of the mold. However, if you like all those other characters he played then you are going to love “Grand Duel."

These three don't stand a chance

"The Grand Duel” may not transcend Cleef’s Leone films or the entries in the LVC holy trinity ("The Big Gundown", "Day of Anger" and "Death Rides a Horse"), but it still a solid, well made spaghetti western in its own right that is sure to please Cleef and genre fans alike. The film has sadly fallen into public domain and many different versions are available on the market including a recent Blu-ray release from Mill Creek Entertainment. The picture quality looks good but the audio track is screwed up and isn’t synced up with the film. A person’s best bet is the double feature release from Wild East packaged with another Cleef feature titled “Beyond the Law”. Sadly this version is long out-of-print and very difficult to find.

 Written By Eric Reifschneider

Warrior, The (1981)

THE WARRIOR

Indonesia is quickly becoming one of my favorite countries for cult entertainment as some of the most quirky and eclectic films I've ever seen have come from their shores. Up until now all of my viewings have been of films in the horror genre and after seeing "The Warrior", one of the country's most popular martial arts films, I can honestly say that their action exports are just was weird and entertaining as their horror movies.

The 'warrior' of the title is Jaka Sembung (Barry Prima), an Indonesian Robin Hood clone that uses his martial arts and mystical skills to try to defeat the sadistic Dutch invaders. In order to try to bring Jaka to justice, the Dutch resurrect a warlock to turn Jaka into a pig (?!) but even that's not enough to stop him!

Barry Prima, Indonesia's quirky answer to Bruce Lee

What I love about the film is that it lovingly combines martial arts with mystical black magic mythology to make a weird amalgamation of fantasy and action. Director Sisworo Gautama Putra also pulls no punches when it comes to gore graphically showing  but not limited to eye gouging and torso's being ripped in half. The goofy special effects mixed with odd dubbing just adds to the silly fun.

"The Warrior" doesn't shy away from graphic gore

The film introduces Barry Prima into the lead role allowing him to become one of the biggest stars in his home country (though I imagine not many of heard of him in America). I will be honest in saying his acting is rather stiff but one doesn't watch films of this nature for acting ability. Where Barry Prima shines is in his martial arts ability as he seems to be loving kicking ass of off these Dutch bastards with bad facial hair.

Fireworks are the highlight of any black magic ritual

"The Warrior" may not be the craziest film I've seen from Indonesia, but this is still an understatement as this is a truly bizarre in its own right. It still ranks as the most weird Martial Arts movie I have ever seen thanks to is strange mixture of genres, silly special effects and crazy conclusion. I can honestly say it was a hell-of-a good time and proved to be very profitable it's home country and was followed by three sequels, sequels I desperately want to see but unfortunately have never been released in the United States. Please Mondo Macbro, I'm begging you to unleash these sequels state-side! 

 Written By Eric Reifschneider

Want to see "The Warrior?" Purchase from the link below!

Undisputed III: Redemption (2010)

Director: Issac Florentine
Notable Cast: Scott Adkins, Mykel Jenkins

While everyone else toils away with watching the 2012 Summer Olympics, I felt it was only fitting to watch some good solid competition too. In true Blood Brothers style, "Undisputed III: Redemption" takes us into the world of international underground illegal prison fighting. This time around though, we are treated to the redemption plight of "Undisputed II" villain Yuri Boyka as he overcomes his defeat and broken knee at the end of the last film to fight for his freedom in said corrupt tournament. Although the film is undeniably cheesy and poorly written with silly characters, it also has the benefit of a few things. Namely modern action hero Scott Adkins and some seriously amazing fight sequences. As with its predecessor, its a massively fun romp of B-grade action awesomeness that deserves to be seen.

After his wrenching defeat to Chambers, Boyka (Adkins) has humbled himself to becoming the prison janitor unable to accept his fall from grace. When the chance to fight in an international underground illegal prison tournament comes to his attention and to that of the prison's warden (Ivanir), he decides to retrain himself and kick his ass into gear to win his freedom. Can he humble himself enough to become the warrior he once was or will a corrupt system have him broken before he can even taste his freedom?

I'm pretty sure they used the same set from the previous film, despite taking place in a different location.

What kind of B-grade action film takes the charming screen presence of Adkins and throws him into a non-stop fight filled prison fighting film? A freaking awesome one, that's what. Boyka was a fantastic villain for "Undisputed II", but he might be an even better anti-hero for this third entry. Adkins in all of his ripped martial arts infused glory highlights this third entry with a charming, heartfelt, and quiet hero we can really dig into. Not only that, but the supporting cast is much better than we've see in this franchise before. Our hero befriends the arrogant Turbo for a great duel banter for the film and one of the better "buddy" moments I've seen in a long time. Although the plot is cheesy as hell with outrageous twists and silly moments (including most of the training in the beginning with Adkins in horrible wigs and beards), its hard not to get sucked into the the ridiculousness of the film and enjoy every minute.

And once again director Florentine, who in his own right has become something of a B-action film directing superstar, and his fight coordinators come up with some seriously stylistic fights. This time you get to see a wide variety of styles as the fighters are from all over the world and it really takes the fighting to the next level. Seeing Adkins and his wickedly powerful martial arts take on a variety of styles is very cool and worth it just for any martial arts fan looking for some modern style to the mix. Even though "Undisputed III" lacks as strong of a villain as the previous two entries, it still ranks as one of my favorite films for modern fight work. 

If only they could take the character Boyka and make him fight Drago for Russian supremacy.

"Undisputed III" might be really cheesy with poor dialogue and relatively by the numbers character development, but the combination of Adkins as a humbled Boyka and the stellar fight work make up for a lot of the films flaws. It does have some great emotional moments too (its hard not to have a massive smile smeared across your face by the end of the film) even if getting there is a bit tough for those looking for a bit more of an invested pay off. Definitely a highlight of B-action films and highly recommended! I sincerely hope for a fourth installment...perhaps with a three way ass kicking between Michael Jai White, Scott Adkins, and Mykel Jenkins?

Written By Matt Reifschneider

Want to see "Undisputed III"? You can purchase from the link below or pick up the previous film!

Valentine (2001)

Director: Jaime Blanks
Notable Cast: David Boreanaz, Denise Richards, Katherine Heigl

Even by 2001 the revival slasher genre was growing thin and stale. "Scream" might have kick started the classic horror genre, but its repetitiveness and functionality to generate scares never really modernized past the self realizing Wes Craven vehicle and by the time it got to a film like "Valentine", it was like beating a dead horse to death again. Yet, somehow, that IS the appeal of the slasher genre to many and upon repeated requests I took "Valentine" into my home and gave it a fair chance. Although it isn't anything original and it suffers from so many cliches that it might buckle under the weight, I have to admit that I had a fun time watching the damn thing. I won't admit that to many people (just you oh faithful Blood Brethren that read here), but the ridiculousness of its concept and silliness of its obvious attempts at being clever did entertain. It's something, right?

It's approaching Valentine's Day and a group of girlfriends are planning some big celebrations. They've been friends since middle school and despite some rocky relationships in the mix, including protagonists Shelley (Heigl) and Adam (Boreanaz), they plan to make the best of the holiday. The problem remains that a killer bearing a Cupid mask also plans to make the best of the holiday and punish these long time friends for a sin committed in their past.

Ironically, that was the same I look I had when the film started to take itself seriously.

Director Jaime Blanks (who previously helmed the revival slasher "Urban Legend" and later the stunning survival horror film "Storm Warning") does his best to salvage many, many moments in "Valentine" from being too run-of-the-mill and too silly. He throws in just enough visual flair to keep viewers interested and his highlights as a director come from his ability to actually build tension in the death scenes for characters we couldn't care less about. In fact, its these death sequences - as silly as some of them are...like a hot tub vs drill sequence that rarely makes sense - that certainly highlight "Valentine" in true slasher fashion. Some of them are surprisingly effective like the opening morgue death. Some of them, like the finale and its twist, are about as obvious in their pattern as the fact that these actresses were not hired for their acting abilities. Although Blanks does his best to keep them interesting, most of them are still very by the numbers for a slasher film.

When you confuse your bed with a body bag, you know you are meant for great things in a slasher!

Beyond the death sequences (which are the obvious reason anyone watches slashers like this), the film tends to drag on and on with its 'who is the killer' motifs and forced character development. The film opens on a flash back to what these friends did to an awkward boy at a Valentine's dance in sixth grade and it sets up the film to not be taken seriously. It's corny, poorly acted, and really does lower ones expectations of what this film is to be like. I laughed out loud multiple times at this set up. This guy must seriously be fucked up to hold a grudge since the sixth grade after being rejected for a few dances!

Even after that, the film rarely gets better. Our actresses are given plenty of awkward chemistry between them to have us looking at our watches and the plot progressions, with all of the red herrings about who our cupid killer is, can be gratingly forced. Occasionally the film goes for the fun factor, which helps, by making some of the characters blatantly cliche like Denise "I've always wanted to have Christmas in Turkey" Richards, but in the end it can't save the poorly developed script and poor acting.

It's obvious that "Valentine" was a last ditch effort to really cash in on the revival slashers of the 90s as it clings to its 'Valentine inspired cupid killer' concept with the vigor of a dying trend. It occasionally has moments of fun and silly slasher cliches, but overall comes off as just another watered down attempt at making horror something of a date film instead of the fear inducing flick it could be. It's a film mostly for those looking to kill some time with a by the numbers cash grab.

Written By Matt Reifschneider

Want to see "Valentine?" Purchase at the link below or pick one of our other recommendations!

Ator the Fighting Eagle (1982)

ATOR THE FIGHTING EAGLE

AKA "Ator the Invincible", "Ator"

Let me tell you the days of high adventure!  back in 1982 a little sword and sorcery flick called "Conan the Barbarian" opened the flood gates of imitators from all over the world. If you are familiar with cult films and cheap cash-ins then you should know that Italy is the king of imitators and none more blatant of a knock-off than the Joe D'Amato's "Ator the Fighting Eagle", which copies it's American counterpart so closely that it is derogatorily referred to film lovers as "Italian Conan".

After having his parents slaughtered, a small baby survives and is given to a peasant family to raise by a warrior to as the child is prophesized to defeat the sadistic and iron fisted ruler known as the "Spider King". When the boy grows to manhood, the day of his wedding to his sister (don't ask!) gets interrupted by the Spider King's warriors who kidnap his bride. Now Ator must rescue is sister.. err... wife and defeat the Spider King while completing little side quests along the way.

I'm not sure who would win for worst wig

Being knick-named "Italian Conan" it is safe to assume there are many parallels one can draw between the two films... and there is. Our hero Ator teams up with a sexy blond thief, gets seduced by a witch and his main quest is to rescue a young woman from a cult leader that worships spiders as opposed to snakes. Hell the Spider King is even dubbed by a James Earl Jones sound-a-like! Even with all the blatantly stolen plot points, Ator still has some differences. First is the underdeveloped character of Ator, who is rather naive child compared to the brutal raising of Conan. He is not a thief or a gladiator... he's just a simple peasant trying to rescue his wife that just happens to be his sister... again don't ask. His sidekick is replaced by a bear cub and there are plenty of new side quests in which Ator must battle blind warriors, amazons and even reclaim a magical mirror shield.

"What do you mean having my sister as my fiancee is taboo?"

Like most cheap foreign knock-offs, what hurts the film most is the miniscule budget which affects every aspect of the film. The special effects are deplorable (including a giant spider complete with visible strings lifting it's legs), the costume designs are downright laughable (Miles O'Keeffe and Edmund Purdom sport the fakest wigs this side of Jamie Lee Curtis in "Halloween II") and the cinematography is none existent. Don't get me started on Joe D'Amato's lack of directing (hiding under the pseudonym David Hills) as he proves again with "Ator the Fighting Eagle" that he defines the word 'hack'.

A web made of rope, one of the many aspects to showcase it's shoestring budget

"Ator the Fighting Eagle" is not surprisingly an awful "Conan" rip-off but like most Italian imitators it entertains due to unintentional laughter.  The un-special effects, dialogue and even the James Bond "For Your Eyes Only" sound-alike song playing over the end credits are sure to get a chuckle out of any B-movie connoisseur. In an amazing turn "Ator" did well enough to inspire even more sequels than the character that 'inspired' it with a total of three: "The Blade Master", "Iron Warrior" and "The Quest for the Might Sword" all of which are far worse than the original which may not seem possible.

 Written By Eric Reifschneider

Want to see "Ator The Fighting Eagle?" Purchase from the link below!

Day of Anger (1967)

 DAY OF ANGER

AKA "Day of Wrath", "Gunlaw", "Blood and Grit"

Lee Van Cleef will always be remembered playing second pistol to Clint Eastwood in Sergio Leone’s groundbreaking Spaghetti Westerns “For a Few Dollars More” and “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” but few today seem to remember that afterwards he made a number of strong entries in the genre without being overshadowed by his co-stars and director. Out of all the films he made following his success in the Leone films there are three that I like to call the Van Cleef holy trinity: “The Big Gundown”, “Death Rides a Horse” and of course “Day of Anger”. All three in their own way are worthy enough to be compared to the popular Leone films. A bold statement I know, but trust me on this.

The plot of “Day of Anger” is rather typical genre fare: an aging gunman taking on a young protégé. The gunman is of course played by Cleef and the young gun is played by Giuliano Gemma, a bastardized outcast until a steely eyed gunman rides in and shows him compassion and respect. Wanting to exact revenge on the town for his treatment, he takes up with the gunman to learn his trade. All goes well until Cleef kills the man who raised him and now the protégé must use his lessons to turn on his teacher.

Proof that director Tonino Valerii graduated at the school of Sergio Leone

As one can tell, the plot is what keeps “Day of Anger” from transcending the Leone films before. What makes up for it is the quirky, stylistic and violent Italian twist on the theme. Director Tonino Valerii served as assistant director on “For a Few Dollars More” and didn’t waste much time utilizing the knowledge he gained from Leone to pump into his own films. Though his first western “Taste of Killing” was rather average, he nailed it in “Day of Anger” utilizing stylistic camerawork, violent eccentricities and catchy music to make this a distinct entry into the genre. My favorite sequence he created, that some may find a bit batty, is a duel with rifles done like a joust on horseback. Only would such an outrageous scene appear in a Spaghetti Western and be so mind-blowing.

'bought time I got to do my own Spaghetti Westerns without that Eastwood fella

Cleef is in top form as the aging gunman but the directors he worked with always wisely chose strong, usually younger, actors to act second to him. Here Valerii chose Giuliano Gemma, a charismatic young man on the fast rise to stardom thanks to his roles in strong genre films like “A Pistol for Ringo” and “The Return of Ringo”. Gemma compliments Cleef wonderfully playing the abused, clueless protagonist that undergoes a dramatic changes throughout the film with an array of emotions. Gemma would hands down become one of the best stars of the genre and it's surrealistic to see him acting opposite an early genre heavyweight like Van Cleef.

"This Lee Van Cleef is a real badass"

Despite its routine plot, "Day of Anger" still manages to be one of the best films the genre has to offer with it's powerhouse cast, eye-catching directing, pulsing score and violent eccentricities one can only find in Spaghetti Westerns. The film was heavily cut for U.S. release and the best version available is the DVD release from Wild East as they went to extreme lengths to bring America the full uncut version for the first time. This release however is long out-of-print and extremely hard to come by so be prepared to spend a pretty penny to obtain it.

 Written By Eric Reifschneider

Yellow Sea, The (2010)

Director: Na Hong-jin
Notable Cast: Ha Jung-woo, Kim Yoon-seok

At this juncture in the world wide scheme of cinema, you put the word 'Korean' with the word 'thriller' and I'll be damned if you aren't going to strike gold. I'm not a fool and I understand that here in the US we are only going to see the best of the best coming across the oceans, but the consistent quality at which the Korean film market is knocking out thrillers is astonishing. This is why when I was requested to review "The Yellow Sea" I was a happy camper. I didn't really need a reason to see the film, but having one made it even better. And luckily, the end product was a delightfully intense experience. "The Yellow Sea" takes it's sweet time to build up its simple story and subtle characters...but the payoff was worth it.

Gu-nam (Ha Jung-woo) is in big trouble. He owes a lot of money to some loan sharks, he has a gambling addiction, his taxi business isn't cutting it, and his daughter has to live with grandma because of said problems. To top it all off, the reason for all of his debt was that he sent his wife to Korea to make some money to get their family out of poverty and now she has disappeared. As fate would have it, a local crime boss (Kim Yoon-seok) has given him an opportunity. He gets a free ticket to Korea with ten days to find his wife and all of his debt will be paid off...all he has to do is kill a man in Korea when he's there.

I was tired just watching all the running he had to do in this film.

Not since the film "Protege" have I been this depressed after watching a film. It takes a lot for me to really feel a strong emotion after a film and I have to admit that "The Yellow Sea" made me hate existence a little more then I used to. Despite how the film tends to drag a bit in the first two-thirds of its play time with its slow burn build and character development, it did its job incredibly well by giving us hope for this man trapped in the harshness of life. To watch this practically mute character (he really has very little to say throughout the film) given this opportunity only to watch it crumble in his hands by circumstances out of his control is devastating. With the phenomenal acting performances from all of the players and the focus on a realistic drama unfolding in front of you...I was invested without ever realizing it.

How do I know a villain when I see one? Caged dogs for dog fighting. That's how.

Thusly, by the time the third act rolls around I was hooked. Then the filmmakers take it to the next level. Shit gets complicated and by complicated I mean violent. And boy does it go there. Although the pacing for the film can be almost too slow for its own good at times, when the chase begins it kicks into overdrive. Ruthless gangsters, corrupt organizations, and men beaten to death with a ham bone..."The Yellow Sea" takes the thriller aspect to horrific levels. Strong atmosphere and well placed and intense violence (with very realistic special effects) make the final portion of the film a nail biting experience. It feels like it never lets up and honestly speaking I didn't think the dock chase would ever end.

"Did another Korean thriller come through here? They always leave such a mess!"

I wouldn't call "The Yellow Sea" a perfect film particularly when compared to the brilliance of films like "Oldboy" and "The Chaser", but its artistic touches are balanced very well with its genre film making styles. For every thoughtful moment of character growth or plot progression (including the progression of the lead characters thoughts about his missing wife), the film throws a brutal beat down into the mix and it makes for an entertaining and ultimately depressing experience. "The Yellow Sea" is an exhilarating and visceral ride that makes it the feel bad film of recent memory.

Written By Matt Reifschneider

Twins of Evil (1971)

TWINS OF EVIL

After years upon years of obscurity in the United States, Hammer’s third and final film into their Karnstein trilogy finally gets unleashed onto DVD and Blu-ray thanks to Synapse films. In an ironic twist the first two films in the series, “The Vampire Lovers” and “Lust for a Vampire”, are now out-of-print and have become obscure in themselves.  But I digress; the real question is was “Twins of Evil” worth the wait for young and new fans of Hammer Horror to finally lay their eyes upon. I’m happy to give an enthusiastic YES as not only is Synpase's release fantastic, but I also found the film to be the strongest in the Karnstein Trilogy and one of the most overlooked gems in all of Hammer’s extensive catalog.

The story is in actuality a prequel to the previous two films, taking place before the sexy Carmella started making rounds by sucking the life out of rich young women in controversial Lesbian scenes. In this film we are introduced to the Karnstein family and how they became vampires by worshipping Satan. Knocking at their door is Peter Cushing (playing a different character than the general he played in “The Vampire Lovers”), the head of a vampire lynch mob called “The Brotherhood” eager to burn any nimble vampire they come across. Things get complicated when his two beautiful nieces come to visit and our head of the Karnstein family want to make the gorgeous duo his dark brides.

"The power of Christ compels you!"

The writers here seem to throw tons of material into the mix and somehow it all gels together with the vampire and witchfinding plots complementing each other perfectly. New comer director John Hough seems right at home in Hammer proving he had what it took to make a gorgeous looking gothic horror film with ample amounts of gore and sexuality for a an early 70s release.

In the words of the band Foreigner - "My double vision gets the best of me"

The real winner of the film for me is Peter Cushing, who gives perhaps his best performance of his career. “Twins of Evil” marked the first film following his return after his wife’s tragic death and this anger and pain fueled his performance making his character, who is essentially a protagonist of the film, almost as sadistic and indiscernible as the villainous bloodsucker himself.

These twins are about to 'double-cross' you buddy!

The film can be criticized being even further removed from the Carmella novella source material and for having a heavy focus on heaving bosoms as many of Hammer films from the early 70’s are but that just adds to the enjoyment (at least for a majority of the male audience) and giving the audience something different and refreshing. The gorgeous film-making and strong acting makes this entry a winner and not only my personal favorite of the Karnstein trilogy but also one from Hammer’s impressive vault of films. Though this marks the end of the trilogy, some members of the Karnstein family would pop up in Hammer's "Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter" essentially making that film a pseudo spin-off.

Written By Eric Reifschneider