Customer Reviews

Kiss of the Vampire (Widescreen)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Since the plot has been described in several other reviews, I'd like to concentrate on the sumptious behind the scene areas this film does so well in. First, the coloring and use of it are marvelous; notice the brilliant red dress that sets the lovely Jennifer Daniels apart from the other party guests; the way Edward De Souza's hat matches his wife's riding outfit; the detail to the architecture in both the hotel and the chateau; the gorgeous and sinister music by James Bernard that director Don Sharp incorporates into the scene where Barry Warren plays its seduction to Daniels; and the effective use of wind and rain. This movie, first released in 1963 as Kiss of Evil, is not one of Hammer's best productions, but it is a rich, diffuse entry into the vampire genre, and Clifford Evans (looking a little like a middle-aged Sean Connery) has a malignant ferocity in his Van Helsing-like role.
Not a classic, but definitely for fans of the Hammer days!

In Kiss of the Vampire, we have quite an interesting movie. Released in the early 60's by Hammer Studios, it's a gothic vampire movie without Peter Cushing or Christopher Lee.

The movie, set around 1905, starts off with a funeral scene, and then progresses to a young couple traveling by car. They run out of gas, and end up in a creepy little town staying in a creepy little hotel. The feeling that something is seriously wrong permeates the scenes, but the young couple, who we find out are on their honeymoon, seem to take little notice, but I think that can be explained to them being newlyweds.

They soon make the acquaintance of the Ravna family, a very well to do and prominent family within the small town. The Ravna chateau is full of opulence, almost to the point of decadence, in comparison to the surrounding environment. The head of the family, Dr. Ravna, played by Noel Willman, puts forth a sinister aura, one that seems to be the source of most of the unease within the movie. The secrets slowly begin to reveal themselves, and the audience, if patient, will find the rewards to be many within this film.

What I found most interesting in this movie was how vampirism was linked to not only venereal disease, but also the occult. In the film, we find a small society of vampires, while most vampire movies would suggest these creatures of the night to be more solitary, more territorial. Not so in this film. He we see a group come together and a definite hierarchy in place.

The sets, costumes, scenery...it all comes together nicely. The actors all play there parts very well, and the direction is excellent. There is not a lot of blood in this movie, but there is just enough and in the right places coupled with a slow build of tension and suspense to make this a very effective film. I felt throughout as I was watching a movie made by real craftsmen of their trade, an above average entry into the vampire film genre. The scene with the costume ball was really enjoyable as the suspense underlying the entire film really started to surface here for me. My only squabble was at the end. I was hoping for something a bit more spectacular, as the build up lent me to believe, but it was at least satisfying, none the less.

Absolutely no extras here, not even a trailer, but there are atleast chapter stops, and the film looks excellent for its' age. The audio, also showing the films' age, did suffer just a little from the 'snap, crackle, pop' syndrome at some points, but was otherwise fine. I am glad I picked this up when I did, as it seems to be going out of print.

This is Hammer at their peak - quite simply, one of the finest vampire films ever made. Noel Willman is great as the evil Dr. Ravna as he exerts his will over the unsuspecting young couple played by Jennifer Daniel and Edward De Souza.
This is a very nice (though non anamorphic) transfer from an excellent source print displaying strong, bold colours.

Hammer's KISS OF THE VAMPIRE must rate as one of the best of the Hammer films. For sheer eerieness, it has to be in the Top 5. The scene where Ravna's son plays the piano never fails to send shivers down my back, and the vampire girl (the daughter of the owners of the inn) who was kidnapped and made into a vampire by Ravna, is really evil looking. Does anyone know who she is or anything about her background? The final scene where thousands of bats attack the cult of the vampires in the Ravna chalet, is truly gruesome. It is a wonderful period piece, very realistic and the casting is brilliant. Five stars for this one....and don't forget to wear your cruficix!

Kiss of the Vampire is an excellent film. The acting is uniformly fine particulary Noel Willman. Don Sharp's direction is top notch with consistently creative use of lighting and camera angles. The score is more imaginative James Bernard than usual with a clever use a piano piece as the main motif. The film is part of the Plague of the Zombies/The Reptile group which as a whole constitute a fine ouvre. They were some of Hammer's most creative work, yet lacking a Lee or Cushing, they are uniformly ignored. Pity. If Kiss has a flaw, and it does, is that it makes a hash of both traditional vampire lore and there is no logic to its own use of vampires in the film. These vampires can go about during the day time provided it's cloudy. They eat food. They can stick their heads out the castle window into the sunlight. They seem particularly weak, having to go through a long charade to acquire victims and don't seem to really need that much blood. Even their destruction makes no sense from a vampire point of view. It is almost as if they were originally intended to be a coven of devil worshippers and Hammer made them vampires at the last minute. Despite this, it is recommended that the viewer ignore the logical chaos and just go with the film. It is very rewarding and the ending is, unusual for Hammer, a special effect extravaganza.

I had heard of this film for quite some time before I actually saw it, and I would have to say that it was worth the wait. The film follows a young couple who get stranded in a mountain village where a cult of vampires rule and thrive. The female lead Jennifer Daniels catches the eye of the head vampire Noel Wilman, who launches a plan to pull her into his "family" and erase her past history. The film has beautiful sets and scenery and overall strong acting. The conclusion is not bad, but is a little rushed. This is one the best non-Dracula vampire films made and probably the best Hammer film without Cushing or Lee.
The above is when I reviewed the vhs version, I have since bought the dvd. The dvd is a beautiful print, it brings out all the colors of this classic. Unfortunately it has no extras, which is a shame because I think they easily couls have gotten a trailer and a still gallery together.

I was a little disappointed by this legendary Hammer Horror. It's one of the few so-called classics from the studio I wasn't familiar with beforehand, so naturally I was looking forward to finally seeing it. There are some atmospheric scenes; the car sequence at the beginning in particular, but it's actually a pretty dull movie. Nothing much happens for almost an hour, but a lot of boring squabble. (-"The Reptile", also featuring the great Willman, is a masterpiece compared.) Director Sharp gives the film a somewhat cheap, almost TV-like, look. The famous bat-attack at the end is also a bit of a let-down, almost laughable. In many ways it's strangely unlike a '63 production, looking more like one of Hammer's early 70's quickies. A "3 stars" rating is probably a little too nice.