UHD/Blu Release – 4.5/5
Beat Girl
Director – Edmond T. Greville (Guilty?, The Silk Noose)
Starring – David Farrar (The 300 Spartans, The Webster Boy), Noelle Adam (Sergeant X and the Foreign Legion, The Wonders of Aladdin), and Gillian Hills (A Clockwork Orange, The Killer Wore Gloves)
Release Date – 1960
Rating – 3/5
Tagline – “My mother was a stripper… I want to be a stripper too”
Christopher Lee is a name that any movie fan recognizes. His career is legendary and he left his mark on every genre imaginable. While I grew up on he Hammer horror films and later the Lord of the Rings trilogy, it was his late 90s and early 00s family friendly films that I’ve learned to appreciate the most. His career spanned 70 years and showcased some of the best acting ever filmed. I’ve seen a lot of his films over the years but I’m always open to watch more.
That’s why I jumped at the chance to review Severin Film’s Eurocrypt of Christopher Lee Volume 3. I had seen two of the films in the set but the other four were brand new to me. I couldn’t wait to check it out and as soon as I could I tossed in Beat Girl which was released originally under Wild for Kicks. I want to thank Severin Films for sending this one over!
**Spoiler Alert** The film follows a wealthy designer who returns to his home after being away for several months with his new wife in tow. Waiting for him at home is his 16 year old daughter who is deep into the underground jazz scene. The step-mother, who is a former stripper, tries hard to connect with her new step-daughter but the closer she gets to her the further away she pushes her into a career of stripping. **Spoiler Alert**
Beat Girl is not the kind of film that I would willingly go out of my way to review. This dance drama is not the kind of movie that I would be interested in. However, seeing Christopher Lee’s name appear on the poster made me instantly interested and while I was not a big fan of this one, I still enjoyed it.
The acting in this one is great and I might as well go ahead and dress my only problem with the acting. That is that Lee himself is not in the film as long as I would have liked. With that being said, David Farrar and Gillian Hills make the film. Farrar is fantastic as the father that has distanced himself from his daughter and Hills is amazing in her role. She absolutely kills and it makes this film as fun as it is.
The story for this one is kind of a bratty take on the dance drama of the era. It’s hard to like these wealthy, entitled characters but the film finds of way to keep it interesting and glued to the screen. While this is not a film that I could see myself watching on my own, I still enjoyed the story and how well the pacing was.
Finally, don’t expect a film with a body count or memorable deaths. It’s a character driven drama with a great cast. Overall, Beat Girl is not the kind of movie many of you Horror Society readers would be interested in. However, seeing Christopher Lee early on in his career is pretty fucking cool. Check it out.
The Hands of Orlac
Director – Edmond T. Greville (Temptation, House on the WaterFront)
Starring – Mel Ferrer (Nightmare City, Eaten Alive!), Christopher Lee (Sleepy Hollow, Howling II… Your Sister is a Werewolf), and Dany Carrel (Inferno, The Chaser)
Release Date – 1960
Rating – 3/5
Tagline – “The frightening nightmare of a man who finds himself with hands which he can’t control”
I’ve been lucky enough to review several Christopher Lee movies over the years. Most were horror tales but a few, like the previous film Beat Girl, are not from my beloved genre. Lee will always be remembered for his long and varied career but horror fans will always be grateful for his contributions to the genre. Many genre fans, myself included, hail Lee for his performances in the many Hammer horror films. His performance as Dracula and many other characters for Hammer horror is legendary by any standards.
As I started down the list for the new Eurocrypt of Christopher Lee Collection 3 I noticed a movie that I was very unfamiliar of. When I was in high school I went through a period where I was obsessed with silent cinema. It was during this time that I watched The Hands of Orlac which was a classic from it’s time. However, this set just happened to contain a movie by the same name. This was a huge surprise to me because I had no idea that it was remade in 1960. I was really excited to see this one and couldn’t wait to hit play on it.
**Spoiler Alert** The film follows a world famous pianist who finds himself in a life threatening accident where his hands are severely burned. His hands start to heal after the accident but he is unable to play to the degree that he was able to before the accident. To make matters worse, he learns that his hands were actually transplanted to him and once belonged to a murderer. Now his hands are taking on a life of their own and want to murder everyone around him. **Spoiler Alert**
I went into The Hands of Orlac not knowing what to expect. It had been damn near 20 years ago that I had seen the original film and did not remember a lot about it but I was excited to see this early 60s horror title that featured the legendary Lee.
The acting in this one is great. I absolutely loved Lee’s character in the film. It was as if he was written for Lee specifically. His larger than life performance was great but was overshadowed by the film’s star, Mel Ferrer. Ferrer made the film for me. His performance is pretty fucking intense, especially during the last portion of the film, and brought out so many emotions. He really does a fantastic job making the film what it was.
The story for this one is great for a drive-in era horror title. As I stated earlier, I don’t remember a lot about the original film so I cannot speak on how close it resembles it but I enjoy it for what it is. What I like about this one is that it takes the premise for the brain transplant films and swaps it out with murderous hands. It’s a fun little change that works to a certain degree. With that being said, some of the scenes in the film lead to nowhere. They do nothing for the story nor the pacing.
Finally, the film has some light make-up effects and that is about the extent of it. Like the films of it’s time, the movie doesn’t rely on the gore to get a rise out of the viewer. Instead, it’s character driven and we are expected to use our imaginations for the deaths. Overall, The Hands of Orlac is not going to be a memorable film in the filmography of such a great actor but it’s a decent film for what it was. It’s a worthy addition to this set and worth your time. Check it out.
The Virgin of Nuremberg
Director – Antonio Margheriti (The Unnaturals, Cannibal Apocalypse)
Starring – Rossana Podesta (Hercules. Man of the Year), Georges Riviere (Agent 3S3: Passport to Hell, Castle of Blood), and Christopher Lee (The Hunting of the Snark, Dark Shadows)
Release Date – 1963
Rating – 3/5
Tagline – “Women’s virtues made him a killer”
When I received The Eurocrypt of Christopher Lee Volume 3 from Severin Films, I expected to see several titles that were completely new to me. However, I’m surprised by how many of these films in this set that I had actually seen. I had just finished Beat Girls and The Hands of Orlac when I decided to continue on with 1963’s The Virgin of Nuremberg.
This was a movie I thought I had never seen before but I soon realized that it was very familiar to me. After a quick search I learned that the film was also released under the title Horror Castle. This was a film I had previously watched back many years ago and completely forgot about it. It was awesome getting to revisit it in this amazing set from my friends over at Severin.
**Spoiler Alert** The film follows a young American bride who is taken to her husband’s German castle after their marriage. She soon learns of the rich history the castle has and how one of the properties long time employee was once disfigured by Nazis during World War II. While exploring the castle and it’s many rooms, she finds a woman bound and tortured but when she returns with her husband the woman is nowhere to be found. She then learns about the castles “secret” from decades before when an evil man known as “The Punisher’ would torture people in the castle’s dungeon. While the more superstitious employees say that he is back, the young woman suspects that her new husband or one of his employees are responsible for the heinous acts. **Spoiler Alert**
I was not expecting to see this one when I hit play on The Virgin of Nuremberg but it was pretty cool to revisit this one after all these years. It’s a fantastic film but it’s nowhere near the top 20 of Lee’s best performances. I do enjoy it and can see this set being worth it just for this film alone but in the 70 years Lee was in film, it’s not even a speck on his career.
The acting in this one is solid but not the best I’ve seen. Many, like myself, will be tossing this one in with hopes of seeing a fantastic performance from a young Christopher Lee. He delivers a solid enough performance but his character is not that memorable and he doesn’t really get the screen time fans would have liked. However, Georges Riviere is great in her role. She does a great job carrying the scenes and shows a wide array of emotions. I’ve always liked her in this film but can’t think of a reason why I have yet to look up other films of hers. The supporting cast is decent but we do get a lot of cheesy performances from many of them. It’s not the worst I’ve scene but early 60s cinema is a lot of camp.
The story for this one is one that was pretty popular in the 60s where we follow a woman in an old castle where something sinister once took place. It’s not the most original story I’ve seen from the time but I do enjoy the Nazi addition to the story to give the film real world lore. It has great atmosphere and tension but the predictability and poor pacing in some scenes does stop it from reaching it’s full potential.
Finally, the film has some solid make-up effects and light blood but doesn’t really deliver on the gore. Early 60s genre films were more about locations, atmosphere, and story over blood and gore. Overall, The Virgin of Nuremberg is an effective gothic horror title with some great atmosphere and tension but does have issues with it’s pacing. While Lee does appear in the film, he does not have as much screen time as I would have liked. Regardless, it’s a fun film that deserves to be seen.
Arabian Adventure
Director – Kevin Connor (Motel Hell, The Land That Time Forgot)
Starring – Christopher Lee (The Wicker Man, Hugo), Milo O’Shea (Barbarella, Theater of Blood), and Oliver Tobias (The Wicked Lady, Robin of Sherwood)
Release Date – 1979
Rating – 3.5/5
Tagline – “Soar into a magical world of action, excitement and enchantment”
This Christopher Lee collection from Severin Films has been a big surprise. When I received this one for review I immediately noticed that I had only seen one film in the set prior to it’s release. Since then I’ve realized that I had seen another film in the set but it was under an alternate title.
With that being said, this set has been a lot of fun and only seems to be getting better. As I hit play on the fourth film, Arabian Adventures from 1979, I was surprised to see how stacked this cast was and that it was directed by Kevin Connor. I had never seen this one before but I couldn’t wait to check it out.
**Spoiler Alert** The film follows an evil ruler (Lee) who is after an ancient artifact that will grant him unspeakable power. However, a young thief, his pet monkey, and an imprisoned prince to stop him from gaining the ultimate power and claiming the princess. **Spoiler Alert**
I was really looking forward to checking this one out when I saw the cast list for it. I figured the story for this one was going to be dated and steeped with unintentional racism that was common in American films from the 60s and 70s that represented other societies and cultures. While it does show some of this to a degree, it was still a lot of fun for what it was.
The acting in this one is great once you look passed the white washing of the entire cast. Lee as the evil ruler is absolutely brilliant and then we have fantastic performances from the entire cast. While I would love to spend all day going over the cast alone for the film, I’m just too damn lazy to do so.
The story for this one is a lot like the classic film Thief of Baghdad where we have a prince who is being forced to find the ancient relic who befriends a young boy and his monkey to do it but must stop the evil ruler at all costs. It’s a fun fantasy adventure story with Middle Eastern customs that are white washed over in order to make them more appealing to western audiences.
Finally, the film is not one with blood and guts. Instead, we get some really dated visual effects and camera tricks. The film doesn’t over do it in the special effects department due to budget issues but these gags does add to the fun of the film. Overall, Arabian Adventure is a bit insensitive in regards to other races but is still a solid family friendly fantasy adventure. I really enjoyed it and can see myself watching it a few more times before putting this set back on the shelf. Check it out.
A Feast at Midnight
Director – Justin Hardy (Strictly Supernatural, Secret History)
Starring – John Hurley, Freddie Findlay (Rasputin, The Ruth Rendell Mysteries), and Sebastian Armesto (Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens)
Release Date – 1994
Rating – 4/5
Tagline – “A 500 year old school. A prehistoric form master. …and a 10-year old chef”
A couple weeks ago I received The Eurocrpyt of Christopher Lee Volume 3 from my friends over at Severin Films. At the time I thought that I had only seen one of the films in the set which actually turned out to be two films when I realized one was using an alternate title.
Anyway, the one film that I had previously seen in this set was the 1994 family friendly kid’s movie A Feast at Midnight. This was previously released by Severin as part of their Severin Kids line where I bought a copy for my collection. I liked the film but only watched it the one time before placing it on my shelf to collect dust. I’m glad it was included in this set which gave me another reason to revisit it
**Spoiler Alert** The film follows a young boy who is sent to a boarding school where he is immediately ostracized and mocked. He is unable to make friends until he decides to turn his love of cooking into a late night meeting for his classmates. He slowly starts building friendships with his class and the school nurse while sneaking around from the dean, an angry teacher, and a cook who refuses to let students in his kitchen. **Spoiler Alert**
There is a lot to unpack with this movie but I honestly love it. The artwork infuriates me but I get why it looks like that and the title is dumb but, once again, it fits the film. I know many genre fans are going to be disappointed in it but I absolutely loved it.
The acting in this one is great. Christopher Lee once again gives us a larger than life character that I really enjoyed watching. He really got into the role and made it his own. The main cast consists of young boys with very little, if any, experience. Yet, they were able to do a fantastic job together. They made the film as fun as it was and it’s a damn shame that many of them did not continue their careers in acting.
The story for this one is not what I was expecting the first time I saw it. The artwork and title makes you think that Christopher Lee is a monster snatching up students at night. However, the artwork is referencing his nickname that the students call him behind his back while the title is obviously referencing the young boy’s love of cooking for his classmates at night. It’s a family friendly story that I found to be very entertaining and still holds up after the second viewing.
Finally, don’t expect a film with a lot of effects and fun deaths. This is a no budget kids film so we don’t have any effects to enjoy. Overall, A Feast at Midnight is not going to be the kind of film that many genre fans are going to love but I found myself having a lot of fun with it. It’s an amazing performance from Lee with the rest of the cast delivering unforgettable performances. I highly recommend this one even if you don’t have children.
The Life and Deaths of Christopher Lee
Director – Jon Spira (Lexx, Dust)
Starring – Peter Serafinowicz (Guardians of the Galaxy, John Wick: Chapter 2), Harriet Walter (The Magical Legend of the Leprechauns, Doctor Who), and Juan Aneiros
Release Date – 2024
Rating – 2/5
Tagline – “Every actor has to make terrible films from time to time… the trick is never be terrible in them”
I love the documentaries that many of the Severin box sets contain. They are often insightful, very well put together, and really bring a new layer to these sets that Severin puts a lot of time and energy into.
I recently worked through the Exorcismo set and the documentary that accompanied that release really set the stage for what I was about to see. I was really looking forward to the Christopher Lee documentary that was included in the Eurocrypt of Christopher Lee Volume 3. I’m a huge fan of Lee’s and was really looking forward to learning more about his life and legendary career.
**Spoiler Alert** The documentary follows the early life and career of Lee from his noble bloodline to struggling finding work on the stage. We see all this through film historians, relatives, and those that were lucky enough to work with him during his lengthy and legendary career. **Spoiler Alert**
I went into this one very excited to check it out but found myself really struggling with the way it was shot. Documentaries are a powerful form of cinema when done correctly but some filmmakers want to experiment in ways that makes their documentaries stand out while still delivering on the topic at hand. The Life and Deaths of Christopher Lee is a unique documentary that had some things I liked but a lot that I didn’t.
The interviews in this one features a wide range of people from different backgrounds. We have legendary filmmakers, actors, producers, long time friends, relatives, and so on that give a great deal of insight into his life and career. The topics discussed was very informative and enlightening at first but as the film progressed we started getting into the more common knowledge about Lee.
Finally, the documentary is very well put together but I absolutely hated the narration. The voice actor did not sound anything like Christopher Lee and the puppet randomly cutting into each scene was extremely nerve wracking. I have no idea why this was added but it absolutely ruined what could have been a fantastic doc about a true icon. Overall, The Life and Deaths of Christopher Lee is a documentary that has great interviews and discuses a great deal of Lee’s personal and professional life. Sadly, the narration and puppet/animation was a scene killer in my opinion. It took away from what would have been a fantastic documentary. Skip it.
Special Features:
Special Features:
Audio Commentary With Christopher Lee Biographer Jonathan Rigby And Hammer Historian Kevin Lyons (Extended Cut Only)
Interview With Actress Gillian Hills
London After Dark: The Sinful Soho Of The Sixties – An Exploration By David Flint, Author Of Babylon Blue: An Illustrated History Of Adult Cinema
Trailer
Audio Commentary With Christopher Lee Biographer Jonathan Rigby And Hammer Historian Kevin Lyons (French Cut Only)
Hand Scare: A Portrait Of French Writer Maurice Renard – Interview With Merveilleux-Scientifique Specialist Fleur Hopkins-Loféron
Locations Of ORLAC
Trailer
Audio Commentary With Mondo Digital’s Nathaniel Thompson And Troy Howarth, Author Of So Deadly, So Perverse
Trailer
Audio Commentary With Mondo Digital’s Nathaniel Thompson And Troy Howarth, Author Of So Deadly, So Perverse
Margheriti’s Horror Castle – Interview With Director Antonio Margheriti
In The Iron Maiden – Interview With Film Historian Fabio Melelli And Screenwriter Ernesto Gastaldi With Audio Excerpts From Antonio Margheriti
Trailer
Audio Commentary With Director Kevin Connor Moderated By Severin Films’ David Gregory
The Princess Adventure – Interview With Actress Emma Samms
Arabian Adventurer – Interview With Actor Puneet Sira
Arabian Zoom – Virtual Reunion Between Kevin Connor, Emma Samms And Puneet Sira
THE MANY FACES OF CHRISTOPHER LEE – 1996 Documentary
Trailer 1
Trailer 2
Audio Commentary With Co-Writer/Director Justin Hardy And Co-Writer/Producer Yoshi Nishio
Trailer
Audio Commentary With Director Jon Spira And Producer Hank Starrs
BFI Q&A With Jon Spira, Hank Starrs And Christopher Lee Biographer Jonathan Rigby
Extended Interviews With Juan Aneiros, Gary Curtis, Joe Dante, Peter Jackson, John Landis, Paul Maslansky And Harriet Walter
Trailer
