Platicsco
Good story, Not enough for a whole film
AutCuddly
Great movie! If you want to be entertained and have a few good laughs, see this movie. The music is also very good,
jamesraeburn2003
Bavaria 1910: Young honeymooners Gerald and Marianne Harcourt (Edward de Souza and Jennifer Daniel) are left stranded when their car runs out of fuel. Marianne runs into the alcoholic Professor Zimmer (Clifford Evans) when her husband goes to look for some petrol and he warns her to keep away from the château on the mountain top. The couple end up taking a room at a dilapidated hotel where they learn that the only other guests bar themselves is the elderly, drunken Professor. Despite Zimmer's warnings, they accept an invitation to dinner from Dr Ravna (Noel Willman) and his family who own the château. Ravna's son, Karl (Barry Warren), plays a piano rhapsody that seems to put Marianne into a hypnotic trance and, the following night, they attend a masked ball at the château. In reality, Dr Ravna and his clan are vampires in search of prey and have the entire village surrounding the château under their thumb. Gerald is drugged and Marianne is abducted and taken to Ravna's crypt where he puts her under his spell. Gerald awakens to find all traces of the party have disappeared and is thrown out of the house by Ravna's manservant Hans. Back at the hotel, Gerald discovers that everyone denies that his wife ever existed and all of her belongings have disappeared. However, Professor Zimmer tells him the truth about the Ravnas and that they are responsible for the death of his daughter and that it is his intention to destroy the vampire cult. The Professor and Zimmer manage to rescue Marianne from the château and all exits from the place are sealed off with garlic preventing the vampires escape. Next, Zimmer starts to perform an ancient ceremony which will destroy the cult but Ravna, using his telepathic powers, summons the entranced Marianne back to the house...A fine example of Hammer horror from the company's golden era. Producer Anthony Hinds (under his usual pseudonym John Elder) provided a basic but more than serviceable, well-knit storyline and director Don Sharp in his debut for the studio showed a natural flair for it giving the film a rich Gothic atmosphere and a strong feeling for place and period - just look at the Harcourt's vintage automobile! There are some wonderful shock sequences such as Zimmer driving a shovel through a vampire's coffin at a funeral procession; then treating a vampire's bite by pouring holy water on to it before holding his hand over a Bunsen burner. But, the best of the lot, rightly reserved until last is the climatic scene where the vampire cult are destroyed by a swarm of bats conjured by the Professor using an ancient ritual. Believe it or not, this remains surprisingly effective despite the rubber bats being apparently bought from Woolworths! Alan Hume's Technicolor cinematography is gorgeous and James Bernard's piano rhapsody which plays over the opening credits and is used by Karl to hypnotise Marrianne is simply awesome. Despite the fact that Hammer seemingly decided that they could do without either Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing for this one, the acting is of a high standard all round.
Scott LeBrun
Edward de Souza and Jennifer Daniel play the Harcourts, a honeymooning couple who strand themselves in the Southern European wilderness. They graciously accept the hospitality of a castle dwelling local family called the Ravnas, led by a pleasant patriarch (Noel Willman). Unbeknownst to Gerald Harcourt, this aristocratic family has sinister plans for his wife, so he must call upon a vampire expert named Professor Zimmer (Clifford Evans).A little more mystery may have added to the overall impact; as it is, we're all pretty sure of where this is headed. But that doesn't mean that this isn't good, under rated Hammer. It looks positively gorgeous (especially on Blu-ray), just like the majority of Hammer product, and is intoxicatingly atmospheric during its uneasiest moments. One does feel that they are in the presence of true Evil. James Bernard is again an essential element to this formula, adding another eerie score to his resume. The costume ball that plays into the story allows for one good twist. The film is directed by Australian born Don Sharp, definitely an under rated genre director during this era (he deserves to be just as well known as frequent Hammer director Terence Fisher). Screenwriter Anthony Hinds updates the action a bit; this takes place in a slightly more "modern" period than many Hammer stories, since the Harcourts are getting around in a car. His resolution offers another interesting twist that this viewer hasn't seen in any vampire film before.The cast is excellent. Evans is no Peter Cushing, but he's a reasonably engaging vampire hunter. Daniel and de Souza are very likable. Willman is an effective villain, and Barry Warren is likewise solid as his son. Peter Madden and Vera Cook are appealing as the innkeepers, and John Harvey impresses in his brief turn as a police sergeant. The young ladies present are often sumptuously lovely."The Kiss of the Vampire" entertains in deliberately paced, ominous fashion; it's a Hammer film that deserves to be better known.Seven out of 10.
Ben Larson
This Hammer Horror film opens with a funeral that really sets the tone. It was slow and, even though we have seen the scene a million times, it manages to show it in a different way. It was marvelous.I have seen many vampire films, and I certainly know what to expect, but this is a Hammer film and we can expect some differences that make it worthwhile.The ending was a real surprise and something I had not seen done before.A lush 19th-century-setting, masterful direction, and vivid special effects intensify this spooky Hammer Films chiller.
HumanoidOfFlesh
The story is about a young couple who is traveling through the country when their car suddenly runs out of gas.The couple decides to stay in a local Inn,to spend the night because it seems that there isn't a gas station for miles.While staying there,the local vampire clan extends their warmest invitations to their castle for dinner and some music.The head vampire called Count Ravna falls for the human girl and from there on in will stop at nothing to get her in his vampire clan.The rest of the movie follows the husband of the kidnapped girl trying to find anyone who is willing to go back to the castle and get his wife back."The Kiss of the Vampire" is an enjoyable early 60's Hammer vampire flick.There is a truly surreal sequence of grand masquerade ball with vampires wearing strange masks.The portrayal of vampire clan as a some sort of religious brainwashing cult is a nice touch.Clifford Evans is certainly memorable as the vampire hunter Professor Zimmer and the usual Hammer atmosphere with spooky old castles,skeletal woods and foggy cemeteries is fantastic.8 out of 10.
