Damien Thomas – Rest in Peace

April 24, 2025 by Jon Kitley in Rest in Peace and tagged Count Karnstein, Damien Thomas, Hammer Films, Hammer Horror, Hammer Studios, Shogun, Twins of Evil | Leave a comment

One of my all-time favorite Hammer Films is Twins of Evil (1971), and one of those reasons was the highly memorable villain Count Karnstein, played wonderfully by Damien Thomas. He seemed to just revel is playing this character and just makes the film so much more enjoyable. Sadly, we have heard the news that he has recently passed away.

He didn’t appear too much in the horror genre over the years, but was always a treat to see no matter what he was in. He is one of the many reasons that Hammer Films still are remembered and cherished today.

Our thoughts go out to his friends and family. Gone, but never forgotten.

Hammer Karnstein Scrapbook Now Available

July 4, 2023 by Jon Kitley in Book News and tagged Carmilla, Hammer Films, Hammer Studios, Ingrid Pitt, Le Fanu, Lust for a Vampire, Peveril Publishing, Roy Ward Baker, The Hammer Karnstein Scrapbook, Tudor Gates, Twins of Evil, Vampire Lovers | Leave a comment

Continuing their releases covering the different series of films Hammer did, Peveril Publishing has released their latest volume in this long series, The Hammer’s Karnstein’s Scrapbook and is now available to order!

By the time the ’70s came around, Hammer was upping the amount of gore and nudity in their films, trying to keep hold of their dwindling audiences. Since films like Rosemary’s Baby and Night of the Living Dead, both released1968, had modern settings and monsters, fans were growing tired of the gothic period pieces. Plus, in 1970, The British Board of Film Censors raised the X-Certificate from 16 to 18 in hopes of fighting off this new trend of sexploitation films that were coming out. Hammer took that and amped up their gore and nudity to meet that new standard with their adaptation of Le Fanu’s 1872 novella Carmilla, with what would become The Vampire Lovers (1970), starring the alluring Ingrid Pitt.

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New Titles from Peveril Publishing!

May 2, 2023 by Jon Kitley in Book News and tagged Dennis Wheatley, Hammer Studios, Lust for a Vampire, Peveril Publishing, The Hammer Dennis Wheatley Scrapbook, The Hammer Karnstein Scrapbook, The House that Hammer Built, The Lost Continent, To the Devil a Daughter, Twins of Evil, Vampire Lovers, Wayne Kinsey | Leave a comment

If you are a series fan of Hammer Studios, as well as reference books on the famous Studio that Dripped Blood, then you probably already know about Peveril Publishing. Wayne Kinsey and company have continued to create some amazing film books over the years, giving fans so much information about Hammer, that they really become essential volumes for anyone wanting to do sort of research on the studio.

Today, they have released the next three titles they will be releasing, granted, these will take well over a year for them to come out. But I know I will be ordering my copies as soon as they are taking orders. They are such works of beauty, filled with such glossy images, not to mention packed filled with information.

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Mary Collinson – Rest in Peace

November 23, 2021 by Jon Kitley in Rest in Peace and tagged Hammer Films, Hammer Studios, Madeleine Collinson, Mary Collinson, Playboy, Twins of Evil | 3 Comments

Being a huge fan of Hammer films, I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to meet quite a few stars, directors, and others that worked for the famous studio. But there are still countless more than I haven’t. And with each year, we lose another face that brought us thrills, chills, and smiles to our faces. The Collinson twins from Twins of Evil (1971) were two that I had always hoped I would have the chance to meet. Madeleine Collinson had passed away in 2014, and now we’ve learned that her sister Mary has passed away today, at age of 69.

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Soundtrack Review: Twins of Evil

May 7, 2020 by Jon Kitley in Reviews: Soundtrack and tagged GDI Records, Hammer Films, Harry Robertson, Harry Robinson, Twins of Evil | Leave a comment

Twins of Evil
Released by GDI Records, 2000
22 Tracks with a Total Running Time of 44 min.
Music by Harry Robertson (listed as Harry Robinson)

One of the many things that made Hammer Films so memorable was the music. With booming sounding themes, they always made an impact. And Robertson’s score for Twins of Evil is no different. The opening theme immediately puts the images in your head of the Brotherhood riding their horses through the forest, searching out the wicked! One little cue was used in the trailer (as well as many parts of the movie) that has always stuck in my brain, probably from watching the trailer and movie more than a few times. But it is the march-type theme of the Brotherhood that is most familiar.

The use of strings seems to be the most prominent instrument here, though we do hear from the wind instruments, such as in the Karnstein’s Guest track. This is a perfect example how a rousing score just adds to what we’re seeing on screen, and Hammer did that so well. Being one of my favorites of Hammer’s, this score is right up there as well.