Movie Review: The Brides of Dracula

November 14, 2020 by Jon Kitley in Reviews: Movies and tagged Andrée Melly, Anthony Hinds, Brides of Dracula, Constantine Nasr, David Peel, Don Mingaye, Freda Jackson, Hammer Films, Hammer Studios, Hugh Harlow, Jack Asher, Jimmy Sangster, Malcom Williamson, Margaret Robinson, Marie Devereux, Martita Hunt, Michael Ripper, Miles Malleson, Peter Cushing, Richard Klemensen, Scream Factory, Shout Factory, Steve Haberman, Terence Fisher, Yvonne Monlaur | Leave a comment

(1960)
Director Terence Fisher
Starring Peter Cushing, Yvonne Monlaur, David Peel, Martita Hunt, Freda Jackson, Miles Malleson, Andree Melly, Marie Devereux, Michael Ripper

While most “normal” critics would look down on a horror film, yes… even ones from Hammer Studios, this is a perfect example of how well made these pictures really were, from the acting, the production design, to the look and lighting of the entire running time. If you ever doubted that, just watch this 2K scan of The Brides of Dracula recently released by Shout Factory on Blu-Ray. Continue reading →

2017 Year End Review Part 2: In Remembrance

January 2, 2018 by Jon Kitley in Rest in Peace, Year End Reviews and tagged Adam West, Basil Gogos, Bernie Casey, Bernie Wrightson, Bill Paxton, Erin Moran, Geoffrey Bayldon, George Kosana, George Romero, Harry Dean Stanton, Jack H. Harris, John Heard, John Hurt, Jonathan Demme, Martin Landau, Michale Parks, Mike Conners, Miquel Ferrer, Powers Boothe, Robert Osborne, Robin Hardy, Roger Moore, Stephen Furst, Suzan Farmer, Suzanna Leigh, Tobe Hooper, Unberto Lenzi, William Peter Blatty, Yvonne Monlaur | Leave a comment

As horror fans, we lost some huge icons this last year. Some were older and some went way too soon. But because of their work in cinema, they will never entirely be gone from us. We can always pop in a DVD or Blu-ray and they will be just as alive as we remembered, giving us even more entertainment than before.

Being a fan of cinema for any length of time, you would think one could get used to losing some of their movie heroes and idols, but it still hurts when you ponder “what if they were to make just one more film?” Being a fan of cinema also helps keep their memory of what they did make alive and well. And by continuing to sing their praises, we can introduce them to the next generation of cinema lovers, so they can experience the same joy that we did, and still do, each and every time we bust out one of their movies.

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Yvonne Monlaur – Rest in Peace

April 22, 2017 by Jon Kitley in Rest in Peace and tagged Brides of Dracula, Hammer Films, Yvonne Monlaur | Leave a comment

Yvonne Monlaur - RIP Hammer fans have lost another one of the lovely ladies from their childhood. Yvonne Monlaur passed away last week on the 18th, at the age of 77. Of course, she is probably best known to us horror fans as the young French school teacher that comes across a vampire, only to be saved by Peter Cushing’s Van Helsing, in the 1960 film The Brides of Dracula. Monlaur is just stunning here and actually gives a strong performance, making this a very memorable film. She had appeared in Circus of Horrors the year earlier, and would appear in Hammer’s Terror of the Tongs, playing alongside another Hammer icon, Christopher Lee.

The one sad thing about these Hammer films is that since they were made many decades ago, we are slowly losing all of these great performers and craftsman that worked on them. But we know that because these films continue to draw in new fans, that these names and faces will always be remembered, and that they will continue to entertain fans, both old and new.

Our thoughts go out to Monlaur’s friends and family during this sad time.