The evil that men do.

The final part of Hammer Films Karnstein Trilogy is in keeping with what made the studios output so readily embraced by the horror faithful. Based on characters created by Sheridan Le Fanu, Hammer take one of their vampire movies and add puritan witch- finding into the mix as well.

Upon the death of their parents identical twins Maria and Frieda Gellhorn are relocated to Karnstein in Central Europe to live with their Uncle Gustav Weil. Weil is a stern puritan who leads a fanatical bunch of witch-hunters known as the Brotherhood, this is a problem because the twins a... read the rest.

Great Gothic horror ambiance, good cast, magnificent score, so-so story

Orphaned twin sisters (Madeleine & Mary Collinson) are forced to move from Venice to Styria, Austria, to live with their puritan uncle (Peter Cushing), who’s hell-bent on hunting down witches and burning them at the stake. One of the sisters, Frieda (Madeleine), refuses to tolerate her uncle’s legalistic abuse and is drawn to the diabolic hedonism happening at nearby Karnstein Castle. Once Count Karnstein (Damien Thomas) performs a satanic ritual that resurrects his vampiric ancestor, Mircalla, and he is converted... read the rest.

What's quite sad about this film is the presence of Dennis Price - one of my favourite British comedy actors. He offers so little to this vampire thriller and it's a real shame that he is now reduced to bit parts in which he hardly leaves his chair! Anyway, the gist of the film sees the twin nieces of the zealous priest "Weil" (Peter Cushing) arrive in the village that he rather puritanically rules with his council. "Maria" and "Frieda" (Mary & Madeleine Collinson) are used to a freer style of living than that offered by their uncle and his wife "Katy" (Kathleen Byron) and the latter is soon fa... read the rest.