(1961)
Dir - Terence Fisher
Overall: MEH
Hammer's most disappointing "classic" monster revamp is easily their sole lycanthropian entry The Curse of the Werewolf. Barely based off the novel The Werewolf of Paris and acting as the first staring role for Oliver Reed as the ill-fated Leon Corledo, the film drops the ball with less than ten minutes of a werewolf screen time When we do finally get to see Reed transform into an exceptionally make-uped beast, he quickly kills two people partly in silhouette and then bounces on several roof tops until getting shot. Spoilers but be warned, you get the least bang for your buck far as werewolf films go with this one. Reed for his part is very Oliver Reedy even this early on as he often looks so tense that his body could believably explode at any second. The movie is broken up into several acts that do nothing to heighten any tension whatsoever as Leon's doom could not possibly be more preordained. His curse is quite literal having been conceived from a rape, born on Christmas Day which in this universe is pure tragedy, given a "cure" of constant love and affection, and then of course falling for the one woman he cannot possibly have. The story skews many of the werewolf myth trademarks yes, but by playing by its own rules instead, it is in effect even more predictable. It really just ends up being a bummer with some great werewolf makeup making the smallest possible appearance
(1963)
Dir - Freddie Francis
Overall: GOOD
Not without its share of flaws, Paranoiac at the very least is enjoyable as a twisty-turvy bit of fun. Hammer Studios mainstay and future director Jimmy Sangster authored the false identity, madness laced script, with the mighty resumed Freddie Francis, (Dr. Terror's House of Horrors, Tales from the Crypt, cinematographer on The Innocents, The Elephant Man, and Glory), working his competence behind the lens. Though things take a bit too long to get going, you cannot say that the film does not surprise at numerous instances, which is really what all mystery/thrillers are expected to do. The details of the plot though are a bit absurd and plausibility is stretched pretty much to a breaking point. Dramatically crazy characters behaving questionably is one thing, but the comparatively "normal" ones act just as dubious from a motivation standpoint, all of which makes you question more things than you should. Though in this case, these elements rather augment the fun. Back at it again, Oliver Reed overacts his manly heart out and it is hard not to chuckle at his overtly grand physical outbursts whether we are supposed to or not. Thus can be said about the entirety of the movie really.
(1968)
Dir - Michael Carreras
Overall: MEH
Written and directed by Michael Carreras, (Slave Girls, The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb), and based off Dennis Wheatley's Uncharted Seas, The Lost Continent fulfills very little of its on-paper potential. Sure there are giant, silly looking monsters, a few nasty deaths, and even some patented Hammer cleavage, but these moments are grossly few and far between. In fact the very first of said monsters shows up an hour into the film. That is one whole hour folks of people on a boat arguing with each other, then abandoning ship to argue some more, then getting back on there to continue the arguing. A crop of characters leave the movie about a half hour in, never to be seen again, a couple more die before much at all interesting happens, and then more are introduced so late in the film that it becomes futile to care about any of them. The actual story is completely meaningless as the very few story arcs go absolutely nowhere and in the end, everybody we have been spending time with for so long ends up just shooting and sword fighting with a bunch of people that are barely given any screen time themselves. The film ends up not being able to fill its running time with nearly enough of its main attractions, instead going for the most boring, inconsequential storytelling. This is a shame as some of the design work and set pieces brought in way near the last act assuredly deserved far more attention.
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