My Ten Favorite Hammer Movies (Part One)

 

Earlier this year, a Facebook friend and Twitter follower of mine, Jeff Duncanson, suggested that I do a list of my ten favorite Hammer movies. This was an idea that I had been mulling over from time to time, but I just never got around to doing it. One reason why is that I thought such a list would be made up of nothing more than the usual suspects....what more could I bring to it? 

There's also the chore of trying to limit the list to ten titles, and what titles to choose. Whenever I make up one of these type lists, I always look back on it weeks later and think "Why didn't I do it this way??" And invariably, whenever I post a top ten list, the reaction I do get (if any) is "Why didn't you put so-and-so on the list??" 

Anyway, here's the list, which I originally posted on my personal Facebook page earlier this month. The list will be broken up in two parts, and I'm presenting it as a Halloween special. After each title I'll give a brief reason why it made the list. The grouping of titles isn't in any particular order, except for the very first one, which is my favorite Hammer movie of all time. 

THE BRIDES OF DRACULA (1960)

Not only is it my favorite all-time Hammer film, it's my all-time favorite performance by my all-time favorite actor, Peter Cushing. I'm well aware of the fact that this movie does not feature Dracula, or Christopher Lee, but for me BRIDES is Hammer at its ultimate peak when it comes to English Gothic cinema. 

THE DEVIL RIDES OUT (1968)

An outstanding adaptation of Dennis Wheatley's novel, with Christopher Lee battling Satanic forces in one of his best roles. Excellent work by director Terence Fisher and screenwriter Richard Matheson. 

THE KISS OF THE VAMPIRE (1963)

This movie does not feature most of the regular Hammer Horror cast & crew, but it's an effective and atmospheric Gothic tale that is better than most of the company's Dracula entries. 

DRACULA PRINCE OF DARKNESS (1966)

I picked this more out of nostalgic familiarity more than anything else. When I was a teenager in the 1980s and just starting to become a Hammer fan, this movie was on television constantly, especially the Chicago broadcast stations. 

FRANKENSTEIN MUST BE DESTROYED (1969)

Probably Hammer's darkest and most truly horrific tale. Peter Cushing is at his most determined and cunning here, and in my very biased opinion, Veronica Carlson gives one of the best performances of any Hammer leading lady. I have to say that after getting to know Veronica personally, it's not easy to watch what she has to go through in this film.