Hammerhead, traficante del placer

For years I thought Victor Mature was the most uncharismatic, untalented actor to have ever managed to succeed in Hollywood, but now, ladies and gents, I stand corrected. That dishonor must go to the, er, "star" of Hammerhead, Mr Vince Edwards. In short, he's an utter bore. As is the movie. But my God, is he dreadful. His face is like a catcher's mitt, just expressionless throughout the whole movie. His voice is one note of droning monotony and as for his physical presence, well, I suspect most of the action was performed by a double as they consisted mostly of suspicious close ups of legs and arms being thrust in the direction of bad guys without ol' Vince's hammerface in the shot.

Won't bother with the plot, critique the direction or soundtrack ... sufficed to say it all pretty much stinks.

I'm a massive spy movie fan - seen 'em all pretty much - especially the 60s adventure ones, and I must say this movie is easily one of the worst. Even the mostly incomprehensible Italian stuff of the same era is a lot more fun and watchable than this rubbish.

The only good thing from Hammerhead are the girls. Plenty of them and all pretty.

MASTER PLAN: obtain the info on some secret papers. By this point in the late sixties, some filmmakers were getting a little carried away with all the psychedelia and decadence of the decade, including a few who jumped on the James Bond bandwagon. The first scenes seem to say that the director & his crew were dropping acid during the filming, though it turns out to be some bizarre performance art depiction. We're also introduced to Mr. Hood here (Edwards), the secret agent of the story, looking on bemused. He fits the profile - an American but working well within the British & other European locales as a handsome man of adventure. He's not all that impressive, however: though able to handle himself well in a fight, he does get knocked out a couple of times quite easily (one of these fights, in a dark garage, recalls a similar scene in "Deadlier Than the Male" of the previous year). As the very British girl who keeps popping up unexpectedly throughout the movie, Judy Geeson is an acquired taste and can be a bit annoying; I didn't blame Hood for wincing the 3rd time she reappears. I also kept thinking, what is she doing in this movie? This sense didn't change much for me by the end of the film. Much of the action at the forefront of this film takes place against the backdrop of the youthful generation doing their thing during those swinging sixties.

The plot involves the machinations of the very Bondian uber-villain Hammerhead (Vaughan), complete with peculiar eccentricities, such as white gloves to keep the germs away and especially sadistic tendencies towards females. The actress Adams plays the more interesting female character, in a brief role. Oh, and, to make sure we understand that this bad guy is a sleaze, he also has interests in pornography. His dastardly plans are hinted at during Hood's briefing in a train cabin; there will be a special meeting of top men from NATO nations and one of these men has papers that Hammerhead wants a gander at, involving defense plans. This offers a good dual role for versatile actor Bates, who plays the target and one of Hammerhead's key henchmen. The film meanders a bit in the first half, even with the intriguing scenes on the villain's huge yacht, with everything moving at an easygoing pace, as if the filmmakers were unsure of themselves or the story. But, it does all come together in the final half-hour, when the details of the villain's subterfuge are played out (though why Hood and his girl aren't simply shot instead of that protracted scene in the coffin...never mind). Watch for Dave Prowse, soon to be in "A Clockwork Orange" and future Darth Vader, as the huge henchman - the strongest man Hammerhead knows. The climactic action, especially the unexpected end of the villain, will either irritate or enthrall you, depending on how much you like darkly ironic, satirical endings. I thought it was a bit out of left field. Hero:5 Villains:5 Femme Fatales:5 Henchmen:6 Fights:6 Stunts/Chases:5 Gadgets:4 Auto:5 Locations:6 Pace:5 overall:5+

The spy genre popularized by the James Bond series certainly gave fruit to a lot of attempts worldwide to play in the same sandbox. This British effort (with an American star) isn't anything great, but at least it is largely played tongue-in-cheek (while firmly dating itself as a 1960s piece), and ought to earn some smiles, or chuckles, if few real belly laughs. Vince Edwards plays Charles Hood, a special agent trying to get the goods on the title master criminal (played by top British character actor Peter Vaughan). This he does by using the cover of selling the man vintage pornography! As he gamely goes on his mission, Hood keeps encountering Sue Trenton, a jovial young lady played by the lovely Judy Geeson.

"Hammerhead" does ultimately get a little tiresome, and goes on a bit too long, but there ARE some pleasures to be had. Chief among them are the very sexy ladies on hand (also including Diana Dors as Kit, Beverly Adams as Ivory, Tracy Reed as Miss Hull, and Veronica Carlson as Ulla). The film is likewise attractively photographed by Wilkie Cooper & Kenneth Talbot, and is partly shot in picturesque Portugal. Vaughan is fun as a bad guy who knows how to make an entrance, Edwards is amiable as the hero, and the enticing Ms. Geeson is a lively leading lady (although some people might find her effervescent personality a bit much). They're supported by some excellent British actors, with Michael Bates standing out in a dual role. And that's David "Darth Vader" Prowse in the small role of Hammerheads' young muscleman. This viewers' favorite sequence involves Hood & Sue being trapped inside a coffin, on their way to certain doom (bad guys in these types of stories so often rarely kill the good guys when it is most advantageous to do so). They catch the attention of a young motorcyclist (Kenneth Cope) whose reactions are hysterical.

Decently guided by the American director David Miller ("The Opposite Sex", "Lonely Are the Brave"), this moves along adequately, doling out some entertaining action sequences while accompanied by a jaunty music score by David Whitaker. The oddest touch is the performance art playing out alongside the opening credits, presided over by an eccentric artist (Douglas Wilmer).

Five out of 10.

I saw this when I was in the ARMY, a BIG waste of time what's worst the The Projectionist must have missed a reel as 1 could see it just didn't fit

While I have not seen the Hammerhead movie, I do have the soundtrack album.

I ended up ordering it by mistake about 25 years ago, and when I got it, I opened it anyway as I collect soundtracks, and had never heard of the movie Hammerhead.

There is a catchy theme song, and some cool chase music, as well as other tunes, and even a Hammerhead 'concerto' on the record.

If this movie ever comes out on video, I would like to see it in order to associate the music with the scenes.

The music is typical of the 60s and is very light-hearted and fun to listen to.