Les Sévices de Dracula

TWINS OF EVIL

Aspect ratio: 1.85:1

Sound format: Mono

This exquisite, sexually charged shocker (the third and final entry in Hammer's unofficial Karnstein trilogy, following THE VAMPIRE LOVERS and LUST FOR A VAMPIRE, both produced in 1970) was directed by John Hough, a talented journeyman who began his career in British television (including notable episodes of "The Avengers") and later helmed the much-acclaimed ghost story THE LEGEND OF HELL HOUSE (1973) before relocating to America and getting lost on the Hollywood treadmill. Here, working with a clever script (by Tudor Gates) and elegant period art direction (by Roy Stannard), he maintains a graceful period style which belies the film's threadbare budget and modest ambitions: A decadent lord of the manor (Damien Thomas) summons the ghost of Mircalla Karnstein (Katya Wyeth) from her grave and is subsequently transformed into a vampire, whereupon he targets the beautiful twin nieces of a local witchfinder (Peter Cushing).

The plot is pure melodrama, but Hough plays it straight for the most part, except for a couple of humorous episodes early in the film (such as the notorious 'candle' incident during an unlikely sexual encounter between Thomas and Wyeth!). The performances are fairly theatrical, though Cushing's zealous witchfinder is a study in quiet intensity (the actor looks particularly gaunt here, having lost his beloved wife shortly before commencement of principal photography). Former 'Playboy' centerfolds Madeleine and Mary Collinson - who appear to have been dubbed in an effort to beef up their unskilled performances - are visually stunning in the bosomy Hammer style, while David Warbeck (later a cult favorite in mainland European exploitation movies), Dennis Price (KIND HEARTS AND CORONETS), Isobel Black (THE KISS OF THE VAMPIRE) and Kathleen Byron (BLACK NARCISSUS) are featured in major supporting roles. The film was released theatrically with a UK 'X' certificate in 1971 because of some sloppy gore and a handful of self-conscious nude scenes, though the British censor has since awarded the uncut video print a lowly '15' rating, which indicates how attitudes have changed in the intervening years.

In the 19th century, beautiful identical orphaned twins come to live in a small Austrian village of Karnstein with their aunty and a Puritan witch hunter uncle. One of them is innocently sweet, but the other is rebellious, and decides to pay a visit to a Count that worships the devil and who her uncle doesn't like at all. During the visit she falls mercy of the count and becomes of one of the dead just like him. So, when her uncle finds out it doesn't take long for those Puritans wanting her to be burned at the stake.

I'm not a real massive fan of Hammer studio, but for me it feels like when you've seen one you've basically seen them all. That might be a pretty frank claim to make, but that's not to say I didn't enjoy this piece and some of their other works, because some have actually surprised me, just like 'The Mummy', 'The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires' and this particular one. These couple of films I got right into it, but some others rather bore me too death. It's just that England's legendary Hammer studio is for required tastes. Sometimes for me they work, but other times I couldn't care less. But that being said I found 'Twins of Evil' was basically the usual Hammer that had some flavour amongst the routine camp. These would be no other than Peter Cushing's priceless performance as the imposing Gustav Weil the malicious witch hunter, which it lifts the film out of the ordinary. He and is fanatic witch/vampire chasing Puritans were the life of the party. Wanting to burn basically every pretty girl they came across! But what did destroy the mood in those scenes was that I couldn't stop thinking of 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail', which has a scene about dim-witted people accusing a girl of witchcraft, which kept on popping up in my head.

While, the lustfulness was pretty high in this flick with its sexual tones and gratuitous nudity and flesh flowing. Which has kinda made its way into the latter day Hammer. Also that's the same for the violence, as there's some grisly bloodletting that's a huge delight, with impalement and decapitation. But in doing so it leaves the atmosphere for patent terror. What made film easy on the eyes were the two lead girls, the Collinson twins Mary and Madeleine were magazine pinups. They were damn right sexy, but also elegant in their revealing gowns and were plain beautiful. Damien Thomas gave an accomplished performance as the evilly suave Count Karnstein. Everyone gave a better than average performance. But there's no real mystery why these twin girls were cast in these roles, although Cushing is rightly the star here.

The film looks great and just like always Hammer captures the period strongly, from the set details of Karnstein's castle to the clothing and props. Sometimes scenes did come off as under lit, but that's due to the woodland setting that branched out throbbing sense uneasiness. Rattling behind the picture is the trademark boisterous score. While, the direction didn't come off as complete. Not enough action was sustained and there was too much chat, I thought. It's just some sequences were done to death in the film, that you already kinda get the point. But in those moments of action, it does become incredibly tense, with some clever twists and heart pounding pacing. That goes for the highly suspenseful finale. The plot device is nothing more than good vs. evil, from the twin girls too the battle of faith and religion. From what I grasp it's boring to be good, and people love bad girls. Is that far from the truth? Perhaps I'm reading too much into it. Oh well.

Highly entertaining Hammer fluff.

Loosely based on characters created by author Sheridan Le Fanu, TWINS OF EVIL concern twin sisters Maria and Freida (Mary and Madeline Collison) who have been recently orphaned and are sent to live with their guardian and uncle Gustav Weil (Peter Cushing.) Gustav is a most unpleasant man, the leader of a religious "brotherhood" whose ideas of salvation and repentance involves routing out every attractive woman in the district and burning them alive at the steak. Ironically, Gustav's hapless victims are innocent, and he finds himself unable to attack the real evil of the locality: the devil-worshiping Count Karnstein (Damien Thomas), who enjoys the protection of the Emperor.

Needless to say, it is not long before the sisters catch the attention of the Count, who has now been transformed by the black arts into a vampire--and one of the sisters soon falls under his sway. But truth be told, Gustav is such a distasteful creature himself that it becomes difficult to know which of the two men is worst.

Like most Hammer Horrors, TWINS abounds with well endowed women in plunging necklines and enough colorful gore to float a small boat. But in this instance, the splashes of blood are all the more effective for the muted background against which they are seen. The usually baroque settings of most Hammer films is not in evidence here, little is romanticized, and the atmosphere is quite tense.

The Collison twins (whose last film this was) give reasonable performances and are so attractive that you do not mind the fact they have very obviously been dubbed by English-speaking actors. Damien Thomas makes for an impressively suave vampire, and David Warbeck is appealing as the hero of the piece. But the real drive of the film comes from Peter Cushing, who gives a surprisingly powerful performance as the maniacal Gustav; if given the choice between facing him or trying to ward off Thomas' vampire, well, most of us would probably feel we had a better chance against Count Karnstein! It is an unexpected effect, and it is quite powerful.

This is not to say that TWINS OF EVIL is without flaws, and now and then some pretty big ones. The script is no winner, and the details of the story are a bit loose, to say the least. The sisters are supposed to be from Vienna, but they somehow wind up in what seems to be a very unappealing area of Germany where the men all dress like American Puritans! There are also one or two scenes that border on the unintentionally comic. But most viewers will be able to suspend disbelief for the film's duration. Recommended for fans of both Hammer and Gothic horror.

GF

Mary and Madeleine Collinson play the title roles, and Peter Cushing and Damien Thomas are Protector and Tempter, respectively. The plot: in the 18th century a Vampire has terrorized the village for centuries. Members of the local church respond by going around and burning women as witches. The title girls arrive in the village and cause havoc, possibly because of their cleavage. One Twin is more Evil than the other; the viewer can predict the plot from there.

Vampire lore was changed to fit the filmmakers needs. Alert viewers will notice one Huge verbal mistake , and at least one visual goof.

The women under 40 are well endowed, and show as much cleavage as allowed. The color is more subdued than in some Hammer films. The gore is bright as ever, ketchup/catsup and red paint substituting for blood.

Not bad, but not essential horror viewing.

The third and final entry to the 'Karnstein Trilogy', "Twins of Evil" of 1971 is doubtlessly one of the creepiest and best films the great British Hammer Studios have brought forth in the early 70s. After the fantastic "The Vampire Lovers" (1970) and the mediocre "Lust For A Vampire" (1971), this prequel to its predecessors is set in 17th century Austria (my home country), and unites several favorite Horror elements such as Witchhunts, Devil-Worshiping and Vampirism. After many Hammer beauties in other films, "Twins of Evil" brings us the eponymous twins in the leading role, played by the 19-year old former Playboy playmates Madeleine and Mary Collinson. Even though the busty twin sisters, as well as some of other beauties are very nice to look at, this film relies less strongly on eroticism than its predecessors, and focuses mainly on creepiness and suspense. The film follows the 70s Horror-trend of witch-hunts, which became popular after Michael Reeves' British Horror masterpiece "Witchfinder General" (1968) starring the great Vincent Price. This time, it is another brilliant Horror icon, Hammer's very own Peter Cushing, who plays a merciless Witchfinder. Only that this ruthless witch-hunter stands in opposition to a devil-worshiping clan of Vampires - The Karnsteins.

After their parents' death, Venice twins Frieda and Maria Gellhorn (Madeleine and Mary Collinson) are sent to live with their aunt and uncle in an Austrian village. The uncle Gustav Weil (Peter Cushing), a strict religious fanatic, is the leader of a puritan group called 'the brotherhood'. After mysterious deaths, Weil and his henchmen, who believe the murders to be the work of the devil, abduct young women and burn them at the stake for alleged witchcraft. It is quite obvious though, that these women are innocent. The satanic Count Karnstein, who spends his time with bloody rituals, lives in the castle on a mountain near to the village...

"Twins of Evil" magnificently combines several great Horror themes. A classic Vampire story comes along with and Witchhunts, Devil-Worshipping, all presented in a Hammer-typical, beautifully creepy Gothic atmosphere. In my opinion, many of the greatest Hammer films are from the early 70s, as they maintained the beautiful Gothic style and elegant creepiness of their earlier gems, and, at the same time, mixed different Horror-themes and introduced the more explicit themes of the 70s (such more explicit gore and mild erotica). This film has all the classic Gothic Hammer elements - foggy grounds, dark forests, graveyards and eerie castles etc, combined with gruesome elements and genuinely frightening moments. Peter Cushing (in my humble opinion, one of the greatest actors who ever lived) shines as the merciless Witchfinder, a role that fits him brilliantly. The sexy leading ladies Madeleine and Mary Collinson make the film a joy to look at. Director John Hough, who would later make films such as "The Legend of Hell House" (1972) as well the "Treasure Island" adaptation with Orson Welles (1972), deserves great praise for making this one Hammer's most elegant, suspenseful and chilling films. Beautifully filmed in the Hammer-typical uncanny visual style and accompanied by a nice score, "Twins of Evil" is doubtlessly one of the most atmospheric Hammer films from the early 70s, and it also ranks up there among their all-time greats. Highly recommended and a must-see for all Hammer fans!