Directed by:
Roy Ward BakerScreenplay:
Don HoughtonCinematography:
John WilcoxComposer:
James BernardCast:
Peter Cushing, Shih Szu, David Chiang Da-wei, Kar-wing Lau, Tino Wong Cheung, Hui-Ling Liu, Hsu Hsia, Hak-on Fung, Chui Fat, Hoi-sang Lee, Shi-Kwan Yen, Sin San (more)Plots(1)
Peter Cushing stars, once again, as Professor Van Helsing in this fun collaboration from England's mighty Hammer Studios and Hong Kong's Shaw Brothers combining the vampire and kung fu genres. Fists of fury meet fearsome fangs as the vampire hunter persuades a gang of black belts to help him put an end of the bloodthirsty horror of Dracula. (official distributor synopsis)
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Reviews (3)
Hammer Films decided to revive its moribund Dracula franchise and its generally declining horror brand, so it joined forces with Hong Kong studio Shaw Brothers, which was at the height of its popular kung fu films at the time. The result is a somewhat heavy-handed gothic kung fu horror film that nonetheless delivers everything you could want from this cultural fusion of two disparate film traditions. So fans of the aforementioned companies will be satisfied, especially those who want to see Professor Van Helsing, Dracula (sadly without Christopher Lee this time) and kung-fists side by side.
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After 1968, there was no more interest in the productions of the legendary Hammer studio. Apparently, in an effort to attract new audiences, they joined forces six years later with a studio as close to Hammer horror films as Dolph Lundgren is to character acting: Shawn Brothers. The result could be nothing but a strange mix of kung-fu brawlers and vampire themes, and neither works here. The fight choreography isn't great and the vampires are only lightly touched upon. Hammer's cult star Peter Cushing looks like he's thinking "God, what kind of shite have I got myself into again!" the whole time, and Dracula is played by a guy who lacks even a tenth of Christopher Lee's charisma. The overall result is so awkward that it didn't attract new fans to Hammer, and may have discouraged die-hard fans. It’s a shame.
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The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires is indeed a peculiar culmination of the entire Hammer series, but I must say that it's a conclusion that I didn't outright dislike; in fact, I quite enjoyed it. Peter Cushing maintains his standard here, and even the story set in the Chinese environment doesn't look that bad. I'm not exactly overflowing with enthusiasm, but I don't consider The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires to be a bad movie.
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Photo © Warner Bros.
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