Hammer Horror | Amanda Norman

Archive for the ‘Hammer Horror’ Category

The Vampire A Tribute to Hammer Horror

February 15th, 2010

‘The Vampire’ movie poster is my personal tribute to Hammer Horror.

If you don’t know by now, I’m a huge fan of Dracula and the vampire films of Hammer Horror. My favourite Hammer Horror films include: -

Twins of Evil

Lust for a Vampire

Any Dracula film with Christopher Lee.

The poster above features a dark portrait of my boyfriend Luke (@1uk3 on Twitter) and some of my graveyard photography, which can be seen by clicking here to visit my Graveyard & Cemeteries galleries.

If you like the poster, you can purchase it on Zazzle by clicking here. Other ‘B’ movie style posters featuring my dark portraits are also available.

Greeting card version is also available by clicking here.

Posted in Hammer Horror, Shop, Vampire |

Tags: Dark Portrait, Graveyard Photography, Hammer Horror, luke, Movie Posters, The Vampire |

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Ingrid Pitt and the Hammer Horror Interview

August 3rd, 2009

Ingrid Pitt Interview

Some years ago, I interviewed the lovely Ingrid Pitt for another site I was involved in. As that site is no longer what it used to be, I’m proud to re-publish it here.

Ingrid Pitt starred as Countess Dracula in Hammer Horror’s 1970 film of the same title.

She also starred as Carmilla in the 1970 Hammer Horror film, ‘The Vampire Lovers’.

Nowadays she is a renowned author with such books as ‘BEDSIDE COMPANION FOR VAMPIRE LOVERS‘ and ‘BOOK OF MURDER, TORTURE & DEPRAVITY‘.

For more information about Ingrid, including the chance to purchase personally signed autographed books, posters and lots more items, visit Ingrid’s official site, http://www.pittofhorror.com. You won’t be disappointed!

A big thank you to Ingrid for answering my questions. Let the interview commence!

Ingrid, you played the role of Countess Dracula in Hammer Horror’s classic film of the same title. This film was based on the true account of Elizabeth Bathory who tortured and murdered over 600 young women. She believed that their blood would keep her skin looking youthful. How did you prepare yourself for this role and what are your thoughts of Countess Bathory?

Well I decided that the best way to get into the role was to round up a few virgins and try out the efficacy of their blood before starting the picture. Unfortunately the extreme difficulty encountered in my search for virgins made this impossible – so I winged it. And the Countess? I once spent the night in Cachtice Castle in Romania to satisfy the sadism of a cackle of journalist. I now fully understand her quest. The castle is so cold and depressing I was willing to do anything to break the monotony after a couple of hours.

You also played the role of Carmilla Karnstein in Hammer’s The Vampire Lovers, based on Joseph Sheridan LeFanu’s 1872 novella, “Carmilla”. Carmilla is my favourite vampiress of all time as she was an excellent seductress with stunning looks, but not only was she deadly, she seemed to have a caring heart, a lost soul searching for her soul mate in eternal life. Did you read the novel before filming and is Carmilla your idea of a female vampire, if not, what is?

Carmilla’s great. Sexy dresses and lots of sultry langorous looks. I did read the novel before I played the part. A fat lot of good that did me. I completely missed the idea that it was a take on lesbianism! It wasn’t until I was asked to introduce the film at a festival at the National Film Theatre that it struck home. There was a big poster saying it was the seminal lesbian/vampire movie. I just thought it was about a couple of friends, bored out of their skulls during a hot summer in Styria. And one of them happened to be a vampire. I’m just an innocent, I guess!

Would you have accepted the role beforehand if you’d known that Carmilla was a lesbian?

I’ve no problem with other peoples sexual proclivities – just don’t understand them. Professionally a role is a role is a role.

Hammer productions have announced that they’re making a comeback for the 21st century. This will involve the remakes of Hammer’s non horror films and at a later date, they will produce horror films. Do you think that Hammer can capture the gothic essence once again and create future cult classics like the films you and other big names such as Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing starred in? Also, will you have any involvement with this as you are now a renowned author of vampire books; perhaps one of your tales could be adapted for the screen?

I am supposed to be involved in it. But you obviously know more about it than I do. As to my scripts and things – I’m working on it!

Good luck with the scripts. I simply took my information from their main website. In what way will you be involved?

Hammer are setting up a publishing arm to produce books, fictional and factual. I have been asked to write the definitive Hammer book and help set up the company. There is a bit of an hiatus at the moment. The book was supposed to be out for Christmas last but we are still in the throes of working out who does what in the company. And don’t bother to send in your valued manuscript – at least until the company is up and running. There is no way that it can be looked at in the near future and will be consigned to the trash can.

What are your most memorable moments from your time spent working with Hammer?

Having regular paydays. The thing about Hammer was they didn’t pay much but they did stick with old friends. My problem was I came to the company when it was on the slippery slope. And I had the temerity to turn down a couple of pictures. The poor salary gave everyone a common bond. There was always something to talk about and sympathetic ears to unload into. But it wasn’t serious. Everybody swore at some time or another that they would never work for them again. But they always did. Witness Chris Lee.

There is much speculation about which character from history Bram Stoker based his novel Count Dracula on. Some people say that he got the name Dracula from Vlad Tepes who was also known as Count Dracula. His father was Dracul and Dracula simply means ‘son of’. The real life Dracula is notorious for impaling his victims on stakes. It’s no wonder that people claim Stoker based Dracula on this character but other people claim he only used the name of Dracula and that the novel was actually based on Countess Bathory. Does this kind of speculation interest you and if yes, what do you believe is fact?

I think that when Bram Stoker was scuttling from house to house in Whitby writing his magnum opus he was using what material he had to hand to write fiction. And he had research on Dracula. I did the Dracula Tour a couple of years ago. Visited all the sites mentioned in Stoker’s book, slept in the tower room at Dracula Castle Hotel in the Borgo Pass, had lunch in the Golden Krone in Bistritz (where Jonathan Harker supped on his way to see Count Drac), visited Vlad Tepes’s birthplace at Sigisoara and so on. Great background stuff and I would have thought that there was little doubt about Vlad Tepes being the role model. But Raymond McAnally put the case for Erzebet Bathori in DRACULA WAS A WOMAN and who am I to argue against that?

You obviously still have a big interest with vampires due to your novel, ‘The Bedside Companion for Vampire Lovers’ and a project of which you was involved in, the making of a film titled ‘Dracula Who?’. What are your thoughts to the existence of vampires and what do you imagine one to be like?

My thoughts on vampires? Well the folkloric side is very interesting. So many blood suckers in so many countries over so many centuries. I love some of the stories. I guess my favourite is the Russian Kravalitza. It spends most of the year hanging around as an icicle until a posse of drunken peasants turns up and thaws it out and he savages them. Don’t ask me about the logic – just enjoy the legend. Clearly there are those who would testify to the existence of vampires. Like Colonel Johanne Flukinger who was sent to investigate the case of Arnold Paole who caught a dose in Greece. Vampirism that is. He returned to plague his home town in Serbian until being decapitated by the village Priest. The Colonel reported back to headquarters that it was a clear cut case of vampiric possession.
What do I think vampires are like? I go for the Groglin Grange, Varney The Vampire, Nosferatu model. Skinny, smelling, filthy and not fit to grace the drawing room of a young lady of refinement and breeding.

The topic of vampires is becoming huge on the Internet with more and more vampire sites and discussion forums popping up all over the place. Do you visit such sites and get involved with discussions, and what do you think about the presence of vampires on the Internet?

Not something I’ve thought about and I’ve never been asked to say my piece on the internet. Although I have had a couple of Chatrooms which seemed very interesting although not solely on a vampire theme.

Through out your career you have travelled around the world and met lots of adoring fans. Have you ever had any scary moments and what do you like best about meeting fans?

I can truthfully say that I have never had any problems. It might have something to do with the fact that my husband is 6′ 2″ and mean looking and is constantly with me. But I don’t think so. I just think people are lovely and I adore chatting to them. My favourite night of the year is the Fan Club reunion. Seventy or eighty members turn up in London, we pig out on delicious Polish nosh and dance the night away to a Russian band. And I get lots of time to chat. I sometimes get accused of taking too long to sign autographs when I’m at conventions. Not from the fans waiting for the autographs but from others who won’t be named. Of course, like everybody, I like talking about myself but the nature of the beast means that it gets boring after continous repetition – so I make my time interesting by finding out what everybody who bellies up to the stand do, what their ambitions are, how their family is getting on – and what they think of me!

It’s only fair to mention that your only interest isn’t vampires and that you have starred in numerous non vampire related movies. What is your best achievement in life so far and what plans do you have for the future?

My problem is that I don’t feel I have achieved anything. A few films that didn’t exactly set the screen alight. A dozen or so books which are not and never will be , compulsory reading in schools, a reasonable game of golf, a small ability to pilot a plane. That’s about it. Unless you want to include things like my daughter and through her my beautiful grand daughter – or surviving two serious cancer attacks. And, of course, being happy. Plans for the future are numerous and mainly unattainable – but it makes me happy to have a go. As is often repeated. If you don’t buy a ticket you can’t win the lottery.

What message do you have for your fans who read this?

As Sam Goldwyn (I think) famously said, “Messages are for Western Union”.

Buy Countess Dracula: Special Edition [1970] [DVD] [1971]

Buy Vampire Lovers/Lust For A Vampire [DVD] [1970]

Posted in Hammer Horror |

Tags: Countess Dracula, Hammer Horror, Ingrid Pitt, Interview |

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Female Vampires of Hammer Horror

August 3rd, 2009

I find that even to this day, the cult films of Hammer Horror still inspire my horror photography work.

I believe that the Hammer Horror films of the late 50′s and early 70′s play their part in the history of the female vampire. They turned a feared vampire into what most of us imagine a vampiress to be today, sexy, alluring and deadly. Christopher Lee turned Dracula into a decisive, charming, erotic figure and the female vampires of these films would do anything to please their master. They knew exactly how to allure their victims with their beauty and deadly charm.

How many of you watched these films, wishing you could meet either Dracula or one of the vampires and live for eternity, knowing that no person would be able to resist your erotic charms?

I fell asleep many a night wishing for Dracula to appear in my bedroom, hypnotise me with his bloodshot eyes, sensually hold me and touch me before biting me and taking me with him for all eternity.

His female victims in these films, portrayed this vision so well with their dreamy eyes staring back at him.

These Hammer films were the best vampire films of all times and they are cult classics. They captured the atmosphere with the creepy music, wonderful Gothic locations, and who can forget the costumes the women wore? Heaving breasts, and see through garments.

Hammer Horror is just as popular today as they were back then, if not more popular. I’ve not seen any recent vampire movies capture the essence of vampirism as well as Hammer Horror did.

Hopefully Hammer Horror may be able to retrieve this and give us a new set of films one day.

Who was your favourite lady of Hammer Horror?

Hammer Horror Lady Yutte Stensgaard

Yutte Stensgaard

Lust For A Vampire – 1971 – One of the Karnstein Trilogies

Yutte is my favourite Hammer Horror vampire due to her character in the film displaying all the qualities I imagine a vampiress to have.

Not only is Yutte strikingly beautiful, she played the part of Mircalla exceptionally well.

Mircalla Karnstein is resurrected and sent to a boarding school. There she meets a man posing as a teacher who wishes to learn more about the Karnstein Legend.

He falls in love with her and the adventure begins.

Mircalla causes havoc in the school, preying on both men and women with her erotic and sedcuctive charms.

If you haven’t seen this film, go out and buy it.

Vampire Lovers/Lust For A Vampire [DVD] [1970]

Caroline Munro

Dracula AD 1972

Caroline Munro played Laura Jane Bellows and was the first victim of the resurrected Count Dracula.

A young group decide to hold a black mass cermony in St Bartolph’s Church within Hyde Park to resurrect the Count.

Captain Kronos – Vampire Hunter [DVD] [1974]

Caroline got the lead role in this film where she played a girl rescued from the stocks only to be used later on as bait for the vampires.

Valerie Van Ost

Satanic Rites of Dracula [DVD] [1974] [US Import] [NTSC]

This is the final film that Christopher Lee starred as Dracula.

Valerie Gaunt

Horror of Dracula [DVD] [1958]

Sexy Valerie was the vampiress who bit Jonathan Harker and she was unfortunately stabbed in the heart with a wooden stake by John Van Eyssen as she lay in her coffin. After death, her body aged rapidly.

Hammer Horror Lady Melissa Stribling

Melissa Stribbling

Also starred in the Horror of Dracula as Mina Holmwood.

Jenny Hanley

Scars Of Dracula [DVD] [1970]

The Prince of Darkness casts his undead shadow once more over the cursed village of Kleinenberg when his ashes are splashed with bat’s blood and two innocent victims search for a missing loved one, who has been loved to death by the mistress of Dracula. After they discover his bloodstained corpse in Castle Dracula, the Vampire Lord’s lustful vengeance begins.

Barbara Shelley

Dracula – Prince Of Darkness [DVD] [1965]

Starred as Helen Kent.

In this Hammer Productions take on the Dracula legend, travellers visit Carlstad, ignoring many warnings, and end up spending the night at a local castle. They soon find out that the gracious host, Klove (Philip Latham), has a hidden agenda. Apparently the castle’s owner, Count Dracula (Christopher Lee), passed on 10 years before, but has been waiting for an opportunity such as this to return to the world. Bloodcurdling mayhem ensues….

Madeliene Collinson

Twins Of Evil [1971] [DVD]

This is also one of my favourite hammer vampire films of all time. Madeliene Collinson starred as Frieda Gellhorn and this movie is also one of the Karnstein Trilogies

Gothic horror in Hammer’s superb style when beautiful identical twins fall under the spell of a vampire. Only a crucifix-wielding vampire hunter can save them before Peter Cushing’s Puritan Sect burns them alive.