RESEÑA EN ESPAÑOL

SPOOKTOBER VI: THE HAMMER OF HORROR

Been hearing about this film for a while thanks to LB, and I'm glad I finally got around to it!

I read the book years ago, so I didn't remember much about the premise; that worked to the film's advantage because the mystery element landed more effectively—I had no idea what turns the case would take. I can't say I was especially enthusiastic about the resolution, but I don't blame the movie for that. I enjoyed the few moments of genuine suspense, and the dog was genuinely horrifying at times. The opening contains some classic Hammer horror elements, which are well inserted and set an effective tone.

Peter Cushing does an…

Hammer's rendition of the most famous Sherlock Holmes mystery is a rather straight affair, sticking closely to the the original material rather than putting a new spin on it as was the case with Dracula and Frankenstein. The story, which focuses on a family curse and an apparent monster that stalks the moors, seems a good fit the studio and they really make good on it. The atmosphere is set by the Dartmoor location; director Terence Fisher keen to overlay these scenes with plenty of mist effects to set a real macabre tone. The script is sharp and the film benefits immensely from the great Peter Cushing in the lead role, who captures just the right mix of eccentricity and…

Terence Fisher, Peter Cushing, and Christopher Lee transformed horror movies together in the late fifties, and sandwiched between their Frankenstein, Dracula, and Mummy was this gorgeous and monstrous re-telling of the classic Arthur Conan Doyle story, bringing Holmes and Watson to technicolor life and splashing them with blood in true Hammer style.

I have always loved this movie and this latest viewing was no exception. If anything, I took even more delight at Andre Morell's Watson, not just a bumbling fool but a big part of the investigation.

And I had to laugh this time at Peter Cushing's Holmes as he meets the biologist and asks about his missing tarantula. "Of course they are perfectly harmless," Holmes casually says to…

The nobleman Baskerville dies under mysterious circumstances, just like his forefather, rekindling a legend about a monstrous hound terrorising the family line. Cue Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson finely dissecting fact from myth.

I recently went onto a short vacation to Germany with a friend of mine to do some rock climbing (bouldering specifically). We spent our evenings playing this cooperative board game he introduced me to: Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective, which you may have guessed is about solving murder mysteries. It's so much fun! Back at home I immediately bought another edition for my girlfriend and I to play together. Now we're both hooked on detective stories, so when compiling my Hooptober 8.0 list, I couldn't help but notice…

Hammer's take on Holmes is a solid watch. Sure, it's kinda basic, but the joy of the film doesn't lie in the complexity of the plot; it's in the atmosphere it creates and the quality of the acting. The mist-shrouded sets, starkly lit, evoke the bleakness of the moors outside the Baskerville residence and its creepy interiors offer little more comfort or security.

I really like André Morell's Doctor Watson - he's often played as a good-natured buffoon, merely a foil for Holmes's genius, but Morell brings a dignity and authority to the character, especially in Holmes's absence. Undeniably the biggest draw though, is witnessing Cushing and Lee at the top of their game. Peter Cushing has Holmes down to…

“This, I think, is a two-pipe problem.”

“There is more evil around us here than I have ever encountered before.”

“Hounds! Let loose the pack!”

Holmes by Hammer is a solid adaptation of ACD’s most famous novel. When you first hear that Hammer will do The Hound of the Baskervilles, you think it’s obvious that Christopher Lee will be Holmes and Peter Cushing will be Watson. That’s not the case, but the film is still lively and entertaining.

Any version of Baskervilles places a burden on whoever’s Watson since the doc has a larger role than usual, and Andre Morell is very good, making Watson an appealing action hero, ready to deal with any and all crises. Between Morell and…

Given Hammer's penchant for making long-running series out of their characters, how well their style fits the source material, and Peter Cushing's great interpretation of the role, you would think that the studio could've made more Sherlock Holmes films than just one with The Hound of Baskervilles. Alas, this is their only outing with the iconic detective but at least they made a picture that is quite good, a deliciously stylish Gothic mystery film with tinges of horror. The story is well-told and Hammer's usual colourful style really enhances the experience and vibes of its mystery, resulting in a wonderfully atmospheric movie. Cushing is also very good as Holmes and the film suffers whenever he's offscreen, which is a bit…