Post by petrolino on Sept 24, 2017 0:01:35 GMT
'The Gorgon' is based on an original story by J. Llewellyn Devine. It's set in Germany in 1910. Seven unsolved murders have been committed in five years in the rural village of Vandorf. Each victim was found in stone, or had they been turned to stone? The local constabulary has opted to sweep compelling evidence under the carpet as they seek to hide the abominable truth. When local model Sascha Cass (Toni Gilpin) becomes the latest victim and suicidal portrait artist Bruno Heitz (Jeremy Longhurst) is made the accused, Bruno's father, Professor Jules Heitz (Michael Goodliffe), sets out to investigate.
'The Gorgon' is an interesting creature feature from Hammer Films that transplants Greek mythology to Germanic culture. The legend behind the story dates back two millennia, when two sisters of a gorgon triplet were destroyed and the third escaped to the future. The story switches protagonists and points of view and is dutifully handled by Hammer maestro Terence Fisher. The director's romantic side was really allowed to let fly when he turned to gothic cinema and his burgeoning new horror style blossomed with the lush vampire classic 'The Brides Of Dracula' (1960). For 'The Gorgon', Fisher exhibits the influence of two of his film-making inspirations, the emotional fantasists Frank Borzage and Rene Clair.
'The Gorgon' is a studious character piece with gorgeous period details concocted by production designer Bernard Robinson and an extraordinary musical accompaniment by James Bernard who uses a soprano voice and a Novachord to bring the floating gorgon to life. Hammer were pushing their music into brave new directions in the mid-1960s as the pop scene in Great Britain was teeming with new life, a welcome element perhaps best charactarised by the inclusion of a thrilling sitar sequence in John Gilling's monster movie 'The Reptile' (1966).
"Is it the directors having a good time which makes French films so good? I'm always astonished by the excellence of French films on which no money worth speaking of has been spent compared with high-powered musicals which have cost [so many] thousands."
- Dilys Powell, 'The Michael Powell Interviews'
- Dilys Powell, 'The Michael Powell Interviews'
“It’s not for me. I hate being idle. As dear Boris [Karloff] used to say, when I die I want to die with my boots on. Which he did. As did Vincent [Price]. And Peter [Cushing].”
- Sir Christopher Lee, The Telegraph
'The Gorgon' is an interesting creature feature from Hammer Films that transplants Greek mythology to Germanic culture. The legend behind the story dates back two millennia, when two sisters of a gorgon triplet were destroyed and the third escaped to the future. The story switches protagonists and points of view and is dutifully handled by Hammer maestro Terence Fisher. The director's romantic side was really allowed to let fly when he turned to gothic cinema and his burgeoning new horror style blossomed with the lush vampire classic 'The Brides Of Dracula' (1960). For 'The Gorgon', Fisher exhibits the influence of two of his film-making inspirations, the emotional fantasists Frank Borzage and Rene Clair.
Peter Cushing ~ Monster Hunter
'The Gorgon' is a studious character piece with gorgeous period details concocted by production designer Bernard Robinson and an extraordinary musical accompaniment by James Bernard who uses a soprano voice and a Novachord to bring the floating gorgon to life. Hammer were pushing their music into brave new directions in the mid-1960s as the pop scene in Great Britain was teeming with new life, a welcome element perhaps best charactarised by the inclusion of a thrilling sitar sequence in John Gilling's monster movie 'The Reptile' (1966).
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