Simon A
I say this as an individual in my late fifties......Slow to the point of being utterly boring......the actual protagonist features for literally 5 minutes, throughout the whole excruciating event...dont waste your time on this pointless tripe.
Black actors used as stereotypical servants etc....West Country folk portrayed as dumb fuckwits to be laughed at and disbelieved due to accent and culture..... females ....washing the dishes lols......The finale is cringeworthy in the extreme. Complete sh yte.
Rated 2/5 Stars •
Rated 2 out of 5 stars
11/04/24
Full Review
Audience Member
Hammer was a British film company that specialized in a series of Gothic horror films from the mid-50s through the 70s and while some of the tropes and special effects may seem dated, they did a lot in terms of innovation, acting, and pushing the horror envelope. Plague was a high-water mark for them. The film's imagery was extremely influential to the zombie genre, filmed back to back with the other classic, The Reptile, using the same sets and even some of the same actors. The movie was not only visually impressive, (the graveyard scene is particularly amazing), but it also adds a depth of political commentary on social classes. Well scripted and acted, it is a notable milestone to the zombie style. Also, character actor Michael Ripper is always great to see!
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
10/24/24
Full Review
DanTheMan 2
Hammer's only zombie film and a precursor to the genre-defining classic that would premiere only two years later, The Plague of the Zombies remains an important milestone in Hammer's film catalogue and a transitional period for undead corpse wanderings. To my surprise, rather than the cheap support the film was intended to be, playing alongside Dracula: Prince of Darkness, what emerges is a well-crafted standalone jewel in the crown of Hammer horror. Arguably one of the last traditional zombie films before the onset of brain-eating, marauding thugs, the film benefits in its transplantation from the original Haitian setting to a remote Cornish village, engendering fear in the very familiarity of its surroundings. With this transition, it plays with social evils far more explicitly than Hammer horrors have done in the past, all unfolding as a series of interesting contrasts. Director John Gilling fills the film with moments of shock and genuine horror amidst his chaotic direction, working in wonderful tandem with the photography of Arthur Grant; the obvious standout moment being the village's dead rising from their graves, shaking off the earth which has hitherto held them at rest, it's chillingly orchestrated and superbly realised. The cast is a delight to behold, from seasoned pro-André Morell as Sir James Forbes to the collected John Carson, who brings the amoral Squire Hamilton to life, it's a wonderfully acted film all around. With James Bernard's explosive score and Gilling's direction, The Plague of the Zombies is a unique and respectable film, standing alone as Hammer's only proper zombie offering within a sub-genre which had yet to re-find its feet; one that is more than worthy of your time.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
10/05/24
Full Review
dave s
When a small English village experiences a series of unexplained deaths, outside help is requested by the local doctor to help investigate the matter. To the rescue comes Sir James (Andre Morell) and his daughter Sylvia (Diane Clare), who soon discover that voodoo is being used to bring the dead to life. Things are fine up until this point, but when it is revealed that the undead are being used for cheap labor in a tin mine, the horror seems to lose its impact. Lesson learned? While zombies tend to not be overly productive, they sure save money in labor costs. Like most Hammer films, the atmosphere throughout is creepy, the performances are solid, and the sets are excellent. However, while The Plague of the Zombies is a decent enough effort, it fails to stand out as anything special.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
03/30/23
Full Review
Taylor L
Though it doesn't feature the recognizable presences of either Peter Cushing or Christopher Lee, The Plague of the Zombies is definitely one of the better Hammer Studios horror movies, particularly among their later projects. There's all the same stuffy English aristocratic airs that populate the earlier Hammer films, where they were used both to establish a sense of gentility and as a means of contrasting with the brutality of (insert monster here). However, in this film that same attitude of the country gentleman is more of a weapon, wielded by an insular community against outsiders, like a somewhat more timid version of The Wicker Man. Unlike other Hammer films, the use of the monsters is quite hesitant, focusing more on the terror and distrust that the 'plague' causes rather than the zombies.
A more restrained portrayal of a monster before it became a genre unto itself, John Gilling delivers more traditional origins to his creatures, which wind up being a bit more archaic and fantastical than the gritty undead flicks of later decades; the group of nondescript tribesman endlessly beating drums in a manor's basement/mineshaft is more funny than creepy. But there's plenty to like here, particularly the focus on atmosphere and early takes on classic tropes, like hands clawing out of the dirt or over tombstones. It does kind of get neutered a bit when you realize the zombies mostly just shamble around a bit and 'hurt' people by sort of grabbing them as they slowly collapse. (3/5)
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
09/16/22
Full Review
justin t
This is a slow moving olden-days zombie movie. I wasn't that impressed because this was made before the stunning atmosphere of Rosemary's Baby (1968) and didn't take inspiration from the insane violence of Blood Feast (1963). The acting and direction is fine and I would say that it is impressive for the time but can't compare to modern horror. There are some cool scenes and sets but nothing memorable.
Rated 2/5 Stars •
Rated 2 out of 5 stars
03/31/23
Full Review
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