The session: "Vamps, Gorgons and Reptiles -- The Wicked Women of Hammer!
We watch Hammer films featuring female monsters.
Week 3: The Reptile (1966)
Directed by John Gilling
My Impressions Going In:
I had never heard of this.
Plot:
Captain Spalding (hooray for him!) inherits a cottage and arrives in town to find the locals are wary of him. And they're dying mysteriously.
Reaction and Other Folderol:
Unfortunately, I had to miss this class due to car trouble. I subsequently watched it on the interwebs, but that experience isn't the same. As such, I don't feel right joining in ratings this movie. That said, I think it's safe to say that the grade I would have given it would have brought the average down. At least a little.
The Reptile is a gripping little mystery that does a reasonable job of holding the viewer's attention. And it does a good job of holding back the revelations until near the end. I'm used to these Hammer period pieces, but this one seemed different to me. At times it felt like watching one of those Jane Austen adaptations that Blair is so fond of (and that I'm not). And yet, it was nicely atmospheric. I don't think it moved as fast as a lot of the other Hammer films, but that worked -- it gave the viewer more of a chance to keep up.
I especially got a kick out of Peter the town nut, but the fact is the characters were reasonably well developed.
Ratings
Bob-O: 9.6
Christina: 9.6
Dave: 9.8
Joe: 10
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