Captain Kronos: “If a vampire should bestrode / Close to the grave of a dead toad / Then the vampire life shall give / And suddenly, the toad shall live.”
A somewhat surprising take from Hammer Film Productions, especially considering how many rather traditional Dracula centred vampire horror movies they made throughout the years, 1974’s Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter, written and directed by Brian Clemens, breaks the mold. . . or perhaps it stakes the mold.
Set in a rather vague time period – most likely somewhere within the 18th-19th centuries, Clemens builds a world in which many varieties of vampires exist. With a cold open showing a rural village and countryside being afflicted by an unknown caped creature who is sucking the age and beauty out of its young women, the town’s doctor, Marcus (John Carson), has the good sense to send a message to his old friend Captain Kronos (Horst Janson), who, along with his trusty sidekick Professor Hieronymus Grost (John Cater) – who unfortunately has been born with a hunchback, as well as recently rescued Carla (Caroline Munro) – who was sentenced to the stocks for dancing on the Sabbath, this ragtag triumvirate becomes the team to hunt such evil things.
Caroline Munro, who stars as Carla in Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter, with Filmizon.com’s Nikolai Adams
Unlike in other movies, these three use ancient folkloric tales (which often have some truth within them – see the quotation that opens this piece) to track this creature (or creatures). . . but not truly understanding what will vanquish such a thing. For these aren’t your prototypical vampires who die by the stake and are terrified by the crucifix (we’re not even sure if garlic plays its part with these beasts), but, instead, as mentioned above, they suck the essence out of young women – by way of a quick kiss that only leaves a trace of blood on the lips, one would assume to keep the being young and healthy itself. As Grost says, “there are as many forms of vampire as there are beasts of prey”, hence, hopefully they’ll get the answers they need along the way.
With the surrounding populace in absolute fright, they do not trust anyone, especially drifters new to the area. . . which puts a mark on the backs of our traveling hunting troupe. Outside of them, the most suspicious activity comes from the wealthiest family of the region – the Durward’s, including the snooty and rather dandy son Paul (Shane Briant), the suspiciously vivacious and elegant daughter Sara (Lois Daine), and the reclusive and extremely aged mother Lady Durward (Wanda Ventham) – who has been mourning her husband for the last seven years.
Further continuing with its unique elements, Clemens also adds a swashbuckling flair to this tale. . . for not only is Captain Kronos one of the best swordsmen in the land, but it also seems like everyone else is looking to pick a fight via the weapon. With the only known thing that attracts this creature being young women, will Carla be willing to act as the bait for Kronos and Grost as they investigate the Durward’s? Might the youthful twenty-something year old Durward children just be too easy of an answer for the hunters?
A fun, flashy, and creative take on the vampire horror genre (with touches of comedy and varied action within its naturalistic and historical settings), it really is a shame nothing more came of Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter. Not only was this Clemens’ sole directorial effort, but its intended goal of spawning a franchise never came to be. . . instead, it sat in the can for two years while Hammer was slowly fizzling out before finally being half-heartedly released in 1974. It’s also worth keeping an eye out for Ian Hendry (think Repulsion and Get Carter) as a local bully looking to pick a fight with everyone, including Kronos and Grost. So, help resurrect this Hammer cult classic, it’s sure to mesmerize you with its creepy charm.