The Gorgon (1964) review

THE GORGON 1964

Christopher Lee (Professor Karl Meister), Peter Cushing (Dr. Namaroff), Richard Pasco (Paul Heitz), Barbara Shelley (Carla Hoffman), Michael Goodliffe (Professor Jules Heitz), Patrick Troughton (Inspector Kanof)


In the small township of Vandorf, the deaths of a young man and his girlfriend are rendered a murder/suicide. This leads the young mans father, Professor Heitz, to investigate the true nature of his sons death. After reprisal from the violent villagers, the professor is soon assured more supernatural forces are at work and they lie within the Castle Borski. Discovering first hand that an ancient evil is among them, the professor, as his last dying wish, asks for his friend, Professor Meister, to come to Vandorf. Together with Heitz's other son, Paul, the duo discover a connection between the sinister Dr. Namaroff, his assistant, Carla Hoffman and the terrifying legend of the mythological Gorgon's; creatures with the power to turn their victims into stone should they gaze upon their pale, snake haired visage.

Like a fair number of sequences, the one thing the film never fails in is its atmosphere.

Terence Fisher directs this odd movie in Hammer's horror canon. It's totally bizarre when compared with the company's more familiar output. The out of place British accents notwithstanding (as it's prevalent in all of Hammer's horror movies nestled within Eastern European countries), the film gets the mythology of the Gorgon all wrong and it just seems a bit peculiar that an icon of Greek myth would be found in Poland. Nonetheless, Fisher manages to imbue the film with a dark fairy tale quality and his patented tragedy arc between two lovers. This time, it's more of a love triangle between the villainous Namaroff, Carla and Paul Heitz. Things end badly for the doomed lovers as they most often do in Fisher's movies.

Villain Cushing & hero Lee butt heads

Considering this is a Cushing/Lee team up, it's not one of the duos best pairings. Peter Cushing takes the antagonist role for this one and he's rather reserved (most of the time) playing the role in a decidedly more subdued fashion when compared with his Frankenstein pictures. Cushing plays his character as a jealous lover willing to do anything, including mastermind murder to keep Carla beside him. Her connection to the Gorgon is one of the mystery's of the movie revealed later in the film.

One of the funniest scenes in the film is this sarcastic exchange between Lee and Patrick Troughton about the investigation of the bizarre deaths in the village.

Christopher Lee is the one saving grace, though, playing the batty Professor Karl Meister by way of an unkempt Sherlock Holmes. His role is the most energetic and his performance will keep impatient viewers awake who may doze off due to a lack of horror.

The finale features a decently choreographed duel between Peter Cushing and Richard Pasco

THE GORGON is similar to other Hammer 'one offs' such as THE REPTILE (1966). The pacing lags from time to time and you see very little of the title monster till the final moments. There are the requisite Gothic trappings and even a spooky castle with windswept floors and creepy images. Despite its shortcomings, THE GORGON has just enough good moments (including one where Cushing duels with a sword!) to salvage it. The first 20 minutes are engaging, but the middle portion moves at a snails pace only picking up steam during the last ten minutes.


The special effects are terribly weak and these all revolve around the Gorgon creature. Forgiving the fact that there was little that could be done to create a realistic interpretation of writhing snakes in 1964, the idea of using real snakes was contemplated and this idea was welcomed by one of the actresses. But the director wanted a different performer to play the monster, so this plan was done away with. Also, the decapitated head of the Gorgon isn't the most believable and would have been fine had not the camera lingered on it for so long a time. Then there's the matter of the Gorgon itself and its mixing and matching of various details from other tales of Greek mythology.

Another of the films Gothic Fairy Tale qualities during a nightly meeting between Paul and a mystery guest

Some legends differ as to the history of the Gorgon's. Medusa, Stheno and Euryale were the three sisters mentioned in Greek myth. However, for the Hammer picture, Medusa is the one mainstay, although she is mentioned only in passing. The other two spoke of in the movie are Megaera and Tisiphone. Megaera is the Gorgon of the films title. The only problem is that there were no Gorgon's bearing these latter two names. Megaera and Tisiphone belonged to another variety of Greek mythology. It's puzzling why names of the Erinyes (Furies) were utilized here.

Patrick Troughton (DR. WHO) is also good as the seedy police inspector

Possibly, screenwriter, John Gilling became confused as there were also three Furies, Megaera, Alecto and Tisiphone. They were also prone to acts of violence and retribution as well as having snakes adorning their heads just like the Gorgon. Stories also differ as to the living snakes being exclusive to Medusa, while other tales reveal that all three had venomous Ophidian hair and the power to petrify their victims.

Cushing at one point gets down with some Frankensteinian surgical procedures in what might have been a homage to the "good" doctor.

One constant is that Medusa could be killed (as she was punished by Athena after being raped by Poseidon in her temple) while her two sisters were immortal (something else the film bungles). Some stories also detail Medusa to be an ugly woman while others say she retained her mesmerizing beauty amidst the flailing snakes atop her head.


THE GORGON (1964) was the fifth film to feature the terror triumvirate of Cushing, Lee and director Fisher at the helm. Yet, despite bearing marks of an unusual, yet ambitious horror picture, THE GORGON was plagued with numerous problems and alterations. The original script did not feature the sword duel between Paul and Namaroff, nor the on screen destruction of the Gorgon. This was one of the additions from scriptwriter, John Gilling who changed much of John Lewellyn Devine's original submission. Even still, Terence Fisher was very happy with the film, despite it being a troubled production. One of the major problems was the Gorgon itself and its appearance which caused controversy between two different effects artists as to how the creature should be presented on camera.

Prudence Hyman (under the makeup) nearly lost her noggin during the sword swinging climax

One instance almost proved fatal for the actress playing the monster. Chris Lee almost decapitated her for real as she failed to remember to duck on cue. Had not the assistant director, Bert Batt, not pulled her away from the staircase in the nick of time, it would have been a real head appearing in the final shot.


THE GORGON is one of Hammer's most curious movies and a lesser production from ace director, Terence Fisher. It nonetheless was a success being released in Britain on a double bill with the meandering CURSE OF THE MUMMY'S TOMB (1964). It could easily have been a female version of THE WOLFMAN, as it shares much with the legend of the lycanthropic creatures of the night. The deaths occurring during the nights of the full moon being one of them. As it is, it's a confounding picture that some fans will find a joy to watch while others will see it as unquestionably ridiculous and dull. Even still it's worth a watch for being a strange, yet flawed entry in Hammer Films long history of horror.

This review is representative of the Sony 2 disc set Icons of Horror Collection.

Cult Film Faves Not On DVD: Rolling Thunder (1977) review

CULT FILM FAVES NOT ON DVD

This is a section devoted to rare, and as yet to be released on legitimate DVD movies. Some films may have been released in some part of the world, or on some public domain label, or some may have simply never been released at all on the digital format. This section is designed to keep these films alive and to provide remembrance to those who may have seen them in some form or other, whether it be on the silver screen, on videotape, or the small screen at home.



ROLLING THUNDER (1977)

William Devane (Major Charles Rane), Tommy Lee Jones (Johnny Vohden), Linda Haynes (Linda Forchet), James Best (Texan), Luke Askew (Automatic Slim), Lawrason Driscoll (Cliff), Dabney Coleman (Maxwell)

Directed by John Flynn

"Where I was...we didn't get to see the American flag very often"



Major Charles Rane returns from Vietnam with his friend, Johnny. Coming home a war hero, Charles Rane is given a monetary gift ("One silver dollar for every day you were in Hanoi's hell hole") from the entire town. Unknown to him, a group of vicious thugs sets their sights on the 2,555 silver dollars given to the veteran military man. Invading his home and ultimately killing his wife and son, the murderers then grind Rane's hand up in his garbage disposal, shoot him and leave him for dead. Surviving, the Vietnam scarred Major receives a hook hand and with his disturbed war buddy, Johnny, the two men take off after the killers in a chase that leads them to a whorehouse across the Mexican border and a violent showdown.


Director John Flynn fashions what is assuredly one of the greatest revenge movies of all time. Brilliantly shot, the film not only contains an oppressively grim atmosphere, but it possesses some vibrant characterizations that escalates the frequent exploitation elements into a far more cerebral territory they would otherwise not have. A masterpiece of the Vietnam Vet/Vengeance subgenre, it's a serious crime that this film is unavailable on American shores in a special edition DVD presentation. It has played on cable for the last few years in a widescreen version.

"I remember that song from when I was alive."



Aside from its violent showcase of aggression, the film is a fascinating look into the lives of soldiers coming home after bearing witness to the atrocities of Vietnam. Especially compelling is Rane's relationship (or lack thereof) with his son, who doesn't remember his father at all as he was too young to do so. There's also some exposition regarding Rane's wife, who is discovered to have had an affair with a local deputy named Cliff who took Rane's place as 'father of the house'.

"Listen Cliff...I hope ya don't mind me sayin' this to ya...but I'd really appreciate it if you didn't call my kid a runt."

"You know, you're lucky. You're lucky they didn't ruin you for life."

Once Charles Rane spends the first evening at home, his wife is noticeably nervous and shaken. Charles knows something has been going on in his absence and his wife openly admits to the affair. She even goes so far as to say that Cliff has asked her to marry him and her acceptance stemming from the belief that Charles was killed in action. The Major seems just as cold and detached here as he does throughout the remainder of the film. There's quite a lot of tension involved in these scenes and this tension reaches its apex once Cliff confronts Charles in his shed.

"You wanna know what they did? Sure you do."

"Higher, man, higher, till ya hear the bones start to crack. HIGHER! COME ON, HIGHER!!"

It is here that the two share a drink and Charles reveals some of what he went through in the Hanoi hellhole which makes Cliff even more uncomfortable. The notion that Charles is slightly unhinged from his ordeal rears its head when he asks Cliff to assist in a recreation of a twice daily torture session.

"These are mean 'ol boys. They can make ya tell us where the money is."



It's not long after that Rane returns home and finds his house has been invaded by a group of cruel ruffians led by James Best (Roscoe from DUKES OF HAZZARD). Demanding in a very calm and breezy manner that he hand over the 2,555 silver dollars, the crazed Texan promises that some serious harm will come to him should he not comply. Suffering a brutal beating, Rane refuses to reveal the location of the coins. The Major shows little to no sign of pain, the thrashing parallels similar beatings the Major suffered in Vietnam. The gang then proceed to grind his hand up in the garbage disposal.


This sequence is one of the most violent in the whole movie and it escalates once Rane's wife and son return home. Not wishing to see these intruders torture his father any longer, the little boy shows the men where the coins are. Once they have what they want, the leader shoots the wife and small boy and Slim fires twice into Major Rane leaving him for dead. Managing to survive, Charles seems unmoved towards everything that has transpired even claiming to not remember anything of that fateful day.

"It's like my eyes are open and I'm lookin' at ya, but I'm dead. They pulled out whatever it was inside of me."



After revisiting the scene of the horrible massacre of his family, Rane modifies his hook hand and gets his guns ready and heads down to Nuevo Laredo, the place where the villains were to meet. With his friend, Linda, tagging along, she aids him (unwittingly at first) in his revenge. What's most interesting about the character of Linda is that she is the only person that seems to enable Rane to display any semblance of (fleeting) human emotion such as in one scene where you see the Major actually smile as if he is finally happy and content.

"They're in a whorehouse over in Juarez right now. There's the four that came into my home...and there's eight or ten others."



Leaving Linda asleep inside a motel, Charles soon discovers where the whole mad group of killers are holed up. He gets his friend, Johnny and both pack up their weapons and gleefully head out for a wild night of serious bloodshed in a Mexican whorehouse which hosts the location for one of the bloodiest and brutal shootouts you'll ever see.


William Devane (THE DARK) is absolutely marvelous and chilling in his performance as disturbed Major Charles Rane. He plays the role as you would expect someone who had been in a horrendous situation trying to interact with normal society. He, like his war buddy, Johnny, both seem emotionally detached, almost zombie-like in their contact with the "civilized" world. When the big shootout comes, both seem almost overjoyed at the fact they are about to take part in a gruesome act of violence.


Devane was a wonderful actor who appeared in numerous television programs and an occasional movie such as the science fiction horror feature, THE DARK (1979) and the failed big budget comedy, HONKEY TONK FREEWAY (1981). While shooting ROLLING THUNDER, Devane frequently butted heads with John Flynn over certain aspects of the production.


Tommy Lee Jones is the most successful alum from ROLLING THUNDER (1977). He of course went on to a prosperous career in Hollywood appearing in movies like BLACK MOON RISING (1986), THE FUGITIVE (1993) and MEN IN BLACK (1997). Jones is likewise unsettling in his role as Johnny Vohden. Both he and Devane's character have a somewhat bizarre, yet kindred relationship in that they've both experienced the same horrors of war and both feel they no longer fit in with modern society.


Linda Haynes was a seductively playful and appealing actress who featured in a handful of genre movies such as the US-Japan co-production, LATITUDE ZERO (1969) and the blaxploitation classic, COFFY (1973). Her last acting role was in GUYANA TRAGEDY: THE STORY OF JIM JONES (1980). Having had enough of Hollywood, she left her acting career behind her and settled down to start a family.


James Best plays the evil leader of the thugs that further ruins the life of Major Rane. Best is probably 'best' remembered for his role as the buffoonish sheriff Roscoe P. Coltrane on the long running tv series, THE DUKES OF HAZZARD. Best also featured in a number of television appearances such as a recurring role on THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW and also the original TWILIGHT ZONE. Here, he's incredibly sinister. He's only in a couple of scenes, but he makes the one inside of Rane's house one of the most memorable of the film.

Paul Partain (left) played Franklin, Sally Hardesty's crippled brother in the classic THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE.

Of interest to fans of THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (1974), Paul A. Partain, who played the wheelchair bound Franklin, has a small role here as the brother-in-law in the Vohden household.

The calm before the storm during the explosive and bloody conclusion of ROLLING THUNDER

Like most 70's movies, the picture is deliberately paced with many scenes building the suspense before an explosion of violence. Action movies of today seldom let things build instead relying on quick cuts and fast editing to shave away any tension those scenes may have possessed. There's also a strong element of character development in ROLLING THUNDER that's often missing from many modern action films.


Although Flynn's production has a strong amount of brutality and sadism, there's two sequences that are stand outs; the vicious beating and massacre of Rane's family and the concludingly loud and abrasive shootout in the Mexican brothel. The two emotionally detached and impassive war vets go from room to room and systematically kill anyone affiliated with the transgression against Rane and his family. Also, the footage of Rane having his hand destroyed in the garbage disposal was originally shown in the film, but was later removed for being too gruesome.

Fight scene inside a pool hall as Major Rane searches for his family's killers

ROLLING THUNDER (1977) is one of the quintessential examples of action cinema from the glorious 1970's. The films title also was the inspiration for Quentin Tarantino's short lived video/DVD label, Rolling Thunder Pictures. Possessing a raw power melding both deep characterizations and strong scenes of violence, this film was at one time part of Twentieth Century Fox's release schedule. But because of the grim subject matter, the film was abandoned and picked up by AIP, the exploitation company who were on a sojourn as a big studio contender before the their untimely demise a couple of years later. ROLLING THUNDER is one of the most deserving titles to garner a DVD release, and it's a cruel shame this film isn't more widely known. If you like your action gritty and with a strong storyline, than this film gets my highest recommendation.