Captain Kronos - Vampire Hunter
1972, UK, Directed (and written) by Brian Clemens
Colour, Running Time: 91 minutes.
DVD, Region 1, Paramount, Video: Anamorphic 1.78:1, Audio: Mono
In the English countryside (horse and cart era) people are dying, apparently from vampiric attacks - but the victims are not just drained of blood, they appear to have aged by decades too and, thanks to the arrival of Captain Kronos (Horst Janson), there may be some hope. The title character sounds like some ridiculous comic book hero but we’re talking about the King’s Guard type captain rather than Mr America. He’s some youthful dude who wields a sword to useful effect and travels around with his hunchbacked assistant (aren’t they all?) with a vendetta to settle thanks to his earlier unsavoury experiences with the undead. Caroline Munro is thankfully invited to hang out with them on their expedition and looks simply stunning in this movie. I mean, she never really looked like she was lacking in the physical appearance department but she must have peaked with this film. I always found her style of acting a little naive but she certainly brings visual candy to this film. For the girls, Kronos himself can be considered a looker and he and Munro inevitably get it together in the sack (or the hay, as is the case here).
The film possesses the traditional Hammer atmosphere (including some awful day-for-night shooting, which plagued far too many of their films) although moves along at a slightly slower pace than I would have liked. It’s a reasonably enjoyable experience if you like the studio’s other output but by 1972 things were starting to move on and it would probably have appeared antiquated by this point. The fact that it’s a historical piece though saves it from seeming too dated, if you see my point. There is a fairly eerie sequence in the castle towards the end and overall it’s a film worth seeking out, particularly as it can be picked up fairly cheaply on DVD.
The US DVD transfer is good, although I thought there was a slight discrepancy in the levels between the vocal sound and music, the former being a little quiet in comparison. These are no great problems and, for its age, Captain Kronos fairs pretty well on DVD. A commentary track with Clemens, Munro, and a film historian is a welcome bonus.