Customer Reviews

Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter [VHS]

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This is certainly one of the most unorthodox and best of the Hammer films. While the title screams "cheese," it is in fact a well-plotted, confidently-directed film that was well ahead of its time (in light of the subsequent appearance of such films as "Vampire Hunter D" and "Blade"). It is also refreshingly low-key, making the most of atmosphere and an unusual premise, rather than cheap shocks. It may not be gory, and some of the effects certainly expose its low budget origins, but the sheer inventiveness of the film makes it worth seeking out. It's the little touches that make the film great, from the inspired score to the novel twists on vampire lore. And of course the unmistakable colors and sights of Hammer films. "Kronos" also stands up nicely to repeat viewings, something that can't be said for a lot of horror films. I suspect that the solidness of the character-- part Sabatini hero, part Peckinpah anti-hero-- has something to do with that. It's a shame that a sequel never materialised, but then again that means that we're spared the agony of seeing a brilliant character reduced to a one-liner spouting fast food tie-in.

Having already swam in rather innovative waters with DR. JEKYLL AND SISTER HYDE, the team of Brian Clemens and producer Albert Fennell (of TV's The Avengers fame) were again recruited by Hammer Films for a rather progressive undertaking. Clemens' creation of the character Captain Kronos was hoping to revitalize the company's vampire genre and at the same time generate a new series of films (rumors of a TV series also surfaced). But nothing could prevent the decline of Hammer, and CAPTAIN KRONOS: VAMPIRE HUNTER was box office doom due to poor distribution in the U.K. and lack of attention on its U.S. double-billing with FRANKENSTEIN AND THE MONSTER FROM HELL. It didn't help that the film sat on the shelf for a full two years after it was made.

Captain Kronos (played smoothly by German actor Horst Janson) is a 19th century war hero traveling across Europe with his brainy hunchback sidekick Professor Grost (John Cater from the "Dr. Phibes" films). Self-proclaimed vampire hunters, the duo befriend the wayward gypsy girl Carla (the stunning Caroline Munro) as they travel to the town of Kronos' old army pal Dr. Marcus (John Carson). The recent deaths of young girls--bitten on the lips by a hooded stranger and dying suddenly as aged women--are the reason for the visit, as Kronos confronts evil with sword in hand and Grost uses his vast knowledge of the subject to find answers. All evidence leans towards the Durwards, an aristocratic family amid a peasant village. The arrogant children (Shane Briant and Lois Daine) and their ambiguous mother (Wanda Ventham) prove mysterious indeed, but Kronos and his companions have their homework cut out for them before they discovery the true vampiric culprit(s).

Filmed mostly outdoors (the perpetually scenic Black Park location) with the usual budget constraints, CAPTAIN KRONOS: VAMPIRE HUNTER is by far Hammer's most unconventional and original vampire film. Directing for the first and only time to date, Brian Clemens' adds new twists and folklore to the proceedings, and the concept of a suave, swashbuckling vampire hunter allows for themes reminiscent of Westerns and even Japanese Samurai cinema. Don't let the R-rating (probably only given it to balance its gory co-feature) and the early 70s production date fool you: KRONOS ignores the bare bosoms and excessive bloodshed in favor of comic-style story telling, quirky dialog and eccentric characters. A very good cast nourishes these traits, and there's a memorable "guest star" shot by the late Ian Hendry as the lecherous Kerro. Although Captain Kronos never returned to the big or small screens, he did make a few illustrated appearances in the House of Hammer magazine in the late 70s.

A title that has been on demand (even by non Hammer diehards) for some time, Paramount has released CAPTAIN KRONOS on DVD in an anamorphically enhanced widescreen transfer, preserving the film's original 1.85:1 aspect ratio. Newly struck from the original materials, image detail is fairly sharp, with colors (although drab in some scenes) usually coming across as bright and vibrant. Black levels are deep and well defined, and fleshtones appear natural. Nothing drastic in the form of excessive grain or blemishes: this is an excellent, fresh-looking transfer of a 30-year-old film. The English mono audio is sufficient. Dialogue is clear and Laurie Johnson's vigorous score sounds full. Optional English subtitles are also included.

Although there's no trailer or other standard supplements, Paramount has thankfully included a commentary with director/co-producer/writer Clemens and star Munro, moderated by journalist Jonathan Sothcott. Recorded in England, the commentary benefits from Clemens' obvious enthusiasm for the project and the lead character he created (he still holds the rights to it). Clemens (who still owns the original Kronos "K" finger ring) is obviously proud of his accomplishment here, as he relays the kind of film he wanted to make as opposed to the usual Hammer outing, how he came to cast Horst Janson, the locations and sets, etc. The always charming Munro fondly recalls her first leading lady role, and obvious holds great affection for the film as well. Sothcott chimes in with good questions that will satiate Hammer fans, and the running conversation makes for a worthy look back at one of the company's later day glories.

Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter (1974) aka Kronos is one of the better films to come from Hammer Studios in the 70's. It's basically a horror movie with a heaping helping of adventure thrown in and just a whole lot of fun.

Written and directed by Brian Clemens, the film stars German actor Horst Janson as Captain Kronos, a master of the sword and ex-solider, a freelance vampire killer, accompanied by the hunchbacked Professor Hieronymos Grost (John Cater), an authority on vampirism and good friend to Kronos. The film also stars the lovely and infinitely easy on the eyes Caroline Munro who appeared in others films like Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972), The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1974), and The Spy Who Loved Me (1977).

The film wastes no time on the horror aspect as we witness a young, comely woman in the woods attacked by a mysterious, cloaked stranger. The once young woman is now old and withered, due to having her youth literally drained from her person. A couple more attacks occur within the small English village, and this prompts Dr. Marcus (John Carson), the local physician, to contact his old friend, Captain Kronos. On the way to the village, Kronos and Grost meet Carla (Monroe), an errant peasant girl, whom they allow to tag along, probably because she's so hot. On arriving in the small village, Grost utilizes a unique vampire detection device to try and track the vile creature terrorizing the village, while Kronos has mad monkey love with Carla and rests for the upcoming battle. Meanwhile, the village loses a couple more young women, decreasing the overall population greatly as I didn't see a whole lot of townsfolk to begin with...The hunt is on as Kronos and Grost search for clues as to the identity and location of the vampire. Dr. Marcus may already have the answer to the mystery, but is not forthcoming due to personal reasons. Also, forces have begun to conspire against Kronos and his group, and our hero seems to be threatened from a number of sides. What drives the man to do what he does? His motivations are spelled out later in the film, and while pretty simple, they satisfy nicely. Will Captain Kronos discover the identity of the evil that plagues the village before he succumbs to it himself? What secret does Dr. Marcus harbor? Do we get to see Caroline Munro in the raw? Watch the movie and find out...

I really enjoyed a number of elements within this film. The notion that there are actually different types of vampires, and different methods of dispatch for each was a nice touch. Also, Janson really provided a wonderful performance as the sort of swashbuckling hero, one with no fear, and an eagerness to perform his self define task of ridding the lands of the scourge of vampirism. I also liked that his friend and maybe even mentor, the hunchbacked Professor Grost was actually presented as a highly intelligent individual, capable of assisting his friend in their exploits with the undead. The swordplay within the movie was a whole lot of fun, but I was a bit perplexed with scenes where Kronos would jam his swords into the ground, or use them to dig in the dirt. I know little of swords, but I would have thought a master swordsman would take more care with his weapons, not using them in such fashion for fear of dulling or nicking the blades. Oh well, a minor nuance that struck me as strange. The whole mystery element as to who is the vampire is played for all it's worth, and there are obtuse clues sprinkled throughout the story that may help the viewer uncover this on their own.

The print provided by Paramount looks excellent and there is a commentary track available including genre historian Jonathan Sothcott, filmmaker Brian Clemens and actress Caroline Munro. Kronos is swashbuckling action, Hammer style, and well worth looking into whether you're a fan of horror, action, or both.

Cookieman108

For me, this film was Hammer's most intriguing product. It's most unlike any other vampire movie of which I'm aware. The adventures of Captain Kronos are both amusing and engaging, with a "who-done-it" plot thrown in for good measure. And the obligatory luscious females are of the highest standard in the shape of Miss Munro and, especially for me anyway, Wanda Ventham. The general atmosphere is up to the usual Hammer standards. There is one scene in particular, involving the killing of a vampire at his own behest, which is to my mind one of the most darkly comic in all the genre. Especially - but not exclusively - if you're a Hammer horror fan and haven't seen this film, you really ought to do so without delay.

The phrase "A Hammer Film" used to symbolize "low budget British horror quickie" at the time they were being cranked out, but of course the passage of time has proved how influential this studio's output really was. "Captain Kronos" embodies the Perfect Hammer Movie...great atmospherics,Caroline Munro,clever, well-written dialogue, ravenously beautiful actresses (Caroline Munro), and genuine suspense. Oh, and did I mention Caroline Munro? I have to single out the dialogue in this one...there are some particularly droll and cheeky exchanges,almost rivalling those in "Young Frankenstein" (although not as broad and Borscht-Beltish).And then there's that patented Hammer production design and overall "look"...there have been attempts over the years, but very few directors have been able to duplicate it (Neil Jordan's 1985 debut "The Company of Wolves" comes the closest). Don't miss this one if you love gothic horror!

Captain Kronos is a vampire film that focuses more on the vampire hunter and his pursuit of a youth draining vampire. This film also combines some swashbuckling action with a vampire film. This film is different from most vampire films, in that the identity of the vampire is somewhat of a mystery and we see a deliberate professional vampire hunter attempting to deduce who the vampire is and how to stop them. The acting is campy in spots, but overall effective for this film. It is really a shame that the sequel never came about. This film is highly recommended for fans of horror and action movies.

By 1974 Hammer Films was in its death throes, its films had become formulaic--boring and predicatable. Their vampire films in particular were suffering from severe anemia despite copious amounts of blood being spilled, and not even the savage, arrogant charisma of Christoper Lee seemed capable of rescuing the Dracula films from certain death at the box office. It was at this point that Hammer finally decided to change its approach. Toward this end they hired Brian Clemens, best known for his work on television's AVENGERS, to "revamp" the genre. The film he created was CAPTAIN KRONOS VAMPIRE HUNTER, possibly the freshest, most creative vampire film to ever grace the genre. It completely re-thought the entire concept of the vampire, taking him out of the drawing room that Bela Lugosi had been limited to and away from the image of the revenge seeking, magnetic animal Christopher Lee frequently portrayed. His vampires (for this film was to have been the FIRST of a series of films) would be of many types, almost as if they were each of a different species. They would each "live" in a different manner, survive by taking different things from their victims, be detected in different ways, and be destroyed by totally different means as well. How cool is that?! In addition to having a good old fashioned monster movie of sorts we are also given a new type of monster movie that includes a mystery to be unraveled.

CAPTAIN KRONOS begins with the arrival of our titular hero (portrayed by Horst Jansen)who sports a Japanese katana,and his hunchbacked assistant/mentor Professor Hieronymos Grost (John Cater). They are seeking the village of Durward having been summoned by Kronos' old friend Dr. Marcus after some very strange deaths occurred in the village. Along the way they encounter the luscious Carla (Caroline Munro), a naughty gypsy girl whom Kronos frees from the stocks. Her crime? Dancing on Sunday. Of course she joins them, which is handy since they will need her for vampire bait later in the story. Marcus quickly fills our intrepid duo of vampire hunters in on the killer's modus operandi; it seems that young girls have suddenly been drained of their youth and left to die of old age, with only the slightest trace of blood upon their lips! This is a killer who seems to have no respect either for crosses or, as we soon learn, churchs themselves since one of the next girls meets her doom within the supposed safety of a church's walls. There are still more deaths as Kronos and Grost lay traps devised from Grost's knowledge of ancient folklore in an effort to determine the vampire's identity. Since this vampire steals youth itself from its victims rather than blood, they must seek out someone who has a "cheek with a bloom on it".

CAPTAIN KRONOS is one of the few 34 year old films that plays as well today as it did when it was initially released. One reason was the addition of the swordplay scenes which were choreographed by William Hobbs who also choreographed the 1974 Richard Lester version of THE THREE MUSKETEERS. The fight between Hobbs and Jansen pitted katana against a fencing foil and had a wonderfully, messy, realistic look to the action. The use of the katana was no doubt intended to capitalize on the new-found popularity of Asian martial arts films in the west. Hammers' own co-production with Shaw Brothers THE LEGEND OF THE SEVEN GOLDEN VAMPIRES was released in 1974 as well. Another reason was the film's absolute break from the traditional Hammer/Hollywood vamps whose vampire "lore" had been established primarily by Bram Stoker in his novel and which had been taken as gospel ever since. Instead Clemens has given us something unique and completely original. This is a vampire film based on folklore rather than a Victorian novel, some of the lore is real some of it "reel". The influences of its ground breaking storyline can still be seen today in BLADE and BUFFY and their ilk where for better or worse vampires and their eternal foes have evolved into the 21st century and perhaps fallen into their own brand new cliches. While we may occasionally long for a good old fashioned Victorian romp a la Cushing and Lee, I still live for the day that I might walk into a movie and see something as stunningly original as CAPTAIN KRONOS was in 1974.

This film unfortunately failed upon its initial release for reasons I can't fathom. Its recent release on dvd seems to have enabled it to finally have found its audience however, and its about time. But its far too late to do us any good. There will never be a series of CAPTAIN KRONOS films as Brian Clemens had intended, and all I can say is what a loss. If you haven't seen it, pick up a copy and give it a chance. The photography and sets are excellent and the film simply oozes vintage Hammer in that respect. The actors are all at their peak--Jansen, who looks like a taller, blonder Roman Polanski, was dubbed even though his English was supposedly more than acceptable--I defy you to notice the dub job. There is virtually no violence, the "killing blow" is delivered via a kiss, and even less gore. But there are a great many wonderful touches that more than compensate for this. And best of all the script and direction by Brian Clemens couldn't be better--with THE AVENGERS on one's resume, what would you expect?

Come on, give it a try!

Hammer Horror spent years churning out vampire flicks, but ironically they did their best shortly before the studio died. "Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter" was supposed to be the first in a series of gritty, action-packed movies, but it was a box-office flop.

Too bad, because "Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter" is actually one of Hammer's best movies, and one of the most unique vampire movies ever made. It's the very definition of a cult hit -- not many people know about it, but it was ahead of its time and is still fresh and enjoyable. (And I defy anyone to think that Stephen Sommers was not influenced...)

Mysterious ex-soldier Captain Kronos (Horst Janson) and hunchbacked professor Gorst (John Carson) arrive in a small English village, where young ladies are being aged into crones. Gorst suspects that a vampire smooched away each girl's youth, to regain eternal life for itself.

The vampire hunters -- and a pretty gypsy girl (Caroline Munro) go about finding the vampire. But they soon discover that the villagers are getting antsy, a friend is infected with vampirism, and all clues point to the icy children of the aged Lady Durward. To lure out the vampire, Kronos must set a lethal trap...

"Captain Kronos" was a departure for the vampire crowd. No sexy counts, Gothic castles, or elegant Peter Cushing characters. Instead we get a swashbuckling, pot-smoking hero in the midst of a slightly grimy English countryside. And he didn't pick that katana up at a secondhand store!

That grittiness is half the movie's appeal. But it also has a lot of creepy, great moments like flowers withering as a vampire walks past, or the repeated attempts to kill a character who is turning into a vampire. That last one is almost comic, as our long-suffering heroes try to do the guy in.

It's also cleverer than the usual vampire-hunter movie. It's strewn with red herrings, and a surprise ending when the vampire's identity is finally revealed. The dialogue can be quite cheesy ("What he doesn't know about vampires, you couldn't put in a flea's codpiece!"), but it's intentionally cheesy.

Janson has a presence a lot like Viggo Mortensen's -- sinewy, quiet and watchful. Since Kronos can survive vampire bite, seduce gypsies, and cut down a dozen villagers, it's a credit to Janson that we can actually like this apparently perfect guy. But Carson steals the show as the hunchbacked professor, who knows virtually everything there is to know about vampires.

In fact, Carson provides the movie with a bit of enlightened pathos that not many horror/action flicks have. Not once is he used for comic relief. And after his deformity is mocked (Kronos chops up the jokers), he sadly questions whether he is ugly. Carla and Kronos' responses show that they are real friends, not just travelling companions.

This cult movie is mainly known to vampophiliacs and Hammer fans, but it deserves to be noticed by anyone looking for a good supernatural swashbuckler. Solid and chilling, a great horror/action flick.

One of Hammer's better Vampire films, this one presents some interesting turns on the lore. These vampires can appear in the day time, and as they feed they become younger. One of the more chilling effects in the picture occurs when the head of the family of vampires walks through a forest in the daytime, blooming flowers instantly die as she passes.
The film has a very good musical score, beautifully done sets and good cinematography (As do most of the Hammer Films). The cast is perfect, and includes the stunningly beautiful Caroline Munro. I've met her a few times at autograph shows, and found her to be an extraordinarily nice person who adores her fans every bit as much as they do her.
The DVD is nicely packaged, with good sound and clear, sharp picture. This is a must for any Hammer Fan!

I wrote an original review of the VHS tape long ago, chastising Paramount for not bringing it out on DVD. Happily, I can now replace that review and give big "thumbs up" for this presentation, that was transferred from new film elements, IS a 16X9 widescreen edition... , has a great audio commentary with the director (Brian Clemmens) and female star (Caroline Munro)and is cheap, to boot! (Amazon's list price is incorrect, according to the Paramount website - it should be $9.99 and you can find it for less than that) Anyway, it's a great show, definitely one of the most original and entertaining Hammer Films ever done. Pity it was never continued as a series. If you like swashbuckling horror with style, pick it up and enjoy!