Influential Undead
Considered by many to be more influential than it gets credit for, 1966’s The Plague Of The Zombies predates George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead by two years. The zombies featured in Plague changed the tone of the monsters as presented in previous films and gave them a look that is still prominent to this day. Shot back to back with The Reptile (and featuring Jacqueline Pearce in both films and using many of the same sets), Plague was initially treated as a secondary film and was released with a primary film, Dracula: Prince of Darkness, on a double bill.
In the movie, Sir James Forbes (Andre Morell) and his daughter, Sylvia (Diane Clare), visit a Cornish village at the request of Dr. Peter Thompson (Brook Williams). Thompson is a former student of Forbes and his wife, Alice (Jacqueline Pearce), is a close friend of Sylvia. He cannot seem to figure out what type of plague is attacking the villagers and he asks Forbes to come to the village to help him. Forbes and Sylvia encounter unruly fox hunters when they first arrive at the village. These hunters are guests of the local squire, Clive Hamilton (John Carson), who isn’t very well liked by the locals but seems to be just a slight bit charming to Sylvia. People continue to die and Sylvia eventually encounters a zombie near a local mine. As Forbes, Thompson, and the local police sergeant, Swift (Micheal Ripper), begin to make unsettling discoveries in their investigation of the deaths, Sylvia becomes a pawn in a lethal game between Forbes and the villain of the film. It’s all played out quite well on the screen and I believe that you should check it out.
The film is superbly directed by John Gilling and the cinematography by Arthur Grant is atmospheric, creepy, and beautiful all at the same time. The music only adds to the build up of terror in the film and works especially well in a dream sequence involving the undead rising from their graves. The special effects are done very well and the look of the zombies is still influential today.
Morell channels Peter Cushing a bit in this film, delivering lines coolly and with bite when necessary. He’s one of the strongest members of this cast. Clare’s portrayal of Sylvia is also well done but she isn’t given much material to work with in the film. Brook Williams is over the top as Thompson, and the film suffers almost every time that he is called upon to show emotion. Michael Ripper, who has quickly become one of my favorite actors since I started watching these Hammer films, steals the show with his portrayal of the police sergeant. John Carson is both smooth and sadistic as Squire Hamilton. I wish that he would have been given more screen time. Jacqueline Pearce is another scene stealer in this film, with her most epic moment happening in a graveyard. The rest of the cast also did a fine job.
The film definitely has some flaws and isn’t a masterpiece as a whole, but I have to give Hammer credit for trying something new with zombies. This was the only zombie film that the company ever produced, and it is definitely better than most of the more modern takes on the genre. It’s one of the few films that I’ve watched during the Thirty-One Days O’Horror that I was captivated with for the entire running time. I believe that if you are a fan of zombie films, check this one out. If you want to see a decent horror flick in general, this is a good film to watch as well.
Thanks for reading my post. We’re just a few days away from the final post in Thirty-One Days O’Horror. I hope that you’ve enjoyed the films and posts that I’ve given to you this year. Next year is going to be a scream!
Ken's Alternate Universe! 