Reviews (21)

The first and the best of Hammer's erotic vampire films
"The Vampire Lovers," directed by Roy Ward Baker in 1970, is the first in the Karnstein trilogy of Hammer films, all based quite loosely on Joseph Sheridan LeFanu's story "Carmilla." The Karnsteins are a clan of vampires, represented in this version by a bunch of scantily clad women. Ingrid Pitt stars as Carmilla, who also goes under the anagram names of Mircalla and Marcilla at various points in the story (yes, there is a story). The last of her clan, Carmilla is trying to rebuild, turning first to Laura (Pippa Steele), the daughter of General Spielsdorf (Peter Cushing) and then Emma (Madeleine Smith), the daughter of Roger Morton (George Cole). Along the way she turns Mademoiselle Perrodon (Kate O'Mara) into a sexual slave. In the great tradition of Dracula and most other vampire films, Laura dies before anyone recognizes the marks of the vampire and then the goal is to save poor Emma from the same fate.

There is a lot in "The Vampire Lovers" that never makes much sense. Who is the countess (Dawn Addams) who travels with Mircalla? What is up with the black-clad vampire (John Forbes Robertson) who keeps hanging around? Supposedly Mircalla is the last of her clan, but maybe not. Mircalla keeps saying she loves her victims, but they all end up dead, which certainly does not help out her clan much. In the end it is clear that Hammer, aided and abetted by American International in this instance, was making a flat-out lesbian vampire film. As such, I can honestly say that you are not going to find a better one out there. Ironically, "The Vampire Lovers" ends up being more erotic than the vast majority of films featuring heterosexual relationships between the undead and their victims.

ARE YOU A VAMPIRE LOVER?
Indeed, many fantasy mavens are vampire lovers themselves, and a lot of them got that way by being "bitten" by Hammer Studios' great vampire classics of the late 50s and early 60s, as exemplified by "Horror of Dracula" and "Brides of Dracula." Sexier and a little bloodier than previous Dracula films, Hammer's productions took the vampire movie to the next level. Unfortunately, the law of diminishing returns forced Hammer's competitors to up the ante themselves to compete, and Hammer recognized that if they wanted to keep their exalted place in horror's hierarchy they would have to raise the bar once more.

The result was "The Vampire Lovers," derived from J. Sheridan LeFanu's immortal short novel entitled "Carmilla." Actually preceding "Dracula" in the annals of vampire literature and even more respected by some, LeFanu's story seemed the perfect choice for Hammer to batten upon. The picturesque Styrian setting, the gothic trappings, and the tale's natural sexual subtext all seemed custom made for a splendid Hammer adaptation.

Unfortunately, Hammer's adaptation leaves much to be desired. Many love this movie because it so seamlessly blends vampirism and sex, but in fact there is nothing to the film at all besides nudity and bloodletting. The elegant narrative of LeFanu's original is reduced to a rather childish softcore exhibition of skin and blood. Granted, it seems rather tame compared to "From Dusk Til Dawn," but given its pedigree "The Vampire Lovers" should have been a classic on par with "Horror of Dracula," not the rather sorry T&A flick that is.

More's the pity because of an excellent cast, one of the best 70s Hammer would ever boast. Ingrid Pitt is an intelligent, alluring vampire seductress, albeit little resembling LeFanu's languid, frail Carmilla; Jon Finch (before his excellent performance in Roman Polanski's "Macbeth") is a rather vapid
stalwart hero; Pippa Steele is an attractive, innocent victim; and the great Peter Cushing shows up at the end as a vengeful General who could have been another Van Helsing but is never given a chance to do much of anything. These performers could have worked wonders with better action and dialogue; as it is, their considerable talents are virtually wasted (especially Cushing).

Sadly, "The Vampire Lovers" is a contribution of little value to vampire cinema. True, it made sure future vampire films would have an excuse to indulge in more and more sex and nudity, but that's hardly anything to brag about. Moreover, despite all the sexual shenanigans, the plot drags terribly and there's little real action or drama. The most exciting sequence comes at the very beginning and nothing else matches it the rest of the way. To top things off the script makes little sense, with several characters who seem to be of some importance just popping in and out a few times to no dramatic end whatsoever.

While "The Vampire Lovers" has its fans, its no classic and certainly not as good as some of its Hammer predecessors. It was a trendsetter--but in all the wrong ways.

Lavish, Beautifully Filmed Vampire Story From Hammer Studios
"The Vampire Lovers", one of the later Vampire efforts filmed by the famed Hammer Studios has always received its share of controversy from the fact that for once a female Vampire is prominently featured and the displays of nudity combined with its lesbian theme have not been to all viewers tastes. Directed with gusto by Roy Ward Baker, I believe it is an excellent effort full of lavish production values, rich colour and an exciting story that for once is not tied in with the Dracula Legend. It is obvious that a lot of care and attention was poured into this story and it is definately one of the finest of the later Hammer efforts.

Hammer Studios, long the reigning masters of the horror genre definately took a new updated tone with this production and allowed nudity and the previously not mentioned theme of lesbianism to be featured prominently. First and foremost it gave a classic role to Polish actress Ingrid Pitt who went on to appear in a number of other Hammer and Amicus productions. "The Vampire Lovers", is based on J S LeFanu's novel "Carmilla" and was the first of the "Karnstein Trilogy" which Hammer made and included "Lust for The Vampire " and the excellent "Twins Of Evil". "The Vampire Lovers",tells the story of vampire seductress Marcilla/Carmilla the last of her blood thirsty clan who at the beginning of the story is left by her "mother" the Countess (Dawn Addams) in the care of General von Spielsdorf (Peter Cushing in another of his dignified horror performances) after she is supposedly called away to the bedside of a dying friend. Soon after her stay begins with the General his daughter Laura begins to suffer from terrible nightmares which involve a monsterous cat that seemingly molests her. Suffering from a strange anemic condition Laura eventually dies after which Marcilla mysteriously disappears and moves on to the home of Laura's friend Emma Morton where a similiar situation is played out with the vampire having herself invited to stay at the home of Emma's father Sir Roger Morton. Once in residence "Carmilla" as she is now called sets her sights on the lovely young Emma and proceeds to begin to drain the blood and life out of the girl. Emma's governess Madame Peridot (Kate O'Mara in a very effective performance) is also put under Carmilla's spell with the use of a charmed brooch. Emma's friend Carl (Jon Finch) starts to suspect Carmilla of something devious and rides to the house to save Emma becoming involved in a deadly battle with Carmilla who after killing Madame Peridot retreats to her old former home, the ruined Castle Karnstein. Discovering that Carmilla is the last member of the vampiric Karnstein family General von Spielsdorf And Sir Roger pursue her to the Castle and she is eventually dispatched by the traditional means of a sharp stake driven through the heart. Her family portrait then ages before their eyes to indicate that she is now truly dead and her curse is now lifted.

Ingrid Pitt is superb as the totally evil Marcilla/Carmilla . She possesses the appropiate beauty and sense of mystery which is vital in portraying the seductive and evil villianess. Pitt went on to portray other similiar characters in the rarely seen "Countess Dracula", and the classic "The House That Dripped Blood". Her place as one of Hammer's most prominent female performers was sealed after this effort. Peter Cushing a long term performer in Hammer productions is his usual convincing self as the ardent General bent on revenge for the cold blooded murder of his daughter. No matter what the part Cushing always lent great value to any production he performed in. The cast in "The Vampire Lovers" is uniformily fine and the two young actresses who play Carmilla's main victims, Madeline Smith as Emma and Pippa Steel as Laura have the just right innocent qualities which make them believable as the victims. Hammer really spent big on this production and the film boasts beautiful on location photography, magical indoor settings, lavish costumes and tight editing.

To watch "The Vampire Lovers", is to see how far cinema had come since the time of Hammer's first vampire effort in the late 1950's the classic "Horror of Dracula", in so far as adult themes are now openly explored in this effort. The film indeed is a feast for the eyes and succeeds in never losing touch with the imporatant elements in any Vampire story, those being an exciting story, air of mystery and terror and performers who take their parts in it very seriously. I strongly recommend Hammer Studios "The Vampire Lovers", starring Ingrid Pitt and Peter Cushing to all horror buffs and lovers of intriguing vampire stories. Enjoy!

boring
I rented this because of the positive reviews, boy, was I disapointed! This film was boring, tedious, and did not make much sense. I found the female vampire to be unconvincing as a vampire and not suited to the role. Skip this film, there are better 1960's horror movies out there.

Scary!!!
They just don't make'em like this anymore! Forget the holes in the storyline that make bits and pieces of this film somewhat senseless. Just relish the overall beauty of the production, the lush musical score, and the wonderful and attractive group of actors that combine to make The Vampire Lovers one of the best of the Hammer flicks and vampire films in general. Quality of the print is excellent also. This review is based on the MGM VHS version. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

This film isn't so bad.
Yes, we've all see Peter Cushing's and Robert Clive's respective portrayals of Doctor Frankenstein so many times that we could probably build the monster ourselves if we gave it half a try. After having given both Boris Karloff and Christopher Lee's monster portrayals our rapt attention over and over, we could also probably discern the footsteps and grrrrs of each respective actor in monster form-sitting ourselves blindfolded. Thus, in approaching this Frankenstein film, it is of the utmost importance that you turn your mind tabula rosa and forget everything you remember about what a good Frankenstein film should be. One other thing you should be warned of is that this is a tongue-in-cheek version of the tale, which is manifest during the first fifteen minutes of the film as a young Frankenstein talks his instructor into a heart attack and nonchalantly does his father in for threatening to cancel his allowance. At this point you will begin to wonder just what kind of movie you have gotten yourself into. What director Sangster has done is provide us with a satirical minimalist version of the now familiar Frankenstein tale. Like how Gogol does with his chariactures, the main characters have been stripped down to grotesque emphases of some trait or another. The most obvious is Bates' Frankenstein. Gone is the suaveness of Cushing and absent is the fervor of Clive. What's left is a fascinating desolation of a raw, amoral intellect that sees everything in the world-even the life accomplishment of creating life-as boring and blase'. Veronica Carlson's Elizabeth has been reduced from a witty debutante (in previous films) to a doe-eyed gazer. The police are monomaniacal, O'Mara's Alicia is almost as carnal as Frankenstein is machiavellian, and not to forget the monster himself, Prowse's Frankenstein-like his creator-is devoid of any expression and starts killing almost as soon as his muscles can flex. There is one golden moment when Prowse captures the monster's rebellious anger when Frankenstein tries to coerce him to sit like a dog before he gets to eat. Central to this film's success is Ralph Bate's portrayal as the doctor. After having seen his less than enlightened portrayal in Lust For A Vampire, and his almost effeminate Dr. Jeckyl, I had serious misgivings at first about this film===but he really shines in this one! The DVD quality itself is good. There are suitable extras. I didn't listen to the commentary, but the interview with Carlson was good. In most stores, this DVD will be priced very reasonably, so you can be sure to get your money's worth.

Another great Anchor DVD of disappointing Hammer dud
Believe me, I really wanted to like this movie. I've become a minor Ralph Bates fan from his surprisingly engaging turns in Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde and Lust for a Vampire; writer/producer/director Jimmy Sangster has been responsible for more than a handful of my favorite Hammer horrors, in one capacity or another; and I'd always thought the monster looked pretty cool. But while the problematic Lust can be excused since it was taken out of his hands, Horror of Frankenstein is entirely Sangster's baby and, unfortunately, one of his biggest misfires. A virtual remake of Curse of Frankenstein with more overt emphasis on sex (but no nudity), the film begins with student Victor Frankenstein (Bates) drawing the ire of his professor for marking dotted lines on a picture of a naked woman (like those meat charts in butcher shops). Influenced no doubt by the 'rebellious youth' trend that was currently sweeping Hollywood, Victor is portrayed as insolent and condescending to his professor as well as his boorish father, a sex maniac who thinks Victor's obsession with science rather than carnality is "unnatural," and threatens to cut off his allowance. In short order, Victor arranges his father's 'accidental' death, moves to Vienna to pursue further studies, and impregnates the Dean's daughter. Returning in haste to his castle with loads of laboratory equipment, he proceeds to slowly piece together an artifical man (guided by a numbered chart on the wall) with parts provided by a slimy bodysnatcher (Dennis Price in a wonderfully droll performance, certainly the high point of the movie), who eventually meets his end in Victor's acid bath. In a rare noble (or premeditated?) moment, Victor saves Professor Heiss and his daughter Elizabeth (Veronica Carlson) from some highwaymen, giving him a pretext to draw them into his mad experiment, which angers his jealous, blackmailing maidservant/mistress (Kate O'Mara). There are a few clumsy attempts at humor (e.g. Victor sees the number for "brain" on Prof. Heiss's forehead during dinner). But my real problem with Horror of Frankenstein is that while Bates retains the cold, ruthless, even cruel pragmatism of Peter Cushing's characterization, he lacks Cushing's essential charisma and dry gallows wit, which always allowed us to half-believe that his single-minded, sometimes criminal, obsession was really in the service of science, and that the various burgermeisters, priests, and constables that always disrupted his experiments were simply philistines who just didn't understand the higher purpose underlying his work. In contrast, Horror's Victor isn't so much Cushing's bold transgressor as a vicious elitist, callously preying on basically good and innocent folk for nefarious and ultimately meaningless ends (he even electrocutes and dissects his friend and assistant Wilhelm). Dave Prowse (Darth Vader; Patrick Magee's bodyguard Julian in Clockwork Orange) is imposing as the monster, but he's pretty much a sadistic killer out of the gate, generating zero empathy in the viewer, quite unlike Karloff's touchstone performance or even several prior Hammer transplantees (e.g. Michael Gwynn, Freddie Jones). Ms. Carlson looks radiant amidst all the smarmy goings-on, but is given little to do. Even as the bodies pile up, the gore is curiously scant, and both the monster's creation and effervescent demise are anticlimactic at best. For my money, this is the worst of the Hammer Frankensteins, cold, mean-spirited, and banal, and recommended only to completists (who will probably still want this for their collections).
Anchor Bay spoils us once again with a superb, definitive DVD release. The anamorphic widescreen transfer is matted to 1.85:1 and features a virtually pristine print with excellent brightness, contrast, sharpness, detail, color balance and saturation, and only some sporadic very light speckling. The Horror of Frankenstein UK trailer is also matted to 1.85:1 and looks equally terrific. The US combo trailer (with Scars of Dracula) is letterboxed but looks dupey and soft, with poor color. Also included are a still/poster/ad gallery of approximately 35 images; Veronica Carlson "photo album" of about 55 mostly cheesecake shots; a gallery of 21 of Ms. Carlson's paintings (mostly portraits and still-lifes); relatively comprehensive talent bios of Sangster and Bates; and a 14-minute interview with Ms. Carlson that's interesting but too short to get into any real depth. The audio commentary by Jimmy Sangster and Hammerologist Marcus Hearn is informative, though Hearn has to prod Sangster at times, and they do peter out a bit toward the end. In total, a fine four-star DVD package; too bad the feature attraction only rates a two.

Disappointing Hammer
Don't get your hopes up for this 1970 Hammer film as it's several rungs below any of the other Frankensteins made by Hammer. Very noticeably absent is any horror(silly monster) and really can't understand the R rating as there was no nudity and very little gore. Film never seems to go anywhere nor generate excitement and by the end your wondering what was the point? Really would have hoped for more from Mr. Sangster, considering his contributions to Hammer's classics. A black humored misfire.

Replacing Peter Cushing with a young stud was not smart
Just as the Hammer Frankenstein series was hitting full stride the studio decided to basically remake "The Curse of Frankenstein" as "Horror of Frankenstein," with Ralph Bates as a much younger Victor Frankenstein. The heresy of replacing Peter Cushing as the mad doctor is reason enough for this film to be dismissed by horror fans, but another reason to not like this film is the hit-and-miss black humor that makes "Horror of Frankenstein" seem like a 19th century version of "Reanimator." Young Victor kills off his father in an accident so he can go to college, impregnates the dean's daughter, takes up with his father's old mistress (Kate O'Mara), and hires a husband-and-wife grave robbing team (Dennis Price and Joan Rice) to keep him well supplied in corpses. Victor's experiments proceed from a stolen hand, to the pet turtle of Elizabeth (Veronica Carlson), until he is ready to animate his creature (David Prowse--whatever happened to him?). For a brain Victor decides to poison Elizabeth's father (Bernard Archard) and use his, but it gets dropped and damaged. The result is not the creature Victor intended, but still good enough to go out and kill some people for its master. At this point the locales figure out something is not quite right. Will Victor finally pay for his crimes?

The only explanation that makes any sense for "Horror of Frankenstein" is that Hammer was trying to turn Ralph Bates into a star for their studio. However, coupled with the sudden embrace of black humor at the expense of abandoning the studio's unique take on Frankenstein, the resulting film was something with which nobody could be happy. The best Frankenstein movies, whether we are talking Hammer, Universal or anyone else, are those where our sympathy is engaged by either the doctor or the "monster." In "Horror of Frankenstein" the made doctor is completely amoral and the creature has no personality whatsoever. The fault is not with Prowse, the weightlifting champion, but with director Jimmy Sangster, who co-wrote the script with Jeremy Burnham, who gives the monster nothing to do. It is not surprising that the worst Frankenstein film from Hammer was released as part of a double-bill with "Scars of Dracula," the worst Dracula film from the studio and perhaps the only film Hammer produced that could make "Horror of Frankenstein" look better by comparison.

Different kind of monster
This is actually like a dark spoof of Curse of Frankenstein. The humor is hereand there throughout the film. Ralph Bates plays the young Baron, instead of being obsessed with his work like Peter Cushing was, Bates sees the science as tinkering. I found this film very amusing, just try to think that this is not part of the series. A lesser actor could not have pulled this one off, this is a testement to Ralph Bates because he makes this film. Give it a chance, but don't take it too serious. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

The Tamarind Seed
It is a crying shame that today they do not make movies as good as this one!!!!!!!!! I am an Omar Shariff fan and he is excellent in this film. I have always admired the vocal technique of Julie Andrews and did not think too much of her acting ability. I am wrong about her. This movie is great and an excellent vhs to add to your collection. The love story is tender and sincere. The spy story intrigues the present mind, particularly those of us who survived the "cold war" and everything that followed. Buy it and enjoy!!

WOW Better than i though!!!!
I saw this movie on AMC and i was shocked I thought it would be not as good as her others but i was totally shocked, this movie was EXCCELLENT!!!!!!!!!! I loved it and really suggest that all you Julie fans see it

Tamarind Seed
A wonderful, romantic version of a spy film.

An all time great with great acting and suspense
I saw this movie when it was released in 1986 and it was by far one of the best movies I enjoyed watching in it's class. Omar Sharif and Julie Andrews did an excellent job of making this movie a nail biter and one you should put in your video library.

The movie is exellent
This movie is suspencfull , romantic and nearly everything! This star studded movie is fun ,paste runnig adventure and more! Julie Andrews is great! ... Read more

Reviews (5)

The Tamarind Seed
It is a crying shame that today they do not make movies as good as this one!!!!!!!!! I am an Omar Shariff fan and he is excellent in this film. I have always admired the vocal technique of Julie Andrews and did not think too much of her acting ability. I am wrong about her. This movie is great and an excellent vhs to add to your collection. The love story is tender and sincere. The spy story intrigues the present mind, particularly those of us who survived the "cold war" and everything that followed. Buy it and enjoy!!

WOW Better than i though!!!!
I saw this movie on AMC and i was shocked I thought it would be not as good as her others but i was totally shocked, this movie was EXCCELLENT!!!!!!!!!! I loved it and really suggest that all you Julie fans see it

Tamarind Seed
A wonderful, romantic version of a spy film.

An all time great with great acting and suspense
I saw this movie when it was released in 1986 and it was by far one of the best movies I enjoyed watching in it's class. Omar Sharif and Julie Andrews did an excellent job of making this movie a nail biter and one you should put in your video library.

The movie is exellent
This movie is suspencfull , romantic and nearly everything! This star studded movie is fun ,paste runnig adventure and more! Julie Andrews is great! ... Read more

Reviews (21)

The first and the best of Hammer's erotic vampire films
"The Vampire Lovers," directed by Roy Ward Baker in 1970, is the first in the Karnstein trilogy of Hammer films, all based quite loosely on Joseph Sheridan LeFanu's story "Carmilla." The Karnsteins are a clan of vampires, represented in this version by a bunch of scantily clad women. Ingrid Pitt stars as Carmilla, who also goes under the anagram names of Mircalla and Marcilla at various points in the story (yes, there is a story). The last of her clan, Carmilla is trying to rebuild, turning first to Laura (Pippa Steele), the daughter of General Spielsdorf (Peter Cushing) and then Emma (Madeleine Smith), the daughter of Roger Morton (George Cole). Along the way she turns Mademoiselle Perrodon (Kate O'Mara) into a sexual slave. In the great tradition of Dracula and most other vampire films, Laura dies before anyone recognizes the marks of the vampire and then the goal is to save poor Emma from the same fate.

There is a lot in "The Vampire Lovers" that never makes much sense. Who is the countess (Dawn Addams) who travels with Mircalla? What is up with the black-clad vampire (John Forbes Robertson) who keeps hanging around? Supposedly Mircalla is the last of her clan, but maybe not. Mircalla keeps saying she loves her victims, but they all end up dead, which certainly does not help out her clan much. In the end it is clear that Hammer, aided and abetted by American International in this instance, was making a flat-out lesbian vampire film. As such, I can honestly say that you are not going to find a better one out there. Ironically, "The Vampire Lovers" ends up being more erotic than the vast majority of films featuring heterosexual relationships between the undead and their victims.

ARE YOU A VAMPIRE LOVER?
Indeed, many fantasy mavens are vampire lovers themselves, and a lot of them got that way by being "bitten" by Hammer Studios' great vampire classics of the late 50s and early 60s, as exemplified by "Horror of Dracula" and "Brides of Dracula." Sexier and a little bloodier than previous Dracula films, Hammer's productions took the vampire movie to the next level. Unfortunately, the law of diminishing returns forced Hammer's competitors to up the ante themselves to compete, and Hammer recognized that if they wanted to keep their exalted place in horror's hierarchy they would have to raise the bar once more.

The result was "The Vampire Lovers," derived from J. Sheridan LeFanu's immortal short novel entitled "Carmilla." Actually preceding "Dracula" in the annals of vampire literature and even more respected by some, LeFanu's story seemed the perfect choice for Hammer to batten upon. The picturesque Styrian setting, the gothic trappings, and the tale's natural sexual subtext all seemed custom made for a splendid Hammer adaptation.

Unfortunately, Hammer's adaptation leaves much to be desired. Many love this movie because it so seamlessly blends vampirism and sex, but in fact there is nothing to the film at all besides nudity and bloodletting. The elegant narrative of LeFanu's original is reduced to a rather childish softcore exhibition of skin and blood. Granted, it seems rather tame compared to "From Dusk Til Dawn," but given its pedigree "The Vampire Lovers" should have been a classic on par with "Horror of Dracula," not the rather sorry T&A flick that is.

More's the pity because of an excellent cast, one of the best 70s Hammer would ever boast. Ingrid Pitt is an intelligent, alluring vampire seductress, albeit little resembling LeFanu's languid, frail Carmilla; Jon Finch (before his excellent performance in Roman Polanski's "Macbeth") is a rather vapid
stalwart hero; Pippa Steele is an attractive, innocent victim; and the great Peter Cushing shows up at the end as a vengeful General who could have been another Van Helsing but is never given a chance to do much of anything. These performers could have worked wonders with better action and dialogue; as it is, their considerable talents are virtually wasted (especially Cushing).

Sadly, "The Vampire Lovers" is a contribution of little value to vampire cinema. True, it made sure future vampire films would have an excuse to indulge in more and more sex and nudity, but that's hardly anything to brag about. Moreover, despite all the sexual shenanigans, the plot drags terribly and there's little real action or drama. The most exciting sequence comes at the very beginning and nothing else matches it the rest of the way. To top things off the script makes little sense, with several characters who seem to be of some importance just popping in and out a few times to no dramatic end whatsoever.

While "The Vampire Lovers" has its fans, its no classic and certainly not as good as some of its Hammer predecessors. It was a trendsetter--but in all the wrong ways.

Lavish, Beautifully Filmed Vampire Story From Hammer Studios
"The Vampire Lovers", one of the later Vampire efforts filmed by the famed Hammer Studios has always received its share of controversy from the fact that for once a female Vampire is prominently featured and the displays of nudity combined with its lesbian theme have not been to all viewers tastes. Directed with gusto by Roy Ward Baker, I believe it is an excellent effort full of lavish production values, rich colour and an exciting story that for once is not tied in with the Dracula Legend. It is obvious that a lot of care and attention was poured into this story and it is definately one of the finest of the later Hammer efforts.

Hammer Studios, long the reigning masters of the horror genre definately took a new updated tone with this production and allowed nudity and the previously not mentioned theme of lesbianism to be featured prominently. First and foremost it gave a classic role to Polish actress Ingrid Pitt who went on to appear in a number of other Hammer and Amicus productions. "The Vampire Lovers", is based on J S LeFanu's novel "Carmilla" and was the first of the "Karnstein Trilogy" which Hammer made and included "Lust for The Vampire " and the excellent "Twins Of Evil". "The Vampire Lovers",tells the story of vampire seductress Marcilla/Carmilla the last of her blood thirsty clan who at the beginning of the story is left by her "mother" the Countess (Dawn Addams) in the care of General von Spielsdorf (Peter Cushing in another of his dignified horror performances) after she is supposedly called away to the bedside of a dying friend. Soon after her stay begins with the General his daughter Laura begins to suffer from terrible nightmares which involve a monsterous cat that seemingly molests her. Suffering from a strange anemic condition Laura eventually dies after which Marcilla mysteriously disappears and moves on to the home of Laura's friend Emma Morton where a similiar situation is played out with the vampire having herself invited to stay at the home of Emma's father Sir Roger Morton. Once in residence "Carmilla" as she is now called sets her sights on the lovely young Emma and proceeds to begin to drain the blood and life out of the girl. Emma's governess Madame Peridot (Kate O'Mara in a very effective performance) is also put under Carmilla's spell with the use of a charmed brooch. Emma's friend Carl (Jon Finch) starts to suspect Carmilla of something devious and rides to the house to save Emma becoming involved in a deadly battle with Carmilla who after killing Madame Peridot retreats to her old former home, the ruined Castle Karnstein. Discovering that Carmilla is the last member of the vampiric Karnstein family General von Spielsdorf And Sir Roger pursue her to the Castle and she is eventually dispatched by the traditional means of a sharp stake driven through the heart. Her family portrait then ages before their eyes to indicate that she is now truly dead and her curse is now lifted.

Ingrid Pitt is superb as the totally evil Marcilla/Carmilla . She possesses the appropiate beauty and sense of mystery which is vital in portraying the seductive and evil villianess. Pitt went on to portray other similiar characters in the rarely seen "Countess Dracula", and the classic "The House That Dripped Blood". Her place as one of Hammer's most prominent female performers was sealed after this effort. Peter Cushing a long term performer in Hammer productions is his usual convincing self as the ardent General bent on revenge for the cold blooded murder of his daughter. No matter what the part Cushing always lent great value to any production he performed in. The cast in "The Vampire Lovers" is uniformily fine and the two young actresses who play Carmilla's main victims, Madeline Smith as Emma and Pippa Steel as Laura have the just right innocent qualities which make them believable as the victims. Hammer really spent big on this production and the film boasts beautiful on location photography, magical indoor settings, lavish costumes and tight editing.

To watch "The Vampire Lovers", is to see how far cinema had come since the time of Hammer's first vampire effort in the late 1950's the classic "Horror of Dracula", in so far as adult themes are now openly explored in this effort. The film indeed is a feast for the eyes and succeeds in never losing touch with the imporatant elements in any Vampire story, those being an exciting story, air of mystery and terror and performers who take their parts in it very seriously. I strongly recommend Hammer Studios "The Vampire Lovers", starring Ingrid Pitt and Peter Cushing to all horror buffs and lovers of intriguing vampire stories. Enjoy!

boring
I rented this because of the positive reviews, boy, was I disapointed! This film was boring, tedious, and did not make much sense. I found the female vampire to be unconvincing as a vampire and not suited to the role. Skip this film, there are better 1960's horror movies out there.

Scary!!!
They just don't make'em like this anymore! Forget the holes in the storyline that make bits and pieces of this film somewhat senseless. Just relish the overall beauty of the production, the lush musical score, and the wonderful and attractive group of actors that combine to make The Vampire Lovers one of the best of the Hammer flicks and vampire films in general. Quality of the print is excellent also. This review is based on the MGM VHS version. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

An underrated gem
"The Plank" is one of the very best of that lamentably rare breed of British comedy shorts that harks back to the days when everything on the screen was silent. There is barely a line of dialogue in the whole thing nor, indeed, is there any need for one. Sykes and Lowe set down a flawless performance worthy of Laurel and Hardy, and the numerous supporting cast are uniformly excellent--my favorite being the cyclist constable, still intrepid in spite of the staidness of middle age. Admittedly, this brand of British comedy may disappoint some people. Those looking for the outrageousness of "Monty Python's Flying Circus" or "Black Adder" may find "The Plank" a mite on the tame side; at most it can be described as slightly naughty, rather like the Two Ronnies' ventures into silent comedy, "The Picnic" and "By the Sea" (in fact, if you like "The Plank" you'll probably like these and vice versa). Those looking for the more refined verbal humor of "As Time Goes By" or "To the Manor Born" may find "The Plank" lacking in subtlety and perhaps a tad obvious at times--there is only so much one can do without words--but even very old jokes can be redeemed by a smooth delivery. If you like homely, unprepossessing visual comedy that doesn't take itself too seriously, you'll love "The Plank."

Classic Silent Slapstick
This is a family legend, this film. We saw it many years ago on telly and have never forgotten it. To Americans or other foreigners reading this, I would say: it represents the finest of British visual humour. There are also similarities to the films of Jacques Tati. Buy This Video Today! ... Read more

Reviews (7)

This film isn't so bad.
Yes, we've all see Peter Cushing's and Robert Clive's respective portrayals of Doctor Frankenstein so many times that we could probably build the monster ourselves if we gave it half a try. After having given both Boris Karloff and Christopher Lee's monster portrayals our rapt attention over and over, we could also probably discern the footsteps and grrrrs of each respective actor in monster form-sitting ourselves blindfolded. Thus, in approaching this Frankenstein film, it is of the utmost importance that you turn your mind tabula rosa and forget everything you remember about what a good Frankenstein film should be. One other thing you should be warned of is that this is a tongue-in-cheek version of the tale, which is manifest during the first fifteen minutes of the film as a young Frankenstein talks his instructor into a heart attack and nonchalantly does his father in for threatening to cancel his allowance. At this point you will begin to wonder just what kind of movie you have gotten yourself into. What director Sangster has done is provide us with a satirical minimalist version of the now familiar Frankenstein tale. Like how Gogol does with his chariactures, the main characters have been stripped down to grotesque emphases of some trait or another. The most obvious is Bates' Frankenstein. Gone is the suaveness of Cushing and absent is the fervor of Clive. What's left is a fascinating desolation of a raw, amoral intellect that sees everything in the world-even the life accomplishment of creating life-as boring and blase'. Veronica Carlson's Elizabeth has been reduced from a witty debutante (in previous films) to a doe-eyed gazer. The police are monomaniacal, O'Mara's Alicia is almost as carnal as Frankenstein is machiavellian, and not to forget the monster himself, Prowse's Frankenstein-like his creator-is devoid of any expression and starts killing almost as soon as his muscles can flex. There is one golden moment when Prowse captures the monster's rebellious anger when Frankenstein tries to coerce him to sit like a dog before he gets to eat. Central to this film's success is Ralph Bate's portrayal as the doctor. After having seen his less than enlightened portrayal in Lust For A Vampire, and his almost effeminate Dr. Jeckyl, I had serious misgivings at first about this film===but he really shines in this one! The DVD quality itself is good. There are suitable extras. I didn't listen to the commentary, but the interview with Carlson was good. In most stores, this DVD will be priced very reasonably, so you can be sure to get your money's worth.

Another great Anchor DVD of disappointing Hammer dud
Believe me, I really wanted to like this movie. I've become a minor Ralph Bates fan from his surprisingly engaging turns in Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde and Lust for a Vampire; writer/producer/director Jimmy Sangster has been responsible for more than a handful of my favorite Hammer horrors, in one capacity or another; and I'd always thought the monster looked pretty cool. But while the problematic Lust can be excused since it was taken out of his hands, Horror of Frankenstein is entirely Sangster's baby and, unfortunately, one of his biggest misfires. A virtual remake of Curse of Frankenstein with more overt emphasis on sex (but no nudity), the film begins with student Victor Frankenstein (Bates) drawing the ire of his professor for marking dotted lines on a picture of a naked woman (like those meat charts in butcher shops). Influenced no doubt by the 'rebellious youth' trend that was currently sweeping Hollywood, Victor is portrayed as insolent and condescending to his professor as well as his boorish father, a sex maniac who thinks Victor's obsession with science rather than carnality is "unnatural," and threatens to cut off his allowance. In short order, Victor arranges his father's 'accidental' death, moves to Vienna to pursue further studies, and impregnates the Dean's daughter. Returning in haste to his castle with loads of laboratory equipment, he proceeds to slowly piece together an artifical man (guided by a numbered chart on the wall) with parts provided by a slimy bodysnatcher (Dennis Price in a wonderfully droll performance, certainly the high point of the movie), who eventually meets his end in Victor's acid bath. In a rare noble (or premeditated?) moment, Victor saves Professor Heiss and his daughter Elizabeth (Veronica Carlson) from some highwaymen, giving him a pretext to draw them into his mad experiment, which angers his jealous, blackmailing maidservant/mistress (Kate O'Mara). There are a few clumsy attempts at humor (e.g. Victor sees the number for "brain" on Prof. Heiss's forehead during dinner). But my real problem with Horror of Frankenstein is that while Bates retains the cold, ruthless, even cruel pragmatism of Peter Cushing's characterization, he lacks Cushing's essential charisma and dry gallows wit, which always allowed us to half-believe that his single-minded, sometimes criminal, obsession was really in the service of science, and that the various burgermeisters, priests, and constables that always disrupted his experiments were simply philistines who just didn't understand the higher purpose underlying his work. In contrast, Horror's Victor isn't so much Cushing's bold transgressor as a vicious elitist, callously preying on basically good and innocent folk for nefarious and ultimately meaningless ends (he even electrocutes and dissects his friend and assistant Wilhelm). Dave Prowse (Darth Vader; Patrick Magee's bodyguard Julian in Clockwork Orange) is imposing as the monster, but he's pretty much a sadistic killer out of the gate, generating zero empathy in the viewer, quite unlike Karloff's touchstone performance or even several prior Hammer transplantees (e.g. Michael Gwynn, Freddie Jones). Ms. Carlson looks radiant amidst all the smarmy goings-on, but is given little to do. Even as the bodies pile up, the gore is curiously scant, and both the monster's creation and effervescent demise are anticlimactic at best. For my money, this is the worst of the Hammer Frankensteins, cold, mean-spirited, and banal, and recommended only to completists (who will probably still want this for their collections).
Anchor Bay spoils us once again with a superb, definitive DVD release. The anamorphic widescreen transfer is matted to 1.85:1 and features a virtually pristine print with excellent brightness, contrast, sharpness, detail, color balance and saturation, and only some sporadic very light speckling. The Horror of Frankenstein UK trailer is also matted to 1.85:1 and looks equally terrific. The US combo trailer (with Scars of Dracula) is letterboxed but looks dupey and soft, with poor color. Also included are a still/poster/ad gallery of approximately 35 images; Veronica Carlson "photo album" of about 55 mostly cheesecake shots; a gallery of 21 of Ms. Carlson's paintings (mostly portraits and still-lifes); relatively comprehensive talent bios of Sangster and Bates; and a 14-minute interview with Ms. Carlson that's interesting but too short to get into any real depth. The audio commentary by Jimmy Sangster and Hammerologist Marcus Hearn is informative, though Hearn has to prod Sangster at times, and they do peter out a bit toward the end. In total, a fine four-star DVD package; too bad the feature attraction only rates a two.

Disappointing Hammer
Don't get your hopes up for this 1970 Hammer film as it's several rungs below any of the other Frankensteins made by Hammer. Very noticeably absent is any horror(silly monster) and really can't understand the R rating as there was no nudity and very little gore. Film never seems to go anywhere nor generate excitement and by the end your wondering what was the point? Really would have hoped for more from Mr. Sangster, considering his contributions to Hammer's classics. A black humored misfire.

Replacing Peter Cushing with a young stud was not smart
Just as the Hammer Frankenstein series was hitting full stride the studio decided to basically remake "The Curse of Frankenstein" as "Horror of Frankenstein," with Ralph Bates as a much younger Victor Frankenstein. The heresy of replacing Peter Cushing as the mad doctor is reason enough for this film to be dismissed by horror fans, but another reason to not like this film is the hit-and-miss black humor that makes "Horror of Frankenstein" seem like a 19th century version of "Reanimator." Young Victor kills off his father in an accident so he can go to college, impregnates the dean's daughter, takes up with his father's old mistress (Kate O'Mara), and hires a husband-and-wife grave robbing team (Dennis Price and Joan Rice) to keep him well supplied in corpses. Victor's experiments proceed from a stolen hand, to the pet turtle of Elizabeth (Veronica Carlson), until he is ready to animate his creature (David Prowse--whatever happened to him?). For a brain Victor decides to poison Elizabeth's father (Bernard Archard) and use his, but it gets dropped and damaged. The result is not the creature Victor intended, but still good enough to go out and kill some people for its master. At this point the locales figure out something is not quite right. Will Victor finally pay for his crimes?

The only explanation that makes any sense for "Horror of Frankenstein" is that Hammer was trying to turn Ralph Bates into a star for their studio. However, coupled with the sudden embrace of black humor at the expense of abandoning the studio's unique take on Frankenstein, the resulting film was something with which nobody could be happy. The best Frankenstein movies, whether we are talking Hammer, Universal or anyone else, are those where our sympathy is engaged by either the doctor or the "monster." In "Horror of Frankenstein" the made doctor is completely amoral and the creature has no personality whatsoever. The fault is not with Prowse, the weightlifting champion, but with director Jimmy Sangster, who co-wrote the script with Jeremy Burnham, who gives the monster nothing to do. It is not surprising that the worst Frankenstein film from Hammer was released as part of a double-bill with "Scars of Dracula," the worst Dracula film from the studio and perhaps the only film Hammer produced that could make "Horror of Frankenstein" look better by comparison.

Different kind of monster
This is actually like a dark spoof of Curse of Frankenstein. The humor is hereand there throughout the film. Ralph Bates plays the young Baron, instead of being obsessed with his work like Peter Cushing was, Bates sees the science as tinkering. I found this film very amusing, just try to think that this is not part of the series. A lesser actor could not have pulled this one off, this is a testement to Ralph Bates because he makes this film. Give it a chance, but don't take it too serious. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Touching portrayal
This is not the cartoon version that all the other reviews are indicating. This is a live video produced around 1978. The acting is superb. The movie does a very sensitive portrayal of Mary and Joseph leading up to the birth of Jesus. It is in my opinion the most spiritual of all Hollywood productions about the birth of Christ. I have looked for and waited several years for this to become available. For years I have checked all the TV listings at Christmas time to watch this show. I am so thrilled to have this in my video library.

An amazing cartoon adaption from the bible.
All roads lead to Bethlehem as God fulfills a prophecy and a promise to mankind and a child is born in a stable beneath a shining star. On a sure-footed donkey, Mary and Joseph make the difficult journey from Nazareth, where Mary will give birth to her son. The Three Magi ride their camels out of distant lands to worship the newborn king. From Jerusalem, mad king Herod sends his Roman legionnaires, mounted on fine horses, to find the Child he fears. And at the bidding of the Angel of the Lord humble shepherds make their way on foot from their fields and flocks to pay homage to The Christ Child. ... Read more

Reviews (21)

The first and the best of Hammer's erotic vampire films
"The Vampire Lovers," directed by Roy Ward Baker in 1970, is the first in the Karnstein trilogy of Hammer films, all based quite loosely on Joseph Sheridan LeFanu's story "Carmilla." The Karnsteins are a clan of vampires, represented in this version by a bunch of scantily clad women. Ingrid Pitt stars as Carmilla, who also goes under the anagram names of Mircalla and Marcilla at various points in the story (yes, there is a story). The last of her clan, Carmilla is trying to rebuild, turning first to Laura (Pippa Steele), the daughter of General Spielsdorf (Peter Cushing) and then Emma (Madeleine Smith), the daughter of Roger Morton (George Cole). Along the way she turns Mademoiselle Perrodon (Kate O'Mara) into a sexual slave. In the great tradition of Dracula and most other vampire films, Laura dies before anyone recognizes the marks of the vampire and then the goal is to save poor Emma from the same fate.

There is a lot in "The Vampire Lovers" that never makes much sense. Who is the countess (Dawn Addams) who travels with Mircalla? What is up with the black-clad vampire (John Forbes Robertson) who keeps hanging around? Supposedly Mircalla is the last of her clan, but maybe not. Mircalla keeps saying she loves her victims, but they all end up dead, which certainly does not help out her clan much. In the end it is clear that Hammer, aided and abetted by American International in this instance, was making a flat-out lesbian vampire film. As such, I can honestly say that you are not going to find a better one out there. Ironically, "The Vampire Lovers" ends up being more erotic than the vast majority of films featuring heterosexual relationships between the undead and their victims.

ARE YOU A VAMPIRE LOVER?
Indeed, many fantasy mavens are vampire lovers themselves, and a lot of them got that way by being "bitten" by Hammer Studios' great vampire classics of the late 50s and early 60s, as exemplified by "Horror of Dracula" and "Brides of Dracula." Sexier and a little bloodier than previous Dracula films, Hammer's productions took the vampire movie to the next level. Unfortunately, the law of diminishing returns forced Hammer's competitors to up the ante themselves to compete, and Hammer recognized that if they wanted to keep their exalted place in horror's hierarchy they would have to raise the bar once more.

The result was "The Vampire Lovers," derived from J. Sheridan LeFanu's immortal short novel entitled "Carmilla." Actually preceding "Dracula" in the annals of vampire literature and even more respected by some, LeFanu's story seemed the perfect choice for Hammer to batten upon. The picturesque Styrian setting, the gothic trappings, and the tale's natural sexual subtext all seemed custom made for a splendid Hammer adaptation.

Unfortunately, Hammer's adaptation leaves much to be desired. Many love this movie because it so seamlessly blends vampirism and sex, but in fact there is nothing to the film at all besides nudity and bloodletting. The elegant narrative of LeFanu's original is reduced to a rather childish softcore exhibition of skin and blood. Granted, it seems rather tame compared to "From Dusk Til Dawn," but given its pedigree "The Vampire Lovers" should have been a classic on par with "Horror of Dracula," not the rather sorry T&A flick that is.

More's the pity because of an excellent cast, one of the best 70s Hammer would ever boast. Ingrid Pitt is an intelligent, alluring vampire seductress, albeit little resembling LeFanu's languid, frail Carmilla; Jon Finch (before his excellent performance in Roman Polanski's "Macbeth") is a rather vapid
stalwart hero; Pippa Steele is an attractive, innocent victim; and the great Peter Cushing shows up at the end as a vengeful General who could have been another Van Helsing but is never given a chance to do much of anything. These performers could have worked wonders with better action and dialogue; as it is, their considerable talents are virtually wasted (especially Cushing).

Sadly, "The Vampire Lovers" is a contribution of little value to vampire cinema. True, it made sure future vampire films would have an excuse to indulge in more and more sex and nudity, but that's hardly anything to brag about. Moreover, despite all the sexual shenanigans, the plot drags terribly and there's little real action or drama. The most exciting sequence comes at the very beginning and nothing else matches it the rest of the way. To top things off the script makes little sense, with several characters who seem to be of some importance just popping in and out a few times to no dramatic end whatsoever.

While "The Vampire Lovers" has its fans, its no classic and certainly not as good as some of its Hammer predecessors. It was a trendsetter--but in all the wrong ways.

Lavish, Beautifully Filmed Vampire Story From Hammer Studios
"The Vampire Lovers", one of the later Vampire efforts filmed by the famed Hammer Studios has always received its share of controversy from the fact that for once a female Vampire is prominently featured and the displays of nudity combined with its lesbian theme have not been to all viewers tastes. Directed with gusto by Roy Ward Baker, I believe it is an excellent effort full of lavish production values, rich colour and an exciting story that for once is not tied in with the Dracula Legend. It is obvious that a lot of care and attention was poured into this story and it is definately one of the finest of the later Hammer efforts.

Hammer Studios, long the reigning masters of the horror genre definately took a new updated tone with this production and allowed nudity and the previously not mentioned theme of lesbianism to be featured prominently. First and foremost it gave a classic role to Polish actress Ingrid Pitt who went on to appear in a number of other Hammer and Amicus productions. "The Vampire Lovers", is based on J S LeFanu's novel "Carmilla" and was the first of the "Karnstein Trilogy" which Hammer made and included "Lust for The Vampire " and the excellent "Twins Of Evil". "The Vampire Lovers",tells the story of vampire seductress Marcilla/Carmilla the last of her blood thirsty clan who at the beginning of the story is left by her "mother" the Countess (Dawn Addams) in the care of General von Spielsdorf (Peter Cushing in another of his dignified horror performances) after she is supposedly called away to the bedside of a dying friend. Soon after her stay begins with the General his daughter Laura begins to suffer from terrible nightmares which involve a monsterous cat that seemingly molests her. Suffering from a strange anemic condition Laura eventually dies after which Marcilla mysteriously disappears and moves on to the home of Laura's friend Emma Morton where a similiar situation is played out with the vampire having herself invited to stay at the home of Emma's father Sir Roger Morton. Once in residence "Carmilla" as she is now called sets her sights on the lovely young Emma and proceeds to begin to drain the blood and life out of the girl. Emma's governess Madame Peridot (Kate O'Mara in a very effective performance) is also put under Carmilla's spell with the use of a charmed brooch. Emma's friend Carl (Jon Finch) starts to suspect Carmilla of something devious and rides to the house to save Emma becoming involved in a deadly battle with Carmilla who after killing Madame Peridot retreats to her old former home, the ruined Castle Karnstein. Discovering that Carmilla is the last member of the vampiric Karnstein family General von Spielsdorf And Sir Roger pursue her to the Castle and she is eventually dispatched by the traditional means of a sharp stake driven through the heart. Her family portrait then ages before their eyes to indicate that she is now truly dead and her curse is now lifted.

Ingrid Pitt is superb as the totally evil Marcilla/Carmilla . She possesses the appropiate beauty and sense of mystery which is vital in portraying the seductive and evil villianess. Pitt went on to portray other similiar characters in the rarely seen "Countess Dracula", and the classic "The House That Dripped Blood". Her place as one of Hammer's most prominent female performers was sealed after this effort. Peter Cushing a long term performer in Hammer productions is his usual convincing self as the ardent General bent on revenge for the cold blooded murder of his daughter. No matter what the part Cushing always lent great value to any production he performed in. The cast in "The Vampire Lovers" is uniformily fine and the two young actresses who play Carmilla's main victims, Madeline Smith as Emma and Pippa Steel as Laura have the just right innocent qualities which make them believable as the victims. Hammer really spent big on this production and the film boasts beautiful on location photography, magical indoor settings, lavish costumes and tight editing.

To watch "The Vampire Lovers", is to see how far cinema had come since the time of Hammer's first vampire effort in the late 1950's the classic "Horror of Dracula", in so far as adult themes are now openly explored in this effort. The film indeed is a feast for the eyes and succeeds in never losing touch with the imporatant elements in any Vampire story, those being an exciting story, air of mystery and terror and performers who take their parts in it very seriously. I strongly recommend Hammer Studios "The Vampire Lovers", starring Ingrid Pitt and Peter Cushing to all horror buffs and lovers of intriguing vampire stories. Enjoy!

boring
I rented this because of the positive reviews, boy, was I disapointed! This film was boring, tedious, and did not make much sense. I found the female vampire to be unconvincing as a vampire and not suited to the role. Skip this film, there are better 1960's horror movies out there.

Scary!!!
They just don't make'em like this anymore! Forget the holes in the storyline that make bits and pieces of this film somewhat senseless. Just relish the overall beauty of the production, the lush musical score, and the wonderful and attractive group of actors that combine to make The Vampire Lovers one of the best of the Hammer flicks and vampire films in general. Quality of the print is excellent also. This review is based on the MGM VHS version. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Touching portrayal
This is not the cartoon version that all the other reviews are indicating. This is a live video produced around 1978. The acting is superb. The movie does a very sensitive portrayal of Mary and Joseph leading up to the birth of Jesus. It is in my opinion the most spiritual of all Hollywood productions about the birth of Christ. I have looked for and waited several years for this to become available. For years I have checked all the TV listings at Christmas time to watch this show. I am so thrilled to have this in my video library.

An amazing cartoon adaption from the bible.
All roads lead to Bethlehem as God fulfills a prophecy and a promise to mankind and a child is born in a stable beneath a shining star. On a sure-footed donkey, Mary and Joseph make the difficult journey from Nazareth, where Mary will give birth to her son. The Three Magi ride their camels out of distant lands to worship the newborn king. From Jerusalem, mad king Herod sends his Roman legionnaires, mounted on fine horses, to find the Child he fears. And at the bidding of the Angel of the Lord humble shepherds make their way on foot from their fields and flocks to pay homage to The Christ Child. ... Read more