His stylized color effects always knock me out. Somehow, it took me more than 40 years to catch up with Night Creatures. It was years later before I discovered that they had the same source material and they were released the same year. As the Captain gets into his investigation, mysterious swamp phantoms cloud up the real issue which seems plain enough to see. The Disney version was shot on location in England. The story is fun and the location filming is very pleasant actually Denham in Bucks and not Dymchurch at all! Captain Collier suspects that the odd village vicar might be hiding something, and what better way to do that than by fortuitous ghosts to scare away the curious, or by posing as someone he is not? In addition to horror, Hammer also produced many mysteries. Then we can dump the awful 4×3 pan and scan versions.
As the Captain gets into his investigation, mysterious swamp phantoms cloud up the real issue which seems plain enough to see. Also similar to other Hammer productions, our knowledge of characters evolves to the point where our allegiance shifts. Back to Night Creatures; by means of an opening crawl, we are introduced to a marsh-side community where a local legend involves a group of Marsh Phantoms who terrorize anyone foolish enough to wander into the marsh at night. A scarecrow looks out over a misty landscape of marsh and moor as we are told in jagged yellow font that the movie which we are about to enjoy is going to be starring Peter Cushing. I have heard that the reason this film is not available is that Universal I think has the rights to it and refuses to do anything with it.
It's a joy to watch him in a more complex character than his usual heroic Van Helsing or his wickedly evil Victor Frankenstein. It is a very eerie sight to see. Clearly, this is a pirate you don't cross without suffering severe consequences. I have to disagree with the reviewer who called this a confusing mess, as the storyline is pretty basic and quite clear cut. The village priest and doctor, Blyss, is very obliging to Collier and his crew, but we soon find out that Blyss is running a smuggling racket. After they arrive, they learn of the legends of the ghosts of Romney Marsh and the curse of the pirate Captain Clegg, but Collier believes that it's all superstitions, and continues his investigations.
Featuring an excellent anamorphic transfer and adequate mono soundtrack, I can't imagine the film receiving a better release unless it ever comes to Blu-ray. The opening sequence of scrolling scene setting and narration with a faint glimpse of a skeletal figure on horseback weaving through the background is only a hint of the awesome scenes that follow. Yet, throughout the film no character with the exception of one seems vicious or otherwise cruel. Sad for all of us. Well, that last little slice of Heaven materialized here in Raleigh, North Carolina, over the weekend.
Like Walter, thanks for the Dr. Unfortunately, the script and storyline sort of bog this one down. He then tears off Blyss's collar to reveal the rope burns from an unsuccessful hanging, exposing the parson as Clegg. In this sense, the film stops being a horror film and becomes a crime thriller. It was produced by and released in the United Kingdom on ,. This was Disney at its adventurous best.
She only made a handful of films yet she may possibly be the most beautiful woman who ever appeared on screen. The movie is filled with such atmosphere that you can practically get a cough from the constant fog. As a sort of adventure and historical melodrama, it works well enough, as it really positions viewers in an interesting place by making the smugglers the most charming characters. It was near tragic that the film nearly got lost due to its legal problems and probably bad marketing, as while its American title and its Hammer pedigree suggest Horror, it's far from being in the genre which may turn off viewers expecting a scare-fest. After that the film settles down to good historical adventure, lively and funny and only occasionally marred by slapstick, as in the fight in the church. The object of the story remains the same though obscured from the viewer until the conclusion , but two characters whose roles are peripheral in the first hour take center stage in the final part of the film. Perhaps this was Hammer's intention, but the bait and switch leaves me feeling hollow in the end because it feels like a perfectly good atmospheric setting and spooky phantoms are a bit wasted.
The Marsh Phantoms play the role of the small town ghost, or poltergeist. Set back in the 18th-century, the Royal Crown suspects that smuggling is being done near Dymchurch, so Captain Collier Patrick Allen and his crew to investigate. I think that these movies are right up my lane. Synopsis In this engaging costume melodrama of skulduggery on the low seas set back in the 18th-century, the Royal Crown suspects a bit of smuggling is going on in this locale, and they send Captain Collier and his crew to check it out. The plot thickens as Collier seizes the trail and as the villagers fight back in ways quite unexpected for people familiar with this kind of story. The rest of the cast is good as well.
The story concerns Captain Collier of the English Customs Service arriving in a small seaside town in search of smugglers and of his old arch nemesis, the pirate, Captain Clegg. Ultimately, my revisit of this one just confirmed my feelings from a few years back: it's a good idea, but it's all a bit bogged down. As the Captain gets into his investigation, mysterious swamp phantoms cloud up the real issue which seems plain enough to see. Bottom Line The colors are vivid. It looks great, as do all the other pictures. Being a long time horror fan I was instantly impressed that somebody picked this movie, of all movies, to decorate the hall with; especially since it had such a limited release in the United States.