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Probably the most important aspect of Hammer Horror, for me, is the colour scheme. At their best, Hammer films are painted like no other, and it gives the films a very distinct style. The Kiss of the Vampire has the best colours of all Hammer films - it's astounding how great this film looks. The sets are lavishly designed, the costumes are magnificent and on the whole - the film looks exactly how you want Hammer Horror to look. This sort of style really deserves an equally great story to go with it...but in a missed opportunity of epic proportions, Hammer haven't been able to script as well as they've proved with earlier and later films that they can; and the result is a visually dazzling film, with a severely underwhelming story. That's not to say that the story is bad, essentially; just not very good. We follow a honeymooning couple, who take a wrong turn and end up in a strange little village. This soon attracts the attention of the most important man in the village, and the pair are soon invited to dine with him. However, he's also the leader of a vampire cult, and he wants more than just to have them for dinner...The main problem where the plot is concerned isn't necessarily the story - as that's classic vampire stuff - but rather in the way that it's handled. It just goes too slow, and while this gives you time admire the scenery; I want a little more stimulation than that. It takes ages to get going, and it isn't really until the last half hour that it picks up properly. It's nice when it does, but really it's too little too late. The ending is very nice, however, and the effects are typical Hammer, and therefore very much enjoyed by me. The Kiss of the Vampire doesn't feature any of Hammer's big stars. This shouldn't really harm it, but it does. Part of what makes many Hammer films work is the fact that there's a centrepiece actor that you can admire even when the plot isn't too good. This film doesn't have that, and while the cast of lesser-known actors do their collective best to keep the film interesting; there isn't one unique enough to really take the reins. There's still a lot to like here, however, and despite the low points with the plot, The Kiss of the Vampire never actually becomes boring. Just make sure you see the likes of The Vampire Lovers and Twins of Evil first.
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