Captain Kronos - Vampire Hunter (1974)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Brian Clemens

Writer:

Brian Clemens (writer)

Release Date:

June 1974 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Adventure

Tagline:

Evil Ends Here.

Plot:

A master swordsman and former soldier and his hunchbacked assistant hunt vampires.

Plot Keywords:

Vampire | Dark Hero | Ignorance | Beautiful Woman | Cemetery

Cast

Horst Janson	...	Captain Kronos
John Carson	...	Dr. Marcus
Shane Briant	...	Paul Durward
Caroline Munro	...	Carla
John Cater	...	Prof. Hieronymos Grost
Lois Daine	...	Sara Durward
William Hobbs	...	Lord Hagen Durward
Brian Tully	...	George Sorell
Robert James	...	Pointer
Perry Soblosky	...	Barlow
Paul Greenwood	...	Giles
Lisa Collings	...	Vanda Sorell
John Hollis	...	Barman
Ian Hendry	...	Kerro
Wanda Ventham	...	Lady Durward

Also Known As:

Kronos (USA)
Vampire Castle

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Netherlands:16 | USA:R | UK:15 | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Black Park, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

Hammer Film Productions

Trivia:

This was to have been the first in a series of films. The poor box office cancelled those plans. The poor returns also contributed to the decline in the box office track record of Hammer Films.

Quotes:

Doctor Marcus: I know you've got guts, Kronos. I've seen them!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Blood Tide (1998) (V)

A Different, Inventive Kind Of Vampire Film

I've only seen a couple of Hammer horror films, but I'm impressed. They seem to be subtly effective if you're looking for a few thrills and chills, not overdoing the gore, being mild on the language but yet having a definite edge to them.

"Captain Kronos" isn't super but it's enjoyable. The direction is excellent, the DVD transfer looked nice, and - like a good mystery - there's a good twist at the end regarding the murderer, er.....vampire. For us guys, there are also a lot of pretty women in here, too. The acting isn't the best but who cares? It's entertaining, and not made to be taken seriously.

I enjoyed the team of "Captain Kronos and Professor Hieronymous-Grost," and I'm surprised there wasn't a sequel. These two guys make a good team: Horst Janson as the younger, dashing swordsman, and John Cater as the older assistant. The latter provides a little comic relief, too. Their relationship reminded me a bit of Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce at "Holmes and Watson."

The good captain is not your normal vampire hunter. He's just as anxious to get it on with the ladies, and he has a sexy one for a partner in Caroline Munro as "Carla." Kronos also smokes "herbal" cigars! The brief touches of comedy, western, swashbuckling, horror, mystery, romance, sex, supernatural, and who-knows-what else all make it an inventive and fun hour-and-a-half. Hey, it even gives God several good plugs! This horror movie is different, all right.