The Kiss of the Vampire

After running out of petrol, a young couple on their honeymoon falls prey to a vampire cult.

The Kiss of the Vampire starts out with a funeral sequence dripping vintage Hammer atmosphere. As Clifford Evan’s character, Professor Zimmer, approaches the grave, the townspeople are visibly afraid and whisper amongst themselves that he’s probably drunk. Zimmer casts a haunted gaze down at the coffin and reaches, wordlessly, for the gravedigger’s spade, which he then hurls down into the coffin. A scream rings out as the camera cuts to the coffin spurting blood where the spade pierced the wood and the vampire corpse within.

Cut to opening titles.

This opening and the rather creative ending are the highlights of John Elder’s script. Elder being a pseudonym for Hammer producer Anthony Hinds Unfortunately, the middle of the film is something of a let down, as not much really happens. Sure, there’s atmosphere to spare, and Noel Willman is good as the head badie, but Hind’s script fails to deliver on the potential of its spectacular opening.

This isn’t to say The Kiss of the Vampire is a total burn. As Hammer films go, it’s somewhat middle of the road, and definitely worth watching for fans of the genre, if only for the flashes of greatness it contains.