Sir James Forbes (Andre Morell), a respected doctor, receives a rather cryptic letter from an old pupil, Peter Tompson (Brook Williams) about strange, mysterious deaths in Tompsons' Cornish village. He and his headstrong daughter Sylvia (Diane Clare), who went to school with Tompsons' wife Alice (Jacqueline Pearce), pay the young medic a visit. James comes to the realization that some person has begun resurrecting the recently dead for some unknown purpose.
Although not as great as some titles in the Hammer filmography, "The Plague of the Zombies" is a solid shocker and Hammers' only attempt at a zombie picture. Director John Gilling and screenwriter Peter Bryan keep up anticipation throughout, and once the zombies show up, they don't disappoint. Given appropriate visages by Hammer makeup effects ace Roy Ashton, they're subtly creepy and amusing. Best of all is the set piece that kicks off the final third, a parade of the dead returning to life in a churchyard.
The music, sets, photography, etc. are all exemplary, and handled by some talented Hammer regulars. Bryans' screenplay isn't airtight, but it's reasonably intelligent as it takes its distinguished men of medicine and presents them with a nightmare scenario. It leads up to a fiery, exciting finale that doesn't give the heroes much room to breathe.
Morell, 57 at the time, is a delightful sardonic curmudgeon at first, but you just know that he's going to be an efficient hero who will connect all the dots and work to solve the problem.
There are engaging performances all around - John Carson as the cagey Squire Hamilton, Alexander Davion as thuggish young man Denver, and Marcus Hammond as the angry Tom Martinus. But the true delight for Hammer devotees is seeing its most frequent repertory player, Michael Ripper, in one of his best Hammer roles as a tough-talking sergeant. Sexy brunette Pearce does seem to thoroughly enjoy her one big scene.
This precedes George Romeros' legendary "Night of the Living Dead" by two years, and it's too bad Hammer couldn't have capitalized on the great success of that American classic with further forays into the zombie sub genre.
Recommended for any lover of old British horror.
Seven out of 10.
Although not as great as some titles in the Hammer filmography, "The Plague of the Zombies" is a solid shocker and Hammers' only attempt at a zombie picture. Director John Gilling and screenwriter Peter Bryan keep up anticipation throughout, and once the zombies show up, they don't disappoint. Given appropriate visages by Hammer makeup effects ace Roy Ashton, they're subtly creepy and amusing. Best of all is the set piece that kicks off the final third, a parade of the dead returning to life in a churchyard.
The music, sets, photography, etc. are all exemplary, and handled by some talented Hammer regulars. Bryans' screenplay isn't airtight, but it's reasonably intelligent as it takes its distinguished men of medicine and presents them with a nightmare scenario. It leads up to a fiery, exciting finale that doesn't give the heroes much room to breathe.
Morell, 57 at the time, is a delightful sardonic curmudgeon at first, but you just know that he's going to be an efficient hero who will connect all the dots and work to solve the problem.
There are engaging performances all around - John Carson as the cagey Squire Hamilton, Alexander Davion as thuggish young man Denver, and Marcus Hammond as the angry Tom Martinus. But the true delight for Hammer devotees is seeing its most frequent repertory player, Michael Ripper, in one of his best Hammer roles as a tough-talking sergeant. Sexy brunette Pearce does seem to thoroughly enjoy her one big scene.
This precedes George Romeros' legendary "Night of the Living Dead" by two years, and it's too bad Hammer couldn't have capitalized on the great success of that American classic with further forays into the zombie sub genre.
Recommended for any lover of old British horror.
Seven out of 10.