the legend of the 7 golden vampires

[ToyMan]

just picked this up last night.

not so bad. not everything i imagined it might be, either.

if you're coming at this film, having seen "mr vampire", "vampire vs vampire", or "a chinese ghost story", you're likely to be underwhelmed. if you're coming at this from a "horror express", "the satanic rites of dracula" standpoint, you'll probably also feel missed.

however, if you can put everything you might suppose about the film, you'll probably enjoy it. there's a lot of very atmospheric and over-wrought lighting, in a sort of good, "dario argento" sort of way.

also, for you sleaze fans, there are plenty of naked asian lady teats to be seen.

[Menard]

I am about middle of the fence on this one as well.

I had read some reviews about this Shaw Brothers/Hammer Studios co-production which raved about the film; I at least hope they got paid for those reviews.

It does have its action moments, as would be expected from a Shaw Brothers film, but it is lacking in its Hammer influence, despite the inclusion of Hammer regulars Peter Cushing and Julie Ege.

Cushing is again playing Van Helsing on the trail of Dracula, yet again, this time, however, in the company of 7 brothers and a sister who are expert martial artists (hmm...I wonder if the musical version could be called 7 Vampires for 7 Brothers)

Dracula has taken a sideline to his usual tricks and has possessed the body of a Chinese warlord to resurrect 7 vampires.

Where Hammer Dracula films have succeeded before, as in many good horror films of the past, is our protagonist having to fight a force which is more powerful than them and overcoming it. In Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires, despite a good number of deaths along the way, this is a relative cakewalk for Van Helsing, who usually steps aside when a fight begins. The addition of a son for Van Helsing, who is a literal clutz, does not help the story.

Mandatory fight scenes are to be expected, and are delivered, whether they make sense or not; such as an ambush in the middle of a field (I wonder how long guys really would crouch down behind field grass only to rise and announce themselves before they attack).

What this film does have is entertainment in its martial arts scenes. It unfortunately tries to marry another film style with it and does not succeed where it is not a martial arts film.

There are several cuts of this film, so one could feasibly be a little better than another; though the core elements of the film which make or break it would still be there.

[Scott]

It's the neat combination of genres here that draws us to this one. Though it isn't that great a film it is still worth a good look. Nice recap of the film Menard. The film is a must see for all Hammer and Kung Fu fans. It's an oddity for sure.

[Neville]

I rather enjoyed it when I was younger.

Hammer-style prologue? Check

Peter Cushing? Check

Martial arts? Check

Zombies? Check

Naked Asian girls tied to a giant squeezer? Check

Peter Cushing doing action scenes? Check

Not among the best Hammer films, no doubt, but still lots of fun.

[ToyMan]

the anchor bay disc (which came boxed with "frankenstein created woman") has a flipside, with the supposedly horrible american cut "seven brothers meet dracula" on it. maybe if i watch that version, the original cut won't seem as bad?

[Dr. Whom]

Hmm

This one is difficult. As a concept, it was 20 years ahead of its time. As a movie, it has its weaknesses. For a start Dracula himself is less than impressive (though his 'I am Dracula, I help no one, Die! is pretty good) For seconds, it is very much two movies, with Hammer scenes alternating with Shaw brothers Kung Fu. Still, it is good fun. Perhaps not a must see, but worth the effort.

[The Burgomaster]

I have this on a double DVD.  It has LEGEND OF THE 7 GOLDEN VAMPIRES and THE 7 BROTHERS MEET DRACULA (2 different cuts of the same movie).

[ToyMan]

the aforementioned anchor bay disc, i assume.

[BoyScoutKevin]

East meets West. Kung-fu meets horror. Like many such genera films, towards the end of their run, it tried to do something a lifftle different. That's what I like about it. Besides the fact that Cushing plays Van Helsing, once more. What I don't like about the film, is that Dracula is not played by Christopher Lee, this time.

[ToyMan]

i disliked the lack of hopping vampires, and that some of the 7 golden vampires died far too easily, and were not fully-developed characters. i'd point to the devils of kimon in the feature-length animation"ninja scroll" as an example of how a cadre of fiends could be better-characterized.

[Neville]

I have to admit ToyMan is true about the vampires dying too easily, but since this is more a seven-samurai style movie than a gothic horror, they couldn't spent much time with the individual vampires. This also applies to their backgrounds.

[ToyMan]

they could have focused on the last three, or even the final golden vampire as a character.

[Andrew]

It does seem thrown together at times, almost like a Reese's commecial.  "Hey, you got your kung-fu all over my Dracula!" to "Hey, you got your Dracula all over my kung-fu!"  I did enjoy the one battle in the middle of the field, which was offered up to establish the fighters' skills.  The fights against the vampires' minions were not nearly as interesting, even the grand battle at the end.

[ToyMan]

i sort of liked the last battle scene. i was surprised at how graphic some of the injuries were, especially the one where the hands get cut off.

by the way, i tried watching the american cut from side 2 last night, and it made my brain hurt.

[Scott]

Check out Andrew's review of LEGEND OF THE SEVEN GOLDEN VAMPIRES.