14 December 2024
Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires (1974)
89 min.
Directed by Roy Ward Baker.
With Peter Cushing, Julie Ege, David Chiang, Robert Stewart, Shih Szu, John Forbes-Robertson, Chan Shen, James Ma, Liu Chia Yung, Feng Ko An, Chen Tien Loong, Wong Kan Chan.
Surprise, surprise! Who would have thought that a co-mingling of the kung fu and horror genres would work?

Well, apparently Hammer Studios did. And they were right! (Either that, or they were just plain lucky.)

On a lecture circuit in China, Professor Van Helsing (Cushing) is engaged by Chiang to help the latter dispel the hold of 7 golden vampires who have placed a death hold on his ancestral village.

With the aid of his 6 brothers (and one sister), Chiang, Van Helsing and their ragtag group set out to battle the golden devils.

Unbeknownst to Van Helsing, the cult of golden vampires is puppeted by old stalwart Count Dracula (this time played by Forbes-Robertson).

Alternately campy and spellbinding, and punctuated by entirely enthusiastic martial arts sequences, this one makes for a very fun watch indeed.

Certainly, it falls into the "what's going on here!??" category. But that's part of its charm, and nevertheless it's guaranteed to hold your interest.

Also known as 7 Brothers Meet Dracula, but beware that 79 min. butchered version.

From regular Hammer (and sometimes Amicus) director Roy Ward Baker (who did Aslyum in 1972, and The Vault of Horror in 1973 et many al).

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