Each October, the Unsung Horrors podcast does a month of themed movies. This year, they will once again be setting up a fundraiser to benefit Best Friends, which works to save the lives of cats and dogs across America, giving pets second chances and happy homes.
Today’s theme: Hammer Time
By 1964, director Terence Fisher and the legendary duo of Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing had already given us iconic takes on Dracula, Frankenstein, and the Mummy. But what happens when Hammer benches Transylvania for a minute and brings Ancient Greek mythology into a gothic German village?
The year is 1910, and the sleepy village of Vandorf, Germany, has a pretty huge problem: people keep turning up dead. And by dead, I mean literally turned to stone. When local artist Bruno Heitz (Jeremy Longhurst) and his pregnant girlfriend, Sascha (Toni Gilpin), fall victim to whatever lurks in the woods near Castle Borski, the town elders cover it up to avoid panic. But Bruno’s father, Professor Jules Heitz (Michael Goodliffe), isn’t buying the official story. He suspects something ancient and mythical haunts the ruins: Megaera, one of the legendary Gorgons whose hideous face can turn human flesh to stone with a single glance. Before he can prove it, Jules gets a quick peek at the beast and succumbs to the stone curse himself—leaving just enough time to warn his other son, Paul (Richard Pasco).
That’s when we get Peter Cushing as Dr. Namaroff, the tight-lipped institutional doctor who knows way more than he’s letting on. Mostly, that’s because he’s hopelessly in love with his assistant, Carla (Barbara Shelley), who has amnesia and could be the reason all of this is happening. Christopher Lee also plays Professor Karl Meister, Paul’s sharp-witted mentor, who rolls into town late in the film like the cavalry with a magnificent mustache, ready to solve the mystery and crack heads. As the full moon rises over Castle Borski, secret loves, ancient curses and tragic fate collide in a final act where nobody leaves unscathed.
Usually, Peter Cushing plays the heroic man of science (Van Helsing), and Christopher Lee plays the sinister monster (Dracula). The Gorgon flips the script. Cushing plays Dr. Namaroff as a morally gray, secretive and obsessive man driven by unrequited love. Meanwhile, Lee plays Professor Meister as a loud, domineering, strictly logical heroic scholar who commandeers every scene he’s in.
Directed by Terence Fisher and written by John Gilling and Anthony Nelson Keys (based on a story pitch from Canadian Hammer fan J. Llewellyn Divine!), The Gorgon leans heavily into tragic romance. It’s less of a jump-scare creature feature and more of a melancholic fairy tale. The fog-drenched forests of Bray Studios, the crumbling ruins of Castle Borski and the haunting vocal score make you feel like you’re trapped in an early 70s prog-rock album cover.
The snake-haired FX on Megaera (played by former ballerina Prudence Hyman, giving the monster a floating, ghost-like movement) took a beating from critics back in 1964. But in the era of soulless CGI, Hammer’s practical makeup, green lighting and atmospheric dread have an absolute charm.
In 1977, the movie was adapted into a glorious 17-page comic strip illustrated by Trevor Goring and Alberto Cuyas in issues #11 and #12 of The House of Hammer magazine.
Here’s a drink to go with the movie.
Stone Gaze Sour
- 2 oz. vodka
- 2 oz. pineapple juice
- 1 oz. cranberry juice
- .5 oz lime juice
- Add all four ingredients into a shaker filled with ice and shake.
- Strain into a rocks glass over a single large ice cube.
You can watch this on Tubi.
