Mike Raven Movies
Originally a British disc jockey, Mike Raven appeared in a few low-budget horror films in the early '70s. His film credits include Lust for a Vampire and I, Monster (both 1971). ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
One-time BBC radio personality Mike Raven hams it up in this off-the-wall horror oddity as a demon who is revived when the blood from a virgin's pricked finger is spilled on his grave, freeing his vile soul to stalk more innocent prey. This leads to a lot of messy ritual murders in which Raven tears out the hearts of several chaste young women, who then rise from the dead to become his zombie brides. Though this is often very amateurish-looking at times, there are some genuinely chilling set-pieces and a visual style that gives the film an otherworldly ambience; the simple story is propelled by clever dialogue and some truly demented moments of humor. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi
A crazed sculptor (Mike Raven) realizes that his craft is made much easier by simply pouring molten bronze over his beautiful female models. ~ John Bush, Rovi
This is one of three Hammer films loosely based on Sheridan LeFanu's book Camilla, which gives the standard vampire story a lesbian twist. The other two films are The Vampire Lovers and Twins of Evil. In this film, Count Karnstein, through a magical ritual, relies on the feedings of the newly re-fleshed and voluptuous vampire Mircalla (Yutte Stensgaard) for his own sustenance. This keeps her very busy indeed. She finds a ready supply of victims at a girls' finishing school. Her troubles begin when two male teachers from the school decide to investigate. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
In this fairly interesting variant on Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde from Britain's Amicus Studios, Christopher Lee stars as Marlowe, a stuffy doctor who develops a formula to release inhibitions. When he takes it, Marlowe turns into the evil and repulsive Mr. Blake. The twist is that Blake gets uglier with each successive dose until he becomes a pitiful, ape-like monster. Peter Cushing co-stars as Marlowe's lawyer friend, and a young Chloe Franks appears with Mike Raven and Kenneth J. Warren. Despite the low budget, director Stephen Weeks manages to present a realistic depiction of Victorian England, and Lee turns in a memorable performance. The film started shooting in 3-D, but the idea was discarded during production. ~ Robert Firsching, Rovi
