This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

The craggy cliffs at seaside in the Cornwall section of England seem to lend themselves to stories of mystery and adventure. So much good literature seems to be set there, ditto films. This one from Hammer films is no classic, but reasonably frightening.The brother of Ray Barrett who lived in a small Cornish village is struck down with a mysterious maladies which go in the books as heart attacks. The place is so small it has no regular doctor so the regional coroner just takes it verbatim.Barrett and wife Jennifer Daniel come to stay at the late brother's house and they're not greeted with open arms by the villagers. Least of all Noel Willman who is a doctor, but not of medicine, theology rather. Willman has a frisky young daughter played by Jacqueline Pearce and a man of the east played by Marne Maitland, a mysterious fellow known only as the Malay.Think of a reptilian version of a werewolf picture and you've got what's going on in The Reptile. The plot and script are a bit fuzzy, but the usual Hammer fright fest is present here.And without either Peter Cushing or Christopher Lee.

By all rights, Hammer's quartet of cheapie pictures (DRACULA: PRINCE OF DARKNESS, RASPUTIN THE MAD MONK, PLAGUE OF THE ZOMBIES and this) deserved little, if any success. However the four films present some of the best of the Hammer output, four rich little horror films which blend the subtle chills with some gory shocks - and are all films which remarkably disguise their low budgets with a classy sheen. Only RASPUTIN is an average film while the other three are among my Hammer favourites. THE REPTILE is a smashing film from beginning to end, a perfect little film in every way. The structure is good (there is a deliberate slow pace, in order to build the tension) and the music is the typical Gothic dread we have come to expect from the famous studio, but it is perhaps the story which remains the most interesting aspect, a spin on the werewolf legend with a reptile monster taking the place of the wolf.The reptile could easily have been an object of ridicule (like the cardboard creations in THE MUTATIONS), but thanks to Roy Ashton's famous make up, it remains the most inventive creature in the whole Hammer horror cycle. The fangs and bug eyes may not be the most realistic things ever portrayed, but they're original and cleverly done, and perhaps the work of a genius. Once again, Hammer have come up with a fine ensemble cast who perform their roles perfectly, capturing every side of their characters. There's Jennifer Daniel as the ubiquitous blonde female victim, and Jacqueline Pearce as the lovely but quite deadly Anna, cursed to become a snake woman. Her looks are memorable whether she's in snake form or not.Ray Barrett stars as the rugged hero, appearing somewhat like a Welsh version of Rod Taylor, while Noel Willman plays his role perfectly as the stern, coldly aloof, unlikable doctor (come to think of it, Christopher Lee would have been great too), torn between protecting his daughter and his own interests. He too is an imposing screen presence, almost up there with the Cushings and Lees of the period. The supporting players are perhaps the most memorable. Michael Ripper gives solid support as a pub landlord (what else? Expect the usual dialogue such as, "they don't like strangers round here!") who offers assistance whenever he can, and his is a heartfelt performance of a genuinely kind, friendly character. John Laurie plays another eccentric person, and his cries of "corrupt and evil, corrupt and evil" are certainly similar to "we're all doomed"! With a burning mansion at the end, plenty of heroism, shocks, grave digging, memorable make up, and solid acting, THE REPTILE remains one of my Hammer favourites. It just has that polished feel to it, with gruesome activities taking place in a quite rural village, that I love. You won't be disappointed.

As a Hammer film fan I'm used to seeing all the usual suspects, but this film makes a neat departure from your classic movie monsters and delves into a bit of reptilian horror. Considering that the feature creature was a snake woman, I began to question why the picture wasn't called 'The Snake Woman' or 'Cobra Woman', but following a quick IMDb search, I found those titles were already taken; the first one made in 1961 and the latter in 1944. I thought that might have been the case.Well it takes a while for the actual snake woman to make her appearance in full regalia, and one has to admit it was a grotesque piece of business. The 'cobra' fangs on the neck of it's victims was also a neat touch, hinting at a possible vampire tease but going in a different direction altogether. I had to wonder why Harry Spalding (Ray Barrett) didn't get the full monty blackened skin treatment and die right off the bat when Anna (Jacqueline Pearce) put the bite on him, but obviously his wife (Jennifer Daniel) made it to the rescue in time.Meanwhile the business with the Malay creepy guy (Marne Maitland) didn't seem very well fleshed out to explain why he had such a dominant hold over Dr. Franklyn (Noel Willman). They eventually came to blows, so except for the sake of the story, one would question why Franklyn didn't make his break with the guy a lot sooner. By the way, what was in that bubbly concoction in the underground dungeon - poison, snake venom, acid, what? Overall though, an effective enough horror flick to entertain most fans. The Hammer sets always manage to entertain with their lavish detail, this one was absent some of the bright, garish color of the Frankenstein and Dracula flicks. The inclusion of Anna playing a sitar had to be a bonus, you don't get to see that much, short of a Ravi Shankar concert.

With having picked up the DVD/Blu-Ray presentation by Studio Canal of John Gilling's Hammer Horror title The Mummy's Shroud a week earlier,I was thrilled to discover on Amazon,that studio Canal had also brought out John Gilling's companion movie to the very good Hammer Horror Plague of the Zombies,which led to me excitingly getting ready to witness the reptile shed its skin for the first time.The plot:Learning of his brother's sudden death,Harry Spalding and his wife Valerie decide to visit a small town in Cornwall called Clagmoor Heath,so that they can attend Charles Edward Spalding's funeral.Preparing to set off,Harry and Valerie are given the news that Charles had left them a cottage based in the village in his will,which leads to the Spalding's deciding that they may spend more time in Clagmoor Heath than they originally expected.Being interested in finding out the cause of his brother's sudden death,Harry decides to ask the locals about Charles the moment that the cart wheels into town.Hoping to receive a friendly welcome,the Spalding's are instead caught by surprise when the locals, (with the exception of a pub land lord called Tom Bailey) give them the cold shoulder,and tell them to mind their own business.Getting ready to go asleep after their less then joyful day of attending Charles funeral,and also being treated like "outsiders" by the locals,the Spalding's suddenly hear a loud knock at the door.Rushing into their living room,the Spalding's are taken aback by a rambling man called Mad Peter.Calming down,Peter begins to tell the Spalding's that he fears Charles demise may be connected to a number of strange deaths that have recently taken place in the village.As he begins to go into detail about his suspicions,the Spalding's and Peter hear a haunting, music sound coming from an unknown part of the village.Jumping to his feet,Peter runs out of the Spalding's cottage,so that he is safely at home before "it" appears.Hours later:Awoken by a loud bashing sound against their windows,the Spalding's are met by the dying sight of Mad Peter,who along with foaming at the mouth,is also covered in weird,vicious bite marks…View on the film:Before getting to the film itself,I have to mention that along with giving the title a clear soundtrack and also allowing the full details of the actor's faces to be fully displayed,Studio Canal make sure in their excellent new transfer that the movie's distinctive appearance is placed right at the centre,in all of its atmospheric glory.Despite being given "limited" options in the production of the movie due to the studio forcing him to re-use sets from Plague of the Zombies,and also having to deal with a pretty small budget, (which led to Hammer studios actually putting some more cash into the production after it had wrapped for re-shoots!,due to being unhappy with the makeup effects) director John Gilling and cinematography Arthur Grant cover the film in an extraordinary,atmospheric wet mist,which with giving the setting a "fresh" wet appearance,also creates a feeling of something deadly slithering around in the darken corners of the movie.Backed by a fantastically haunting,nerve twitching score from Don Banks, (which also features what is perhaps the sitar's debut in a Horror movie score)Gilling and Grant give the Horror contained within the movie a strong,mystical mood,with Gilling and Grant building a strong sense that the horror which is unfolding across the village is rooted in rituals and is not a "Horror" that any of the character's can get a full grasp on.Trimed down from its original,bigger budget intension of being called "The Curse of the Reptiles",the screenplay by Anthony Hinds thankfully goes in an extremely distinctive direction,which allows for the story to shine,even in its edited form.Initially making the movie's appearance to be a Horror Mystery,due to Hinds having Harry Spalding, (played by a determined Ray Barrett) peel one clue away after another,Hines gradually reveals the movie to in fact be a chameleon,by brilliantly unleashing a terrific riff on the Werewolf mythology/legend,which along with giving the Horror sections a real bite,also cast's "the monster" in an unexpectedly tragic light,as the reptile slithers across the screen for the final time.