This
archive article is now notably out of date, written back
when Kronos was impossible to get except from bootleggers
and traders, it is of course now readily available around
the world on dvd.
Little Shoppe
of Horrors #18 is devoted to the film. I repost this
article simply for archive interest. As with much of the
rest of the site I hope to update the article in the near
future....
Starring
HORST
JANSON
JOHN CARSON
SHANE BRIANT
CAROLINE MUNRO
Also Srarring
JOHN CARTER
LOUIS DANE
with
WILLIAM HOBBS
BRIAN TULLY
ROBERT JAMES
PERRY SOBLOSKY
PAUL GREENWOOD
LISA COLLINGS
JOHN HOLLIS
And Guest Stars
IAN HENDRY
as KERRO
WANDA VENTHAM
as LADY
DURWARD
Production Designer
RICHARD
DALTON
Assistant Director DAVID TRINGHAM
Continuity JUNE RANDALL
Casting Director JAMES LIGGAT
Fight Arranger WILLIAM HOBBS
DIrector of Photogrpahy
IAN
WILSON
Camera Operator GODFREY GODAR
Make-Up JIM EVANS
Hairdressing BARBARA RITCHIE
Processed by Humphries Laboratories
Designer
ROBERT
JONES
Assistant Art Director KENNETH McGALLUM
Wardrobe Supervisor DULGIE MIDWINTER
Editor
JAMES
NEEDS
Sound Recordist JIM WILLIS
Dubbing Mixer BILL ROWE
Sound Editor PETER LENNARD
Recording Director A.W. LUMKEN
Music by
LAURIE
JOHNSON
Musical Supervisor
PHILIP
MARTELL
Production Supervisor
ROY
SKEGGS
Produced by
ALBERT
........BRIAN
FENNELL......CLEMENS
Written and Directed by
BRIAN
CLEMENS
Kronos
HORST JANSON
Dr. Marcus JOHN CARSON
Paul Durward SHANE BRIANT
Carla CAROLINE MUNRO
Grost JOHN CARTER
Sara Durward LOIS DAINE
Kerro IAN HENDRY
Lady Durward WANDA VENTHAM
Hagen WILLIAM HOBBS
George Sorell BRIAN TULLY
Pointer ROBERT JAMES
Barlow PERRY SOBLOSKY
Giles PAUL GREENWOOD
Vanda Sorell LISA COLLINGS
Barman JOHN HOLLIS
Isabella Sorell SUSANNA EAST
Barton Sorell STAFFORD GORDON
Ann Sorell ELIZABETH DEAR
Myra JOANNA ROSS
Priest NEIL SEILER
Lilian OLGAR ANTHONY
Blind Girl GIGI GURPINAR
Big Man PETER DAVIDSON
Tom TERENCE SEWARDS
Deke TREVOR LAWRENCE
Barmaid JACQUI COOK
Whore PENNY PRICE
CAPTAIN
KRONOS : VAMPIRE HUNTER
Original Duration: 91mins, colour
Original Certificate : AA
Today's UK Certificate : 15
Filmed at MGM-EMI Elstree, London, England
IN
A NUTSHELL:A young
girl goes missing in the village of Durwood, only to be later
discovered drained of blood. Local MD, Dr Marcus is anxious and
calls his old war-buddy and friend, Captain Kronos, a
professional Vampire Hunter to investigate. Accompanied by a
hunchbacked colleague, Professor Groust, and a young peasant
rescued from the stocks, they set off to discover the cause.
In the course of the investigations they discover that the
vampires responsible are of a strange variety, and it is only the
attack upon Marcus by a mysterious vampire that enables them to
discover the correct method of destruction.
Suspicion centres around the local lords of the manor (so-to-speak)
the Durwards, as the young girl is used as bait....
REVIEW:
Perhaps the greatest
of all Hammer's vampire films, it did much for the vampire
legends, on a par with Polanki's 1967 feature The Fearless
Vampire Killers. Polanksi introduced us to two amateur
vampire hunters, dealing with the problems of amongst others, a
Jewish vampire (the crucifix holding no fear here), and a gay
vampire! Brian Clemen's script for Hammer, wheras not as ultra-specific,
avoids the clichés and pitfalls, and manages to produce one of
Hammer's most original horror pictures.
This would be the second feature from the pen of Brian Clemens, a
writer who is perhaps best remembered for his work on tv's The
Avengers, and The Professionals. His own piece Dr
Jekyll and Sister Hyde had done much to alter the look on
the classic Robert Louis Stevenson psycoloigical study. Kronos
was to be equally groundbreaking.
Approaching
the subject of vampires is no easy task. Vampires have been the
staple of so many films, that rarely do we find anything even
remotely original. What Clemens manages to do, is open up a whole
new avenue of exploration. As Groust comments "There are as
many species of Vampire as there are beasts of prey". No
longer are the traditional methods of crosses and garlic and
sunlight a sure-fire method of protection against the most
frightening creature of the dark.
Brian Clemens himself has remarked on the creation process, how
after watching all the old Dracula movies, the vampire came
across as the hero, and there was no longer any tension. His
script would call for a completely new type of vampire and a new
superhero in the guise of Kronos.
Much has
been made of the fan-originated rumour of a return for the
character in a series. Certainly Brian had envisaged a series of
films being made about the hero, though to date, this has been
his only filmed appearance. Kronos himself according to Brain's
original character sketches, is something of a time traveller.
Aways crusading against evil, and with the ability to turn up in
any place at any time -and not necessarily battling against
vampires either (that is, besides Groust's claim that they are
"professional vampire hunters".
The good Captain's adventures did continue briefly in the first
three issues of The House of Hammer magazine, albeit in
comic strip form. Fans are constantly asking Brian, and anyone
claiming insight, as to whether or not he will return. Certainly
the time has never been better. Kronos precedes the Ann
Rice novels, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer (which itself
took ten years of limbo before the tv series became a hit), and
yet gives something far more than either of them. We await the
final dicision.
The film is
slick and well directed by Clemens. The snazzy close-ups and arty
photography in many ways preceeds the work of The New
Avengers, and The Professionals. The all-action
hero of Kronos is himself much more than a reinvented Van Helsing,
rather Kronos itself signifies the return of the swashbuckler.
One imagines that had distribution not been so poor, and the film
had received the contemporary audience it so rightly deserved,
that a whole new genre would open.
Clemens' original script blends classic vampirism, sword-fighting,
and a unique blend of almost black humour. Clemens enthusiasts
will no doubt be able to pick out the master at work in his joint
role as writer-director.
Music for
the film was provided by Laurie Johnson, who has composed the
themes for the Avengers (the classic Avengers theme). Whilst some
have criticised his rousing thumping score as perhaps better
suited to a tv series, the main theme, combined with the fast and
quirky shots and dank scenery to create a perfect blend, and
breath of fresh air.
The cast
themselves are on top form. Jansen himself is enigmatic (albeit
dubbed by Julian Holloway) as Kronos, John Cater is suitably
humble as Groust, and the rest of the cast are of an equally high
standard. John Carson makes a return Hammer appearance, in a
rather ill-fated part. Of the rest of the support it is Caroline
Munro who shines through. Hammer's latest sex kitten receiving
her first major role for the studio following on from Dracula
AD 1972, and her uncast guest appearance in On the Buses,
subtly in a large poster on the outside of the bus station,
advertising Lamb's Rum, the very photo in fact which drew her to
the attention of Sir James Carreras.
Ian Hendry also makes a welcome return to a Clemens' project,
having gained notority as the star of Police Surgeon and
then the first series of The Avengers at the start of
the 60's. Hendry's scenes in the bar, are amongst the most
amusing in the film. Clemens again displaying his unique and
somewhat abstract humour.
Its
interesting to note, that Kronos is short on the sex and
nudity, coming as it does in the early seventies, when those were
the exact elements of much British film. Whilst sex is implied,
it is thanks to Caroline Munro's refusal to bare all perhaps,
that we are treated to such a fine action film. Caroline did film
a number of well-lit scenes beside a camp fire with Jansen. Her
hair so long, that her breasts are covered, and clever costuming
concealing the rest.
Odd further then, that these scenes whilst not explicit are in
fact very erotic. Thus making them perhaps some of the more
memorable Hammer sex scenes.
Kronos
went before the cameras on 10th April 1972. Shooting would take
seven weeks with two on location, wrapping on 27th May, with the
studio work being done at MGM-EMI Elstree.
The film had been partially financed with a loan from the
National Film Finance Corporation, and despite its cult
popularity, poor distribution plagued the film when it was
eventually released on 7th April 1974, certified AA. It would
sink virtually without trace, undeservedly forgotten by the film-going
public.
Kronos
is a figure who seems loathe to die though. After continuing his
adventures in comic strip form for the first three issues of The
House of Hammer magazine in 1977, the last twenty years has
seen constant rumours of an impending further adventure. Clemens
himself has toyed with the idea, and one can't help but think
that some day he will return.
Incidently,
although the film remains largely unavailable on video (a dvd
release having been initially dismissed owing to poor quality
source material, it did receive a number of screenings on the Sci-fi
channel in the UK in the mid-1990s. The edit shown on the sci-fi
channel is markedly different from the familiar form, and for no
real explanation omits a number of major scenes, including the
pre-credit sequence, and Caroline Munro's famous semi-nude
campfire scene!
There is on
the whole, little to fault with Kronos, and much to
praise, but its place has been ignored in the annals of Hammer
greats. Often forgotten amongst the Draculas and Frankensteins,
the project goes to show how much in tune with the changing needs
of the Hammer product, the studio were. Retaining its gothic
quality, but blending it further, Kronos is as relevant
and appealing today as it has always been. Ultra-modern and ultra-fine.
Kronos
remains on the most wanted lists of most Hammer fans, with a pityful distibution on VHS and at time of writing no sign of DVD.
Unavailable in the UK, it has had sparadic distribution on VHS in
the rest of Europe. America saw a release some years ago by
Paramount.
23rd
May 2002: recently Paramount in the US have re-examined their
catalogue and Kronos looks set for release on dvd in 2003.
Also Srarring
Music by
CAPTAIN
KRONOS : VAMPIRE HUNTER
