By DR. BENNY GRAVES
One of the things I appreciate when it comes to Hammer Horror is the uniqueness of the individual films. While a general gothic horror aesthetic is present throughout much of its output, Hammer Films is arguably best known for its vampires. However, there are so many different flavors to taste when it comes to Hammer’s plots and players. For mad scientist aficionados, there’s Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell. For those who want insanely ambitious proto-Prometheus/Alien sci-fi horror, there’s Quatermass and The Pit. Yet, for me, 1971’s TWINS OF EVIL is the hot fudge sundae of the Hammer filmography. This flick is dense with gothic horror while also decadent with schlock and technicolor blood. It has witchfinders, black magic rituals, sexy vampire babes and castle siege scenes. I had the pleasure of first seeing a 35mm print of the film at Exhumed Films 24 Hour Horrothon XV, and it immediately became an obsession.
Recently orphaned twins Maria and Frieda Gelhorn (real-life sisters Mary and Madeleine Collinson) have just moved from Venice to live with their uncle Gustav in Styria. Accustomed to a more liberal lifestyle, they’re given a rude awakening when they discover Gustav (a steely-eyed Peter Cushing firing on all cylinders) is a fanatical Puritan witchfinder who demands order from all citizens in the village of Karnstein. While both twins are disturbed by the state of affairs, Frieda is rebellious and defiant, seeking escape in the company of the infamous Count Karnstein (Damien Thomas who bears a disturbing resemblance to Jimmy Fallon). Obsessed with Satanic black magic – but bored by those who use it as mere pageantry – the count is a blasphemous being of hefty sexual appetites. He summons his ancestor, the vampire Countess Mircala, who transforms him into a creature of the night. What follows is a plague that shatters the lives of the Gelhorn twins and forces their uncle as well as the villagers of Karnstein into combat with the thirsty undead.
Directed by John Hough (The Legend of Hell House, Escape to Witch Mountain), TWINS OF EVIL is a rollercoaster of delights. Cushing, always a pleasure in any role, is impeccable as witchfinder zealot Gustav Weil. Convinced of sin at every turn and vicious in his retribution, Cushing gives the character an unwavering obsession that brings to life the phrase “There’s no hate like Christian love.”
Cast by producer Harry Fine based on their recent appearance in Playboy, the Collinson twins are certainly easy on the eyes., and the divergent paths their rebellion against Uncle Gustav’s control takes is fascinating. Both are fascinated by Karnstein, but only one is cruel enough to end up in the count’s company.
Yet, the cherry atop this bloody sundae is Thomas, who chews the scenery like it’s his business. Believing himself free from retribution due to his status, Thomas’ Count Karnstein revels in blasphemy. His every word drips with equal parts mockery and disdain. Some of the best scenes in the movie feature Karnstein squaring off against Gustav – two characters who exist on opposite poles of a moral compass yet possess a significant mutual capacity for violence.
There are reasons I keep returning to TWINS OF EVIL as my comfort Hammer film: The Satanic imagery is uniquely prevalent, and the union of vampires with black masses is like pairing chocolate with peanut butter. Not to mention this is one of the more raunchy Hammer films (There’s a scene with a black candle that’ll have you cackling at its audacity), rivaled only by The Vampire Lovers (1970). Interestingly, the two movies are related, forming a loose trilogy with Lust For a Vampire (1971).
So, what would be the perfect cocktail to enjoy while watching all this Satanic vampire insanity unfold? I needed something decadent yet potent and turned to Kitty Bernardo, head bartender at New York’s Paradise Lost. for the right black mass libation:
“I decided to go with the Corpse Reviver as my cocktail recommendation, specifically the Corpse Reviver #1, which is often lost in history when it comes to the normal bartending Rolodex of drinks. Famously upstaged by its equal-parts-cocktail sister, the Corpse Reviver #2, the Corpse Reviver #1 has a much stronger and stiffer base of booze. Both drinks were immortalized in Harry Craddock’s 1930 The Savoy Cocktail Book as hangover ‘hair of the dog’ cures – something to revive the corpse after a night out drinking. As such, both iterations were intended to be served before 11 a.m., which is where the #2 gets its reputation as a brunch cocktail. While #2 is light, citrusy, and approachable (all things that lend to an easy morning sipper), #1 is spirit-forward and unapologetically boozy, almost reminiscent of the Manhattans one would drink more towards dinner time than with breakfast.”
Corpse Reviver #1:
1.5 ounces Cognac (Pierre Ferrand 1840 preferred)
0.75 ounces Calvados or Laird’s Applejack
1 ounce Sweet Vermouth (Equal Parts Carpano Antica & Cocchi di Torino preferred)
1 dash Angostura Bitters
Stir for 60 revolutions until properly diluted then strain into a coupe or a martini glass. Garnish with a fancy maraschino cherry.
