MovieChat Forums > Captain Clegg (1962) Discussion > Hammer's most underrated movie

Hammer's most underrated movie

posted 15 years ago by BillyFisher
13 replies | jump to latest

The performances are excellent. Peter Cushing gives one of his best, and even the normally lacklustre Patrick Allen is perfectly suited to the part.

The direction (by the late Peter Graham Scott) is strong. The marsh scenes are full of atmosphere. It's suspenseful and taut.

The story is also very strong. It's well-paced, exciting, full of emotion, thrills, adventure. It's the only Hammer film that's ever brought me (very nearly) to tears.

It's well-written. The interplay between Blyss and Captain Collier is very witty.

All in all, this has about everything I'd want in a Hammer film. I also like that the story's moral is really clear and poignant, without being over-obvious or didactic.

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[–] onnanob2 15 years ago

It's certainly a fun Hammer film! It has all the right elements and is very entertaining. If I could change anything, it would be to have even more time in the marshes with the night phantoms.

[–] JIM_KELLYS_AFRO 14 years ago

This and Rasputin are very underrated.

Cushing is brilliant in Clegg and Lee is amazing as Rasputin the mad monk.

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[–] InjunNose 14 years ago

Lovely film...and yes, one of the most underappreciated Hammer offerings (along with "The Gorgon" and "Phantom of the Opera", in my opinion).

[–] hlderry 12 years ago

I thought The Reptile was another under rated Hammer classic as well

[–] InjunNose 11 years ago

Yes! "The Reptile" is great, and I wish I could find a copy at a reasonable price.

[–] Kammurabi 12 years ago

Definitely among my top ten favorite Hammers.
Somewhat overlooked I think. Not even a full page on the imdb boards for this one.

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[–] scadeetin 11 years ago

**WARNING**This post contains a spoiler**

I consider myself practically raised on Hammer and Vincent Price's horror films as well as other films from the 1970's and 80's and it made me interested in seeing older films from other studios as well. I'm well-rounded now.

Night Creatures is one that I just barely remembered and I've been trying to find out what that film was with the skeletons riding skeleton horses for years. I just saw it again after 30-ish years and am just a bit disappointed to see that they were just costumes on living human characters and their horses, but I found this to be a great movie anyway. Always a fan of Peter Cushing and great writing. This film is based on an interesting classic story too. I've never seen a Hammer I didn't like.

I tend to think all Hammer films are underrated as I find most people like to talk more about the Universals and maybe the Vincent Price films as far as pre-slasher franchise horror (Fred Krueger, Michael Meyers, Jason) goes. Sad, really.

[–] tali1 11 years ago

A rather decent effort and sadly forgotten -its last TV showing was on
05/12/1981 ....31 years ago
And weedy Cushing kicking crap out of the muscular slave.Hehehe

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[–] greenbudgie (2355) a year ago

Although slightly built, Peter Cushing did show that he could do a bit of rough stuff in some of his films. It was large-build Vincent Price who rarely took on much physicality in his movies.

[–] greenbudgie (2355) a year ago

The skeletons riding skeleton horses is a great idea. I'm glad they knew how to sell the film by putting them on the poster.

[–] I_Guard_Tanelorn 10 years ago

I wasn't expecting a real movie. I thought this was a ghost pirate flick. Very engrossing.

"I said no camels, that's five camels, can't you count?"

[–] Xcalat3 (3701) 7 years ago

Criminally Underrated!

Got the DVD yesterday and just saw it for the first time and i was not disappointed.

[–] jdforyou1983 (1469) 3 years ago

Definitely underrated