Sir Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing team once again for this solidly entertaining little film. The premise is that while England is going through a particularly chilly winter, the northern island of Fara is experiencing an unexpected, stifling heat wave. What could be the cause? Well, visiting scientist Hanson (Lee), an unemotional and pragmatic type, believes that he knows the score. But he wants some *evidence* before he will even think of scaring these locals. Meanwhile, a major subplot sees a sexpot of a secretary (Jane Merrow) travelling to the island to work for renowned author Jeff Callum (Patrick Allen). And she and he aren't exactly strangers to each other, if you know what I mean. Soon, the excrement is hitting the fan as the heat starts to warp peoples' minds, and they behave irrationally.
Some people complain about the low-tech special effects in this one, but in truth, they're really not all that bad. (Granted, most films of this type DO lose a little something whenever the moment inevitably comes where the threat has to be revealed on screen.) Where the great genre director Terence Fisher fares the best is at establishing the sense of mystery, as various citizens react in horror to something that we don't see until the picture is almost over. The tension in this one is incredibly thick, and the filmmakers do a credible job at convincing us that people are suffering from the heat (when in fact, Sir Christopher said that it was filmed during a normal winter, and the cast had to sell a different reality). Part of the difference is also made by Sir Christopher; his is a presence of such sincerity and authority that you're willing to buy into the premise, as fantastic as it is.
The excellent British cast also includes Sarah Lawson (who co-starred with Sir Christopher in the superior Hammer film "The Devil Rides Out"), Percy Herbert, William Lucas, Kenneth Cope, Thomas Heathcote, and Sydney Bromley (the last playing the classic character in these types of stories who must be the first victim and let us know that something is amiss). Sir Christopher and Cushing have precious few moments together until about the 55 minute mark, but, as always, it's a joy to see them together.
A good music score by Malcolm Lockyer and good location work are assets in a film that is more about how ordinary people deal with spooky circumstances than anything else. So try to look past the design of the antagonists and see the film for what it is: a fun, interesting, and atmospheric story, albeit one with an abrupt, "deus ex machina" type of ending.
Seven out of 10.
Some people complain about the low-tech special effects in this one, but in truth, they're really not all that bad. (Granted, most films of this type DO lose a little something whenever the moment inevitably comes where the threat has to be revealed on screen.) Where the great genre director Terence Fisher fares the best is at establishing the sense of mystery, as various citizens react in horror to something that we don't see until the picture is almost over. The tension in this one is incredibly thick, and the filmmakers do a credible job at convincing us that people are suffering from the heat (when in fact, Sir Christopher said that it was filmed during a normal winter, and the cast had to sell a different reality). Part of the difference is also made by Sir Christopher; his is a presence of such sincerity and authority that you're willing to buy into the premise, as fantastic as it is.
The excellent British cast also includes Sarah Lawson (who co-starred with Sir Christopher in the superior Hammer film "The Devil Rides Out"), Percy Herbert, William Lucas, Kenneth Cope, Thomas Heathcote, and Sydney Bromley (the last playing the classic character in these types of stories who must be the first victim and let us know that something is amiss). Sir Christopher and Cushing have precious few moments together until about the 55 minute mark, but, as always, it's a joy to see them together.
A good music score by Malcolm Lockyer and good location work are assets in a film that is more about how ordinary people deal with spooky circumstances than anything else. So try to look past the design of the antagonists and see the film for what it is: a fun, interesting, and atmospheric story, albeit one with an abrupt, "deus ex machina" type of ending.
Seven out of 10.