Doctor Blood's Coffin (1961)

Such a frustrating disappointment

From my favorite movies..

best movie i've ever seen.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

The title has more punch than the story ultimately delivers in this mild shocker, yet another variation on the old "Frankenstein" theme. Kieron Moore ("Crack in the World") stars as Dr. Peter Blood, an intense scientist determined that his experiments in extending life will be successful. Unfortunately for him, he's not very good at what he does, either getting caught in the act or leaving critical evidence in his wake."Doctor Blood's Coffin" is mainly noteworthy as one of the horror pictures made in England by under-rated, Canadian-born filmmaker Sidney J. Furie before he hit his stride with "The Ipcress File". The story & screenplay are the work of Nathan Juran (credited as Jerry Juran), himself a famed director of such things as "20 Million Miles to Earth". But, alas, this yarn is lacking in truly interesting features, although the tunnel settings are somewhat unusual. (Said underground tunnels, originally used as tin mines, run throughout much of the locations.)These locations are quite picturesque, and the film does look lovely in colour, although one can't help but think that it would have had even more atmosphere had it been filmed in black & white.The picture also offers its audience an opportunity to watch gorgeous Brit scream queen Hazel Court in a contemporary-set tale, unlike the period pieces from the 50s and 60s for which one might already know her. She's quite a formidable leading lady, obliged to scream at one point, but indignant enough that she and Moore pontificate back and forth on what constitutes the "right" thing to do. The excellent supporting cast also includes Ian Hunter as Dr. Blood Sr., Kenneth J. Warren as the police sergeant faced with baffling deaths, the colourful Gerald Lawson as local funeral director Mr. Morton, Fred Johnson as amiable miner Tregaye, and Andy Alston as one of our demented antagonists' intended victims. You have to give this guy credit for his extended, arduous escape.Overall, this is short on suspense and originality, and spends too much time with Moore as he aggressively pursues Court (not that you can blame him, of course); this doesn't stay on track all that well. Even the finale is underwhelming.Five out of 10.

Seeing the films very low rating on IMDb,I began to suspect that I had wasted some cash picking up this luckily,during my viewing of the movie,I was thrilled to find that this film is actually an excellent,over-looked,moody low budget Frankenstein-riffing British Horror.The plot:With some fellow students and doctors beginning to question the nature of his operations,Dr Peter Blood decides that he should leave Vienna and pay a visit to his father, (Dr Robert Blood)to get a job at his local quiet community hospital in a small English countryside town called Grenville.On his arrival,Peter successfully covers up all of the "troubles" that happened in Vienna,and makes all of the locals and doctors believe that "the local boy dun good" has come back to help all of the residents with his new,vast knowledge of medicine.As Peters father and the rest of the staff, (including Nurse Linda Parker,who is developing a deep crush for the good doctor…)start to show him a huge amount of respect and begin giving Peter the chance to become the head doctor of the hospital.Peter Blood discovers that the small town is surrounded by a vast number of disused mining mountains,which start to make Peter consider if he has found the perfect location to continue his operations,of bringing the dead back to life… View on the film:Checking the credits of director Sidney J. Furie,his career seems to be filled with some very interesting moments, (such as the post-Bond Ipcress File, Scorsese- praised 1982 horror The Entity,the almost forgotten Robert Redford film Little Fauss and Big Halsy and an early music bio-pic with 1972's Lady Sings The Blues)that are over-shadowed by some truly cringe-worthy moments. (2005's American Soldiers and the franchise-killer Superman IV:The Quest For Peace)For this film, (which also has future director Nicolas Roeg as its camera operator)Furie thankfully shows the best of his directing ability's,with the beautiful Cornwall location allowing Furie to give the film a good "wilderness' mood, due it being shown,that since everyone has put their trust in Peter Blood,none of the locals begin to suspect for a moment that the recent disappearance's of people near the disused mining mountains,may possibly be connect to the newest resident of the area.Whilst the screenplay by Nathan Juran,James Kelley and Peter Miller does not shy away from showing its Frankenstein influence,the movie still puts an excellent,fresh spin on the Frankenstein story,with the madness of Peter Blood, (wonderfully performed ruggedly by Kieron Moore) only being see-able in a few,well-paced accidental drop of the mask moments from Blood,who the rest of the time is given a terrific tense mood,as the writers and director start to show the creation that Peter is attempting to secretly make in the forgotten,empty mountains.Final view on the film:An excellent,sadly forgotten moody British Horror film,with great location directing from Furie,a terrific screenplay and a fantastic creepy performance from Kieron Moore.

Set in a "Cornish village" (high marks for any film of this vintage set in "a cornish village" - those cornish villages went through the mill in the middle years of horror), Dr. Blood's Coffin checks in as a Frankenstein -ish offering. Got your mad scientist tinkering with humans, more lurid and atmospheric lab scenes than the graphic and in your face stuff current movie viewers are used to.Creepy scenes. In the old days, I loved movies that gave me one creepy scene that made closing my eyes to go to sleep a challenge.Old horse, corny now but from that impossible to resist title to the whopper denouement, one of the knighted efforts to keep horror alive when 99% of cinema thought horror undignified and unworthy. If you like Freddy, Scream and Jason, you owe a nod of thanks (though not necessarily a viewing) to films like Dr. Blood. If you're a fan of creepier things like "The Ring" and remakes of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" or "Dawn of the Dead", you also owe a nod of thanks to films like this one. You guys, might even find the "loyalty to the cause" in a viewing of this film.

Saw this one (again) on (Chicago's own) "Svengoolie" this weekend, and was amazed how interesting and well-done it was, considering the preposterously bizarre and grotesque underlying story. Also, how they make sympathetic, and almost get you to root for, the main character -- a guy who makes Dr. Mengele look like Hippocrates.Meanwhile, it's striking how appealing Hazel Court is. Definitely a woman with a quality, she's developed nicely since "Devil Girl from Mars" (1953).So, if you're up for a movie about a warped physician performing hellish experiments on (unwilling) human subjects, this is definitely the one to see. Mellow and affectionate.