This week Hammer Films reached out and asked me to check out a 4K restoration of Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter as part of their 50th Anniversary limited collector’s edition set release to provide my honest thoughts.
Naturally, I was excited to check out this film because I have a confession to make.
I’ve never seen a Hammer Films release until now!
I know, I know! I can hear you screaming from here but it’s not just Hammer Films releases I’ve never seen i’ve also never seen any of the classic Universal Monster movies either!
Ok, now I can hear fainting from here.
So Captain Kronos Vampire Hunter is brought to us by legendary creator Brian Clemens who wrote and directed this movie. A vampire film with a twist starring Horst Janson as Kronos and Hammer Glamour icon Caroline Munro as Carla.
The film marks its worldwide debut as this 4k restoration was made possible using the original negative film elements.
Originally released in 1974 this particular movie was arguably one of the films that caused the downfall of Hammer Films in the 1970s after a series of several flops with Captain Kronos certainly being in the mix but over time has become a cult classic in its own right.
Whilst a little sluggish in its delivery the 4K restoration looks superb as there is a gloss to the imagery whilst at the same time keeping that integrity of classic wash visuals but with a sharpness and clarity unlike anything seen before from this feature.
Girls all over a small village are being attacked and drained of their beauty as one encounter with a mysterious figure turns them instantly old to the point of death. It’s up to Captain Kronos and a young Gypsy girl named Carla to hunt for the creature responsible for the murders.
Sequels were planned for Captain Kronos until they were abandoned after poor box-office numbers as the 70’s horrors were going in a different direction and were captivating audiences in a much more intriguing way than what Captain Kronos was capable of.
The plot is generic, it drags on at times but something is keeping my eyes on the screen despite its many lulls. The acting gets you by along with some beautiful camera work and some stunning period costumes.
I feel as though I understand why it flopped at the time but over the years there has been a growing appreciation for it and whilst it wasn’t personally my cup of tea I can see the appeal.
Usually, the second a period drama or period film of any sort appears in my inbox or on the TV I quickly skip over, I never can truly invest in films like that and that’s just a personal choice for me.
With films like The Exorcist, Halloween, Jaws and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre dominating the 70’s, films like Captain Kronos sadly didn’t have a foot to stand on as the evolution of horror was in full effect.
Hammer Films is now a solid cult classic option for horror films of a bygone era and what I will say about Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter is that it hasn’t aged, it doesn’t feel tired or out of place, it’s still watchable in 2024 and the collector’s set looks nothing short of beautiful.
I always love the classic artwork that these sets deliver, I miss good old-fashioned box art and classic old movie posters. It’s a shame we’ve gone to a more digital age but I’ll always prefer to own a physical copy of a movie over a digital copy any day!
The Limited edition set comprises of:
- Five discs in a stylish digipak: two UHDs and three Blu-rays, with the content duplicated across both formats
- Three iterations of Captain Kronos: the widescreen 1.66:1 UK Theatrical Version, the fullscreen 1.37:1 As-Filmed Version and the widescreen 1.85:1 US Theatrical Version
- Brand-new Dolby Atmos and 5.1 mixes for each version alongside the original mono film soundtrack
- English, French, Italian, Spanish, German and Japanese subtitles on each version of the film
- Packaged in a high-end, leather-feel slipcase with debossed red foil titling
- Rigid inner box featuring new artwork by cult favourite artist Graham Humphreys
- Double-sided poster of the original UK and US one-sheets
- Eight art cards featuring facsimiles of the original US cinema lobby cards
- 136 page booklet featuring interviews, articles and reproductions of original paperwork
- 100 page comic featuring a reprint of the Kronos strips from legendary 1970s magazine The House of Hammer
For more information on the release along with all of the other Hammer Films collections for sale
Our Rating
Summary
Whilst the film is a lot to be desired for my own personal tastes the 4K restoration has been beautifully done and packaged within this collectors edition is a real special piece of Hammer Films history that diehard horror fans will be chomping at the bit to own!
