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In the early twentieth century, a Gorgon takes human form and terrorizes a small European village by turning its citizens to stone.In the early twentieth century, a Gorgon takes human form and terrorizes a small European village by turning its citizens to stone.In the early twentieth century, a Gorgon takes human form and terrorizes a small European village by turning its citizens to stone.
Vic Chapman
- Asylum Worker
- (uncredited)
Peter Evans
- Inquest Jury Member
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaPrudence Hyman was nearly decapitated for real. She was supposed to duck when Sir Christopher Lee swung the sword, but forgot to do so at the critical moment. The Assistant Director pushed her aside just in time. The scene was then redone with a dummy.
- GoofsMegaera is an Erinýe, or Fury, not a Gorgon. The Gorgons were named Stheno, Euryale, and Medusa. The film states that there are two deceased Gorgons, Medusa and Tisiphone. The Erinýes are named Alecto, Megaera, and Tisiphone, and there are no stories of them being killed. The Erinýes had snakes for hair, which may have resulted in the confusion. They are best known from Agamenon's _The Eumenides_, which means The Kindly Ones, a euphemism for the Erinýes, immortals who avenge intrafamilial murder.
- Quotes
Prof. Karl Meister: Good heavens, Paul. What's happened to you?
Paul Heitz: Oh, why I've um, I've been ill.
Prof. Karl Meister: Ill? You must have been in your grave and dug your way out.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Frightful Movie: The Gorgon (1968)
Featured review
Hammer do Greek tragedy. In 20th Century Germany.
After the sudden deaths of both his father and brother, Paul Heitz (Richard Pasco) travels to the rural village of Vandorf for some answers, but instead finds a community living in fear of something so terrible that the authorities prefer to hide the truth from the outside world. When Carla (Barbara Shelley), beautiful assistant to the mysterious and tight-lipped Dr. Namaroff (Peter Cushing), tells Paul of the local legend of Megaera the Gorgon, the snake-haired monster whose spirit is rumoured to haunt a nearby castle, he suspects that there might be some truth to the story and decides to investigate for himself...
The Gorgon, from Hammer director Terence Fisher, is inspired by the mythology of ancient Greece, and tells of a creature so hideous that to look at it can result in being turned to stone. It might seem fitting, therefore, that Fisher opts to tell his story with all the drama of a Greek tragedy, focusing on doomed romance, heroic suffering, and despair. However, with the emphasis on emotional interplay rather than solid scaresthe result of which is way too much talk instead of actionThe Gorgon ends up being an unexceptional affair despite some splendid cinematography, a couple of genuinely atmospheric scenes, and solid performances from its excellent cast (which also features Chistopher Lee as Paul's mentor, Professor Karl Meister, and Patrick Troughton wearing a very daft helmet).
In addition to the plodding (and rather predictable) script, The Gorgon is also guilty of muddling its mythology (Megaera was in fact the name of a Furie), and delivering one of Hammer's weakest monsters: the titular creaturefairly effective when partially hidden in the shadowsis hardly the stuff of nightmares when revealed in all of it's hideous glory thanks to the use of some particularly awful makeup and the laughable rubber snakes that move awkwardly on its head.
The Gorgon, from Hammer director Terence Fisher, is inspired by the mythology of ancient Greece, and tells of a creature so hideous that to look at it can result in being turned to stone. It might seem fitting, therefore, that Fisher opts to tell his story with all the drama of a Greek tragedy, focusing on doomed romance, heroic suffering, and despair. However, with the emphasis on emotional interplay rather than solid scaresthe result of which is way too much talk instead of actionThe Gorgon ends up being an unexceptional affair despite some splendid cinematography, a couple of genuinely atmospheric scenes, and solid performances from its excellent cast (which also features Chistopher Lee as Paul's mentor, Professor Karl Meister, and Patrick Troughton wearing a very daft helmet).
In addition to the plodding (and rather predictable) script, The Gorgon is also guilty of muddling its mythology (Megaera was in fact the name of a Furie), and delivering one of Hammer's weakest monsters: the titular creaturefairly effective when partially hidden in the shadowsis hardly the stuff of nightmares when revealed in all of it's hideous glory thanks to the use of some particularly awful makeup and the laughable rubber snakes that move awkwardly on its head.
helpful•40
- BA_Harrison
- Feb 28, 2009
Details
- Release date
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- Also known as
- Die brennenden Augen von Schloss Bartimore
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- £150,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 23 minutes
- Aspect ratio
- 1.66 : 1
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