The curse of Frankenstein hammer horror is a term that refers to the impact and influence of the Hammer Horror film, "The Curse of Frankenstein," released in 1957. This film, directed by Terence Fisher and produced by Hammer Films, marked a significant shift in the portrayal of horror movies, particularly those featuring classic horror icons. The Curse of Frankenstein was not the first film adaptation of Mary Shelley's famous novel, but it was the first to be produced in color and with explicit gore and violence. Hammer Films, previously known for their low-budget crime thrillers, saw an opportunity to rejuvenate the horror genre and capitalize on the popularity of gothic horror. This film introduced a new level of graphic violence and horror that was shocking for its time. It featured scenes of decapitation, mutilation, and bloodshed, all presented in vivid color that added to the impact.
The sisters spend several years apart—Sally marries and has two children (Evan Rachel Wood and Alexandra Artrip) with a man (Mark Feuerstein) whose demise arrives as predicted, and Gillian gets entangled with her abusive boyfriend, Jimmy (Goran Visnjic). The pair kill Jimmy after he attempts to kidnap them, but his spirit lingers, requiring a full-on exorcism. Oh, and things are further complicated by the investigation into Jimmy’s murder by Aidan Quinn’s Gary Hallet, whom Sally discovers she’s falling in love with.
Oh, and things are further complicated by the investigation into Jimmy s murder by Aidan Quinn s Gary Hallet, whom Sally discovers she s falling in love with. But being the subject of countless fan magazine articles, interviews and promotional events couldn t outweigh Hollywood s antipathy to soaps, especially one that had been as campy as Dark Shadows.
It featured scenes of decapitation, mutilation, and bloodshed, all presented in vivid color that added to the impact. The Curse of Frankenstein broke new ground for horror audiences and brought a new level of excitement and fear to the screen. The success of The Curse of Frankenstein sparked a revival of gothic horror films by Hammer Films, creating a significant impact on the genre.
Lara Parker Dies: ‘Dark Shadows’ Scene-Stealing, Spell-Casting Witch Angelique Was 84
Lara Parker, who found the role of a lifetime at just 28 years old when she was cast by Dark Shadows producer Dan Curtis as the beautiful, vengeful and altogether evil witch Angelique Bouchard Collins, died October 12 in her sleep in Los Angeles following a battle with cancer. She was 84.
Her death was announced by producer Jim Pierson of Dan Curtis Productions, on behalf of Parker’s family.
“I’m heartbroken, as all of us are who knew and loved her,” said her Dark Shadows co-star and longtime friend Kathryn Leigh Scott in a statement. “She graced our lives with her beauty, talent and friendship, and we are all richer for having had her in our lives.”
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Parker, who also authored four popular Dark Shadows-related novels from 1998-2016, arrived on the supernatural soap opera in 1967, not long after Canadian actor Jonathan Frid had been cast as vampire Barnabas Collins. Frid’s storyline changed the show from a moody, Gothic Jane Eyre-type serial into a flat-out horror show.
When Curtis and the show’s writers decided to do a six-month story arc set in 1795 to show how Barnabas had become a blood-sucker, they set about finding an actress who could play the witch who had set the curse on him way back when. Although some cast members had imagined a raven-haired sorceress, producer and creator Curtis apparently saw something in the blond, blue-eyed (or, in some lights, green), Southern-accented Parker that screamed Martinique witch.
As with most of his gut instincts, Curtis was right. No sooner had she arrived on the show in autumn 1967, as an unassuming servant girl to Barnabas’ fiancée Josette du Prés (played by Scott), when she began casting spells, uttering incantations, turning one foe into a cat and, by the end of the flashback arc, summoning the bat that would curse Barnabas for eternity — all while filling the small screen with her big, stunning blue-green eyes, widened to a maniacally effective extent.
Parker became an instant sensation, at the time rivaled only by Barnabas among the show’s youthful fandom. So popular was Parker that she appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and “bit” the host on the neck after putting in her specially-made vampire fangs.
Parker, who would stay with the series until its cancellation in 1971, played multiple characters — but nearly all of them aliases of the duplicitous Angelique. She’d briefly play Angelique as a vampire and for several months donned a shortish black wig and very ’60s lime-green miniskirts to disguise herself as Cassandra Blair, who, with a little spell-casting magic, quickly married into the wealthy Collins family.
But sooner or later, Angelique proper would return to make trouble for the Collins clan, as fans demanded no less.
Lara Parker and David Selby in ‘Night of Dark Shadows’ (1971) Everett CollectionLeaving New York City, where Shadows was taped, for Los Angeles with her then-husband and two small sons, Parker often would say in interviews and at the many Dark Shadows conventions she attended that she expected the four-year phenomenon that had been daytime’s first supernatural soap to open Hollywood’s doors. But being the subject of countless fan magazine articles, interviews and promotional events couldn’t outweigh Hollywood’s antipathy to soaps, especially one that had been as campy as Dark Shadows. Parker would say that she thought Angelique would be a springboard to movie roles but would realize late in life that the witch had been her greatest and most enduring part.
Born Mary Lamar Rickey on October 27, 1938, in Knoxville, TN, Parker attended Vassar and Memphis’ Rhodes College before earning a master’s degree at the University of Iowa. Having done some summer stock, Parker, then living in Wisconsin with her husband and two young sons, announced to her family that she was heading to New York, at least temporarily, to give acting a shot.
The gamble paid off, and quickly. Within days of arriving in New York in 1967, Parker was cast as Angelique. Her husband and sons soon joined her, and the family lived in the West Village until moving to L.A. in 1972. She’d already filmed her first major movie role toward the end of the soap’s run, 1971’s Night of Dark Shadows, the second spinoff movie from the series following the previous year’s more successful House of Dark Shadows.
If Hollywood wasn’t exactly waiting with the open arms Parker anticipated, there were certainly enough roles to provide some encouragement. Within a couple of years after moving to L.A., she’d had guest roles on such series as Kung Fu, Medical Center, Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law, The Six Million Dollar Man, Police Woman, The Rockford Files and, in 1975, a one-off role as yet another witch in a Curtis production, Kolchak: The Night Stalker. She would not remember that job fondly, recalling years later the stinging rudeness of star Darren McGavin, who apparently had no idea who she was when he suggested that she’d need practice to learn to play a witch.
From left: Lara Parker, David Selby and Kathryn Leigh Scott at the Los Angeles premiere of Tim Burton’s ‘Dark Shadows’ in 2012 Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage/Getty
Parker would continue acting, increasingly sporadically, through the 1980s and early ’90s but largely had retired from the business when Tim Burton and Johnny Depp, both fans of the original supernatural soap, came calling: They invited Parker, Scott, an ailing Frid and their co-star David Selby (he played the rakish Quentin Collins, a ghost and werewolf) to make cameos in their upcoming big-screen Dark Shadows reboot feature film. The quartet’s appearance did in fact make the final cut, albeit briefly. None of the originals was particularly fond of the jokey 2012 film.
Parker at a 2013 Los Angeles Barnes & Noble book signing for her novel ‘Wolf Moon Rising’ Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic/Getty
In her later years, Parker turned to writing and teaching — her novels include Angelique’s Descent (1998), The Salem Branch (2006), Wolf Moon Rising (2013) and Heiress of Collinwood (2016). The books proved popular among Dark Shadows‘ still-devoted, conventions-attending fan base, as well as devotees of romance and horror genre novels.
Parker kept in touch with her co-stars including Scott, Selby, Roger Davis, the late John Karlen and others throughout her life, particularly once the conventions became annual events in the late 1980s through the 1990s and up to the 50th anniversary celebration in 2017.
Many of the original cast, including Parker, recorded a series of Dark Shadows audio dramas in the 2000s released by Big Finish Productions. They also reunited for a “Smartphone Theatre” Zoom-style, Covid-era performance of A Christmas Carol in 2021 and, on Halloween night 2020, a YouTube/Zoom Dark Shadows cast reunion.
Parker is survived by second husband Jim Hawkins, daughter Caitlin, sons Rick and Andy, and their wives Miranda and Celia; and grandson Wesley.
Parker is survived by second husband Jim Hawkins, daughter Caitlin, sons Rick and Andy, and their wives Miranda and Celia; and grandson Wesley.
Hammer Horror became a term used to describe a specific style of horror movies produced by the studio. These films were characterized by lavish costumes, colorful sets, and atmospheric lighting, all aimed at creating a visually stunning and thrilling horror experience. The Curse of Frankenstein and subsequent Hammer Horror films also played a crucial role in the careers of actors like Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. Lee's portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in the film launched him into stardom and cemented his status as a horror icon. Cushing, who played the role of Victor Frankenstein, became synonymous with the character and went on to star in numerous other horror films. However, the curse of Frankenstein hammer horror refers not only to the impact of these films but also to the challenges and criticisms they faced. Critics argued that the explicit violence and gore in these films were gratuitous and exploitative. Hammer Horror movies were also accused of being formulaic and repetitive, relying too heavily on the same tropes and themes. Despite these critiques, the curse of Frankenstein hammer horror left an indelible mark on the horror genre. Its influence can be seen in later horror films, particularly those featuring classic horror icons like Dracula and the Mummy. The Hammer Horror films revived interest in gothic horror and added a new level of visual and narrative depth to the genre..
Reviews for "Decoding the Themes of Science and Morality in Hammer's Frankenstein"
1. John - 1/5 stars - I watched "The Curse of Frankenstein" with high expectations, as it is considered a classic Hammer Horror film. However, I was thoroughly disappointed. The plot was weak and lacked originality, with no real surprises or twists. The acting was subpar, with wooden performances from the main cast. The special effects were also outdated and cheesy, failing to create the desired atmosphere of horror. Overall, I found this film to be a waste of time and would not recommend it to anyone looking for a truly terrifying horror experience.
2. Sarah - 2/5 stars - "The Curse of Frankenstein" fell short of my expectations. While the film had its moments of suspense, the overall execution was lacking. The pacing was slow, and there were too many unnecessary scenes that hindered the flow of the story. The characters were not well-developed, making it difficult to connect with them on an emotional level. Additionally, the plot felt disjointed and lacked cohesiveness. While there were a few interesting twists, they were not enough to salvage the film. Overall, "The Curse of Frankenstein" failed to leave a lasting impression, and it pales in comparison to other horror films of its time.
3. Lisa - 2/5 stars - As a fan of classic horror films, I was excited to watch "The Curse of Frankenstein" but found it to be a disappointment. The film relied too heavily on melodrama and lacked the true scares and suspense that I was hoping for. The acting performances were mediocre, and the characters were one-dimensional, failing to draw me into the story. The special effects were also dated and failed to impress. While this film may have been groundbreaking in its time, it does not hold up well to modern standards. Overall, "The Curse of Frankenstein" failed to deliver on its potential and left me wanting more.
4. Mike - 3/5 stars - "The Curse of Frankenstein" had its moments, but overall, it didn't quite hit the mark for me. The film did a decent job capturing the Gothic atmosphere and setting, but the plot felt predictable and lacked originality. The pacing was slow, and at times, I found myself losing interest. The performances were passable, but nothing exceptional. The special effects were relatively impressive for its time, but they don't hold up well today. While it's not a terrible film, it fails to stand out among other horror classics.