It may look like a Hammer film, but it’s not in the same league.
There’s a lot to be said for a good movie title. With a name like Doctor Blood’s Coffin, the subject of my review today couldn’t be anything other than a horror movie, right? The lurid title conjures up images of mad scientists, gore, macabre experiments, and, possibly, a cemetery or funeral parlor. And, while the 1961 film of that name does indeed include those elements, it somehow finds a way to sap the excitement out of all of them.
“Doctor Blood” is actually Peter Blood (Kieron Moore,) who is thrown out of a Vienna medical school for attempting unethical medical experiments on human subjects. He returns home to England to spend time with his father, Dr. Robert Blood (Ian Hunter.) Peter strikes up a relationship with Robert’s pretty nurse/assistant, Linda (Hazel Court.) Both of them are unaware that Peter is stealing medical supplies to set up a laboratory in the abandoned mines near their Cornish village of Porthcarron. Peter plans to continue his experiments on the villagers.
While this might sound like a moderately interesting set-up for a horror movie, the execution is dreadfully boring. Made to exploit the success of Hammer’s gothic horror films of the time, this low budget affair spends a lot of time whisking the cast around Cornwall to highlight the lush locations. But little attempt is made at constructing a compelling story. It may look like a Hammer film, but it’s not in the same league.
What makes matters worse is the experiment that Peter is attempting doesn’t even make sense. His so-called boundary-pushing idea is to murder people with a tropical poison so he can remove their heart. He takes that heart and transplants it into a corpse to revive it. Peter’s ultimate goal is to rid the world of people he views as “worthless.” With his new ability he’ll be able to keep the “worthwhile” ones alive forever.
From a technical standpoint, Doctor Blood’s Coffin is a well-made, competently-constructed film with adequate acting and a properly exciting musical score. It’s all just wasted on a script that does nothing to warrant your attention much less provide any shock value or surprise.
If you’re looking for a horror film that lives up to its name, Doctor Blood’s Coffin isn’t it.
2.0 out of 5.0 stars
