TWINS OF EVIL

Madeleine and Mary Collinson

TWINS OF EVIL (1971). John Hough. 

Gustav Weil (pronounced "vile") -- played by Peter Cushing  of The Beast Must Die -- is a witch hunter who cares nothing about putting innocent women to death by burning. He has his hands full when his two nieces -- Maria and Freida (Madeleine and Mary Collinson) -- become his wards, as at least one of them has no intention of staying pure and virginal. Indeed she is fascinated by the decadent Count Karnstein (Damien Thomas), who is not only a vampire but offers sacrifices to Satan. The choirmaster, Anton (David Warbeck), intervenes when the wrong twin is accused of being in league with Karnstein. Two sides of the same coin, Weil confronts Karnstein in the climax, but it's a question as to which of these loathsome creatures will ultimately win. 

Damien Thomas as Karnstein

Twins of Evil is a highly entertaining and well-mounted Hammer horror film. Peter Cushing offers his customary excellent performance, but while he gets away with being overwrought, the same is not true of some of the actors playing the church elders. The Collinson twins, who I believe posed for Playboy years ago and go bare-breasted in this, are certainly attractive and deliver adequate performances, although all of their dialogue was dubbed by unknown British actors. Damien Thomas is strikingly effective and simply wonderful as Count Karnstein, but although he had many other subsequent credits and is still working today, he never did another horror film, more's the pity. Warbeck, Kathleen Byron [Profile] as Weil's wife, Dennis Price [The Horror of It All] as Karnstein's associate Dietrich, are all notable as well. It's never explained how Karnstein, whose image can't be seen in a mirror, can walk about in broad daylight. This is the final film in the trilogy consisting of The Vampire Lovers, Lust for a Vampire, and Twins.

Verdict: Blood, vampires, witch hunters, and boobs! ***. 

PROFILE

Thea Gregory, Kathleen Byron, John Bentley

PROFILE (1954). Director: Francis Searle.

Margot (Kathleen Byron) is married to an older man, Aubrey (Stuart Lindsell), who decides to publish a new magazine called Profile. He hires Peter (John Bentley of Calling Paul Temple) as the editor, a situation which is all to Margot's liking as she has a decided yen for Peter. Things get even more complicated when Aubrey's daughter, Susan (Thea Gregory), comes to work in the office -- where Margot hangs out every day -- and she and Peter begin falling for each other. Margot is not about to stand for that. Before long Peter is being accused of embezzlement and Margot is insisting he was actually framed by her husband. But is this really the case?

John Bentley and Kathleen Byron

Frankly, it's hard to care, because Profile is a dull picture. Had this same basic plot been employed by, say, Hugo Haas at an American studio, and a bit more melodrama and sexiness instilled in it, it may have amounted to at least an entertaining timepasser. Instead this just lumbers along without ever igniting. Other characters include Margot's sleazy ex-husband, Charlie (Gerard Green), the jealous artist Jerry (Ivan Craig), and Michael, the  butler (Lloyd Lamble). There's some very minor excitement when one of them falls into a printing press. The acting in this is professional but no one is really given a chance to shine. Francis Searle also directed The Gelignite Gang. 

Verdict: Another bad British nominal mystery. **.