The Viking Queen

Starring:Don Murray, Carita, Donald Houston, Andrew Keir, Adrienne Corri, Niall MacGinnis, Wilfrid Lawson, Nicola Pagett, Percy Herbert, Patrick Troughton, Sean Caffrey, Denis Shaw, Philip O'Flynn, Brendan Matthews, Gerry Alexander, Patrick Gardiner, Paul Murphy (XXIII), Arthur O'Sullivan, Cecil Sheridan, Anna Manahan
Director: Don Chaffey
Studio: Anchor Bay
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
There are no Vikings in The Viking Queen, a low-budget adventure from Hammer studios set in the British Isles during the Roman reign of Nero. Salina (Carita), the curiously Italian-accented daughter of a dying British king, inherits his kingdom on the eve of a treaty that splits power between the native monarchy and the Roman government. American star Don Murray (of Bus Stop and The Hoodlum Priest fame), looking oddly uncomfortable in a Roman tunic, is the fair-minded Roman governor-general Justinian, whose jurisprudence and willingness to compromise infuriates his bloodthirsty second in command. Plots from within both camps threaten not just the uneasy peace between the Britons and the Romans but the hot-and-heavy love affair between Salina and Justinian (whose flirtatious chariot race leads to a little riverside nooky). This sword-and-sandal-meets-bearskin-and-clubs adventure is at its best on location in the British countryside, where the grand scenery belies its meager budget, but the battle scenes suffer from a tiny cast of soldiers and lackluster choreography. There are plenty of scantily clad maidens (who knew the ancient British climate was so temperate?), Druid ceremonies with human sacrifices, and even a kinky flogging, but ultimately director Don Chaffey's attempts to inject Hammer's lurid edge into the drama come off as both perfunctory and forced. Though often entertaining, this period adventure never reaches the smart, sexy, and showy gothic splendor of Hammer's horror classics. --Sean Axmaker

The Vengeance of She/The Viking Queen
Average customer rating:

Double your fun

Double your pleasure

The Vengeance of She/The Viking Queen
Starring: John Richardson , Olga Schoberová , Edward Judd , Colin Blakely , and Jill Melford
Director: Cliff Owen , and Don Chaffey
Manufacturer: Starz / Anchor Bay
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Blakely, Colin | ( B ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Houston, Donald | ( H ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Judd, Edward | ( J ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Murray, Don | ( M ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Richardson, John | ( R ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Willman, Noel | ( W ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Chaffey, Don | ( C ) | Directors | Stores | DVD | Video
Owen, Cliff | ( O ) | Directors | Stores | DVD | Video
( V ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B0000W5H9C
Release Date: 2004-07-27

Customer Reviews:

Double your fun.......2006-10-30

I was positively surprised by these movies. I wasn't expecting the quality in plot, acting and especially cinematography. The picture-quality of both is the best i have seen in a long time: every inch of the frame is sharp and perfectly lit. I prefered "Viking" to "Vengeance". The former is "Clash of the Titans" meets "Indiana Jones". I could do w/o the mythology-like stuff. And the 3 most interesting characters in "Vengeance"---the rich man, his wife, and the boat captain---are in less than half the movie. That was disappointing. A movie with them in all of it would have been Oscar material. The "she" is pretty, but a wallflower. "Viking" ("Galdiator" meets "Braveheart") has history, action and romance, and is more interesting and realistic than "Vengeance".

Double your pleasure.......2004-08-02

The Vengeances of She
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My name is Carol

Carol has disturbing dreams and wakes up screaming "Ayesha." She is also compelled to go to a secret destination. On the way she has many trials and tribulations. She also befriends a psychiatrist that is interested in helping her by following her journey. Anyone who tries to deter her form her quest is mysteriously killed in the style of the movie "Final Destination" (2000). What will she find there and is she actually Ayesha or the victim of mind control?

Many viewers like to say that "this is not like the book `The Return of She'"; for this movie viewers have to also get over the loss of Ursula Andrews and the absence of the whip (should be "G" rated). Once the shock is over this is quite a good movie.

The sets and scenes were well done. There was nothing unbelievable and nothing that looked like cardboard. The blue flame looked familiar to the original "She" Viewers.

The cast was well chosen for the movie. Of course there is Olinka Berova (Schoberovà) as Carol. She faithfully does a convincing job of playing a confused Carol/Ayesha. Another surprise is Colin Blakely. He plays a rich yacht owner (George) in this movie and played a rich yacht owner (Sir Horace Blatt) in Agatha Christie's "Evil Under the Sun" (1982)
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The Viking Queen
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All Viking and Celts look alike.

In the tradition of Monty Python, The movie starts out with a monologue and map telling of the extent of the Roman Empire.

The old Celtic king dies leaving his kingdom in the charge of his daughter and Rome as co-regents. The daughter Salina is in love with Rome's representative. He gets tricked, she gets whipped, and the fun begins. Will everything turn out o.k. in the end or will Salina be stuck for an ending?

You may notice that this story sort of, kind of, but not much, follows the story of Boudicea of the Iceni tribe. The druids look like Jewish priests from old biblical movies. They naturally worship Zeus. And carry golden cycles as they forecast Roman doom at the hands of Salina (Carita). This may be the reason that all the Stonehenge type structures are not quite square.

Don't miss the fight scenes. Many look like cowboys and Indians. Then there is a scene where the Celts attack with Ben-Hur hubcaps on their chariots. "Stand fast, they are only women."
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Both DVD's in this double feature have the same DVD extras. The extras are on the back side of the DVD and are more like a commercial for other Hammer films. The also boast wide screen. I suppose that is what you call the 2 inch black bars on the top and bottom of the screen.

Average customer rating:

Unexpectedly Good
All Viking and Celts look alike.
Viking Queen, simply fun...
Hmmmm...
Cheap and historically inaccurate...but fun to watch!

The Viking Queen
Starring: Don Murray , Carita , Donald Houston , Andrew Keir , and Adrienne Corri
Director: Don Chaffey
Manufacturer: Anchor Bay
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

Classic Sci-Fi | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Cult Movies | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( V ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

The Reptile
The Vengeance of She
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ASIN: B00000IBRO
Release Date: 1999-04-27

Amazon.com

There are no Vikings in The Viking Queen, a low-budget adventure from Hammer studios set in the British Isles during the Roman reign of Nero. Salina (Carita), the curiously Italian-accented daughter of a dying British king, inherits his kingdom on the eve of a treaty that splits power between the native monarchy and the Roman government. American star Don Murray (of Bus Stop and The Hoodlum Priest fame), looking oddly uncomfortable in a Roman tunic, is the fair-minded Roman governor-general Justinian, whose jurisprudence and willingness to compromise infuriates his bloodthirsty second in command. Plots from within both camps threaten not just the uneasy peace between the Britons and the Romans but the hot-and-heavy love affair between Salina and Justinian (whose flirtatious chariot race leads to a little riverside nooky). This sword-and-sandal-meets-bearskin-and-clubs adventure is at its best on location in the British countryside, where the grand scenery belies its meager budget, but the battle scenes suffer from a tiny cast of soldiers and lackluster choreography. There are plenty of scantily clad maidens (who knew the ancient British climate was so temperate?), Druid ceremonies with human sacrifices, and even a kinky flogging, but ultimately director Don Chaffey's attempts to inject Hammer's lurid edge into the drama come off as both perfunctory and forced. Though often entertaining, this period adventure never reaches the smart, sexy, and showy gothic splendor of Hammer's horror classics. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews:

Unexpectedly Good.......2005-12-03

I'm a bit surprised at some of the low reviews for "The Viking Queen;" I've watched it three times now and my appreciation for this 1967 Hammer flick has increased with each viewing.

The biggest criticism is that Salena is a Celt and the movie should therefore be titled "The Celtic Queen." Yet this is explained right at the beginning of the story: Her father chooses her to reign after his death and says, "Like your mother you shall be called 'the Viking Queen.'" So, Salena is the Viking Queen simply because her mother was of Viking ancestry.

One may argue that the Vikings didn't exist for another 700 years (the story takes place shortly after the time of Christ) but "Viking" is simply a collective designation of Nordic people -- Danes, Swedes and Norwegians. And even IF the word "Viking" didn't exist at the time of the film's setting, so what? Just imagine Salena's father saying, "You shall be called the Nordic Queen."

Another major gripe is that the Druids improperly pray to Zeus, a Greek God. Although this is a legitimate beef, the filmmakers obviously chose to do this because the Druids lacked a recognizable deity. This problem is rectified by simply supplanting the word "Zeus" with the Druid deity of your choice when hearing the Druids pray in the film (Bet you can't think of ONE Druid deity, can you?).

The story is roughly based on the historical Boudicca, queen of the Iceni, a British tribe. Her impressive revolt against the Roman occupants included the sack of London (then Londinium) and the death of some 70,000 Romans (!). The Roman governor of Britain ultimately destroyed Boudicca's force; in despair, she killed herself by taking poison in 60 AD.

In "The Viking Queen" you'll certainly get a good glimpse of what this era was like. The story is ultra-serious and the actors perform their roles accordingly. Salena is played by Carita, who, although very beautiful, is completely believable in the role. Be on the watch for her in a breath-taking purple mini-skirt near the end (speaking of such, be on the lookout as well for Salena's super-cute sister Talia, played by Nicola Pagett). Needless to say, it's too bad this was Carita's sole excursion into acting terrain.

The locations (Ireland), costumes and sets are all of the highest order.

One other complaint is that it is unbelievable that Salena falls in love with the Roman govenor (played by Don Murray) and vice versa, yet isn't it realistic to assume that more than one Briton babe fell in love with a Roman occupant, particularly if he was in a command position? Besides, the tragic ending is emotionally compounded by this love story.

FINAL WORD: "The Viking Queen" is a film in the vein of "Braveheart," "Gladiator" or "Attila." If you're a fan of such films you'll enjoy "The Viking Queen" immensely. Personally, I feel "Braveheart" is way overated and I'd pop in "The Viking Queen" before "Gladiator" any day.

If, like me, this film inspires you to research the true history of Boudicca, then the filmmakers have accomplished far more than mere entertainment. Enough said.

All Viking and Celts look alike........2004-08-02

In the tradition of Monty Python, The movie starts out with a monologue and map telling of the extent of the Roman Empire.

The old Celtic king dies leaving his kingdom in the charge of his daughter Salina and Rome as co-regents. The daughter is in love with Rome's representative. He gets tricked, she gets whipped, and the fun begins. Will everything turn out o.k. in the end or will Salina be stuck for an ending?

You may notice that this story sort of, kind of, but not much, follows the story of Boudicea of the Iceni tribe. The druids look like Jewish priests from old biblical movies. They naturally worship Zeus. And carry golden cycles as they forecast Roman doom at the hands of Salina (Carita). This may be the reason that all the Stonehenge type structures are not quite square.

Don't miss the fight scenes. Many look like cowboys and Indians. Then there is a scene where the Celts attack with Ben-Hur hubcaps on their chariots. "Stand fast, they are only women."

Viking Queen, simply fun..........2002-08-19

Viking Queen is a low budget 60's film, with some great costumes, great dialog, and little historical accuracy.

Why did I give it a high rating? Viking Queen, is simply a hell of a lot of fun!

Carita stars as Celtic Princess, Selena, who must liberate her people, the Iceni tribe from the brutal control of the romans. Torn between her love for a roman general, and the needs to help her people, Carita dons a skimpy warrior's costume and leads her people into battle.

Historical purists steer clear of this one, but everyone else might enjoy this film. Be warned, there is a fair amount of gratuitous nudity and violence in this film, it may not be appropriate for all viewers.

Hmmmm..........2002-06-19

Totally fails to live up to any SM expectations you may have.
Carita is an absolute honey, though.

Cheap and historically inaccurate...but fun to watch!.......2000-05-14

It's a damn shame that the average American is totally ignorant of the Celtic legacy of the western world; modern pop culture and three centuries of fundamentalist Christianity have done their part in obliterating all accurate memory of our northern European roots from the minds of the masses. That's why I applaud any movie that treats the subject of Celtic antiquity, even if most of these films are a far cry from historical reality. This is certainly the case with The Viking Queen: The Celtic Britons were NOT Vikings (a later Germanic people), the druids did NOT worship Zeus (the druid character in the film invokes this Greek deity), Brythonic Celts never had the name Angus (the name of a Briton prince in the film...the name itself is Gaelic Celtic), and on and on. However, the film does make a somewhat lame attempt to depict the political turmoil in the Britain of the first century of the Common Era; the invading Roman legions never did win the undying loyalty of the entire isle of Britain and uprisings were common throughout the remaining years of the empire. That being said, the film is otherwise good cheesy fun for the non-sticklers: hot chicks, lots of violence, humorous over acting, the typical Hammer offering (and I'm not at all surprised that a movie with this subject matter was produced in Britain and not the United States). Carita's "Viking" Queen character is loosely based on the historical personage of Boudicea of the Iceni tribe, who ravaged Roman occupied Londinium during the Briton uprising against the forces of the general Paulinus. So, this is not the worst film ever made, I'm just a little disappointed that we have countless biblical and Roman celluloid epics to choose from but precious few serious films about our own ancestors;The Viking Queen is hardly serious...it reduces a dynamic period of our history into a lusty comic book farce.

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