The Legend of the Seven Golden Vampires/The Seven Brothers meet Dracula

Starring:Peter Cushing, David Chiang, Julie Ege, Robin Stewart, Szu Shih, John Forbes-Robertson, Robert Hanna, Shen Chan, James Ma, Fong Lah Ann, Liu Hui Ling, Chia Yung Liu, Wong Han Chan, Chen Tien Loong, David de Keyser
Director: Cheh Chang, Roy Ward Baker
Studio: Anchor Bay
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

A Cult Classic?
Horrible Hammer Flick
A Stupid Movie Coming from a Hammer Fans Point of View
mildly entertaining E. Asian supernatural martial arts hokum
Legend of Kung Fu Boredom

The Legend of the Seven Golden Vampires/The Seven Brothers meet Dracula
Starring: Peter Cushing , David Chiang , Julie Ege , Robin Stewart , and Szu Shih
Director: Cheh Chang , and Roy Ward Baker
Manufacturer: Anchor Bay
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 6305183392
Release Date: 1999-01-12

Customer Reviews:

A Cult Classic?.......2007-04-05

I think this was an interesting idea given the time the film was made to link the horror and KungFu genres. Apparently there were many problems involved with the shooting of a European film in Hong Kong, at the Shaw Brothers studios. Despite these problems the film is good visually, and is reminiscent of the earlier Hammer 'Dracula' films.

The acting standard is about average, with the customary excellent performance from Peter Cushing in the pivotal role. Sadly missing from the cast is Chris Lee; John ForbesRobertson is hopelessly miscast as Dracula. This problem is not helped by the poor Dracula make-up, which often got laughs in the cinema.

Thankfully Dracula doesn't appear too often in the film, and it may have been improved if they had cut him out altogether! Convincing performances are delivered by all of the Chinese cast. The golden vampires are impressive (and were a good, original idea), in their golden masks and medallions, etc.

Another, possibly intentional, humorous touch are the zombies. They appear to virtually hop around everywhere in a very comical manner. Les Bowie's special effects are marvelous, especially the resurrection scenes (somewhat similar in nature to the sequence in 'Plague of the Zombies').

Julie Ege is enticing as the film's loveinterest. David Chiang (who had previously worked with Bruce Lee) plays the leader of the brothers well, and has only a slight accent. His KungFu techniques are highly convincing.

Totally mixcast is Robin Stewart (a British TV comedy 'actor') as Van Helsing's inept son Leyland. His style of acting appears to come from the 'oakschool', and his presence always seems to detract from the atmosphere of the film.

The movie is beautifully crafted by the consistently amazing Roy ward Baker (the style recalls memories of his earlier 'Vampire Lovers'). Even without the KungFu this would have stood alone as a good horror film. The MartialArts aspect complements the film, and it amply deserves its cult classic status.

Sadly the film didn't receive its deserved widerelease after completion in 1974. It has only been around the UK film circuit a couple of times since then, usually on the lower half of an inferior doublebill. It took five years to be released in the States, with a ridiculous title change. However, it has still managed to become a cult film.

Only a butchered version was available in America. Most Hammer fans avidly sit through this film many times whenever it makes one of it's rare screen appearances.

It was one of the old Hammer company's last attempts at a comeback to the horror genre, the other being 'To the devil, a daughter' in 1975. Neither film was financially successful enough to keep the company above water, so that further movies could be made.

One great asset of the film is the superb score by James Bernard and Phil Martell. (A story read by Peter Cushing with some music is available on an exceedingly rare soundtrack LP.) As an exmartial artist I feel that the KungFu sections were of a high enough standard to satisfy fans of that particular genre, as well as the straight horror fans. KungFu films were extremely popular in 1974/5 following the Bruce Lee movies.

It makes a pleasant change to see vampires being killed by the use of unusual weapons and fighting methods (the fight scenes were always actionpacked and highly exciting), rather than the traditional run into the ground stakes, crosses, garlic, etc.

On subsequent viewings the film holds up well and never becomes boring, audiences never seem to tire when watching it. It's a great shame that this film is virtually the only one of its kind, being a most agreeable blend of differing film styles.

Despite the minor flaws of Dracula and Leyland, Roy Ward Baker is to be commended on the construction of an atmospheric and enjoyable film; a fitting tribute to the skill and craftsmanship of the Hammer cast and crew.

Horrible Hammer Flick.......2005-06-30

This is one of the worst Hammer Movies Ever Made this is even considerd to be a Sequel to "Satanic Rites of Dracula" NO IT ISNT this is not a sequel has nothing to do with the Dracula Series if this is a Sequel there are a few things Wrong with This

1. Satanic Rites of Dracula took place in "1974" This happens in "1904" NO SEQUEL

2. The Van Helsing in this can't be the one from the previous one or from "Horror of Dracula"

3. This could have been the prequel to "Horror of Dracula" if they had stuck with the year the movie starts in which is "1804" Because "Horror" starts in the year "1885" but they messed it up

Dont bother with this one I only got this because I am a Big Fan of Hammer. Dracula "John Forbes Robinson" Looks Horrible in this

A Stupid Movie Coming from a Hammer Fans Point of View.......2005-04-13

After Satanic Rites Lee Refused to put on the Cape who could blame him Peter Cushing Returns as Van Helsing and that does not help this poor movie the Dracula in this looks like a christopher lee wanna be he wears lip stick it looks very predictable

mildly entertaining E. Asian supernatural martial arts hokum.......2004-12-25

Dracula (John Forbes Robertson) has moved to China for reasons unexplained where he swiftly assumes the bodily appearance of Kah (Shen Chan) presumably because Robertson is a pretty crap Dracula so the less we see of him the better. He resurrects the local talent in the form of the Seven Golden Vampires who proceed to terrorize the neighbouring village. Meanwhile seven brothers from the village led by Hsi Ching (David Chiang) not to mention their sister Ma Kwei (Szu Shih), all, sister included, experts in exotic martial arts, recruit Van Helsing (Peter Cushing) with his expertise on vampires and such to mount an expedition to go and kill the vampires. They are joined by van Helsing's boring son Leyland (Robin Stewart) and some rich Scandinavian type lady (Julie Ege) both of whom seem a bit pointless as they are crap at fighting and experts on nothing. But presumably the makers of this feared that Western audiences would need someone to `identify' with and would be too ethnically parochial to identify with all these Chinese folks. The Chinese goodies, at any rate, are a formidable bunch, so to improve the odds, Dracula is able to summon a large army of zombies to his side. Happily, these are so completely crap at fighting that even the Europeans can kick their butt. The Seven Golden Vampires are a bit more of a tricky proposition and stretch our heroes to the full. Dracula himself, not being much of a kung fu sort takes something of a back seat and when, finally van Helsing is left to confront his arch-enemy, the latter's defeat is surprisingly and very anti-climactically swift and straightforward.

This is Hammer films fairly close to the end and running out of steam, looking around for novelty takes on their standard themes. It's not bad though, as we've seen since, the marriage of martial arts and horror is something the Chinese can do a whole lot better for themselves. If you're after wonderfully entertaining East Asian supernatural martial arts hokum check out, if you haven't already, Siu-Tung Ching's brilliant `A Chinese Ghost Story'. This, I'm afraid is just very mildly entertaining East Asian supernatural martial arts hokum.

Legend of Kung Fu Boredom.......2004-12-15

This Hammer attempt to capture the new kung-fu market, which was expanding in the early 1970's thanks to the auspices of the Shaw Production team, is a failure. Hammer fans were growing up and the studio did not attempt to make more mature pictures, instead they saw their numbers dwindle even more by teaming up the Dracul legend with Kung-Fu action set in Peiking. Most of Hammer's audience was now watching 70's porn which showed more than the mere bulging breasts that Hammer had given fans in the 1960's. Peter Cushing is once again back as the mad professor Van Hesling and he is giving a lecture on vampires in China.

The mood is mysterious but there is never really any strong plot to get the viewer interested, instead we get terrible kung fu action sequences, mixed with cheap sword play. One example is the Englishman who is fighting off 8 dead zombies, he doesnt know how to fight and yet he is beating off the gruesome creatures! The only thing that is good to say is that the vampires are a cheap mixture of Italian special effects which arent that bad, almost bordering on the Dead Knights Templars series which had been a hit in Spain. If you have nothing else to do, go ahead and see this but don't expect more than a few moments of interest.

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