Horror Films Of Actors/ Actresses Not usually Known For Horror 2/10

And the second in the series is

2. Oliver Reed

Tough guy actor and hellraiser  who worked his way through a lot of genres westerns, comedies, thrillers, action and star of  films such as  The Assassination Bureau, Hannibal Brooks, The Jokers, The Trap, the Hunting Party and many others. he had a very up and down career and that goes for some of the horror films he did too. in chronological order.

1. Curse Of The Werewolf ( 1961) this was Oliver's first big role and he took it with both hands. He plays Leon a boy born on christmas day and the result of a begger raping a woman and the boy being cursed to be a werewolf. He is adopted by a Spanish nobleman and as he grows up falls in love but is tormented by his curse and becomes a raging  bloodthirsty beast on the full moon. Oliver Reed is very good in the role aided by a great werewolf make up, he is both sympathetic, tragic and brutal all at the same time. Hammer Studios only werewolf film and a pretty good one.

2.These Are The Damned ( 1963) oliver Reed in another Hammer film but here he is a " Normal" human. he plays the leader of a gang who mug an Amercian on his boat and the man falls for Ollie's sister which doesn't please him. The man and the girl go on the run but all of them get mixed up in a scientific experiment involving a " Special breed" of children  with deadly consequences. slow moving film and one that changes from a drama to a rather chilling science fiction film. not bad.

3.The Brood ( 1979) Oliver Reed here under David Cronenberg's direction plays Dr Hal Raglin a controversial psychiatrist who has a bizarre method to bring out his patient's rage and it has a really nasty effect on one of his women patients who produces a brood of freakish dwarf like children who commit nasty brutal murders when mummy gets agitated.Typical  cronenberg movie with a couple of brutal murder scenes including one in a classroom.

4. Dr Heckyl & Mr Hype ( 1980) not a great film but it's ok and Oliver Reed seems to enjoy himself here in a comedy horror version of Dr Jeckyll & Mr Hyde but with a slight difference. Dr henry Heckyl is the ugly and deformed podist ( foot doctor) who discovers a potion that turns him into the handsome mr Hype who is a great womaniser but has something of a temper and commits a serious of murders. Ollie has fun in both roles and shows a flair for comedy. film is only average but it's light hearted.

5. Spasms ( 1983) Ollie plays Jason Kincaid a millionaire hunter who finds a giant snake and discovers he has a telepathic link with it . He foolishly captures it and keeps it but it escapes and starts killing people. silly and cheap film with not very good effects but a couple of gory moments when some victims start spouting huge festering boils all over them.

there we go, i would appreciate some memories of the films if you have seen them, comments  and whatever from you lovely people and  perhaps inspire you to view some of them. Watch out for number three in the next few days.

Last edited by wolfman1959 (2013-02-06 16:08:28)