Die 7 goldenen Vampire

After 1968, there was no more interest in the productions of the legendary Hammer studio. Apparently, in an effort to attract new audiences, they joined forces six years later with a studio as close to Hammer horror films as Dolph Lundgren is to character acting: Shawn Brothers. The result could be nothing but a strange mix of kung-fu brawlers and vampire themes, and neither works here. The fight choreography isn't great and the vampires are only lightly touched upon. Hammer's cult star Peter Cushing looks like he's thinking "God, what kind of shite have I got myself into again!" the whole time, and Dracula is played by a guy who lacks even a tenth of Christopher Lee's charisma. The overall result is so awkward that it didn't attract new fans to Hammer, and may have discouraged die-hard fans. It’s a shame. (26.04.2005)

Aus der unerwarteten Zusammenarbeit von zwei Filmstudios aus verschiedenen Kontinenten entstand eine wirklich bizarre Kuriosität. Während Hammer versuchte, innovativ an eine ihrer erfolgreichsten Dracula-Serien anzuknüpfen, wich Shaw Brothers aus Hongkong keinen Schritt von ihrem Standard ab. In der Praxis bedeutet das, dass wir zwar Peter Cushing und gewisse Untote haben (deren Gesichter jedoch durch Masken verdeckt sind), aber letztendlich ist das egal, denn ein Kung-Fu-Kampf folgt dem nächsten, gotische Schlösser wurden durch Tempel vor Ort ersetzt und der Dracula selbst ist ein bärtiger Chinese. Ja, es ist genauso lustig und dumm, wie es aussieht, daher hängt es hauptsächlich von der Natur und der momentanen Stimmung ab, wie man dieses Experiment aufnimmt. (16.12.2014)

"The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires" is therefore a peculiar culmination of the entire Hammer series, but I must say that it is a conclusion that I didn't necessarily disapprove of, but rather quite enjoyed. Peter Cushing maintains his standard here, and even the story in the Chinese setting doesn't look so bad. I'm not overflowing with enthusiasm, but I don't consider "The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires" a bad film. (27.01.2016)

Hammer Films decided to revive its moribund Dracula franchise and its generally declining horror brand, so it joined forces with Hong Kong studio Shaw Brothers, which was at the height of its popular kung fu films at the time. The result is a somewhat heavy-handed gothic kung fu horror film that nonetheless delivers everything you could want from this cultural fusion of two disparate film traditions. So fans of the aforementioned companies will be satisfied, especially those who want to see Professor Van Helsing, Dracula (sadly without Christopher Lee this time) and kung-fists side by side. (22.01.2004)