The Karnstein Trilogy Resurrected

Just a quick word for my good friend Kat Ellinger whose excellent Hammer article The Karnstein Trilogy Resurrected appears in the latest issue (#32) of UK horror magazine Scream. I've had this issue on ice for the past week, I wanted to freshen my memory of the three films, which I duly did, before reading Kat's retrospective. I should add that Kat has very thoughtfully left her piece spoiler-free so a knowledge of the films is by no means required. Kat covers the background of the films, their development at Hammer, the personnel involved on both sides of the camera, and for anyone like myself who's been scrimping on their 19th century Gothic lit, there's a useful catch-up on Sheridan Le Fanu's Carmilla, the source material for the trilogy. Elsewhere, Kat sweetens the article which lots of interesting vivid factoids, like a paternal Roy Ward Baker removing some insensitive executives from the set of Vampire Lovers, and reveals that Peter Cushing was dealing with some very tragic personal circumstances during the filming of Twins of Evil, which in retrospect adds an additional dimension to his performance. And there's a daring case made for Lust for a Vampire, widely considered the weakest film in the trilogy, but here given a reprieve in the face of some challenging conditions the production had to contend with. The Karnstein Trilogy Resurrected is substantial, meaty stuff so be sure to sink your teeth into the latest issue of Scream, available now at select newstands and instant access on the usual platforms. For more info and a short preview of the current issue, step this way...