9 Great Lesser Known Hammer Horror Films

8. The Man Who Could Cheat Death (1959) Affiche L Homme Qui Faisait Des Miracles 1 In 1890s Paris, Georges Bonnet - who is in fact a 104 year old sculptor - keeps a fresh appearance by murdering women and using their parathyroid glands. This helps him stay youthful looking and life is good for him. However, he needs to coerce a doctor called Pierre into performing the vital surgery that keeps him so young because his trusty, regular surgeon is getting old and doddery. A decrepit end is in sight for Georges. A Dorian Grey-esque story is confidently handled by Hammer's number one, most talented director Terrence Fisher. It is entertaining mad scientist fare that Fisher would later elaborate on in Hammer's highly successful Frankenstein franchise. The Man Who Could Cheat Death does not feature an anti-hero as charismatic as Frankenstein, but Anton Diffring puts in an excellent performance as the tortured Georges. The film is based on a play called The Man in Half Moon Street in which Diffring had played the stage role version of Georges. Christopher Lee pops up as a good guy in this film, it is amazing how Lee could switch between being a goodie and being a baddie. Being a Hammer film, the colours of the film are particularly beautiful. Highly recommended.

Contributor
Contributor

My first film watched was Carrie aged 2 on my dad's knee. Educated at The University of St Andrews and Trinity College Dublin. Fan of Arthouse, Exploitation, Horror, Euro Trash, Giallo, New French Extremism. Weaned at the bosom of a Russ Meyer starlet. The bleaker, artier or sleazier the better!