Welcome back to Dark Corners physical media reviews. We're looking at Imprint's new release of 1971's Twins of Evil on 4K and Blu-ray, restored by Via Vision from the original 35mm negative. Looking fantastic. The night scenes in the forest are so crystal clear, it almost feels like midday.
Twins of Evil could easily be written off as a symptom of Hammer film's decline. Losing their audience, they increasingly fell back on blood, Satan, and naked ladies. Desperate for any gimmick to sell their films. Twins, that would be something different. Former Playboy models Mary and Meline Collinsson were ideal casting as Maria and Freda, one good, one wicked.
But for all its exploitation trappings, this is also a serious horror film, playing two types of evil against each other. Damian Thomas's degenerate Count Karnstein and the puritanical hypocrisy of Gustaf Vile are central to the narrative, with Peter Cushing returning to Hammer to deliver a chilling performance as Vile.
This marks the third film in Hammer's loose Karnstein trilogy, although the titular lady only has a cameo. Despite the film's gore and overt sexuality, it is tightly plotted, and several characters exhibit unexpected sophistication. David Warbeck's Anton, a complex character, despises Vile's puritanical brotherhood for their treatment of women.
The film, likened to Arthur Miller's The Crucible with added vampires and playboy models, challenges perceptions with its intelligent treatment of themes such as religion and class. Meanwhile, Wayne Kinsey's work on Hammer props, interviews with cast and crew, and analyses by critics offer deeper insight.
The Imprint release features comprehensive extras, including an hour-long interview with Damian Thomas and insightful commentary tracks. The packaging is stellar, offering rich additional materials like isolated music tracks and a detailed booklet. Though not Hammer's best, Twins of Evil is more than exploitation, proving a powerful entry in horror cinema.