Arriving in a small German hamlet, a scientist sent for his studies finds a rash of murders shortly afterward forces him to call upon his former professor for help, and together they find the cause to be a legendary mythological figure reawakened in modern times.For the most part this here is one of the best Hammer films, and provides some of the best that it has to offer. The main factor to help here is that the atmosphere in this film is completely off-the- charts, providing a ton of Gothic showcases for the film and giving it something to enjoy. The castle here is one of the best, combining everything that the ones employed from the past and it retains a great level of fear to it as it's an effectively creepy and tense place that has plenty to like about it with it's elaborate stone courtyards, giant statues, massive arch columns and stairways which make for a rather fine setting for the monsters' home-base while letting the decrepit, leaf-filled hallways create an imposing air of menace and dread that's welcomed in the best of the Gothic tales. That goes hand-in-hand nicely with the talk of the different curses affecting the area and the scenes of the first victims turning to stone in the castle walls where the howling wind and sweeping shots of the creature walking along the area makes for a rather dark and chilling Gothic setup. This one also works well at delivering the central mystery of the creatures' origin as there's the mythological connection to the true beings in history and then settling into the town under the false pretenses which is a rather intriguing and enjoyable section of the film. This has more scares in it than most Hammer offerings, which is a welcome site with this allowing for quite a large number of action scenes throughout here that ranges from the opening double-murder act on the couple to her father's confrontation with the creature and the other encounters here with the sudden appearance of the creature's reflection in the pond during a vicious and chilling shock scare which is quite fun. The finale here is also rather fun with the big sword-fight around the castle and the great manner of defeating the creature at the end makes for a really thrilling finish. These are the film's best points, but this here did have a few flaws to it. The fact that the amnesia angle in here is very weak is something of a weakness as it's just poorly thought-out, offers nothing of interest and just feels so tacked on to provide something to make the final battle more thrilling when it actually does nothing at all. The appearance of the Gorgon itself, when shown full-on near the end, is a slight let down, with this ancient-evil looking more like an old woman with too much make-up on and a rubber reptile filled wig. The snakes are very stiff in their movements and seem to be just wobbling around as opposed to writhing, and the cheesy puppet head during the ending decapitation, highlighting this, is just ridiculous. The short time makes it seem like more could've been done with it, but otherwise, these here are the film's flaws.Today's Rating/PG: Violence.

An eerie town, a local legend, horrible murders and a false accusation to cover up the truth all set in a Gothic environment. What else do you need to watch in a dark cold night. Highly enjoyable hammer classic, and one of the reasons why the world is in love with hammer horror. Christopher Lee as the eccentric supporting protagonist along with the lovestruck Peter Cushing a story within a story. Lovely setup altogether and makes your really appreciate what the Hammer guys used to do with their limited budgets. Apart from the part that the name of the gorgon of Greek origin was not Magaera nothing wrong with this movie! Awesome classic horror must see for horror and Gothic fans.

I probably missed a bit of dialogue and story development whenever the scene took place in Peter Cushing's home. I could concentrate on nothing but that wallpaper! Hammer sets are always designed to maximize the atmosphere, but this one took the cake! What was that about? Actually, it's one of many interesting things about this film. The basic premise (whether it's a true legend is irrelevant) makes for an unusual plot. I liked the downbeat resolution, which I felt was rather unexpected. The acting, though stilted and overwrought, is fine for this type of Gothic melodrama. Nice to see Peter Cushing as a villain for a change. He proves to be quite a versatile actor. Special effects are awfully primitive and cheesy, but they're easily overlooked - this is Hammer after all. Running time is mercifully brief. While it's no masterpiece of horror, "The Gorgon" is engaging entertainment.

The Hammer studios of the 1960's produce some of the most colorful Classic movies which went on to endear a plethora of audiences to their work. Among the most notable pair of actors which made themselves household names were the duo of the late great, Peter Cushing and still working Christopher Lee. Among their finest work which have stood the test of time, is this early offering. The film is called " The Gorgon ", written by J. Llewellyn Devine and directed by Terence Fisher. It revives a horrific and ancient myth concerning the last of three tragic sisters who had been cursed. Originally, they were beautiful, but were transformed into hideous monsters. Anyone who dared to looked upon their faces, were instantly turned into solid stone. In this modern version, Dr. Namaroff (Peter Cushing) has discovered the ancient spirit has returned to the town and has begun murdering victims. With the death of his son Paul, Professor Jules Heitz (Michael Goodlife) arrived in the town only to discover the townsfolk terrorized and little cooperation from Inspector Kanof (Patrick Troughton) or the authorities. Christopher Lee, plays Prof. Karl Meister a courageous man of action who learns of the re-incarnation of the Gorgon (Barbara Shelley) as Carla Hoffman and decides to seek her out. Veteran actor, Jack Watson, plays Ratoff, Cushing able assistant. Together, the fine cast, creates enough drama, excitement and mayhem to establish this Hammer film as a definite Classic. ****