Twins of Evil
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Twins of Evil is a 1971 horror film by Hammer Film Productions starring Peter Cushing.
It is the third film of The Karnstein Trilogy, based on the vampire tale Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu. The film has the least resemblance to the novel and adds a witchfinding theme to the vampire story. It is sometimes seen as a prequel to The Vampire Lovers, the first film in the Karnstein Trilogy, as the set design and costumes give the film an 18th Century look and feel.
Much of the interest of the film revolves around the contrasting evil and good natures of two beautiful sisters, Frieda and Maria Gellhorn (played by twin Playmates Mary and Madeleine Collinson). Unlike the previous two entries in the series, this film contains only a brief vampire lesbian element.
Plot
Maria and Frieda, identical twin teenage girls whose parents have recently died, move from Venice to Karnstein in Central Europe to live with their uncle Gustav Weil, a stern puritan. Weil is also the leader of the Brotherhood, a group of religious fanatics trying to stamp out witchcraft and satanism, abducting several young women at night and burning them at the stake. Both twins resent the sternness of their uncle and one of them, Frieda, looks for a way to escape. Resenting her uncle, she is driven to resent "good, if doing good is singing hymns and praying all day long" and fascinated by the local Count Karnstein, who has the reputation of being "a wicked man".
Count Karnstein, who enjoys the Emperor's favour and thus remains untouched by the Brotherhood, is indeed wicked and interested in Satanism and Black Magic. Trying to emulate his wicked ancestors, he keeps experimenting with rituals. One night he murders a girl as human sacrifice, calling upon the forces of darkness. That night, Countess Mircalla Karnstein rises from her grave and joins him in bed. She bites his throat and turns him into a vampire. The Count soon notices the lovely young twins and Frieda, following his invitation, at night steals away to the castle, while Maria covers for the latter's absence. In the castle, the Count invites Frieda to join him in punishing his maid Gerta and then bites Frieda, transforming her into a vampire. He offers Frieda her first victim, which happens to be Gerta, chained in his castle. Frieda approaches the girl slowly, then bites Gerta on her breast. Frieda returns home and threatens Maria to keep covering for her nightly excursions but secretly she is also afraid that she might bite her sister, if she stayed at home. Meanwhile Maria is more interested in the handsome young teacher, Anton, who is initially more infatuated with the more mysterious Frieda. Anton has studied what he calls "superstition" and though his denunciation of the Brotherhood has made him an enemy of Weil, he advises him that "if vampires exist" he should kill them properly (not by burning at the stake but by a stake through the heart or decapitation).
Anton is convinced of the existence of vampires when his sister falls victims to one. One night, when Frieda attacks a member of the Brotherhood, she is captured by her uncle and put in jail. While the Brotherhood debates, the Count and his servants kidnap Maria and exchange her with Frieda in the cell, so that good Maria will be burned and evil Frieda can cause more havoc. Anton goes to see Maria, not knowing that she is actually Frieda. She tries to seduce him but seeing her lacking a reflection in the mirror, he fights and defeats her with a cross. Anton rushes to stop the burning, insisting that the bound girl is Maria. She is given a cross, which she kisses, revealing her innocence. Weil is horrified to realize he almost killed an innocent girl.
Weil now listens to Anton's advice and takes some comfort with Anton's insistence that if a vampire has a shred of goodness in their soul (which was hinted at earlier, when Frieda was afraid she could kill her sister), death sends them not to hell but to God. Weil and Anton lead the Brotherhood and villagers up to Karnstein Castle. As the Count learns that the attackers are equipped with crosses, stakes and axes, he tries to sneak out together with Frieda through a secret way. They are surprised by Weil who beheads his niece. Maria, feeling that something has happened to Frieda, searches for her and is captured by the Count, who uses her as a shield. Weil challenges the Count and is killed, but this gives Anton the opportunity to pierce the distracted Count's heart. Anton and Maria are united.
Cast
- Peter Cushing as Gustav Weil
- Kathleen Byron as Katy Weil
- Mary Collinson as Maria Gellhorn
- Madeleine Collinson as Frieda Gellhorn
- David Warbeck as Anton Hoffer
- Damien Thomas as Count Karnstein
- Katya Wyeth as Countess Mircalla
- Roy Stewart as Joachim
- Isobel Black as Ingrid Hoffer
- Harvey Hall as Franz
- Alex Scott as Hermann
- Dennis Price as Dietrich
- Sheelah Wilcox as Lady in Coach
- Inigo Jackson as Woodman
- Judy Matheson as Woodman's Daughter
- Kirsten Lindhol as Young Girl at Stake
- Luan Peters as Gerta
- Peter Thompson as Gaoler
