Germany in the early 1910 is probably the last place you'd expect to find 'The Gorgon', but this is Hammer, and anything goes, especially when the sets have already been built for another production.
Writer John Gilling specialised for a short while in bringing something slightly different to Hammer - the superb and unusual 'Plague Of The Zombies' and 'The Reptile' were also his work, and 'The Gorgon', which marries the good old gothic to Ancient Greek mythology is an equally odd work, a true one off.
The film has a lot going for it: a small village haunted by ignorance and fear; a series of bizarre murders; a great cast, including Peter Cushing, Barbara Shelley and Patrick Troughton; some excellent effects; haunting music from James Bernard, and a brilliantly 'excuse me?' concept - that Medusa's sister Megaera survived Perseus' attack and moved to Bavaria...
Expertly directed by horror genius, Freddie Francis, 'The Gorgon' comes highly recommended, not least because of its superbly sustained atmosphere of dread, unique storyline and Peter Cushing's fantastic sidewhiskers. Good stuff!
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