Here’s a pirate film from England’s Hammer Films, and in many ways it’s not your typical pirate movie. First off, it takes place 99% on land. Secondly, it stars Kerwin Mathews and Christopher Lee, Lee being the wearer of the required “pirate” eyepatch. The plot centers around the Huguenots and a treasure in gold they have hidden that Lee and crew want. Lee’s character is very cool, very philosophical, but also very sadistic. In his crew you’ll see Oliver Reed drinking and going after the Huguenot women, and elsewhere in the film are Marla Landi, Andrew Keir, Michael Ripper, and Glenn Corbett. The screenplay is by Jimmy Sangster, and it’s intriguing. And while the film is not great — “pirates” were never Hammer’s specialty, horror films were — it is a hell of a lot of fun, and there are frequent battles, and this being a Hammer Film, two quick but bloody piranha attacks. It’s completely enjoyable, with a great performance by Lee.
