The Abominable Snowman (1957) There's no better way to spend a chilly autumn night than cuddling up with a vintage Hammer chiller.......
And we especially warm to this one because it defies expectations.........which is what you'd expect from a script by the always brilliant Nigel Kneale, who based the film on his BBC TV play "The Creature"........
No roaring, snarling, stomping monsters here......Kneale has much bigger and better concepts on his mind. His snowmen are far from abominable.........they're a worldly wise, sad lonely species, choosing to live out their solitary existence in the icy drifts of the Himalayas.........in the hopes of one day reclaiming the earth from rampaging, violent mankind........
It takes a while for a bunch of typically foolish humans to realize who and what they're dealing with when they dare go climbing up the frozen peaks to bag a Yeti like a prize trophy. These include a civilized, gentle-hearted scientist (Peter Cushing) and an obnoxious Big Game Hunting crew led by Forrest Tucker, superb as the loud, pushy quintessential Ugly American.
As expected, this clueless group get way more than they bargained for in their close encounters with the AB's.......discovering too late that these surprisingly intelligent creatures may possess mental powers beyond the comprehension of their would-be hunters.
Director Val Guest is smart enough to keep the Snowmen mostly hidden from view throughout the film, saving the reveal for the last few minutes........
And when we see one at last step out of the shadows, it's a moment that's amazing, peaceful and melancholy all at once. Because he appears more human and empathetic than the people who've stalked him......and far more knowing. (It's possible Kneale flirted with the idea of the Snowmen as nearly divine entities......but we'll leave that for you to discuss that among yourselves....)
Peter Cushing and Forrest Tucker make a great unlikely pairing of oddball adventurers.....and visually, the film's a crazy black-and-white widescreen mixture of stunning outdoor scenery combined with obvious backlot sets on Hammer's Bray Studio home base. But the story's so compelling, we easily overlooked the film's low budget restrictions.
Top notch, top-of-the-line Hammer chills and thrills........4 snowy stars (****) and more than worth chillin' out with......
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