The Asphyx

Original, intelligent Hammer-esque horror from the early 70s

In 1875, a squire in England and his adopted son (Robert Stephens & Robert Powell) find a possible means of acquiring immortality by trapping the spirit of death, aka the mythological asphyx or what we would call the Grim Reaper. Unfortunately, when people play God unforeseen negative things tend to happen.

"The Asphyx" (1972) is thinking mans Brit horror in the vein of "The Revenge of Frankenstein" (1958), "Frankenstein Created Woman" (1967) and "Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed "(1969), as well as the soon-to-come The Creeping Flesh(1973). Its the most obscure of these films because its arguably the least of em, but it does feature one of the most imaginative concepts...

"Sir Hugo" (Robert Stephens) is a much respected scientist in Victorian Britain fascinated by motion pictures. Whilst filming his friends punting on the river; they have a calamitous accident and die. What shows up on his photography afterwards intrigues him - it seems as though a mysterious form is taking over their dead bodies. Could this be the "The Asphyx" of ancient Greek myth? He and his son (Robert Powell) decide to try and investigate further with the aim of capturing one in the hope of potentially achieving immortality. It's well put together, the story and script are solid and the lead performances with Jane Lapotaire as "Christina" are quite entertaining to watch. I found it a wee bit long, but give it a go.