Leofwine_draca One of my very favourites of the treasured gems of British comedy, this movie is a must-see for horror and comedy fans alike as it combines the two genres in a very successful way (although be aware that this film is foremost a comedy, with little that is meant to scare). The gags come thick and fast here and most of them hit home, and even if some don't the quick succession of them will soon have you forgetting the bad ones. From sight gags to wordplay to slapstick to excruciating puns, this film has it all.Visually it's very similar to a Hammer film of the period, with sumptuous colourful sets and costumes and spooky atmospheric woods and remote mansions. However the plot in itself seems to be a hodgepodge of classic horror themes, ideas and motifs. A subplot sees the "monsters" in this film creating their own shop dummies by using real women as the basis for the models. Also, all of the classic monsters are present: the monster Hyde and the werewolf combined in one, the lumbering monster (Frankenstein), the vampiress, the mad scientist, even the mummy making a cameo appearance at the end.Although a couple of the regular performers are conspicuous by their absence (Sid James and Kenneth Connor in particular), most of the usual faces pop up in supporting roles throughout this film and are a delight. Particularly good is Charles Hawtrey's hilarious turn as "Dan Dan the Lavatory Man", the owner of some gents who is offed by a hairy brute. However, the star of the show is Harry H. Corbett, who puts in a great performance here. Now, I know a lot of people hate Corbett's style of acting, but I personally find him very amusing, so I guess it's just a matter of taste. Corbett is supported by the criminally neglected Peter Butterworth who is also great value as an idiotic detective. Jim Dale is funny as a gurning goon who always seems to be in some mishap, and familiar British television faces like Jon Pertwee appear throughout too.However, the cast having the most fun are those playing the monsters in the film. Fenella Fielding is smashing as the seductive vampiress, whose classic line "do you mind if I smoke?" paves the way for one of the best-remembered jokes in the Carry On canon. Kenneth Williams is as great as he always is, flared nostrils and histrionics abound in his well-cast mad professor turn. Who can forget the classic ending which has him falling into his own bubbling vat while crying "frying tonight!"? The only cast member underused I feel was Bernard Bresslaw, who appears briefly as a Lurch-like butler and totally disappears at the film's end.There is just so much happening in this film, that there's something for everybody to enjoy. Be it Corbett's constant bickering with his wife, the insane goings on in the Gothic mansion or the bumbling idiotic policemen, I love every minute of this movie and could watch it again and again. Priceless entertainment, and one of the high points of British comedy cinema (and perhaps the high point of the Carry On series too).

MARIO GAUCI This delightful spoof on the contemporaneous – and equally popular – Hammer Horror style is undeniably a highlight of the "Carry On" series: the film is remarkably evocative with respect to color scheme, sets, lighting, even the score (though the rock'n'roll title track is somewhat unwarranted)...but, then, it's regrettably neglected whenever genre parodies are discussed (in my opinion, it's a must for any Hammer devotee)! The presence of series stalwarts Sidney James and Kenneth Connor is missed here; however, atypical 'recruits' Harry H. Corbett (in his one and only "Carry On") and Fenella Fielding (as a Morticia Addams-type nymphomaniac – she had appeared in CARRY ON REGARDLESS [1961] as well as Hammer's own spoof, THE OLD DARK HOUSE [1963]) more than make up for this. Among the typical horror elements we find here are Kenneth Williams as Mad Scientist, Zombie and Invisible Man all rolled into one, two Frankenstein Monsters named Oddbod and Oddbod Jr. (a nod, no doubt, to Oddjob from the James Bond adventure GOLDFINGER [1964] – it's interesting that the second creature is generated when electricity is applied merely to the missing finger of the first), two separate Hydes, a Mummy, plenty of wax figures, a sinister-looking butler, etc. Incidentally, the police investigation is redolent of a Holmes/Watson mystery (after all, Hammer themselves had filmed a version of THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES [1959]) – with Corbett and Peter Butterworth making for a great bumbling pair of sleuths.Series regular Charles Hawtrey only has a bit part here as a tell-tale lavatory attendant/gardener, but his messy death is hilarious; ditto future Dr. Who Jon Pertwee as an eccentric police-lab technician – ironically, there's a "Who's On First?"-type routine concerning Williams' character (called Dr. Watt)! Jim Dale and Angela Douglas are again the young lovers, while Joan Sims' role is practically a repeat of her nagging wife from CARRY ON CLEO (1964). By the way, the flustered mannequin shop owner is played by Frank Thornton, later of the ARE YOU BEING SERVED? (1972) TV series. As expected, Talbot Rothwell's script contains a lot of unsubtle puns – but the film itself is capped by quite a terrific (if hysterical) climax to rival Hammer's best efforts.

SmashMonkey With its corny gags and ridiculously funny one-liners, Carry On Screaming has to be one of the best films i saw as a child. It started my love affair with the Carry On series, which to this day remain as funny as when they were made. The casting was superb, with Harry H. Corbett hamming it up wonderfully as the bumbling Bung, Fenella Fielding bringing camp glamour to the proceedings as Valeria Watt and, of course, Kenneth Williams in his most memorable Carry On role as the ghoulish Dr. Orlando Watt. The whole cast seem to be enjoying themselves immensely, especially during the last part of the film. Even now, when i watch it, i have a grin on my face that stretches from ear to ear. This is the perfect film for first-time viewers of the carry on films, young or old.

sol- One of the better films of the Carry On series, the film spoofs the typical horror films of the 1960s quite well, and there is a great feel of the Gothic to it, thanks to apt costumes and sets. It is still overly silly as is usual for an entry in the series, and there are silly sound effects and some lame jokes that bring it down. However, there are quite a few good gags to make up for those that do not work, and the team receives great assistance from Fenella Fielding this time, who is perfectly cast as a vampire like seductress. The film also has some good makeup work, and the title song, sung by Jim Dale, fits in well.