I have always held a real soft spot for Caroline Munro. For a film fan of a certain vintage, she is woven into the very fabric of our formative years. She is the definitive Scream Queen in Captain Kronos and Dracula A.D. 1972; she is the lethal Bond Girl Naomi in The Spy Who Loved Me; and she is the quintessential fantasy heroine (and one of my first crushes) from The Golden Voyage of Sinbad.

I still frequently revisit these films—especially the Harryhausen classics, given my love for his creature effects (a passion shared by Munro herself, who serves as a Trustee for his foundation). I recently missed a chance to meet her at the Hell Tor Festival in Exeter, despite living nearby, so I jumped at the chance to read her autobiography, Reality Behind the Fantasy. So, does the book live up to the icon?

If you are looking for a dry, day-by-day chronological account of a life, this might not be it. Instead, Munro’s book reads like a "Greatest Hits" album. It is a collection of the specific life experiences, chance encounters, and instincts that shaped her singular career path across the worlds of Bond, Hammer Horror, and Sci-Fi.

Munro is philosophical about her journey. She reflects on the "Sliding Doors" moment where she chose the role of Naomi in Bond over Ursa in Superman II. She notes:

"We all have moments in life where we look back and wonder what might have been... It’s a natural part of the human experience."

She concludes that following her instincts rather than a "grand plan" was the right way to go and one of the most touching aspects of the book is Munro’s candor about her early years. Despite an idyllic home life with a supportive mother and a father shaped by WW2, she struggled academically. She opens up about her battle with dyslexia, which wasn't fully understood at the time, leading to a lack of confidence in the classroom.

However, once she moved to Brighton Art College, things fell into place. The book paints a vivid picture of the era—riding her bicycle "Blue Bird," seeing The Beatles perform in Brighton before they were global superstars, and eventually stumbling into the "Face of the Year" competition that launched her modeling career.

The anecdotes from this era are gold dust for pop-culture fans. From a romance with Colin Blunstone (The Zombies) to declining a kiss from photographer David Bailey (telling him he was "too old"!) and a chance encounter with a magnetic, pre-fame David Bowie, Munro was right in the center of the cultural zeitgeist.

Naturally, the bulk of the book covers her legendary film career. Horror fans will appreciate the deep dive into her time at Hammer. She speaks with immense respect for Sir Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing, crediting them with helping her overcome imposter syndrome during the filming of Dracula A.D. 1972.

Her stories are often hilarious and self-deprecating. One highlight is her mortification at accidentally burping in front of Vincent Price after a pâté breakfast on the set of Dr. Phibes - only for the horror legend to laugh it off and join in.

She also touches on the guerrilla filmmaking styles of her later cult hits like Maniac and The Last Horror Film, sharing the gritty reality of filming in Times Square without permits. Whether it was getting stung by a bee during her first scene with Roger Moore or nearly crashing in a helicopter for a Lamb's Navy Rum advert, Munro portrays the industry as equal parts glamour and danger.

The book takes a serious turn as Munro discusses her personal life, including her marriages (first to Judd Hamilton, then to George) and her recent battle with breast cancer. She speaks highly of Maggie’s, a charity that supported her, adding a layer of vulnerability to the glamour.

She ends the book on a poignant note regarding her recent work on the convention circuit and with Talking Pictures TV. She realizes that acting isn't just about entertainment; it is about,

"helping people escape, heal, dream, and feel."

Overall, I really enjoyed my time with Reality Behind the Fantasy as it wasn’t a heavy academic study of film; it was more like a conversation. It felt honestly earnest and breezy and I felt that it captured the voice of a woman who has remained grounded despite being a fantasy icon for decades.

So, if you are a fan of Hammer, Harryhausen, or just the golden era of British film, this is well worth your time.

LINK- The Golden Voyage of Sinbad - Cult Film Review

LINK- The 7th Voyage of Sinbad- Cult Movie Review

LINK- Into the Unknown Exhibition Shines Bright at the Barbican

LINK- Ray Harryhausen: Titan of Cinema Virtual Exhibition Experience- Review

LINK- Children of the Stones: Cult TV Series Review

LINK- Tom’s Midnight Garden: Cult TV Review

LINK- On And On And Colston ( Or, How We Kinda Sort of Learned to Talk About the Legacy of Colonialism and the British Empire)

LINK: Japan: My Journey to the East

LINK- Pure Invention- Book Review

I've been reading Hammer Glamour, an impressive art book about the many actresses who played roles in the multitude of Hammer films. Hammer Horror actress Caroline Munro, an iconic cult movie figure from her time on The Golden Voyage if Sinbad as well as a kickass Bond girl, discussed her love of Captain Kronos, one of the films she starred in. I'd heard the film mentioned elsewhere and it was described as a bit of a cult classic so I thought I'd seek it out. Luckily, it was available on a streaming service I subscribed to so, snacks in hand, I settled down to watch it one evening.

I'd heard that it was a vampire killer movie so expected the usual Van Helsing thing but this is a different beast; it felt like an old Leone Spaghetti Westerns or Kurosawa films, where a lone traveller helps a people against seemingly impossible odds.

The film starts off with a cold open. A couple of young women are discussing beauty and vanity when a mysterious hooded figure approaches one of the women whilst the other is occupied. When the friend returns, she sees her friend has aged and is a husk of her former self. This startling opening is a great start to Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter.

We then see a mysterious stranger riding across lush landscapes. He is followed by a wagon pulled by 4 white horses, riden by a man in a smart black suit laden with various tools of the trade- vampire hunting. On their way, the rider (revealed to be handsome Horst Jansson) frees a woman (Munro) who has been placed in stocks for 'dancing on a Sunday'. The dramatic music kicks in and the opening credits roll as the party travel across the country through beautiful landscapes and vistas. The film opening kind of reminds me of Aguirre: Wrath of God but this film doesn't have the sublime Popul Vuh soundtrack but rather Laurie Johnson’s boombastic and effective sound pallette.

We find that Kronos, and his colleague Grost (played with aplomb by John Cater) have been called for by an old comrade to investigate the death of the young girls in the area whose youth has been drained from them by a vampire. What follows is a cat and mouse game as Kronos closes in on the threat, but not before encountering some aggressive locals who don't like outsiders in their village.

I really quite liked this quite original take on the old vampire myth as it challenged a few of the old tropes and conventions; for example, when a young woman seeks solace and safety in a church a crucifix shadow, the crucifix shape moves and she is killed. This scene is pretty amazing and raises the stakes (dad joke-sorry/not sorry) as it shows that nowhere is safe.

The dialogue is pretty basic but I did like Munro's characters aphorism: 'Beauty fades eventually, but a kind soul remians forever.'

I thought the cinematography was well done too and the set design shows an economy of design; Hammer films were cheap and often reused old costumes and sets. However, this frugality lends the film a feel of authenticity with the grime and rot of the olden days that feels really lived in.

Overall, I thought it was a great watch, not a masterpiece but definitely worth your time at only 90 or so minutes.

LINK- The Golden Voyage of Sinbad- Cult Movie Review

LINK- The 7th Voyage of Sinbad- Cult Movie Review

LINK- Into the Unknown Exhibition Shines Bright at the Barbican

LINK- Ray Harryhausen: Titan of Cinema Virtual Exhibition Experience- Review

LINK- Children of the Stones: Cult TV Series Review

LINK- Tom’s Midnight Garden: Cult TV Review

LINK- On And On And Colston ( Or, How We Kinda Sort of Learned to Talk About the Legacy of Colonialism and the British Empire)

LINK: Japan: My Journey to the East

LINK- Pure Invention- Book Review