The Plague of the Zombies is a 1966 Hammer horror film directed by John Gilling. The movie stars André Morell as Sir James Forbes, an eminent physician who is called to the small village of Vandorf in Cornwall to investigate a mysterious plague that has been afflicting the population. Sir James is accompanied by his daughter Sylvia (Diane Clare) and his assistant Dr. Peter Tompson (John Carson).
Upon arriving in Vandorf, Sir James is met with skepticism and hostility from the local villagers, who are under the sway of the mysterious squire Charles (played by Robert James). Charles is a disciple of Haitian witchcraft and has been using voodoo magic to resurrect corpses to work in his unsafe tin mines. However, this magic requires human sacrifice, and the squire has been taking the bodies of the dead from the local cemetery to fuel his dark powers.
As Sir James delves deeper into the mystery, he discovers that the dead are indeed walking and that the village is in grave danger. With the help of Dr. Tompson and Sylvia, he sets out to stop Charles and put an end to his macabre experiments. However, they soon find themselves under attack from an army of zombies, who are relentless in their pursuit of fresh victims.
The Plague of the Zombies is regarded as one of Hammer's finest horror films, with its intelligent script, atmospheric set design, and excellent performances. It also marked the first time that zombies appeared in a Hammer movie, paving the way for the undead to become a staple of horror films in the years to come.
