Of all of George A Romero’s films, “Martin” is apparently his favourite, even though many people have probably never even heard of it. Made in 1977 on a tiny budget, it is an extremely unorthodox vampire movie; even today, when our TV screens, cinemas and book shops are crammed with blood-sucking tales for all corners of the market, it still feels fresh and unique.

Newcomer John Amplas (“Knightriders”, “Day of the Dead”) excels as the eponymous character, a troubled teenager who moves in with his much older cousin Cuda (Lincoln Maazel) and Cuda’s daughter Christina (Christine Forrest aka Mrs Romero). Cuda, a staunch Catholic, is convinced that Martin has a terrible curse of vampirism passed down the family bloodline, and is determined to cure him and put stop to his activities. Martin has a bizarre addiction or complex that drives his thirst for human blood, which certainly seems to substantiate Cuda’s beliefs.

You can win Diana Rigg’s debut season of The Avengers, retailing at £59.99, for nominating in this year’s Cult TV Awards. We have three copies to give away to the trio pulled out of our electronic hat, and this is one hell of an incentive to get your ‘thinking cap’ on! The Avengers Series 4 hit UK audiences in 1965-6, with some major changes from what had gone before.

More than 80 actresses auditioned for the role before Rigg was discovered.  Her screen test with Macnee showed the two immediately worked well together, and a new era in Avengers history began.  It was also this series, the first to be on film, but the last to be in black and white, which was sold to US television for the then unheard of sum of $2 million. This made it one of the first British series to be aired on prime-time American Television.