I greatly looked forward to the ‘sequel’ rebirth of Hammer Horror into today’s age. It is important to note that those of us who delighted in the Halcyon days of Hammer Studios with the likes of Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, Sherlock Holmes, The Reptile, The Gorgon, and many others stalking around opulent yet budget-conscious sets with blood, gore, and low-cut necklines may be in for a bit of shock. Those types of films meaning the ‘Old’ Hammer Studios formula do not work for audiences of today. That is why Joe Stephenson Directed Doctor Jekyll (2023) is pivotal to the new ‘John Gore’ era of horror filmmaking, to that end it does not disappoint new and old on many fronts.
This picture is an underplayed subversive delight of duality on many levels. The level of decadency each person has on one another no matter how different they seem. Many cast themselves...
This picture is an underplayed subversive delight of duality on many levels. The level of decadency each person has on one another no matter how different they seem. Many cast themselves...
- 1/2/2024
- by Terry Sherwood
- Horror Asylum
Welcome to the Hammer Factory. This month we dissect The Reptile (1966).
While Hammer Studios has been in business since 1934, it was between 1955 and 1979 that it towered as one of the premier sources of edgy, gothic horror. On top of ushering the famous monsters of Universal’s horror heyday back into the public eye, resurrecting the likes of Frankenstein, Dracula and the Mummy in vivid color, the studio invited performers like Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Ingrid Pitt and so many more to step into the genre limelight. Spanning a library housing over 300 films, Hammer Studios is a key part of horror history that until recently has been far too difficult to track down.
In late 2018, Shout Factory’s Scream Factory line began to focus on bringing Hammer’s titles to disc in the US, finally making many of the studio’s underseen gems available in packages that offered great visuals as well as insightful accompanying features.
While Hammer Studios has been in business since 1934, it was between 1955 and 1979 that it towered as one of the premier sources of edgy, gothic horror. On top of ushering the famous monsters of Universal’s horror heyday back into the public eye, resurrecting the likes of Frankenstein, Dracula and the Mummy in vivid color, the studio invited performers like Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Ingrid Pitt and so many more to step into the genre limelight. Spanning a library housing over 300 films, Hammer Studios is a key part of horror history that until recently has been far too difficult to track down.
In late 2018, Shout Factory’s Scream Factory line began to focus on bringing Hammer’s titles to disc in the US, finally making many of the studio’s underseen gems available in packages that offered great visuals as well as insightful accompanying features.
- 9/25/2023
- by Paul Farrell
- bloody-disgusting.com
Hello again, dear readers! We’re back with our weekly horror and sci-fi home media releases rundown, and tomorrow’s assortment of titles is an interesting bunch, to say the least. Blue Underground is showing some love to Lucio Fulci’s Manhattan Baby this Tuesday, and Scream Factory has put together a Special Edition Blu-ray for Night Creatures as well. And if you’re looking to catch up on some recent horror, V/H/S/94, Richard Bates Jr.’s King Knight, Bleed With Me, and The Exorcism of God are all being released this week as well.
Other titles headed home on April 19th include Alive, Snuff Tapes, and Ghosts of the Ozarks.
Alive
From director Ryuhei Kitamura For the brutal revenge killing of his girlfriend’s rapists, Tenshu is sentenced to die in the electric chair. Resigned to his fate and unremorseful for his crime, he amazingly survives his high voltage execution!
Other titles headed home on April 19th include Alive, Snuff Tapes, and Ghosts of the Ozarks.
Alive
From director Ryuhei Kitamura For the brutal revenge killing of his girlfriend’s rapists, Tenshu is sentenced to die in the electric chair. Resigned to his fate and unremorseful for his crime, he amazingly survives his high voltage execution!
- 4/18/2022
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
When I was a kid, I somehow inherited an 8mm film projector and managed to convince my mom to buy me a handful of movies on the format. Now when I say “movies,” I mean these little spools of 8mm celluloid that basically took various motion pictures and condensed them down to silent 10-minute highlight reels, mostly in black and white.
They were in many ways the earliest precursor of home video, and one of the films I convinced my mom to purchase was Hammer Films’ Taste the Blood of Dracula. While the format really prevented me from making much sense of the narrative, certain imagery–Dracula’s face emerging from beneath a cracking caul of dust, two beautiful young women driving a stake into the heart of an older gentleman, a younger man drinking a cup of blood and choking as it poured out of his mouth–stayed firmly with me.
They were in many ways the earliest precursor of home video, and one of the films I convinced my mom to purchase was Hammer Films’ Taste the Blood of Dracula. While the format really prevented me from making much sense of the narrative, certain imagery–Dracula’s face emerging from beneath a cracking caul of dust, two beautiful young women driving a stake into the heart of an older gentleman, a younger man drinking a cup of blood and choking as it poured out of his mouth–stayed firmly with me.
- 6/8/2020
- by Don Kaye
- Den of Geek
Indicator delivers another in their long line of fan-friendly box sets with Hammer Volume Five – Death and Deceit (a subhead that could be applied to the majority of the studio’s output). This latest release would be for Hammer completists only were it not for the extras that shine a bright light on a few overlooked artists and their work.
Hammer Volume Five – Death and Deceit
Blu ray – Region B Only
Powerhouse Films/Indicator
1961, 1962, 1963, 1965 / 1.85:1, 2.35:1 / 75, 87, 83 and 81 min.
Starring Richard Basehart, Christopher Lee, Lionel Jeffries, Oliver Reed
Cinematography by Arthur Grant, Jack Asher, Reg Wyer
Directed by Michael Carreras, John Gilling
Michael Carreras’s Visa to Canton was a Cold War thriller photographed in Technicolor but released to U.S. theaters in black and white. To add insult to injury it was given a new and even more prosaic title: Passport to China – a fate this unassuming little Cold War thriller didn’t deserve.
Hammer Volume Five – Death and Deceit
Blu ray – Region B Only
Powerhouse Films/Indicator
1961, 1962, 1963, 1965 / 1.85:1, 2.35:1 / 75, 87, 83 and 81 min.
Starring Richard Basehart, Christopher Lee, Lionel Jeffries, Oliver Reed
Cinematography by Arthur Grant, Jack Asher, Reg Wyer
Directed by Michael Carreras, John Gilling
Michael Carreras’s Visa to Canton was a Cold War thriller photographed in Technicolor but released to U.S. theaters in black and white. To add insult to injury it was given a new and even more prosaic title: Passport to China – a fate this unassuming little Cold War thriller didn’t deserve.
- 3/17/2020
- by Charlie Largent
- Trailers from Hell
Hammer’s copycat Quatermass picture stands apart from similar ‘mystery sci-fi monster’ thrillers by virtue of its serious tone and realistic presentation. Talk about a sober semi-docu style: there are no major female roles and the leading character is a mass of radioactive mud. (Is there an election year joke in that?) Hammer found a new writer in Jimmy Sangster, imported the Yankee name actor Dean Jagger, tried to hire the expatriate director Joseph Losey. Former child actor Anthony Newley has a small part, but he doesn’t get to sing X’s theme song: “Who can I turn to, when nobody needs me, because the flesh is melting from my skull?”
X The Unknown
Blu-ray
Scream Factory
1956 / B&w / 1:75 widescreen / 80 81? min. / X…the Unknown / Street Date February 18, 2020
Starring: Dean Jagger, Edward Chapman, Leo McKern, Anthony Newley, William Lucas, Michael Ripper.
Cinematography: Gerald Gibbs
Film Editor: Philip Leakey
Makeup:...
X The Unknown
Blu-ray
Scream Factory
1956 / B&w / 1:75 widescreen / 80 81? min. / X…the Unknown / Street Date February 18, 2020
Starring: Dean Jagger, Edward Chapman, Leo McKern, Anthony Newley, William Lucas, Michael Ripper.
Cinematography: Gerald Gibbs
Film Editor: Philip Leakey
Makeup:...
- 2/15/2020
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
What ought to be appreciated as one of the most prescient of 1950s suspense films holds a place among the best science fiction movies ever — and it formed a style template for a thousand paranoid spy thrillers to follow. Val Guest pares Nigel Kneale’s fantastic storyline down to its essentials, making his scientist-hero the perfect secret agent to confront a sinister techno-political conspiracy… from outer space.
Quatermass 2
Blu-ray
Scream Factory
1957 / B&w / 1:66 widescreen / 85 min. / Street Date July 30, 2019 / 29.95
Starring: Brian Donlevy, John Longdon, Sidney James, Bryan Forbes, William Franklyn, Vera Day, Charles Lloyd Pack, Tom Chatto, John Van Eyssen, Percy Herbert, Michael Ripper, John Rae, Michael Balfour.
Cinematography: Gerald Gibbs
Film Editor: James Needs
Makeup: Philip Leakey
Art Direction: Bernard Robinson
Original Music: James Bernard
Written by Val Guest, Nigel Kneale from his teleplay
Produced by Anthony Hinds
Directed by Val Guest
Here’s yet another fine 2019 Blu-ray release...
Quatermass 2
Blu-ray
Scream Factory
1957 / B&w / 1:66 widescreen / 85 min. / Street Date July 30, 2019 / 29.95
Starring: Brian Donlevy, John Longdon, Sidney James, Bryan Forbes, William Franklyn, Vera Day, Charles Lloyd Pack, Tom Chatto, John Van Eyssen, Percy Herbert, Michael Ripper, John Rae, Michael Balfour.
Cinematography: Gerald Gibbs
Film Editor: James Needs
Makeup: Philip Leakey
Art Direction: Bernard Robinson
Original Music: James Bernard
Written by Val Guest, Nigel Kneale from his teleplay
Produced by Anthony Hinds
Directed by Val Guest
Here’s yet another fine 2019 Blu-ray release...
- 8/6/2019
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Hammer’s attempt at a budget monster romp for 1966 isn’t quite as good as its sister film Plague of the Zombies, but it has fine atmosphere and a couple of worthy grace notes, namely its fine actresses Jennifer Daniel and Jacqueline Pearce. Although the title monster bites some fans the wrong way, it works for this reviewer — it’s every appearance is a surprise, and for me it’s convincingly… reptilian.
The Reptile
Blu-ray
Scream Factory
1966 / Color / 1:85 + 1:66 widescreen / 91 min. / Street Date July 30, 2019 / 27.99
Starring: Noel Willman, Jennifer Daniel, Ray Barrett, Jacqueline Pearce, Michael Ripper, John Laurie, Marne Maitland.
Cinematography: Arthur Grant
Film Editors: James Needs, Roy Hyde
Production Design: Bernard Robinson
Makeup: Roy Ashton
Original Music: Don Banks
Written by John Elder (Anthony Hinds)
Produced by Anthony Nelson Keys
Directed by John Gilling
Here’s something fresh for this reviewer, a noted Hammer picture to enjoy that I...
The Reptile
Blu-ray
Scream Factory
1966 / Color / 1:85 + 1:66 widescreen / 91 min. / Street Date July 30, 2019 / 27.99
Starring: Noel Willman, Jennifer Daniel, Ray Barrett, Jacqueline Pearce, Michael Ripper, John Laurie, Marne Maitland.
Cinematography: Arthur Grant
Film Editors: James Needs, Roy Hyde
Production Design: Bernard Robinson
Makeup: Roy Ashton
Original Music: Don Banks
Written by John Elder (Anthony Hinds)
Produced by Anthony Nelson Keys
Directed by John Gilling
Here’s something fresh for this reviewer, a noted Hammer picture to enjoy that I...
- 7/27/2019
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
By Adrian Smith
The first question you are probably asking is “Do we need another book about Hammer films?” Speaking as someone whose Hammer shelf is already groaning with the weight of so many volumes on the company, the answer, as far as Hammer Complete is concerned, is “Absolutely.” This book, coming in at nearly 1000 pages, is a lifetime achievement for journalist Howard Maxford, and one that deserves immense praise. Unlike other books which might focus specifically on the horror films, or the posters, or the ups and downs of the company itself, here Maxford has attempted to provide a complete encyclopedia of everything and everyone connected to Hammer. From Temple Abady (who appeared in Never Look Back in 1952) and The Abominable Snowman (1957) to Murial Zillah and Marc Zuber, no Hammer stone has been left unturned or contributor ignored.
Unlike many books of this type which are little more than...
The first question you are probably asking is “Do we need another book about Hammer films?” Speaking as someone whose Hammer shelf is already groaning with the weight of so many volumes on the company, the answer, as far as Hammer Complete is concerned, is “Absolutely.” This book, coming in at nearly 1000 pages, is a lifetime achievement for journalist Howard Maxford, and one that deserves immense praise. Unlike other books which might focus specifically on the horror films, or the posters, or the ups and downs of the company itself, here Maxford has attempted to provide a complete encyclopedia of everything and everyone connected to Hammer. From Temple Abady (who appeared in Never Look Back in 1952) and The Abominable Snowman (1957) to Murial Zillah and Marc Zuber, no Hammer stone has been left unturned or contributor ignored.
Unlike many books of this type which are little more than...
- 2/21/2019
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Powerhouse Indicator continues its series of exotic attractions from the house of Hammer — productions that found new ways to shock audiences than tradition-breaking gore and violence. Two are war pictures with sharply contrasting themes, and the second pair constitute a popular-cinema referendum on racist colonial attitudes.
Hammer Volume 3 Blood and Terror
Blu-ray
The Camp on Blood Island, Yesterday’s Enemy, The Stranglers of Bombay, The Terror of the Tongs
Powerhouse Indicator
1958-1960 / Color / B&W / 1:85, 2:35 widescreen / / Street Date July 30, 2018 / available from Powerhouse Films UK / £44.99
Directed by Val Guest, Terence Fisher, Anthony Bushell
It’s true — unless one is a full-on Hammer true believer that considers The Brigand of Kandahar and Creatures the World Forgot to be timeless classics, delving into the lesser-known Hammer films can be a case of diminishing returns. But when the company got truly creative, either with a radical screenplay or a committed director — Terence Fisher,...
Hammer Volume 3 Blood and Terror
Blu-ray
The Camp on Blood Island, Yesterday’s Enemy, The Stranglers of Bombay, The Terror of the Tongs
Powerhouse Indicator
1958-1960 / Color / B&W / 1:85, 2:35 widescreen / / Street Date July 30, 2018 / available from Powerhouse Films UK / £44.99
Directed by Val Guest, Terence Fisher, Anthony Bushell
It’s true — unless one is a full-on Hammer true believer that considers The Brigand of Kandahar and Creatures the World Forgot to be timeless classics, delving into the lesser-known Hammer films can be a case of diminishing returns. But when the company got truly creative, either with a radical screenplay or a committed director — Terence Fisher,...
- 8/14/2018
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Can a pirate be a substitute monster? Hammer Films gives yet another genre a spin with this box-office winner that launched a sideline in costume adventures. The Hammer crew makes it work: Christopher Lee, Marla Landi, Marie Devereaux, Michael Ripper, Oliver Reed and Andrew Keir, plus yank assistance from Kerwin Mathews and Glenn Corbett.
The Pirates of Blood River
Blu-ray
Twilight Time
1962 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 87 min. / Street Date October 17, 2017 / Available from the Twilight Time Movies Store / 29.95
Starring: Kerwin Mathews, Christopher Lee, Andrew Keir, Glenn Corbett, Marla Landi, Michael Ripper, Peter Arne, Oliver Reed, Marie Devereux.
Cinematography: Arthur Grant
Production Design: Bernard Robinson
Art Direction: Don Mingaye
Film Editor: Eric Boyd-Perkins
Original Music: Gary Hughes
Written by John Hunter, John Gilling, Jimmy Sangster
Produced by Michael Carreras, Anthony Nelson-Keys
Directed by John Gilling
Hammer Films didn’t start out as a horror studio, but after their big Technicolor successes in 1957-...
The Pirates of Blood River
Blu-ray
Twilight Time
1962 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 87 min. / Street Date October 17, 2017 / Available from the Twilight Time Movies Store / 29.95
Starring: Kerwin Mathews, Christopher Lee, Andrew Keir, Glenn Corbett, Marla Landi, Michael Ripper, Peter Arne, Oliver Reed, Marie Devereux.
Cinematography: Arthur Grant
Production Design: Bernard Robinson
Art Direction: Don Mingaye
Film Editor: Eric Boyd-Perkins
Original Music: Gary Hughes
Written by John Hunter, John Gilling, Jimmy Sangster
Produced by Michael Carreras, Anthony Nelson-Keys
Directed by John Gilling
Hammer Films didn’t start out as a horror studio, but after their big Technicolor successes in 1957-...
- 11/4/2017
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
(Photo copyright Mark Mawston.)
Ed Mason, who ran the film fairs at Westminster Central Hall for over 18 years has suddenly died, leaving behind him an enormous legacy with the film fairs and the shop he had on King’s Road in London for a great many years.
Being part of the film fairs since they started back in September 1973, he was responsible for introducing the now-highly collectable Belgian posters with their great art work to the UK, and kept the world of original film memorabilia going all through his life. Ed was also responsible for bringing over the best poster and stills dealers from Europe and America to his London collector fairs, which also influenced the opening of many cinema shops both in London and around the country.
In the late 1980’s and early 90’s Ed Mason organised the first public autograph signings at Westminster, where Caroline Munro , Ingrid Pitt...
Ed Mason, who ran the film fairs at Westminster Central Hall for over 18 years has suddenly died, leaving behind him an enormous legacy with the film fairs and the shop he had on King’s Road in London for a great many years.
Being part of the film fairs since they started back in September 1973, he was responsible for introducing the now-highly collectable Belgian posters with their great art work to the UK, and kept the world of original film memorabilia going all through his life. Ed was also responsible for bringing over the best poster and stills dealers from Europe and America to his London collector fairs, which also influenced the opening of many cinema shops both in London and around the country.
In the late 1980’s and early 90’s Ed Mason organised the first public autograph signings at Westminster, where Caroline Munro , Ingrid Pitt...
- 4/12/2016
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Warners answers the call for Hammer horror with four nifty thrillers starring the great Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. The transfers are immaculate -- Technicolor was never richer than this. The only drawback is that Chris Lee's Dracula has so few lines of dialogue. On hi-def, Cushing's Frankenstein movie is a major re-discovery as well. Horror Classics: Four Chilling Movies from Hammer Films Blu-ray The Mummy, Dracula has Risen from the Grave, Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed, Taste the Blood of Dracula Warner Home Video 1959-1970 / Color / 1:66 - 1:78 widescreen / 376 min. / Street Date October 6, 2015 / 54.96 Starring Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Yvonne Furneaux, George Pastell, Michael Ripper; Christopher Lee, Rupert Davies, Veronica Carlson, Barbara Ewing, Barry Andrews, Ewan Hooper, Michael Ripper; Peter Cushing, Veronica Carlson, Freddie Jones, Simon Ward, Thorley Walters, Maxine Audley; Christopher Lee, Geoffrey Keen, Linda Hayden, Isla Blair, John Carson, Ralph Bates, Roy Kinnear. <Cinematography Jack Asher; Arthur Grant; Arthur Grant; Arthur Grant.
- 10/6/2015
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Like its predecessor The Pirates of Blood River, Hammer's second pirate saga overcomes its budget restraints by setting most of the action on dry land. As usual with the studio's forays into historical material, the innate cruelty of those unforgiving eras is given its head, leading to more than a little blood being spilled on all the lovingly fabricated finery. Indispensable Hammer stalwart Jimmy Sangster (Horror of Dracula) did the script and Hammer regulars Andrew Keir and Michael Ripper lend their typically steady support to Sir Christopher Lee, who gets to do some nifty buckling and swashing under Don Sharp's efficient direction.
- 9/23/2015
- by TFH Team
- Trailers from Hell
By Howard Hughes
(The following review is of the UK release of the film on Region 2 format.)
In Roy Ward Baker’s 1960s comedy-drama Two Left Feet, Michael Crawford plays Alan Crabbe, a clumsy and unlucky-in-love 19-year-old who begins dating ‘Eileen, the Teacup Queen’, a waitress at his local cafe. She lives in Camden Town and there are rumours that she’s married, but that doesn’t seem to alter her behavior. Alan and Eileen travel into London’s ‘Floride Club’, where the Storyville Jazzmen play trad for the groovers and shakers. Eileen turns out to be a ‘right little madam’, who is really just stringing Alan along. She’s the kind of girl who only dates to get into places and then starts chatting to randoms once inside. She takes up with ruffian Ronnie, while Alan meets a nice girl, Beth Crowley. But Eileen holds a strange hold over...
(The following review is of the UK release of the film on Region 2 format.)
In Roy Ward Baker’s 1960s comedy-drama Two Left Feet, Michael Crawford plays Alan Crabbe, a clumsy and unlucky-in-love 19-year-old who begins dating ‘Eileen, the Teacup Queen’, a waitress at his local cafe. She lives in Camden Town and there are rumours that she’s married, but that doesn’t seem to alter her behavior. Alan and Eileen travel into London’s ‘Floride Club’, where the Storyville Jazzmen play trad for the groovers and shakers. Eileen turns out to be a ‘right little madam’, who is really just stringing Alan along. She’s the kind of girl who only dates to get into places and then starts chatting to randoms once inside. She takes up with ruffian Ronnie, while Alan meets a nice girl, Beth Crowley. But Eileen holds a strange hold over...
- 10/5/2014
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
1976 saw the publication of John Brosnan’s excellent book The Horror People. Written during the summer of 1975, it makes interesting reading 40 years down the line. Those who feature prominently in the book – Peter Cushing, Vincent Price, Jack Arnold, Michael Carreras, Sam Arkoff, Roy Ward Baker, Freddie Francis, Robert Bloch, Richard Matheson and Milton Subotsky – were still alive, as were Ralph Bates, Mario Bava, Jimmy Carreras, John Carradine, Dan Curtis, John Gilling, Robert Fuest, Michael Gough, Val Guest, Ray Milland, Robert Quarry and Michael Ripper, all of whom were given a mention. Boris Karloff, Lon Chaney Junior, Michael Reeves and James H Nicholson were not long dead. Hammer, Amicus and American International Pictures were still in existence. George A Romero had yet to achieve his prominence and Stephen King wasn’t even heard of!
Brosnan devoted a chapter to a new British company called Tyburn Films. Founded by the charismatic and ambitious Kevin Francis,...
Brosnan devoted a chapter to a new British company called Tyburn Films. Founded by the charismatic and ambitious Kevin Francis,...
- 7/4/2014
- Shadowlocked
This week on Trailers from Hell, Brian Trenchard-Smith takes on "Devil Ship Pirates," a troubled 1964 action/adventure maritime adventure film. Like its predecessor "The Pirates of Blood River," Hammer's second pirate saga overcomes its budget restraints by setting most of the action on dry land. As usual with the studio’s forays into historical material, the innate cruelty of those unforgiving eras is given its head, leading to more than a little blood being spilled on all the lovingly fabricated finery. Indispensable Hammer stalwart Jimmy Sangster ("Horror of Dracula") did the script and Hammer regulars Andrew Keir and Michael Ripper lend their typically steady support to Sir Christopher Lee, who gets to do some nifty buckling and swashing under Don Sharp’s efficient direction.
- 5/2/2014
- by Trailers From Hell
- Thompson on Hollywood
Like its predecessor The Pirates of Blood River, Hammer’s second pirate saga overcomes its budget restraints by setting most of the action on dry land. As usual with the studio’s forays into historical material, the innate cruelty of those unforgiving eras is given its head, leading to more than a little blood being spilled on all the lovingly fabricated finery. Indispensable Hammer stalwart Jimmy Sangster (Horror of Dracula) did the script and Hammer regulars Andrew Keir and Michael Ripper lend their typically steady support to Sir Christopher Lee, who gets to do some nifty buckling and swashing under Don Sharp’s efficient direction.
The post Devil-Ship Pirates appeared first on Trailers From Hell.
The post Devil-Ship Pirates appeared first on Trailers From Hell.
- 5/2/2014
- by TFH Team
- Trailers from Hell
It has been dismissed over the years as cheesy, cheap and laughable but, as has been the case on many occasions, Hammer Films have had the last laugh. They boast a back-catalogue that is to horror movies what The Rolling Stones’ discography is to rock music. Fifty-nine years after the release of their first horror movie proper (The Quatermass Xperiment), Hammer’s films have survived scrutiny and re-evaluation and have now attained National Treasure status. Moreover, in terms of sheer importance, the Hammer films were some of the most influential of the past half-century. The ripple-effect of their imitators cashing in on their success would beget the careers of some of the biggest names in Hollywood today.
And yet since 1984 Hammer has been a dormant entity, existing only in the memory: a pile of ashes, a cape and a signet ring waiting to be reanimated by the crimson, jugular discharge of some poor,...
And yet since 1984 Hammer has been a dormant entity, existing only in the memory: a pile of ashes, a cape and a signet ring waiting to be reanimated by the crimson, jugular discharge of some poor,...
- 4/8/2014
- by Cai Ross
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Feature Alex Westthorp 19 Feb 2014 - 07:00
Nostalgia ahoy! With Sherlock Holmes more popular than ever, Alex looks back at eighties children's drama, The Baker Street Boys...
The BBC's contemporary take on Arthur Conan Doyle's short stories has made Sherlock the most popular television drama series in many years. Benedict Cumberbatch has made Sherlock his own, his approach to the role as radical for the current era as the late, great Jeremy Brett's was a generation ago. Martin Freeman has banished our memories of his role as Tim Canterbury in Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant's The Office, with his wonderful re-assessment of Dr John Watson. The corporation is making the most of the Conan Doyle franchise. After from two rather lacklustre yuletide cases, firstly with Richard Roxburgh in 2002 then Rupert Everett in 2004; they finally have a hit on their hands. The benchmark hitherto has always been Granada Television...
Nostalgia ahoy! With Sherlock Holmes more popular than ever, Alex looks back at eighties children's drama, The Baker Street Boys...
The BBC's contemporary take on Arthur Conan Doyle's short stories has made Sherlock the most popular television drama series in many years. Benedict Cumberbatch has made Sherlock his own, his approach to the role as radical for the current era as the late, great Jeremy Brett's was a generation ago. Martin Freeman has banished our memories of his role as Tim Canterbury in Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant's The Office, with his wonderful re-assessment of Dr John Watson. The corporation is making the most of the Conan Doyle franchise. After from two rather lacklustre yuletide cases, firstly with Richard Roxburgh in 2002 then Rupert Everett in 2004; they finally have a hit on their hands. The benchmark hitherto has always been Granada Television...
- 2/18/2014
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
Although Hammer Films will always be associated with British horror, the studio did have stiff competition. Amicus specialised in the successful horror anthologies and Us counterparts American International Pictures established a permanent UK base in the mid sixties. Other smaller independents took their own bite from the cherry tree of horror with some success, the best known being Tigon Films.
Tigon has received some belated recognition in recent years. Andy Boot’s book on British horror Fragments of Fear devotes a chapter to the company while John Hamilton’s excellent book Beast in the Cellar covers the varied career of Tigon’s charismatic founder Tony Tenser.
Like Hammer’s Sir James Carreras, Tenser was one of the British Film Industry’s great entrepreneurs. Born in London to poor Lithuanian immigrants and a movie fan since childhood, he was an ambitious man with a natural talent for showmanship. Combining shrewd business...
Tigon has received some belated recognition in recent years. Andy Boot’s book on British horror Fragments of Fear devotes a chapter to the company while John Hamilton’s excellent book Beast in the Cellar covers the varied career of Tigon’s charismatic founder Tony Tenser.
Like Hammer’s Sir James Carreras, Tenser was one of the British Film Industry’s great entrepreneurs. Born in London to poor Lithuanian immigrants and a movie fan since childhood, he was an ambitious man with a natural talent for showmanship. Combining shrewd business...
- 2/18/2014
- Shadowlocked
Cinema Retro has received the following press release:
For the first time on DVD a feature length documentary, Return to Scatterbrook: Memories of Worzel, celebrating the cult 70’s/80’s television series, Worzel Gummidge.
Featuring key interviews with members of the cast and crew; rare archive footage of Jon Pertwee; visits to the locations, and with many previously unseen continuity shots; behind the scenes photographs, and production designs – this film opens up the storybook behind British TV’s most lovable scarecrow.
Worzel Gummidge is highly regarded today as a piece of classic television, making this documentary a special journey down memory lane for anyone who remembers this delightful, magical series.
Featuring: Jon Pertwee, Geoffrey Bayldon, Lorraine Chase, Jeremy Austin & Mike Berry
Directed By Derek Pykett
DVD Extras: An Evening With Jon Pertwee (1996) & Worzel Gallery
Running Time: 104 minutes
Money raised from the sale of this DVD goes to:
Alzheimer’s Society (in...
For the first time on DVD a feature length documentary, Return to Scatterbrook: Memories of Worzel, celebrating the cult 70’s/80’s television series, Worzel Gummidge.
Featuring key interviews with members of the cast and crew; rare archive footage of Jon Pertwee; visits to the locations, and with many previously unseen continuity shots; behind the scenes photographs, and production designs – this film opens up the storybook behind British TV’s most lovable scarecrow.
Worzel Gummidge is highly regarded today as a piece of classic television, making this documentary a special journey down memory lane for anyone who remembers this delightful, magical series.
Featuring: Jon Pertwee, Geoffrey Bayldon, Lorraine Chase, Jeremy Austin & Mike Berry
Directed By Derek Pykett
DVD Extras: An Evening With Jon Pertwee (1996) & Worzel Gallery
Running Time: 104 minutes
Money raised from the sale of this DVD goes to:
Alzheimer’s Society (in...
- 11/18/2013
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Alec Guinness: Before Obi-Wan Kenobi, there were the eight D’Ascoyne family members (photo: Alec Guiness, Dennis Price in ‘Kind Hearts and Coronets’) (See previous post: “Alec Guinness Movies: Pre-Star Wars Career.”) TCM won’t be showing The Bridge on the River Kwai on Alec Guinness day, though obviously not because the cable network programmers believe that one four-hour David Lean epic per day should be enough. After all, prior to Lawrence of Arabia TCM will be presenting the three-and-a-half-hour-long Doctor Zhivago (1965), a great-looking but never-ending romantic drama in which Guinness — quite poorly — plays a Kgb official. He’s slightly less miscast as a mere Englishman — one much too young for the then 32-year-old actor — in Lean’s Great Expectations (1946), a movie that fully belongs to boy-loving (in a chaste, fatherly manner) fugitive Finlay Currie. And finally, make sure to watch Robert Hamer’s dark comedy Kind Hearts and Coronets...
- 8/3/2013
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
By Lee Pfeiffer
Although Britain's legendary Hammer Films is almost exclusively associated with having redefined the horror movie genre, there were other genres explored by the studio ranging from film noir to crime and even Robin Hood sand pirate adventures. One of the more unusual entries is The Camp on Blood Island, a riveting WWII drama released in 1958. The black and white production was shot entirely in the UK, but, as was the norm for a Hammer production, creative locations and production design allow the viewer to believe they are watching events unfold in a Japanese Pow camp in Malaya. The plot centers on the long-suffering British prisoners who are at the mercy of a brutal Japanese camp commandant and his equally brutal guards. The POWs learn through surreptitious means that the war has ended with Japan's surrender. Aware that the commandant had threatened to massacre all of the prisoners...
Although Britain's legendary Hammer Films is almost exclusively associated with having redefined the horror movie genre, there were other genres explored by the studio ranging from film noir to crime and even Robin Hood sand pirate adventures. One of the more unusual entries is The Camp on Blood Island, a riveting WWII drama released in 1958. The black and white production was shot entirely in the UK, but, as was the norm for a Hammer production, creative locations and production design allow the viewer to believe they are watching events unfold in a Japanese Pow camp in Malaya. The plot centers on the long-suffering British prisoners who are at the mercy of a brutal Japanese camp commandant and his equally brutal guards. The POWs learn through surreptitious means that the war has ended with Japan's surrender. Aware that the commandant had threatened to massacre all of the prisoners...
- 6/12/2013
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Hammer Blu-rays The Devil Rides Out (1968, dir. Terence Fisher)
Hammer applies its trademark Gothic veneer with considerably greater care than usual in this, the second and best of the company's three stabs at the satanic stylings of author Dennis Wheatley. Christopher Lee comes over to the light for a rare foray as central hero the Duc de Richleau, teaming up with friend Rex van Rijn (Leon Greene) to prevent the evil Satanist Mocata (Charles Gray) from enmeshing the son of his old friend (Patrick Mower) into a devil-worshipping cult.
The Devil Rides Out is perhaps best remembered for what Lee argues in his commentary to be Hammer's most enduring image, that of our heroes fighting a series of spectral and psychological nemeses from within the protective confines of a ritual circle. And yet the most chilling scene contains no special effects, but is instead a simple conversation between the wife...
Hammer applies its trademark Gothic veneer with considerably greater care than usual in this, the second and best of the company's three stabs at the satanic stylings of author Dennis Wheatley. Christopher Lee comes over to the light for a rare foray as central hero the Duc de Richleau, teaming up with friend Rex van Rijn (Leon Greene) to prevent the evil Satanist Mocata (Charles Gray) from enmeshing the son of his old friend (Patrick Mower) into a devil-worshipping cult.
The Devil Rides Out is perhaps best remembered for what Lee argues in his commentary to be Hammer's most enduring image, that of our heroes fighting a series of spectral and psychological nemeses from within the protective confines of a ritual circle. And yet the most chilling scene contains no special effects, but is instead a simple conversation between the wife...
- 9/30/2012
- Shadowlocked
The Plague Of The Zombies
Stars: André Morell, Diane Clare, Brook Williams, Jacqueline Pearce, John Carson | Written by Peter Bryan | Directed by John Gilling
When it comes to Hammer’s The Plague of the Zombies it’s never been one of my favourite. When I read that it would be part of the Bradford After Dark event at this years Bradford International Film Festival I thought I’d give it a go. With the digital restoration that has been done I was looking forward to seeing how good the print would actually look.
People are dying in strange circumstances in a small Cornish village and the doctor Peter Thompson is out of his depth in both understanding and dealing with the villagers who want answers. Calling on his professor Sir James Forbes he pleads for help. When Forbes arrives with his daughter it’s evident that something is not right...
Stars: André Morell, Diane Clare, Brook Williams, Jacqueline Pearce, John Carson | Written by Peter Bryan | Directed by John Gilling
When it comes to Hammer’s The Plague of the Zombies it’s never been one of my favourite. When I read that it would be part of the Bradford After Dark event at this years Bradford International Film Festival I thought I’d give it a go. With the digital restoration that has been done I was looking forward to seeing how good the print would actually look.
People are dying in strange circumstances in a small Cornish village and the doctor Peter Thompson is out of his depth in both understanding and dealing with the villagers who want answers. Calling on his professor Sir James Forbes he pleads for help. When Forbes arrives with his daughter it’s evident that something is not right...
- 6/11/2012
- by Pzomb
- Nerdly
The Scarlet Blade
Writer/Director: John Gilling
A zombie-like performance from Jack Hedley is the only hint that The Scarlet Blade originates from the legendary Hammer Film Productions. Released on DVD for the first time, this English Civil War adventure is notable mainly for the presence of Oliver Reed, who brings a much-needed air of menace to the proceedings.
We’re all familiar with the stirring adventures of the Scarlet Pimpernel during the Reign of Terror. But the premise of The Scarlet Blade (originally released in the Us as The Crimson Blade) is that Edward Beverley (Hedley) was engaged in similar acts of derring-do more than 100 years earlier. He’s the son of a stalwart Royalist family that has been harbouring the fugitive King Charles I and guiding his followers to safety. When the story begins in 1648, Roundheads led by Colonel Judd (Lionel Jeffries) have just commandeered Beverly Manor. Edward...
Writer/Director: John Gilling
A zombie-like performance from Jack Hedley is the only hint that The Scarlet Blade originates from the legendary Hammer Film Productions. Released on DVD for the first time, this English Civil War adventure is notable mainly for the presence of Oliver Reed, who brings a much-needed air of menace to the proceedings.
We’re all familiar with the stirring adventures of the Scarlet Pimpernel during the Reign of Terror. But the premise of The Scarlet Blade (originally released in the Us as The Crimson Blade) is that Edward Beverley (Hedley) was engaged in similar acts of derring-do more than 100 years earlier. He’s the son of a stalwart Royalist family that has been harbouring the fugitive King Charles I and guiding his followers to safety. When the story begins in 1648, Roundheads led by Colonel Judd (Lionel Jeffries) have just commandeered Beverly Manor. Edward...
- 1/9/2012
- by Susannah
- SoundOnSight
Professor Forbes and his daughter arrive in a small Cornish village to come to the aid of the local doctor who wrote to them for help when young workers are dying mysteriously. The locals fear it is marsh flu but the results are far more sinister as the owner of the local tin mine has been resurrecting the dead using voodoo and forcing the zombies to work as slaves in his mine!
Hammer diversified into other territories once their Dracula and Frankenstein series had become a little stale and one such effort saw Hammer turn their horror attention to the walking dead – the zombie! The Plague of the Zombies marks their only effort into this sub-genre and although it’s not the best Hammer film ever made, once again it personifies the Hammer film to perfection – strong plot, interesting characters, reliable cast, superb gothic sets, atmosphere and of course, splashes of blood.
Hammer diversified into other territories once their Dracula and Frankenstein series had become a little stale and one such effort saw Hammer turn their horror attention to the walking dead – the zombie! The Plague of the Zombies marks their only effort into this sub-genre and although it’s not the best Hammer film ever made, once again it personifies the Hammer film to perfection – strong plot, interesting characters, reliable cast, superb gothic sets, atmosphere and of course, splashes of blood.
- 10/18/2011
- by Andrew Smith
- DailyDead
With the much anticipated release of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy in theatres today, WhatCulture! were challenged with coming up with our 10 best British ensemble casts. With Tinker’s all star British cast – including the likes of Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, John Hurt, Tom Hardy, Mark Strong and Benedict Cumberbatch – it was a bloody hard challenge to come up with ten that could even come close to rivalling such a solid cast!
Read on to discover what we came up with!
10. Gosford Park (2001)
The murder mystery genre is always one that employs a vast and impressive ensemble cast and Gosford Park is a prime example of how effective a film can be when this is done proficiently. A range of talented British stars fill the screen, disclosing the everyday workings of a 1930s mansion house from the privileged inhabitants and their wealthy guests, right down to the most invisible of servants.
Read on to discover what we came up with!
10. Gosford Park (2001)
The murder mystery genre is always one that employs a vast and impressive ensemble cast and Gosford Park is a prime example of how effective a film can be when this is done proficiently. A range of talented British stars fill the screen, disclosing the everyday workings of a 1930s mansion house from the privileged inhabitants and their wealthy guests, right down to the most invisible of servants.
- 9/16/2011
- by Stuart Cummins
- Obsessed with Film
After being caught in bed with the burgomaster’s daughter, Paul Carlson jumps into a nearby coach and makes a hasty escape. He winds up at Castle Dracula where he becomes Dracula’s latest victim. His brother, Simon, and girlfriend find out that he’s missing and set about trying to track down his last whereabouts. This leads to an eventual confrontation with Dracula.
Yeah, it’s pretty thin on the ground for story but I guess it beats Dracula setting out for revenge again. The sixth of the Hammer Dracula films, Scars of Dracula is often heralded as the ‘point of no return’ for the series in which the films got really bad after this. That’s being a bit harsh on The Legend of the Seven Golden Vampires, a hugely enjoyable kung-fu horror romp not to be taken too seriously. But the next two sequels, in which the...
Yeah, it’s pretty thin on the ground for story but I guess it beats Dracula setting out for revenge again. The sixth of the Hammer Dracula films, Scars of Dracula is often heralded as the ‘point of no return’ for the series in which the films got really bad after this. That’s being a bit harsh on The Legend of the Seven Golden Vampires, a hugely enjoyable kung-fu horror romp not to be taken too seriously. But the next two sequels, in which the...
- 8/22/2011
- by Andrew Smith
- DailyDead
After his electrifying performance as Blacula (1972), the great William Marshall was briefly considered a worthy successor to Christopher Lee's vampire king. A respected Shakespearean actor with an impressive theatre background, he was set to become a major horror star of the seventies, but like his fellow stage actor Robert Quarry, who achieved the same status as Count Yorga, his film career faded rapidly after the genre went through a radical re-think following the commercial success of The Exorcist (1973).
Marshall remained in New York to train in as an actor and director in Grand Opera and Shakespeare, although he had to support himself in a variety of jobs before making his professional stage debut. At 6ft 5inches, he was an impressively built, handsome, strong-featured actor with a booming bass baritone voice to match his towering presence. Not surprisingly, he quickly built up a formidable reputation as America's finest Shakespearean actor,...
Marshall remained in New York to train in as an actor and director in Grand Opera and Shakespeare, although he had to support himself in a variety of jobs before making his professional stage debut. At 6ft 5inches, he was an impressively built, handsome, strong-featured actor with a booming bass baritone voice to match his towering presence. Not surprisingly, he quickly built up a formidable reputation as America's finest Shakespearean actor,...
- 2/15/2011
- Shadowlocked
Forget Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee! There was one actor who truly epitomised classic Hammer horror, and that was the irreplaceable Michael Ripper. With a whopping 23 films to his name, he was to Hammer what Desmond Llewellyn was to James Bond.
Michael Ripper was born in Portsmouth on 27 January 1913. His father Harold was a civil servant who ran a local amateur dramatic company and taught elocution and speech therapy, his mother Edith worked as a teacher. Ripper had a very unhappy Victorian childhood; his dominant father was very much a stern disciplinarian.
A pupil of Portsmouth Grammar School, which he hated, Ripper was more or less pushed into acting by his father, who entered him in various poetry competitions. A close family friend and regular visitor to their Southsea home was the brilliant comic actor Alastair Sim.
Though he initially Ripper never wanted to be an actor, Ripper was eventually...
Michael Ripper was born in Portsmouth on 27 January 1913. His father Harold was a civil servant who ran a local amateur dramatic company and taught elocution and speech therapy, his mother Edith worked as a teacher. Ripper had a very unhappy Victorian childhood; his dominant father was very much a stern disciplinarian.
A pupil of Portsmouth Grammar School, which he hated, Ripper was more or less pushed into acting by his father, who entered him in various poetry competitions. A close family friend and regular visitor to their Southsea home was the brilliant comic actor Alastair Sim.
Though he initially Ripper never wanted to be an actor, Ripper was eventually...
- 2/2/2011
- Shadowlocked
Michael Ripper, an introduction This Halloween season, I’ve been sitting down each weekend with my nine year old daughter to watch the Hammer horror festival on Turner Classic Movies. Horror of Dracula, The Mummy, Curse of Frankenstein, Plague of the Zombies, they’re all here. As we began our third week of flicks to enjoy, my daughter made an enlightening observation; she began to recognize a recurring actor in many of the films we were enjoying. Was it Christopher Lee or Peter Cushing? No, she already knew who they were. The gentleman in question is the fabulous character actor employed in many of Hammer’s movies, Michael Ripper. If you don’t recognize the name but have seen many a classic horror flick you probably recognize his face or distinctive voice – he’s the barkeep, the coach driver or perhaps the constable. Michael Ripper made over two dozen films for Hammer,...
- 10/29/2010
- by Doc Rotten
- Horror News
Hammer, house of a thousand films with Michael Ripper in them, was resurrected Ealing-like in 2007. The studio’s rebirth has been relatively low-key: Wake Wood and psycho-thriller The Resident have caused few ripples (although the latter features Hammer icon Christoper Lee) and the highest profile project on the slate is Matt Reeves’ Let Me In, the English-language remake of Let the Right One In.Earlier this week though, current Hammer honcho Simon Oakes talked to Collider about the company’s plans for the future. More Resident-style “mini Hitchcocks” are planned, but while horror is still very much the order of the day, as you’d expect, Oakes is insistent that Hammer won’t be going down the slasher or Saw routes: "I just don’t think it’s what Hammer does. I don’t think it’s what Hammer ever did. I don’t think it’s within the genres that Hammer created,...
- 3/19/2010
- EmpireOnline
Hi Lee,
Thanks for the nice write-up on Hammer's version of Phantom of the Opera.With all the hype attributed to previous film versions and the stage musical, this version often gets lost in the shuffle and it's far superior to all the others. It knows it's a horror movie. I wish you'd consider having someone on your staff write up a piece on that film. It was planned for Cary Grant to actually play the Herbert Lom role, but that casting arrangement fell apart. I think Grant might have been excellent as the Phantom (he was always desparate to play a character he could disappear into), but I have a very hard time seeing him as Professor Petrie, don't you? In any case, Hammer's Phantom has always been my favorite just for its raft of character actors alone - Michael Ripper and Miles Malleson as cabbies, Patrick Troughton as...
Thanks for the nice write-up on Hammer's version of Phantom of the Opera.With all the hype attributed to previous film versions and the stage musical, this version often gets lost in the shuffle and it's far superior to all the others. It knows it's a horror movie. I wish you'd consider having someone on your staff write up a piece on that film. It was planned for Cary Grant to actually play the Herbert Lom role, but that casting arrangement fell apart. I think Grant might have been excellent as the Phantom (he was always desparate to play a character he could disappear into), but I have a very hard time seeing him as Professor Petrie, don't you? In any case, Hammer's Phantom has always been my favorite just for its raft of character actors alone - Michael Ripper and Miles Malleson as cabbies, Patrick Troughton as...
- 4/22/2009
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
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