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Review: The Hammer Horror Series
Topic Started: Sep 4 2005, 01:29 PM (1,161 Views)
Laughing Gravy
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On Sept. 6, Universal Studios Home Entertainment is releasing two collections of vintage horror favorites. We got a sneak preview of each set up here in the balcony, and while I thought I’d enjoy the Bela Lugosi Collection more than I did, I have no quarrel about the Hammer Horror Series set (SRP $29.98), which exceeded my expectations.

Beginning with The Curse of Frankenstein in 1957, Britain’s Hammer Film Productions, Ltd. re-popularized gothic horror cinema by offering new retellings of classic Universal Studios horror icons Frankenstein, Dracula, and the Mummy in widescreen and Technicolor. Distributed originally by Warner Bros. in the U.S., Hammer films were initially careful not to stray too close to the Universal source, lest a lawsuit result. By 1959, however, they’d signed a deal with Universal that gave Hammer production funds, allowed Universal to distribute the films in the U.S., and made everybody happy, not least of all because now Hammer could inch a bit closer to their cinematic source.

Warners has released several Hammer films on DVD already, including Curse of Frankenstein, Horror of Dracula, and The Mummy, but the eight films whose rights are currently held by Universal have been languishing in a vault until now. The Hammer Horror Series collection gives us all eight of them, jammed onto two 2-sided discs.

The set opens with the best film in the collection, and one of Hammer’s greatest productions, Brides of Dracula (1960). At this point, Christopher Lee was reluctant to don the cape of Dracula for a sequel to Horror of Dracula, so the bloodthirsty Count doesn’t appear here, replaced instead by Baron Meinster (David Peel), a very attractive vampire who’s kept chained up by his mother. When a buxom young woman (all Hammer young women are buxomy, so I won’t mention it again) frees him, the blood flows until Dr. Van Helsing (Peter Cushing, reprising his role from the first Hammer Dracula film) swoops in to the rescue.

With Frankenstein, Dracula, and the Mummy already updated, Hammer next turned to two other Universal icons, the Wolf Man and the Phantom of the Opera. Curse of the Werewolf (1961) offers Oliver Reed in a star-making turn as the son of a deaf/mute servant who was raped by a beast-like prisoner in the Marquis’ dungeon. The little boy grows up to have some pretty ugly animalistic tendencies when he’s aroused under moonlight. The werewolf is kept off-screen until the film’s climax, but when he does appear, he’s terrifying. Again, one of Hammer’s best films.

The same can’t be said for Phantom of the Opera (1962), which turns the plot on its head by making Herbert Lom as the Phantom the good guy who’s trying to thwart evil Michael Gough’s plans (supposedly, the film was written for Cary Grant to play the lead, but he turned it down after seeing the script – good idea, Cary). Handsomely mounted and well acted, though, it’s an interesting failure.

After those three impressive-looking films, Hammer apparently chintzed a bit on the budgets, because you won’t find the same quality or lushness in the remaining films.

Whereas Terence Fisher directed the previous offerings in the collection, Freddie Francis helmed the next one, Paranoiac. One of a spate of similar films to come about in the post-Psycho era, Paranoiac has a confusing and twisted plot about a scheming man’s plan to drive his sister crazy so he can inherit the family fortune. Oliver Reed is back but wasted in this rather dull B&W film; we wait for shocks that don’t arrive.

While Hammer waited for Christopher Lee to find his fangs, they produced Kiss of the Vampire (1963). A couple honeymooning in Eastern Europe stops at a mysterious castle (lordy, hadn’t they read my review of The Black Cat?) and find themselves the guests of a family of vampires. Cushing is missing (and missed), and these vampires have no problem walking around in the sunlight, although they do wear nightgowns at inappropriate times. Directed by Don Sharp with no flair, it’s slow going and I found myself checking my watch.

Another Psycho-inspired tale follows, Nightmare, which lived up to its title when I was a kid: it scared the yell out of me when I saw it on its first release in 1964. Jennie Linden is a young woman who witnessed her mother murder her father; now Jennie is having insane impulses, but are they in her head or is somebody pushing her over the brink? Dated and not as scary as I’d remembered, but still packs a few shocks. Freddie Francis returned to the director’s chair for this B&W production.

Night Creatures (a/k/a Captain Klegg) is the only film in the set that I wasn’t familiar with; it turns out to be an obscure version of the well-known story of Dr. Syn, Alias the Scarecrow! Apparently, the Disney folks took a dim view of the Hammer project, and so the names were changed to protect the innocent. A swashbuckling marsh-bound adventure took me by surprise, and makes a nice change of pace in the collection. Peter Graham-Scott directed.

The final film in the set is one I’ve always liked, although many Hammer fans disdain it: The Evil of Frankenstein (1964). Although Peter Cushing is back as Dr. Frankenstein and the film is nestled comfortably in between The Revenge of Frankenstein (1958) and Frankenstein Created Woman (1967), it’s not related to the earlier films in the series, and the Monster’s makeup is quite clearly patterned after the earlier Boris Karloff version, although not nearly so well done. Dr. Frankenstein has discovered his “original creation” locked in the ice (is this actually a sequel to Bride of Frankenstein?) and restores him, although he needs a creepy hypnotist around to keep the Monster in check. The hypnotist has plans of his own, though. Freddie Francis directed, and the Hammer Horror Series collection ends on a high note.

Now, here’s the best news of all: the films without exception look and sound terrific, with crisp sound, vibrant colors (or B&W, as the case may be) and original widescreen formatting. A lot of people are going to become Hammer fans because of the quality offerings in this low-cost collection. Highly recommended.
"I'm glad that this question came up, because there are so many ways to answer it that one of them is bound to be right." - Robert Benchley
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Dr. Phibes
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I seem to remember Christopher Lee playing Dracula with a beard Am I crazy? Are the sherlock Holmes peter cushing films available in a decent set?
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Laughing Gravy
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I can't answer your second question, but the answer to your first question is, not that I know of, although he wore a moustache in a German adaptation of Dracula, and the answer to your third question is, so far as I know, Cushing only played Sherlock Holmes in one film, Hammer's remake of Hound of the Baskervilles.
"I'm glad that this question came up, because there are so many ways to answer it that one of them is bound to be right." - Robert Benchley
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Ignatz Ratzkywatzky
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Laughing Gravy
Sep 10 2005, 08:51 PM
the answer to your third question is, so far as I know, Cushing only played Sherlock Holmes in one film, Hammer's remake of Hound of the Baskervilles.

Peter Cushing did only make one Holmes film, but he did portray the famous detective on a series for British television. As I understand it, many Brits considered Cushing the definitive Holmes (at least until Jeremy Brett came along). The series has not been released in the US, and I'm not even sure if any episodes of the show survive. It aired long before studios saw the profit in preserving such things. If there are any members from the UK, they might be able to shed more light on the subject.

--Ignatz

P.S. - - When I was a kid, the Hammers were not aired as often on television as the Universal and AIP horrors. I'm experiencing many for the first time on DVD. Peter Cushing has quickly become one of my favorite actors. He constantly rises above the material, and his honest portrayals make the most ludicrous scenes believable. If not the definitive Holmes, for me, Peter Cushing is the definitive Van Helsing and Dr. Frankenstein.
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Laughing Gravy
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I spoke personally with the illustrious Dr. Phibes this weekend, and he admitted that he meant to ask about the Basil Rathbone Holmes films, not Peter Cushing.

In my neck o' the woods (Ohio), the Hammer films were on TV all the time in the 1970s. Because they were in color, films like Evil of Frankenstein (along with the Corman Poe films) occasionally even played on things like the NBC Sunday Night at the Movies, which was always a treat.
"I'm glad that this question came up, because there are so many ways to answer it that one of them is bound to be right." - Robert Benchley
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Ignatz Ratzkywatzky
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Laughing Gravy
Sep 11 2005, 07:12 PM
I spoke personally with the illustrious Dr. Phibes this weekend, and he admitted that he meant to ask about the Basil Rathbone Holmes films, not Peter Cushing.

I guess it doesn't really matter now, but curiosity got the better of me, and I did a little digging. The Peter Cushing Sherlock Holmes series hit the airwaves in 1968, and there were 16, fifty-minute episodes in total. Only six episode still survive, and they are available in a region 2 DVD set. If anyone's interested, here's a link:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B...6457954-8893440

--Ignatz
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wizardinoz
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Hello LG, currently watching the "Hammer House of Horror" four disc boxed set of TV series released here in OZ this year. Some of the stories are very well done with excellent casts and all thirteen episodes are perfect as far as quailty goes.
A couple of my favourite episodes are "The Silent Scream" which tells the story about a mad pet shop owner played by Peter Cushing and "Witching Time" where a 17th century witch, about to caught and put to death, manages to travel into present day England to cause havoc to a young couple living on a farm in the countryside.
Interesting to see this DVD selling for $62.96 on Amazon, but over in Oz I picked this up for $19.00. I think I picked up a bargain here and I recommend this set for those who like the macarbe horror and supernatural from the Hammer Studios.

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andarius
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Yes, 'Brides of Dracula' is a cracker and the "buxom young woman", French actress Yvonne Monlaur, is gorgeous!

Here's an interesting link!

http://www.hammerfilms.com/vaults/horror/1961_d_brides.html

Martita Hunt as the vampire Mum is excellent, as usual, and there's a creepy sequence in the graveyard with Freda Jackson - or I've got egg on my face! :D

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andarius
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'Doctor Syn' is quite a dark tale - in the 30s version (close to the book) starring George Arliss, a schoolboy decides to hang his schoolmaster and builds a gallows for him on Romney Marsh - not quite Disney!

Disney's version, from a proposed TV series, IIRC, and Hammer's version are rarely shown on British TV, but interesting.

The novel 'Doctor Syn' by Russell Thorndike (brother of Dame Sybil) is one of a series, and, IMHO, a goodie!
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ZenArcher
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Dr. Phibes
Sep 10 2005, 08:03 PM
I seem to remember Christopher Lee playing Dracula with a beard  Am I crazy? Are the sherlock Holmes peter cushing films available in a decent set?

I watched a vampire movie about a couple of months ago that had an
actor that could have been Lee's twin brother. He wore a Van Dyke
and they used the same red eyes effect. The movie was set at a girl's
school, but I can't remember much more about it. I was watching late
at night with the cordless headphones and fell asleep.

I'll rummage around for the disc and post the title of the film. I have so many discs
that aren't catalogued that it may take me a day or two to find it.

Well. when I looked next door in another thread, it was there,

Lust For A Vampire....dang, my mind is going :unsure:
>>---ZA--->

"The Oxen Are Slow, But The Earth Is Patient."
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andarius
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Mike Raven, "A heart attack!" was the fella!

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The boy who wanted to hang his teacher in 'Doctor Syn' was Graham Moffatt - looks strangely like the boy in the avatar with the '8' ball! :D

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andarius
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Highly recommended.

Thanks, just ordered it from US Amazon for about £16 (incl. postage!) - excellent value, and not available in England! :)
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andarius
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Watched Nightmare last night - the opening scene where Jennie Lindon sees her Mum in a dream actually gave me the shivers!

I don't think I've seen it since the 60s, and it stands up very well!
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andarius
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Paranoiac was interesting with an intense, entertaining performance from Oliver Reed - a LOL moment in Ollie's romantic interlude with the French nurse by the duck pond (Chapter 16) - I watched it again, and still giggled! :D
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Mantan
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We watched PARANOIAC over the weekend and particularly enjoyed Mr. Reed's over the top performance.
It's an excellent film & here I'd always thought Goth films were for girls.
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