Welcome to the Hammer Factory. This month we dissect The Mummy’s Shroud (1967).
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...
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...
- 12/20/2023
- by Paul Farrell
- bloody-disgusting.com
Catering directly to my interests, the Criterion Channel’s January lineup boasts two of my favorite things: James Gray and cats. In the former case it’s his first five features (itself a terrible reminder he only released five movies in 20 years); the latter shows felines the respect they deserve, from Kuroneko to The Long Goodbye, Tourneur’s Cat People and Mick Garris’ Sleepwalkers. Meanwhile, Ava Gardner, Bertrand Tavernier, Isabel Sandoval, Ken Russell, Juleen Compton, George Harrison’s HandMade Films, and the Sundance Film Festival get retrospectives.
Restorations of Soviet sci-fi trip Ikarie Xb 1, The Unknown, and The Music of Regret stream, as does the recent Plan 75. January’s Criterion Editions are Inside Llewyn Davis, Farewell Amor, The Incredible Shrinking Man, and (most intriguingly) the long-out-of-print The Man Who Fell to Earth, Blu-rays of which go for hundreds of dollars.
See the lineup below and learn more here.
Back By Popular Demand
The Graduate,...
Restorations of Soviet sci-fi trip Ikarie Xb 1, The Unknown, and The Music of Regret stream, as does the recent Plan 75. January’s Criterion Editions are Inside Llewyn Davis, Farewell Amor, The Incredible Shrinking Man, and (most intriguingly) the long-out-of-print The Man Who Fell to Earth, Blu-rays of which go for hundreds of dollars.
See the lineup below and learn more here.
Back By Popular Demand
The Graduate,...
- 12/12/2023
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
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
The Blood Beast Terror
Blu-ray
Kino Lorber
1968 / 1.85: 1 / 88 Min.
Starring Peter Cushing, Wanda Ventham, Robert Flemyng
Written by Peter Bryan
Directed by Vernon Sewell
A serene British countryside is rocked by a series of brutal murders with a common thread; each victim has been mutilated and drained of their blood. All eyes are on a nearby university and its resident eccentric, the mysterious Dr. Mallinger, an entomologist with a fascination for Death’s-head moths. His daughter Clare shares his interests but her concerns are more personal than academic—Clare is a shapeshifter, transformed into a deadly butterfly when her blood is up and romance is in the air.
Directed by Vernon Sewell, this not so thrilling thriller features Robert Flemyng as Mallinger, and Wanda Ventham as Clare, whose blank-faced beauty suggests an otherworldly nature or a general lack of enthusiasm for the project—if it’s the latter she’s...
Blu-ray
Kino Lorber
1968 / 1.85: 1 / 88 Min.
Starring Peter Cushing, Wanda Ventham, Robert Flemyng
Written by Peter Bryan
Directed by Vernon Sewell
A serene British countryside is rocked by a series of brutal murders with a common thread; each victim has been mutilated and drained of their blood. All eyes are on a nearby university and its resident eccentric, the mysterious Dr. Mallinger, an entomologist with a fascination for Death’s-head moths. His daughter Clare shares his interests but her concerns are more personal than academic—Clare is a shapeshifter, transformed into a deadly butterfly when her blood is up and romance is in the air.
Directed by Vernon Sewell, this not so thrilling thriller features Robert Flemyng as Mallinger, and Wanda Ventham as Clare, whose blank-faced beauty suggests an otherworldly nature or a general lack of enthusiasm for the project—if it’s the latter she’s...
- 12/3/2022
- by Charlie Largent
- Trailers from Hell
Jack Hedley, who appeared in films including “For Your Eyes Only” opposite Roger Moore, died on Dec. 11. He was 92.
His death was confirmed by a notice in The Times of London, which reads: “[Hedley] died on 11th December 2021, aged 92, after a short illness bravely borne. At his request there will be no funeral. He will be much missed by his family and friends.”
The actor racked up 99 credits in a career spanning five decades as well as numerous appearances in the theater.
Born in London as Jack Hawkins, he changed his last name at the outset of his career to avoid confusion with a prolific British actor of the same name.
Hedley appeared in numerous British productions including “Colditz,” in which he played Lt. Colonel Preston, and “The Scarlet Blade,” directed by John Gilling. He also had parts in American war epic “The Longest Day,” which starred John Wayne, Robert Ryan and Richard Burton,...
His death was confirmed by a notice in The Times of London, which reads: “[Hedley] died on 11th December 2021, aged 92, after a short illness bravely borne. At his request there will be no funeral. He will be much missed by his family and friends.”
The actor racked up 99 credits in a career spanning five decades as well as numerous appearances in the theater.
Born in London as Jack Hawkins, he changed his last name at the outset of his career to avoid confusion with a prolific British actor of the same name.
Hedley appeared in numerous British productions including “Colditz,” in which he played Lt. Colonel Preston, and “The Scarlet Blade,” directed by John Gilling. He also had parts in American war epic “The Longest Day,” which starred John Wayne, Robert Ryan and Richard Burton,...
- 12/22/2021
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
Hammer Horror: Four Gothic Horror Films
Blu ray – All Region
Imprint
1971-72
Starring Ingrid Pitt, Peter Cushing, Eric Porter
Cinematography by Kenneth Talbot, Dick Bush
Directed by Peter Sasdy, John Hough, Robert Young
In December of 1959, Hammer Studios released a bit of Yuletide cheer called The Stranglers from Bombay, a censor-baiting melodrama highlighted by severed limbs and Marie Devereux’s cleavage. The studio would spend the next decade expanding upon those themes and wore the inevitable X Certificates like badges of honor. But as an ancient reprobate said, “Politicians, ugly buildings, and whores all get respectable if they last long enough” and by the seventies the bad boys of Bray seemed positively sedate. Though the power to shock had waned, Hammer was still a thriving business—there were two Dracula films produced in 1970 alone. Still, no one could blame them for shaking things up—Anthony Hinds, the studio’s guiding light,...
Blu ray – All Region
Imprint
1971-72
Starring Ingrid Pitt, Peter Cushing, Eric Porter
Cinematography by Kenneth Talbot, Dick Bush
Directed by Peter Sasdy, John Hough, Robert Young
In December of 1959, Hammer Studios released a bit of Yuletide cheer called The Stranglers from Bombay, a censor-baiting melodrama highlighted by severed limbs and Marie Devereux’s cleavage. The studio would spend the next decade expanding upon those themes and wore the inevitable X Certificates like badges of honor. But as an ancient reprobate said, “Politicians, ugly buildings, and whores all get respectable if they last long enough” and by the seventies the bad boys of Bray seemed positively sedate. Though the power to shock had waned, Hammer was still a thriving business—there were two Dracula films produced in 1970 alone. Still, no one could blame them for shaking things up—Anthony Hinds, the studio’s guiding light,...
- 8/28/2021
- by Charlie Largent
- Trailers from Hell
Once an upstart and now a company to contend with, Britain’s Indicator continues their series of Hammer Studio releases with Hammer Volume Six: Night Shadows, a purely generic subtitle fit for any horror film, Hammer or otherwise. What isn’t generic is Indicator’s winning formula—top notch image quality and boatloads of extra materials including documentaries, commentaries, image galleries—the works. The films in their latest set are already available stateside in more than adequate Blu ray versions—but Indicator’s work prevails on the sheer magnitude and quality of their content.
Hammer Volume Six: Night Shadows
Blu ray – Region B
Indicator
Starring Barbara Shelley, Peter Cushing, Herbert Lom, Jennie Linden
Cinematography by Arthur Grant, John Wilcox
Directed by John Gilling, Peter Graham Scott, Terence Fisher, Freddie Francis
The Shadow of the Cat – 1961
Directed by John Gilling
Starring André Morell and Barbara Shelley
Cat lovers of all stripes...
Hammer Volume Six: Night Shadows
Blu ray – Region B
Indicator
Starring Barbara Shelley, Peter Cushing, Herbert Lom, Jennie Linden
Cinematography by Arthur Grant, John Wilcox
Directed by John Gilling, Peter Graham Scott, Terence Fisher, Freddie Francis
The Shadow of the Cat – 1961
Directed by John Gilling
Starring André Morell and Barbara Shelley
Cat lovers of all stripes...
- 6/8/2021
- by Charlie Largent
- Trailers from Hell
As detailed in his brilliant new Harpers essay, Martin Scorsese is not only continuing to make masterpieces along with highlighting and preserving all corners of world cinema—he’s fighting tooth and nail for the art form itself as media conglomerates further infantilize the medium with four-quadrant, homogenized “content.”
While his accurate comments have caused some backlash, our friends at Bright Wall/Dark Room put it succinctly, “Scorsese is a gate *opener* btw. He wants you to see movies, make movies, love movies, live movies. It’s kinda been his whole thing for 50 years.” The latest proof of this life-long mission has arrived courtesy of a list of new film recommendations.
Spurred on by Edgar Wright’s request during quarantine for more films to devour, Scorsese sent the fellow filmmaker nearly 50 recommendations of British films, including many overlooked ones, revealed in 3-hour conversation that Wright had with Quentin Tarantino on the Empire podcast.
While his accurate comments have caused some backlash, our friends at Bright Wall/Dark Room put it succinctly, “Scorsese is a gate *opener* btw. He wants you to see movies, make movies, love movies, live movies. It’s kinda been his whole thing for 50 years.” The latest proof of this life-long mission has arrived courtesy of a list of new film recommendations.
Spurred on by Edgar Wright’s request during quarantine for more films to devour, Scorsese sent the fellow filmmaker nearly 50 recommendations of British films, including many overlooked ones, revealed in 3-hour conversation that Wright had with Quentin Tarantino on the Empire podcast.
- 2/17/2021
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
During a three-hour discussion on a recent episode of “The Empire Film Podcast,” Edgar Wright and Quentin Tarantino revealed the existence of their makeshift quarantine movie club over the last 9 months. As Wright explained, “It’s nice. We’ve kept in touch in a sort of way that cinephiles do. It’s been one of the very few blessings of this [pandemic], the chance to disappear down a rabbit hole with the hours indoors that we have.” Tarantino added, “Edgar is more social than I am. It’s a big deal that I’ve been talking to him these past 9 months.”
A bulk of the film club was curated by none other than Martin Scorsese, who sent Wright a recommendation list of nearly 50 British films that Scorsese considers personal favorites. In the five months Wright spent in lockdown before resuming production on “Last Night in Soho” — and before he received the...
A bulk of the film club was curated by none other than Martin Scorsese, who sent Wright a recommendation list of nearly 50 British films that Scorsese considers personal favorites. In the five months Wright spent in lockdown before resuming production on “Last Night in Soho” — and before he received the...
- 2/8/2021
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
The Flesh and the Fiends
Blu ray
Kino Lorber
1960 /95 min.
Starring Peter Cushing, Donald Pleasence, George Rose, Billie Whitelaw
Cinematography by Monty Berman
Directed by John Gilling
The Flesh and the Fiends lives up to its name and then some. The setting is Scotland but the squalid streets and charnel houses suggest Dickens’ London at its bleakest. Everything is for sale here, the fleshy whores of the cathouses and the fiends who haunt them. On the other side of the tracks lives Robert Knox, a respected anatomist at Edinburgh University who pays for his flesh too – the bodies necessary for his livelihood are in scarce supply and grave robbers William Burke and William Hare are ready to deliver.
Venerated by his students while castigated by old guard medicos, the forward-thinking Knox is a formidable presence at the podium with only one thing to mar his handsome profile, a blind eye.
Blu ray
Kino Lorber
1960 /95 min.
Starring Peter Cushing, Donald Pleasence, George Rose, Billie Whitelaw
Cinematography by Monty Berman
Directed by John Gilling
The Flesh and the Fiends lives up to its name and then some. The setting is Scotland but the squalid streets and charnel houses suggest Dickens’ London at its bleakest. Everything is for sale here, the fleshy whores of the cathouses and the fiends who haunt them. On the other side of the tracks lives Robert Knox, a respected anatomist at Edinburgh University who pays for his flesh too – the bodies necessary for his livelihood are in scarce supply and grave robbers William Burke and William Hare are ready to deliver.
Venerated by his students while castigated by old guard medicos, the forward-thinking Knox is a formidable presence at the podium with only one thing to mar his handsome profile, a blind eye.
- 7/14/2020
- by Charlie Largent
- Trailers from Hell
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
Mill Creek and Kit Parker have raided the Columbia vault once again in search of Noir Gold from the ‘fifties. Their selection this time around has a couple of prime gems, several straight crime thrillers and domestic jeopardy tales, and also a couple of interesting Brit imports. They aren’t really ‘Noir’ either, but they’re still unexpected and different. The top title is Don Siegel’s incomparable The Lineup, but also on board is a snappy anti-commie epic by André De Toth. Get set for a lineup of impressive leading ladies: Diana Dors, Arlene Dahl, Anita Ekberg — and the great Colleen Dewhurst as a card-carrying Red!
Noir Archive 9-Film Collection Volume 3
The Shadow on the Window, The Long Haul, Pickup Alley, The Tijuana Story, She Played with Fire, The Case Against Brooklyn, The Lineup, The Crimson Kimono, Man on a String
Blu-ray
Mill Creek / Kit Parker
1957 -1960 / B&w...
Noir Archive 9-Film Collection Volume 3
The Shadow on the Window, The Long Haul, Pickup Alley, The Tijuana Story, She Played with Fire, The Case Against Brooklyn, The Lineup, The Crimson Kimono, Man on a String
Blu-ray
Mill Creek / Kit Parker
1957 -1960 / B&w...
- 9/10/2019
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Directed by in 1966 by John Gilling (The Saint), The Reptile is one of two Hammer Horror films released today (July 30) by Scream Factory. (The other is Lust for a Vampire.) This film is a hard one to describe, but I'll try. A small Cornish village sets the scene, where strange deaths take place, one after the other. Victims are found blackened after having been bitten and having foamed at the mouth. Harry Spalding arrives to the village to investigate the death of his brother, who died in this horrific manner, of course. He takes up residence with his wife, and naturally, the superstious townspeople won't talk to him until they're forced to, with the bodies piling up here there,...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 7/30/2019
- Screen Anarchy
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
One can suppose it was inevitable for Hammer to take on a lesser celebrated (at the time) yet influential sub-genre such as zombies; the ’30s and ’40s were certainly a heyday, with such films as White Zombie (1932) and I Walked with a Zombie (1943) setting a template of voodoo curses and unwilling (and undead) subjects. By the ’50s, they were already used for comic effect, until Hammer took their chance with The Plague of the Zombies (1966), an atmospheric yet rousing period piece that would help set up another template for zombiedom’s biggest sea change two years later.
Part of a four picture co-op with Seven Arts Productions, Plague was released stateside by Twentieth Century Fox in late January to better than average reviews; mind you, Hammer usually found an appreciative press, if even for set design and production values alone. But critics at the time liked the fact that they...
Part of a four picture co-op with Seven Arts Productions, Plague was released stateside by Twentieth Century Fox in late January to better than average reviews; mind you, Hammer usually found an appreciative press, if even for set design and production values alone. But critics at the time liked the fact that they...
- 2/23/2019
- by Scott Drebit
- DailyDead
The Plague of the Zombies
Blu ray
Shout Factory
1966 / 1.66:1 / 91 Min. / Street Date – January 15, 2019
Starring André Morell, John Carson, Jacqueline Pearce
Cinematography by Arthur Grant
Directed by John Gilling
Propping up one of Hammer Studios’ more visceral double-bills, John Gilling’s The Plague of the Zombies was released alongside Terence Fisher’s Dracula, Prince of Darkness in January of 1966. Fisher’s film was a briskly bloody chapter in the vampire’s long career but Gilling’s melancholy thriller packed a considerably gloomier punch.
The London-born Gilling was a writer/director with a taste for provincial settings, class conflict and horror – social commentary with a gothic twist. That formula was put to the test in his distinctly odd bit of sci-fi agitprop, 1957’s The Gamma People, a cold-war fable about a sinister doctor and an army of mind-controlled juvenile delinquents.
In 1960 Gilling turned that story on its head with The Flesh and the Fiends,...
Blu ray
Shout Factory
1966 / 1.66:1 / 91 Min. / Street Date – January 15, 2019
Starring André Morell, John Carson, Jacqueline Pearce
Cinematography by Arthur Grant
Directed by John Gilling
Propping up one of Hammer Studios’ more visceral double-bills, John Gilling’s The Plague of the Zombies was released alongside Terence Fisher’s Dracula, Prince of Darkness in January of 1966. Fisher’s film was a briskly bloody chapter in the vampire’s long career but Gilling’s melancholy thriller packed a considerably gloomier punch.
The London-born Gilling was a writer/director with a taste for provincial settings, class conflict and horror – social commentary with a gothic twist. That formula was put to the test in his distinctly odd bit of sci-fi agitprop, 1957’s The Gamma People, a cold-war fable about a sinister doctor and an army of mind-controlled juvenile delinquents.
In 1960 Gilling turned that story on its head with The Flesh and the Fiends,...
- 1/22/2019
- by Charlie Largent
- Trailers from Hell
The horrors of a 19th-century disease don't stop at death in The Plague of the Zombies, coming to Blu-ray from Scream Factory. Ahead of the January 15th release of the new home media release, the full special features for The Plague of the Zombies Blu-ray have been revealed, including two new audio commentaries:
From the Press Release: "In a remote 19th-century Cornish village, an evil presence lurks within the darkness of the witching hour. A mysterious plague relentlessly consumes lives at an unstoppable rate. Unable to find the cause, Dr. Peter Tompson enlists the help of his mentor, Sir James Forbes. Desperate to find an antidote, they instead find inexplicable horror: empty coffins with the diseased corpses missing! Following a series of strange and frightening clues, they discover a deserted mine where they discover a world of black magic and a doomed legion of flesh-eating slaves ... the walking dead! On...
From the Press Release: "In a remote 19th-century Cornish village, an evil presence lurks within the darkness of the witching hour. A mysterious plague relentlessly consumes lives at an unstoppable rate. Unable to find the cause, Dr. Peter Tompson enlists the help of his mentor, Sir James Forbes. Desperate to find an antidote, they instead find inexplicable horror: empty coffins with the diseased corpses missing! Following a series of strange and frightening clues, they discover a deserted mine where they discover a world of black magic and a doomed legion of flesh-eating slaves ... the walking dead! On...
- 12/11/2018
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Scream Factory™ Presents A Hammer Film Production and Directed by John Gilling The Plague Of The Zombies Debuts On Blu-ray™ January 15, 2019 From Scream Factory™ In a remote 19th-century Cornish village, an evil presence lurks within the darkness of the witching hour. A mysterious plague relentlessly consumes lives at an unstoppable rate. Unable to …
The post Horror Cult Classic The Plague Of The Zombies Debuts Blu-ray™ January 15, 2019 appeared first on Hnn | Horrornews.net. Copyrights 2008-2018 - Horrornews.net...
The post Horror Cult Classic The Plague Of The Zombies Debuts Blu-ray™ January 15, 2019 appeared first on Hnn | Horrornews.net. Copyrights 2008-2018 - Horrornews.net...
- 12/10/2018
- by Horrornews.net
- Horror News
Last year, New York's Quad Cinema paid tribute to Mario Bava with a 21-film, multi-day marathon, and this summer they're heating up the big screen once again with a two-part Hammer horror movies celebration, and we've been provided with the exclusive details on part 1 of their massive celebration of Hammer movies from 1956–1967.
Read the official press release below for all 32 titles (21 of which will be displayed in 35mm) in part 1 of the Quad's Hammer movie marathon, and keep an eye on their website for more information!
Press Release: May 30 - June 19 It's a chilling season at the Quad! Brace yourself for mummies, vampires, werewolves, and more with our extensive two-part retrospective celebrating Britain's genre studio powerhouse, Hammer Films
Throughout film history, many countries have had their own point-of-pride movie studios; Britain can claim several, whether as backlots or sites of creative capital. In Hammer Films, a genre-oriented counterpart to Ealing Films,...
Read the official press release below for all 32 titles (21 of which will be displayed in 35mm) in part 1 of the Quad's Hammer movie marathon, and keep an eye on their website for more information!
Press Release: May 30 - June 19 It's a chilling season at the Quad! Brace yourself for mummies, vampires, werewolves, and more with our extensive two-part retrospective celebrating Britain's genre studio powerhouse, Hammer Films
Throughout film history, many countries have had their own point-of-pride movie studios; Britain can claim several, whether as backlots or sites of creative capital. In Hammer Films, a genre-oriented counterpart to Ealing Films,...
- 5/11/2018
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
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
Starting out in 1939 as the little studio that could, Hammer would finally make their reputation in the late fifties reimagining Universal’s black and white horrors as eye-popping Technicolor gothics – their pictorial beauty, thanks to cameramen like Jack Asher and Arthur Ibbetson, was fundamental to the studio’s legacy. So it’s been more than a little frustrating to see such disrespect visited upon these films by home video companies happy to smother the market with grainy prints, incoherent cropping and under-saturated colors. The House of Hammer and the film community in general deserve far better than that.
Thanks to Indicator, the home video arm of Powerhouse films based in the UK, those wrongs are beginning to be righted, starting with their impressive new release of Hammer shockers, Fear Warning! Even better news for stateside fans; the set is region-free, ready to be relished the world over.
Hammer Vol. 1 – Fear Warning!
Thanks to Indicator, the home video arm of Powerhouse films based in the UK, those wrongs are beginning to be righted, starting with their impressive new release of Hammer shockers, Fear Warning! Even better news for stateside fans; the set is region-free, ready to be relished the world over.
Hammer Vol. 1 – Fear Warning!
- 10/31/2017
- by Charlie Largent
- Trailers from Hell
Last night, at the tail end of a long and weird day, after all the rest of the folks who live with me were snug in bed, I shut off all the lights in the house, settled into my living room movie-watching chair and fired up a vintage Hammer classic I’d never seen before, The Reptile (1966). Even though it was directed by John Gilling, who helmed one of my favorite Hammer pictures, The Plague of the Zombies (from the same year), my expectations were low—I’d heard from trustworthy sources that it wasn’t a top-drawer offering from my favorite genre-oriented studio. But The Reptile, despite being a bit of a slow burn (as, admittedly, many Hammer pictures are, especially to a generation weaned on visually hyperactive remakes and reboots of established classics), turned out to be a creepy, well-earned scare, and the lead-up to the reveal of...
- 10/28/2017
- by Dennis Cozzalio
- Trailers from Hell
The Gorgon
Written by John Gilling
Directed by Terence Fisher
UK, 1964
In the 1950’s, at the birth of the atom age, the content of horror films shifted from the supernatural horrors like Dracula and the Wolf Man, to science-based atrocities. Frankenstein’s monster, which was a patchwork of body parts given life by the mysterious power of lightning, became the Colossus of New York, a giant robot with the brain of a brilliant scientist who goes mad. The gypsy curse that turned Lon Chaney Jr.’s Larry Talbot into a Wolf Man becomes a medical experiment that transforms Michael Landon’s Tony Rivers into a Teenaged Werewolf. The monsters were no longer mythological creatures but scientifically created horrors to reflect the place science had taken in our lives.
When Hammer Horror came into prominence at the end of the 50’s and early 60’s it did so because of its penchant for gore and sexuality.
Written by John Gilling
Directed by Terence Fisher
UK, 1964
In the 1950’s, at the birth of the atom age, the content of horror films shifted from the supernatural horrors like Dracula and the Wolf Man, to science-based atrocities. Frankenstein’s monster, which was a patchwork of body parts given life by the mysterious power of lightning, became the Colossus of New York, a giant robot with the brain of a brilliant scientist who goes mad. The gypsy curse that turned Lon Chaney Jr.’s Larry Talbot into a Wolf Man becomes a medical experiment that transforms Michael Landon’s Tony Rivers into a Teenaged Werewolf. The monsters were no longer mythological creatures but scientifically created horrors to reflect the place science had taken in our lives.
When Hammer Horror came into prominence at the end of the 50’s and early 60’s it did so because of its penchant for gore and sexuality.
- 10/9/2014
- by Jae K. Renfrow
- SoundOnSight
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
The Horror Channel has announced the return of the Hammer double features.
The season, which runs on Saturday nights from February 1 to 22 at 9pm, promises "vampire vixens, creepy castles, mouldy mummies, satanic sadists and Lee & Cushing on top show".
Hammer recently unveiled the trailer for The Quiet Ones, the studio's follow-up to its successful critical and commercial return with The Woman in Black.
The full schedule is below, complete with synopses from the Horror Channel (Sat 319 / Virgin 149 / Freesat 138).
February 1 9pm - Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966)
This sequel to the 1958 The Horror of Dracula sees the supposedly dead Count Dracula back in bloody business once his trusty servant Klove entices the English Kents - Charles (Francis Matthews), brother Alan (Charles Tingwell) and their wives Diana (Suzan Farmer) and Helen (Barbara Shelley) - inside his welcoming castle. Directed by Terence Fisher, this is seen as the "quintessential Hammer horror".
February 1 10.45pm -...
The season, which runs on Saturday nights from February 1 to 22 at 9pm, promises "vampire vixens, creepy castles, mouldy mummies, satanic sadists and Lee & Cushing on top show".
Hammer recently unveiled the trailer for The Quiet Ones, the studio's follow-up to its successful critical and commercial return with The Woman in Black.
The full schedule is below, complete with synopses from the Horror Channel (Sat 319 / Virgin 149 / Freesat 138).
February 1 9pm - Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966)
This sequel to the 1958 The Horror of Dracula sees the supposedly dead Count Dracula back in bloody business once his trusty servant Klove entices the English Kents - Charles (Francis Matthews), brother Alan (Charles Tingwell) and their wives Diana (Suzan Farmer) and Helen (Barbara Shelley) - inside his welcoming castle. Directed by Terence Fisher, this is seen as the "quintessential Hammer horror".
February 1 10.45pm -...
- 1/15/2014
- Digital Spy
The Horror Channel has announced the return of the Hammer double features.
The season, which runs on Saturday nights from February 1 to 22 at 9pm, promises "vampire vixens, creepy castles, mouldy mummies, satanic sadists and Lee & Cushing on top show".
Hammer recently unveiled the trailer for The Quiet Ones, the studio's follow-up to its successful critical and commercial return with The Woman in Black.
The full schedule is below, complete with synopses from the Horror Channel (Sat 319 / Virgin 149 / Freesat 138).
February 1 9pm - Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966)
This sequel to the 1958 The Horror of Dracula sees the supposedly dead Count Dracula back in bloody business once his trusty servant Klove entices the English Kents - Charles (Francis Matthews), brother Alan (Charles Tingwell) and their wives Diana (Suzan Farmer) and Helen (Barbara Shelley) - inside his welcoming castle. Directed by Terence Fisher, this is seen as the "quintessential Hammer horror".
February 1 10.45pm -...
The season, which runs on Saturday nights from February 1 to 22 at 9pm, promises "vampire vixens, creepy castles, mouldy mummies, satanic sadists and Lee & Cushing on top show".
Hammer recently unveiled the trailer for The Quiet Ones, the studio's follow-up to its successful critical and commercial return with The Woman in Black.
The full schedule is below, complete with synopses from the Horror Channel (Sat 319 / Virgin 149 / Freesat 138).
February 1 9pm - Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966)
This sequel to the 1958 The Horror of Dracula sees the supposedly dead Count Dracula back in bloody business once his trusty servant Klove entices the English Kents - Charles (Francis Matthews), brother Alan (Charles Tingwell) and their wives Diana (Suzan Farmer) and Helen (Barbara Shelley) - inside his welcoming castle. Directed by Terence Fisher, this is seen as the "quintessential Hammer horror".
February 1 10.45pm -...
- 1/15/2014
- Digital Spy
Following on from their recent releases of the fully restored and re-mastered Hammer classics, The Reptile and The Plague of the Zombies last June, StudioCanal have released the next three iconic Hammer titles in their new restored and re-mastered collection: The Devil Rides Out, The Mummy’s Shroud and Rasputin The Mad Monk. Not only are the films restored, but they are also accompanied by a host of specially created new extras, produced in collaboration with Hammer expert and author Marcus Hearn (author of The Hammer Vault), including brand new making of featurettes and interviews with original cast members.
The Devil Rides Out
Stars: Christopher Lee, Charles Gray, Nike Arrighi | Written by Richard Matheson, Dennis Wheatley | Directed by Terence Fisher
Starring Christopher Lee in one of his personal favourite roles and based on the celebrated novel by Dennis Weatley, The Devil Rides Out sees the debonair Duc de Richleau trusted...
The Devil Rides Out
Stars: Christopher Lee, Charles Gray, Nike Arrighi | Written by Richard Matheson, Dennis Wheatley | Directed by Terence Fisher
Starring Christopher Lee in one of his personal favourite roles and based on the celebrated novel by Dennis Weatley, The Devil Rides Out sees the debonair Duc de Richleau trusted...
- 10/20/2012
- by Phil
- Nerdly
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
Following on from the recent releases of the fully restored and re-mastered Hammer classics, The Reptile and The Plague Of Zombies last June, Studio Canal are delighted to announce the releases of the next three iconic Hammer titles in our new restoration series: The Devil Rides Out, The Mummy’S Shroud and Rasputin The Mad Monk – out to own individually on Double Play (DVD & Blu Ray) from 22nd October.
In celebration, the restored releases are accompanied by a host of specially created new extras, produced in collaboration with Hammer expert and author Marcus Hearn (author of “The Hammer Vault”), including brand new making of featurettes and interviews with original cast members.
To celebrate these releases, What Culture has three copies of each Blu-ray to give away to our readers.
The Devil Rides Out (Released 22nd October)
The debonair Duc de Richleau has been trusted with the care of his deceased friend’s son,...
In celebration, the restored releases are accompanied by a host of specially created new extras, produced in collaboration with Hammer expert and author Marcus Hearn (author of “The Hammer Vault”), including brand new making of featurettes and interviews with original cast members.
To celebrate these releases, What Culture has three copies of each Blu-ray to give away to our readers.
The Devil Rides Out (Released 22nd October)
The debonair Duc de Richleau has been trusted with the care of his deceased friend’s son,...
- 9/23/2012
- by Matt Holmes
- Obsessed with Film
For the first instalment in a new reader-led series, Neil Mitchell braves Brighton's premier horror film festival
Our new series on small film festivals is kicked off by Neil Mitchell, a freelance writer and editor of World Film Locations: London, among other publications. He also blogs here, and you can follow him on Twitter @nrm1972.
Do you know of any festivals that deserve more attention? If so, email adam.boult@guardian.co.uk.
Festival name: Frighten Brighton 2012
Location: Komedia, 44-47 Gardner Street, Brighton and Hove
Date: 11 August 2012
About: What better way to spend a gloriously sunny day on the south coast than to head into the bowels of Brighton's Komedia and sit it a darkened room watching five classic horror movies back to back? That's what was on offer for the scandalously low price of £5 a film or £15 for the day at the wonderfully named Frighten Brighton, the brainchild of...
Our new series on small film festivals is kicked off by Neil Mitchell, a freelance writer and editor of World Film Locations: London, among other publications. He also blogs here, and you can follow him on Twitter @nrm1972.
Do you know of any festivals that deserve more attention? If so, email adam.boult@guardian.co.uk.
Festival name: Frighten Brighton 2012
Location: Komedia, 44-47 Gardner Street, Brighton and Hove
Date: 11 August 2012
About: What better way to spend a gloriously sunny day on the south coast than to head into the bowels of Brighton's Komedia and sit it a darkened room watching five classic horror movies back to back? That's what was on offer for the scandalously low price of £5 a film or £15 for the day at the wonderfully named Frighten Brighton, the brainchild of...
- 8/30/2012
- by Guardian readers
- The Guardian - Film News
We've updated our Film4 Fright Fest line-up story with tons of images. Read on to see what you may have missed and what's brand spanking new! Dig it!
Programme - Screen 1
Thursday Aug 23
Opening Film - The Seasoning House (World Premiere)
Special make-up prosthetics and splatter genius Paul Hyett makes his directorial debut with a harrowing exploration into tense claustrophobia, hard-hitting action and rollercoaster suspense. In a Balkan brothel, where girls kidnapped by soldiers in war-torn zones are prostituted to the military and civilians alike, Angel (Robin Day) is the deaf mute orphan enslaved to care for the inmates. But unbeknownst to her captors, she moves between the walls and crawlspaces of the seasoning house planning her escape. Psychological horror in the nerve-shredding Alfred Hitchcock and Roman Polanski style but with an ultra-modern twist.
89 mins Director: Paul Hyett UK 2012
Rosie Day – Angel
Sean Pertwee – Goran
Kevin Howarth – Viktor
David Lemberg...
Programme - Screen 1
Thursday Aug 23
Opening Film - The Seasoning House (World Premiere)
Special make-up prosthetics and splatter genius Paul Hyett makes his directorial debut with a harrowing exploration into tense claustrophobia, hard-hitting action and rollercoaster suspense. In a Balkan brothel, where girls kidnapped by soldiers in war-torn zones are prostituted to the military and civilians alike, Angel (Robin Day) is the deaf mute orphan enslaved to care for the inmates. But unbeknownst to her captors, she moves between the walls and crawlspaces of the seasoning house planning her escape. Psychological horror in the nerve-shredding Alfred Hitchcock and Roman Polanski style but with an ultra-modern twist.
89 mins Director: Paul Hyett UK 2012
Rosie Day – Angel
Sean Pertwee – Goran
Kevin Howarth – Viktor
David Lemberg...
- 7/3/2012
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
While everything from George Romero’s …of the Dead series through to 28 Days Later and Resident Evil has worked the zombie film right down to the stump, returning to the genre forebears still proves a dementedly rewarding, refreshing experience. John Gilling’s Hammer riff The Plague of the Zombies observes this type of story through a more aged, yet less cynical – and less serious – lens, while its cutting-edge social commentary remains criminally undervalued.
Sticking true to the schematic of the Hammer horrors we know and love, The Plague of the Zombies is pure camp. The opening scene features a hooded cult figure brandishing a clay voodoo doll, before dabbing it with blood – laughable prop blood, likely ketchup or at a stretch, paint. From the outset it is a reminder that while Hammer’s recent revival comes with a classed-up new image (releasing stylish horrors such as...
While everything from George Romero’s …of the Dead series through to 28 Days Later and Resident Evil has worked the zombie film right down to the stump, returning to the genre forebears still proves a dementedly rewarding, refreshing experience. John Gilling’s Hammer riff The Plague of the Zombies observes this type of story through a more aged, yet less cynical – and less serious – lens, while its cutting-edge social commentary remains criminally undervalued.
Sticking true to the schematic of the Hammer horrors we know and love, The Plague of the Zombies is pure camp. The opening scene features a hooded cult figure brandishing a clay voodoo doll, before dabbing it with blood – laughable prop blood, likely ketchup or at a stretch, paint. From the outset it is a reminder that while Hammer’s recent revival comes with a classed-up new image (releasing stylish horrors such as...
- 6/12/2012
- by Shaun Munro
- Obsessed with Film
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
Hammer's exciting catalogue restoration continues with a duo of swanky new home entertainment releases - The Plague of the Zombies and The Reptile, shot back to back by John Gilling in 1966. Both due for release as double play Blu-ray/ DVD combo sets through Studio Canal on 18th June, they feature new extras created under the guidance of Hammer expert Marcus Hearn. What's not to love? Full details below: 8 June: The Plague Of Zombies ** Digitally restored Double Play Within a remote eighteenth century Cornish village, an evil presence lurks within the darkness of the witching hour, a mysterious plague relentlessly taking lives at an unstoppable rate. Unable to find the cause, Dr Peter Thompson enlists the help of Professor James Forbes. Desperate to find an antidote what they...
- 5/18/2012
- Screen Anarchy
John Gilling's The Reptile seems a prosaic enough Hammer Horror production on paper. A toothsome, venomous horror stalks a remote Cornish village, preying on anyone who wanders up to the manse late at night or takes a wrong turn on the moor. Add some slightly ill-considered exoticism to the mix - the savage cults of the East and their heathen magical rites, so on, so forth - and you'd think this was a sixties take on Jennifer Lynch's disastrous Hisss.Despite the threadbare effects, though, and an ending that staggers across the finish line, The Reptile is an oddly restrained, moving, even genuinely eerie little film from the cult production house. No gore, scream queens, heaving cleavage or flirtation with softcore fanservice (okay, don't all leave...
- 5/7/2012
- Screen Anarchy
World DVD Premieres Written and Directed by John Gilling Out to own individually on DVD January 16th, 2012 "The Scarlet Blade" Starring Lionel Jeffries, Oliver Reed and Jack Hedley "The Scarlet Blade" is a historical adventure set during the English Civil War from the famous Hammer Film Productions. An unlikely romance blossoms between two people from opposing camps . one from the Roundheads, the other from the Cavaliers. Colonel Judd (Lionel Jeffries: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang), a villainous anti-royalist loyal to Cromwell, is bewildered by his daughter Clare's (June Thorburn: Tom Thumb) Royalist sympathies. Judd's right-hand man Captain Sylvester (Oliver Reed: The Three Musketeers) is an enforcer for Cromwell's parliamentarians and also June's boyfriend. Much to the...
- 1/25/2012
- www.ohmygore.com/
Released on DVD for the first time ever this week, The Scarlet Blade and The Brigand of Kandahar come from director John Gilling and the famous Hammer Film Productions and both star the legendary Oliver Reed. And we have a copy of each to give away to you, our readers, courtesy of StudioCanal.
The Scarlet Blade is a historical adventure set during the English Civil War. Oliver Reed is in devilish form as a Roundhead soldier who kidnaps the King on the orders of his tyrannical Colonel (Lionel Jeffries). It’s down to a local group of loyal soldiers to rescue him, led by Royalist cavalier, known as The Scarlet Blade.
In The Brigand Of Kandahar, Oliver Reed continues his villainous streak in another Hammer historical adventure. The setting is the Indian desert, where the British army faces scorching temperatures and savage warrior, Reed playing Eli Khan, leader of some...
The Scarlet Blade is a historical adventure set during the English Civil War. Oliver Reed is in devilish form as a Roundhead soldier who kidnaps the King on the orders of his tyrannical Colonel (Lionel Jeffries). It’s down to a local group of loyal soldiers to rescue him, led by Royalist cavalier, known as The Scarlet Blade.
In The Brigand Of Kandahar, Oliver Reed continues his villainous streak in another Hammer historical adventure. The setting is the Indian desert, where the British army faces scorching temperatures and savage warrior, Reed playing Eli Khan, leader of some...
- 1/20/2012
- by Phil
- Nerdly
★☆☆☆☆ The Brigand of Kandahar (1965) - released on DVD for the first time this week - is one of Hammer's most seldom-seen films. After viewing it, you will instantly understand why, as it must rank as one of the studio's slowest and least imaginative offerings. Written and directed by Hammer stalwart John Gilling, this 'Boy's Own' adventure set during the British rule of India in the 1850s starring Oliver Reed and Ronald Lewis has very little to recommend in terms of both performance and production values.
Read more »...
Read more »...
- 1/17/2012
- by CineVue
- CineVue
The Interrupters
The absence of this film in the longlist of nominees for the 2012 Best Documentary Oscar, along with Senna and Herzog's Into The Abyss, is being held as a sign of just how wrong the Academy can get things; if you've seen the other two you'll get some idea of the high regard this is held in to be mentioned alongside them. Directed by Steve James, maker of landmark doc Hoop Dreams, The Interrupters follows three ex-cons and gang members who place themselves in the line of fire – literally, in some instances – to try to curb the violence that has spun out of control on the streets of Chicago. They get to know the street gangs and talk to them in a common language that the police and social services seem ill-equipped to emulate. Their role as "violence interrupters" is an intriguing and brave one: they have no hope...
The absence of this film in the longlist of nominees for the 2012 Best Documentary Oscar, along with Senna and Herzog's Into The Abyss, is being held as a sign of just how wrong the Academy can get things; if you've seen the other two you'll get some idea of the high regard this is held in to be mentioned alongside them. Directed by Steve James, maker of landmark doc Hoop Dreams, The Interrupters follows three ex-cons and gang members who place themselves in the line of fire – literally, in some instances – to try to curb the violence that has spun out of control on the streets of Chicago. They get to know the street gangs and talk to them in a common language that the police and social services seem ill-equipped to emulate. Their role as "violence interrupters" is an intriguing and brave one: they have no hope...
- 1/14/2012
- by Phelim O'Neill
- The Guardian - Film News
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
To mark the release of The Brigand Of Kandahar (1965) on DVD for the first time on 16th January, Studio Canal have given us three copies of this Hammer classic movie to give away on DVD. The film stars Ronald Lewis, Oliver Reed and Duncan Lamont and is directed by John Gilling.
1880. British India. Robert Case (Ronald Lewis: Sardonicus), a mixed race lieutenant, is unjustly discharged from the British Army. He joins the rebel Bengali tribesmen offensive led by Eli Khan (Oliver Reed: The Three Musketeers) against the colonial enemy. They capture a foreign journalist and Case recounts his story of false accusation on trumped-up charges, instigated by the bigotry and racism of his commanding officers. Following a successful attack by the British against the rebels, Case is brutally shot by Colonel Drewe (Duncan Lamont: Quatermass and The Pit), his accuser. The journalist returns home determined to report the true story of The Brigand of Kandahar.
1880. British India. Robert Case (Ronald Lewis: Sardonicus), a mixed race lieutenant, is unjustly discharged from the British Army. He joins the rebel Bengali tribesmen offensive led by Eli Khan (Oliver Reed: The Three Musketeers) against the colonial enemy. They capture a foreign journalist and Case recounts his story of false accusation on trumped-up charges, instigated by the bigotry and racism of his commanding officers. Following a successful attack by the British against the rebels, Case is brutally shot by Colonel Drewe (Duncan Lamont: Quatermass and The Pit), his accuser. The journalist returns home determined to report the true story of The Brigand of Kandahar.
- 1/6/2012
- by Competitons
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
To mark the release of The Scarlet Blade on DVD for the first time on 16th January, Studio Canal have given us three copies of this Hammer classic movie to give away on DVD. The film stars Lionel Jeffries, Oliver Reed and Jack Hedley and is directed by John Gilling.
The Scarlet Blade is a historical adventure set during the English Civil War from the famous Hammer Film Productions.
An unlikely romance blossoms between two people from opposing camps – one from the Roundheads, the other from the Cavaliers. Colonel Judd (Lionel Jeffries: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang), a villainous anti-royalist loyal to Cromwell, is bewildered by his daughter Clare’s (June Thorburn: Tom Thumb) Royalist sympathies. Judd’s right-hand man Captain Sylvester (Oliver Reed: The Three Musketeers) is an enforcer for Cromwell’s parliamentarians and also June’s boyfriend. Much to the consternation of Judd and Sylvester, Clare falls for Edward...
The Scarlet Blade is a historical adventure set during the English Civil War from the famous Hammer Film Productions.
An unlikely romance blossoms between two people from opposing camps – one from the Roundheads, the other from the Cavaliers. Colonel Judd (Lionel Jeffries: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang), a villainous anti-royalist loyal to Cromwell, is bewildered by his daughter Clare’s (June Thorburn: Tom Thumb) Royalist sympathies. Judd’s right-hand man Captain Sylvester (Oliver Reed: The Three Musketeers) is an enforcer for Cromwell’s parliamentarians and also June’s boyfriend. Much to the consternation of Judd and Sylvester, Clare falls for Edward...
- 1/6/2012
- by Competitons
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
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
Voluptuous vampire vixens, high society diabolists, meandering mouldy mummies, rapacious reptiles, and zillions of zombies… Sound like fun? Well the new Hammer Horror Halloween season on Horror channel will be most definitely for you then! Showing on the channel from October 1st to October 31st, the Hammer season is introduced by author, broadcaster and critic Kim Newman.
The line-up includes:
Sat Oct 1st | 23:10 | Scars of Dracula (1970)
Christopher Lee’s fifth Dracula picture and was directed by Roy Ward Baker who was determined to do it in as gory a style as possible. The film’s greatest innovation, however, was to present a surprisingly verbose Count as Lee had been given very little dialogue in the previous Dracula movies, Bereft of an American pre-sale, Scars of Dracula and its support feature, The Horror of Frankenstein, were both produced on relatively low budgets
Sat Oct 8 | 23:10 |
Frankenstein Created Woman (1967) One of...
The line-up includes:
Sat Oct 1st | 23:10 | Scars of Dracula (1970)
Christopher Lee’s fifth Dracula picture and was directed by Roy Ward Baker who was determined to do it in as gory a style as possible. The film’s greatest innovation, however, was to present a surprisingly verbose Count as Lee had been given very little dialogue in the previous Dracula movies, Bereft of an American pre-sale, Scars of Dracula and its support feature, The Horror of Frankenstein, were both produced on relatively low budgets
Sat Oct 8 | 23:10 |
Frankenstein Created Woman (1967) One of...
- 9/22/2011
- by Phil
- Nerdly
Burke and Hare
Written by Piers Ashworth and Nick Moorcroft
Directed by John Landis
UK, 2010
There have been several films about the infamous true-life grave robbers William Burke and William Hare, including Freddie Francis’s 1985 The Doctor And The Devils and John Gilling’s 1959 The Flesh and The Fiends. Perhaps the most famous is Robert Wise’s 1945 classic The Body Snatcher, which starred both Boris Karloff and Béla Lugosi. You can now add John Landis’s Burke and Hare to the list.
Burke and Hare marks Landis’s first feature theatrical release in twelve years, the last being 1998′s Susan’s Plan. Thankfully the director who gave us such classics as Animal House, An American Werewolf in London, Michael Jackson’s Thriller and The Blues Brothers still has a trick or two up his sleeve. Admittedly his latest feature pales in comparison to his earlier work, but Burke and Hare...
Written by Piers Ashworth and Nick Moorcroft
Directed by John Landis
UK, 2010
There have been several films about the infamous true-life grave robbers William Burke and William Hare, including Freddie Francis’s 1985 The Doctor And The Devils and John Gilling’s 1959 The Flesh and The Fiends. Perhaps the most famous is Robert Wise’s 1945 classic The Body Snatcher, which starred both Boris Karloff and Béla Lugosi. You can now add John Landis’s Burke and Hare to the list.
Burke and Hare marks Landis’s first feature theatrical release in twelve years, the last being 1998′s Susan’s Plan. Thankfully the director who gave us such classics as Animal House, An American Werewolf in London, Michael Jackson’s Thriller and The Blues Brothers still has a trick or two up his sleeve. Admittedly his latest feature pales in comparison to his earlier work, but Burke and Hare...
- 7/27/2011
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
This isn’t the first time the grisly true-to-life exploits of Burke & Hare have made it to the big screen. In 1960 Donald Pleasance and George Rose were the bumbling duo in John Gilling’s vintage terror treat The Flesh and the Fiends – a film that headlined the illustrious Peter Cushing as a medical doctor who requires corpses for research endeavours. Then in 1972 came the undeservedly forgotten Vernon Sewell version ‘Burke & Hare’ which also played the horror elements dead straight. Now, under the revitalised Ealing Studios banner, John Landis‘ has reinterpreted the infamous West Port Murders of 1827-1828 as a comedic caper staring Simon Pegg and Andy Serkis as the deadly duo who go into a potentially lucrative body snatching business venture – which involves supplying cadavers to Tom Wilkinson’s esteemed medical professor.
It must have been an intriguing proposition; working at a revived Ealing Studios in an attempt to honour...
It must have been an intriguing proposition; working at a revived Ealing Studios in an attempt to honour...
- 2/20/2011
- by Oliver Pfeiffer
- Obsessed with Film
The truncated third Us release (after earlier tries as "Mania'", then "The Psycho Killers'") of John Gilling's 1960 retelling of the Burke and Hare story that formed the basis for Robert Louis Stevenson's "The Body Snatcher". Cut by a reel and a half and aimed at the lowest of brows, this version ends with Donald Pleasence getting a torch in his face.
- 7/24/2007
- Trailers from Hell
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