To get you ready for the return of the core Killadelphia series this November with issue #31, Rodney Barnes, Jason Shawn Alexander and Image Comics have been offering fans an opportunity catch up with the series, its characters, and its spinoffs, through what they are calling the "Killadelphia Summer Reading Program" and we're excited to be a part of it! Today, we are thrilled to share with you the entire first chapter in the spinoff series Nita Hawes' Nightmare Blog, and we have a tease of what what may be coming to the series when it returns this fall!
For those of you who are not familiar with Killadelphia, here's a brief rundown and I Highly recommend you checking out the series:
"When a small-town beat cop comes home to bury his murdered father-the revered Philadelphia detective James Sangster Sr.-he begins to unravel a mystery that leads him down a...
For those of you who are not familiar with Killadelphia, here's a brief rundown and I Highly recommend you checking out the series:
"When a small-town beat cop comes home to bury his murdered father-the revered Philadelphia detective James Sangster Sr.-he begins to unravel a mystery that leads him down a...
- 8/10/2023
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
This month’s installment of Deep Cuts Rising features a variety of horror movies. Some selections reflect a specific day or event in August, and others were chosen at random.
Regardless of how they came to be here, or what they’re about, these past movies can generally be considered overlooked, forgotten or unknown.
This month’s offerings feature folk horror, killer animals, and more.
Dark August (1976)
Directed by Martin Goldman.
With August 22 being World Folklore Day, horror fans don’t ever have to look too far to find mysticism and superstitions. Right in their backyards are plenty of homegrown horrors that showcase the extraordinary. Martin Goldman’s Vermont-shot regional horror Dark August centers on the man who accidentally runs over and kills a little girl. While J.J. Barry‘s difficult character is found innocent in court, he still suspects the victim’s grandfather has cursed him. Now the protagonist...
Regardless of how they came to be here, or what they’re about, these past movies can generally be considered overlooked, forgotten or unknown.
This month’s offerings feature folk horror, killer animals, and more.
Dark August (1976)
Directed by Martin Goldman.
With August 22 being World Folklore Day, horror fans don’t ever have to look too far to find mysticism and superstitions. Right in their backyards are plenty of homegrown horrors that showcase the extraordinary. Martin Goldman’s Vermont-shot regional horror Dark August centers on the man who accidentally runs over and kills a little girl. While J.J. Barry‘s difficult character is found innocent in court, he still suspects the victim’s grandfather has cursed him. Now the protagonist...
- 8/1/2023
- by Paul Lê
- bloody-disgusting.com
By the middle of the 1950s, gothic horror was dead. Modern-set films dealing with nuclear war, radioactive fallout, and the Red Scare filled American theaters with giant bugs and body snatchers. England’s Hammer Studios was no different, releasing successful films like The Quatermass Xperiment (1955) and X the Unknown (1956), which were firmly rooted in these science fiction-based fears. In 1957, however, they took a gamble and single-handedly resurrected the gothic monster movie with The Curse of Frankenstein, which became an international hit. The following year they outdid themselves by resurrecting the King of Vampires. Horror of Dracula (simply titled Dracula in England) completely redefined the character, and indeed the entire vampire subgenre, for a generation, and its influence would echo through the decades to come.
By 1958, Tod Browning’s Dracula, with Bela Lugosi in the starring role, had become deeply ingrained in popular culture. The 1957 debut of Shock Theater, the package...
By 1958, Tod Browning’s Dracula, with Bela Lugosi in the starring role, had become deeply ingrained in popular culture. The 1957 debut of Shock Theater, the package...
- 4/27/2023
- by Brian Keiper
- bloody-disgusting.com
It’s no big deal these days when veteran film stars appear on the small screen such as Harrison Ford, who headlines two vastly different series this season, the hard-hitting Western “1923” on Paramount + and the Apple TV +’s comedy “Shrinking.” And two-time Oscar-winner Robert De Niro is set to star in his first TV series “Zero Day” on Netflix. But 50 years ago, it was major news when stars of the Golden Age of Hollywood took the plunge into the small screen waters.
Four-time Oscar-winning legend Katharine Hepburn made her TV debut in ABC’s acclaimed version of Tennessee Williams’ 1944 classi play “The Glass Menagerie.” The drama, which catapulted Williams to fame, reunited Kate with her “The Lion in Winter” director Anthony Harvey. She won an Oscar under his guidance for the 1968 “Lion,” and she earned an Emmy nomination for her haunting turn as Amanda in “Glass Menagerie.” The...
Four-time Oscar-winning legend Katharine Hepburn made her TV debut in ABC’s acclaimed version of Tennessee Williams’ 1944 classi play “The Glass Menagerie.” The drama, which catapulted Williams to fame, reunited Kate with her “The Lion in Winter” director Anthony Harvey. She won an Oscar under his guidance for the 1968 “Lion,” and she earned an Emmy nomination for her haunting turn as Amanda in “Glass Menagerie.” The...
- 4/12/2023
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Normal 0 false false false En-us X-none X-none
By Hank Reineke
Following the success of Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho in 1960-61, there was – forgive me – a “mad” rush to cash in on that film’s coattails. On one side of the pond, U.S. based pastiches of Psycho would come courtesy of Shlock-horror maestro William Castle. The gimmicky producer would rush out the psychological-thriller Homicidal in 1961 and, a bit later - and more famously - with Joan Crawford in Straiht- Jacket (1964). In England, Hammer Film Productions, riding high due to their reimagining of the classic “Universal” monsters, would likewise bring to the screen four psych-thrillers of similar temperament: Paranoiac and Maniac in 1963, Hysteria and Nightmare in 1965.
One of the connecting threads of this quartet of Hammer efforts were that all scenarios had been dutifully scribed by their “house writer” of sorts, Jimmy Sangster. In his entertaining autobiography Do You Want it Good or Tuesday?...
By Hank Reineke
Following the success of Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho in 1960-61, there was – forgive me – a “mad” rush to cash in on that film’s coattails. On one side of the pond, U.S. based pastiches of Psycho would come courtesy of Shlock-horror maestro William Castle. The gimmicky producer would rush out the psychological-thriller Homicidal in 1961 and, a bit later - and more famously - with Joan Crawford in Straiht- Jacket (1964). In England, Hammer Film Productions, riding high due to their reimagining of the classic “Universal” monsters, would likewise bring to the screen four psych-thrillers of similar temperament: Paranoiac and Maniac in 1963, Hysteria and Nightmare in 1965.
One of the connecting threads of this quartet of Hammer efforts were that all scenarios had been dutifully scribed by their “house writer” of sorts, Jimmy Sangster. In his entertaining autobiography Do You Want it Good or Tuesday?...
- 5/7/2022
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Kolchak: The Night Stalker – The Complete Series
Blu ray
Kino Lorber
1974/ 1.33:1/ 1,020 Minutes
Starring Darren McGavin, Simon Oakland
Directed by Gordon Hessler. Alexander Grasshoff
“I saw what I saw when I saw it.” That was the mantra of Wilbur Grey, an anonymous shipping clerk who made a habit of bumping into some pretty famous monsters. As with most cautionary tales, no one will believe Wilbur about his strange encounters until it’s too late. Carl Kolchak, a beat reporter for Chicago’s Independent News Service, is stuck in the same boat; it seems that toddlin’ town is not only the City of Big Shoulders but Big Monsters—and they have a habit of playing in Kolchak’s backyard.
The newsman made his debut in the early ’70s when producer Dan Curtis parlayed Jeff Rice’s The Kolchak Papers into two television movies, 1972’s The Night Stalker and 1973’s The Night Strangler.
Blu ray
Kino Lorber
1974/ 1.33:1/ 1,020 Minutes
Starring Darren McGavin, Simon Oakland
Directed by Gordon Hessler. Alexander Grasshoff
“I saw what I saw when I saw it.” That was the mantra of Wilbur Grey, an anonymous shipping clerk who made a habit of bumping into some pretty famous monsters. As with most cautionary tales, no one will believe Wilbur about his strange encounters until it’s too late. Carl Kolchak, a beat reporter for Chicago’s Independent News Service, is stuck in the same boat; it seems that toddlin’ town is not only the City of Big Shoulders but Big Monsters—and they have a habit of playing in Kolchak’s backyard.
The newsman made his debut in the early ’70s when producer Dan Curtis parlayed Jeff Rice’s The Kolchak Papers into two television movies, 1972’s The Night Stalker and 1973’s The Night Strangler.
- 10/26/2021
- by Charlie Largent
- Trailers from Hell
One of the best director debuts of the 1960s is Francis Coppola’s earnest effort to deliver a marketable thriller to producer Roger Corman, a gory, sexy horror show that will get past the censor. The 21-year-old student filmmaker comes through in high style. The spirited tale of axe murders on an Irish estate brings back a time when a talented beginner could hit a $40,000 movie out of the park. It’s been reconstituted to Coppola’s preferred cut after sixty years in Public Domain purgatory, and he provides a new commentary that will please his fans as well as lovers of the horror genre.
Dementia 13 Director’s Cut
Blu-ray
Lionsgate / Vestron Video Collector’s Series
1963 / B&w / 1:78 widescreen / 69 min. / The Haunted and the Hunted / Street Date September 21, 2021 / 17.99
Starring: William Campbell, Luana Anders, Bart Patton, Mary Mitchel, Patrick Magee, Ethne Dunne, Peter Read.
Cinematography: Charles Hannawalt
Art Director: Albert...
Dementia 13 Director’s Cut
Blu-ray
Lionsgate / Vestron Video Collector’s Series
1963 / B&w / 1:78 widescreen / 69 min. / The Haunted and the Hunted / Street Date September 21, 2021 / 17.99
Starring: William Campbell, Luana Anders, Bart Patton, Mary Mitchel, Patrick Magee, Ethne Dunne, Peter Read.
Cinematography: Charles Hannawalt
Art Director: Albert...
- 9/21/2021
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
The man with eyebrows that can kill! Not really, but that’s the impression given by the poster illustration. The Baker/Berman producing team gave their Hammer/Terence Fisher imitation a decent production — good color, autopsy-grade gore, female victims in low-cut gowns — but neither Jimmy Sangster’s script nor the flat direction bring it to life. Donald Wolfit is the resurrected mad doctor stealing transfusion blood and committing murders with the help of his deformed servant Victor Maddern but the highlight is the strong performance from favorite scream queen Barbara Shelley. Artus’ fancy special edition Blu is Region A friendly, although the DVD is Pal and all the extras are French-only.
Blood of the Vampire
Blu-ray + DVD
Artus Films
1958 / Color / 1:66 widescreen / 87 min. / Le Sang du Vampire / Street Date April 6, 2021 / Available from Amazon.fr / 29.99 €
Starring: Donald Wolfit, Vincent Ball, Barbara Shelley, Victor Maddern, William Devlin, Andrew Faulds, John Le Mesurier, Bryan Coleman,...
Blood of the Vampire
Blu-ray + DVD
Artus Films
1958 / Color / 1:66 widescreen / 87 min. / Le Sang du Vampire / Street Date April 6, 2021 / Available from Amazon.fr / 29.99 €
Starring: Donald Wolfit, Vincent Ball, Barbara Shelley, Victor Maddern, William Devlin, Andrew Faulds, John Le Mesurier, Bryan Coleman,...
- 5/25/2021
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Hammer’s first color Gothic horror show recovers its charnel house luster in the Wac’s ambitious ‘surprise’ restoration. The severed heads and Peter Cushing’s blood-smeared costumes are back to their crimson best again, and with the improved image Terence Fisher’s taut direction really grabs us, extracting maximum impact from Jimmy Sangster’s ‘did you see that?’ shock moments. The show seemed incredibly graphic and violent in 1964 so it must have been a jaw-dropper for audiences of 1957 — our parents can’t have known what their kiddies were watching. The Warner Archive Collection really delivers for collectors — the extras here are as thorough as those offered by the ‘usual suspect’ boutique outfits that fixate on classic horror.
The Curse of Frankenstein
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1957 / Color / 1:66 widescreen, 1:85 widescreen, and 1:37 Academy / Two-Disc Special Edition / 82 min. / Street Date December 15 (or maybe 1?), 2020 / available through the WBshop / 21.99
Starring: Peter Cushing,...
The Curse of Frankenstein
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1957 / Color / 1:66 widescreen, 1:85 widescreen, and 1:37 Academy / Two-Disc Special Edition / 82 min. / Street Date December 15 (or maybe 1?), 2020 / available through the WBshop / 21.99
Starring: Peter Cushing,...
- 12/1/2020
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
November 10th looks to be an extremely busy day for home media releases, as we have a ton of horror and sci-fi headed home this Tuesday. Two of this writer’s favorite films of 2020 are being released this week—Bill & Ted Face the Music and Spontaneous—and if you’re looking for some classic genre offerings, Scream Factory is keeping busy with a terrifying trifecta of releases: Brides of Dracula: Collector’s Edition, War of the Colossal Beast, and How to Make a Monster.
Giallo fans will want to pick up Cult Epic’s Blu-ray for Death Laid an Egg on Tuesday, and Kino Lorber is showing some love to Play Misty for Me, too. Arrow Video is also doing a few re-releases this week, including American Horror Project: Volume One and The Herschell Gordon Lewis Feast, and if you somehow haven’t had a chance to check it out on Shudder yet,...
Giallo fans will want to pick up Cult Epic’s Blu-ray for Death Laid an Egg on Tuesday, and Kino Lorber is showing some love to Play Misty for Me, too. Arrow Video is also doing a few re-releases this week, including American Horror Project: Volume One and The Herschell Gordon Lewis Feast, and if you somehow haven’t had a chance to check it out on Shudder yet,...
- 11/9/2020
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
Scream Factory continues to celebrate vintage Hammer horror films with their November 10th release of The Brides of Dracula on a Collector's Edition Blu-ray, and we've been provided with the full list of special features, including a new audio commentary.
We have the official press release with complete details below, and in case you missed it, read Scott Drebit's Drive-In Dust Offs entry on Brides of Dracula!
From the Press Release: This fall, brace yourself for the long-awaited Hammer cult film classic arrives on Blu-ray. On November 10, 2020, Scream Factory is excited to present the highly sought-after classic The Brides Of Dracula Collector’s Edition Blu-ray. Directed by Terence Fisher (The Curse of Frankenstein) and produced by Anthony Hinds (The Phantom of the Opera), this chilling horror classic stars Peter Cushing (Star Wars Episode IV – A New Hope), Freda Jackson (Clash of the Titans), Martita Hunt (Great Expectations), and Yvonne Monlaur...
We have the official press release with complete details below, and in case you missed it, read Scott Drebit's Drive-In Dust Offs entry on Brides of Dracula!
From the Press Release: This fall, brace yourself for the long-awaited Hammer cult film classic arrives on Blu-ray. On November 10, 2020, Scream Factory is excited to present the highly sought-after classic The Brides Of Dracula Collector’s Edition Blu-ray. Directed by Terence Fisher (The Curse of Frankenstein) and produced by Anthony Hinds (The Phantom of the Opera), this chilling horror classic stars Peter Cushing (Star Wars Episode IV – A New Hope), Freda Jackson (Clash of the Titans), Martita Hunt (Great Expectations), and Yvonne Monlaur...
- 10/9/2020
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Rip-roaring Oliver Reed’s silver-coated were-beast is one of Hammer Films’ very best screen monsters, which is more than enough reason to sample this colorful 1961 shocker. It was apparently ripped to shreds by the U.K. censors, a horror-crime spared us lucky Americans. The movie has been released more than once on Blu-ray but Shout’s new 4K scan restores it to prime condition. Numerous extras trace its stormy path through the slights and deletions of The Curse of the BBFC.
The Curse of the Werewolf
Blu-ray
Shout! Scream Factory
1961 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 93 min. / Street Date April 21, 2020 / Collector’s Edition / Available from Scream Factory
Starring: Clifford Evans, Oliver Reed, Yvonne Romain, Catherine Feller, Anthony Dawson.
Cinematography: Arthur Grant
Film Editor: Alfred Cox
Original Music: Benjamin Frankel
Written by John Elder (Anthony Hinds) from The Werewolf of Paris by Guy Endore
Produced by Michael Carreras, Anthony Hinds
Directed by Terence Fisher
When stab comes to gouge,...
The Curse of the Werewolf
Blu-ray
Shout! Scream Factory
1961 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 93 min. / Street Date April 21, 2020 / Collector’s Edition / Available from Scream Factory
Starring: Clifford Evans, Oliver Reed, Yvonne Romain, Catherine Feller, Anthony Dawson.
Cinematography: Arthur Grant
Film Editor: Alfred Cox
Original Music: Benjamin Frankel
Written by John Elder (Anthony Hinds) from The Werewolf of Paris by Guy Endore
Produced by Michael Carreras, Anthony Hinds
Directed by Terence Fisher
When stab comes to gouge,...
- 5/19/2020
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Directed by Terence Fisher (The Curse Of Frankenstein) starring Oliver Reed (Burnt Offerings), and based on Guy Endore's novel The Werewolf of Paris, the 1961 Hammer horror film The Curse of the Werewolf is coming to Blu-ray like never before in a new Collector's Edition from Scream Factory, and ahead of its April 21st release, we've been provided with the full list of bonus features and technical specs, including two new audio commentaries and a "4K scan from the interpositive."
We have the official press release with full details on The Curse of the Werewolf Collector's Edition Blu-ray, and to learn more, visit Scream Factory's official website.
Press Release: His beast-blood demanded him Kill ... Kill ... Kill! On April 21, 2020, Scream Factory™ is excited to present the highly sought-after Hammer Film cult classic The Curse Of The Werewolf Collector’s Edition Blu-ray. Directed by legendary horror filmmaker Terence Fisher, this horror classic stars...
We have the official press release with full details on The Curse of the Werewolf Collector's Edition Blu-ray, and to learn more, visit Scream Factory's official website.
Press Release: His beast-blood demanded him Kill ... Kill ... Kill! On April 21, 2020, Scream Factory™ is excited to present the highly sought-after Hammer Film cult classic The Curse Of The Werewolf Collector’s Edition Blu-ray. Directed by legendary horror filmmaker Terence Fisher, this horror classic stars...
- 3/12/2020
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
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
Gangland London, 1960: Expatriate director Joseph Losey gives the Brit crime film a boost with a brutal gangster tale starring the ultra-tough Stanley Baker — and seemingly every up & coming male actor on the casting books. A committed thief returns to his craft the moment he’s freed from prison, but the emphasis is on the nasty betrayals and squeeze-plays of the criminal underworld, that conspire to foil Baker’s plans.
The Criminal
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1960 / B&w / 1:66 widescreen / 98 min. / Street Date February 18, 2020 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring: Stanley Baker, Sam Wanamaker, Grégoire Aslan, Margit Saad, Jill Bennett, Rupert Davies, Laurence Naismith, John Van Eyssen, Noel Willman, Kenneth Warren, Patrick Magee, Kenneth Cope, Patrick Wymark, Paul Stassino, Tom Bell, Neil McCarthy, Nigel Green, Tom Gerard, Edward Judd.
Cinematography: Robert Krasker
Film Editor: Reginald Mills
Original Music: John Dankworth
Written by Alun Owen and Jimmy Sangster
Produced by Jack Greenwood...
The Criminal
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1960 / B&w / 1:66 widescreen / 98 min. / Street Date February 18, 2020 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring: Stanley Baker, Sam Wanamaker, Grégoire Aslan, Margit Saad, Jill Bennett, Rupert Davies, Laurence Naismith, John Van Eyssen, Noel Willman, Kenneth Warren, Patrick Magee, Kenneth Cope, Patrick Wymark, Paul Stassino, Tom Bell, Neil McCarthy, Nigel Green, Tom Gerard, Edward Judd.
Cinematography: Robert Krasker
Film Editor: Reginald Mills
Original Music: John Dankworth
Written by Alun Owen and Jimmy Sangster
Produced by Jack Greenwood...
- 2/8/2020
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Bette Davis must have enjoyed making The Nanny, as she returned for a second Hammer Films project, this one a black comedy written by studio workhorse Jimmy Sangster. She’s another monstrous mom who torments her dysfunctional brood. We at Tfh like this one a lot more than David DeCoteau does.
The post The Anniversary appeared first on Trailers From Hell.
The post The Anniversary appeared first on Trailers From Hell.
- 12/20/2019
- by TFH Team
- Trailers from Hell
Powerhouse Indicator continues its series of exotic attractions from the house of Hammer with four more titles, three of which are front-rank winners. Once again, the company’s extras make all the difference. We’re’ given alternate versions, censor comparisons, and for one reel, an entire roll of outtakes and stage waits featuring Peter Cushing.
Hammer Volume Four Faces of Fear
Region Free Blu-ray
The Revenge of Frankenstein, The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll, Taste of Fear, The Damned (These Are the Damned)
Powerhouse Indicator
1958-1962 / Color & B&w / 1:66, 2:35 widescreen / / Street Date November 25, 2019 / available from Powerhouse Films UK / £42.99
Directed by Terence Fisher (2), Seth Holt, Joseph Losey
Powerhouse Indicator’s fourth collection of Hammer attractions shows no sign of compromise — three out of four titles here are superb tales of fright and science fiction. Thanks to the company policy of leaving no gravestone unturned, the exclusive special extras never stop.
Hammer Volume Four Faces of Fear
Region Free Blu-ray
The Revenge of Frankenstein, The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll, Taste of Fear, The Damned (These Are the Damned)
Powerhouse Indicator
1958-1962 / Color & B&w / 1:66, 2:35 widescreen / / Street Date November 25, 2019 / available from Powerhouse Films UK / £42.99
Directed by Terence Fisher (2), Seth Holt, Joseph Losey
Powerhouse Indicator’s fourth collection of Hammer attractions shows no sign of compromise — three out of four titles here are superb tales of fright and science fiction. Thanks to the company policy of leaving no gravestone unturned, the exclusive special extras never stop.
- 11/2/2019
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
It’s Hammer Time again, and I always feel like I’m playing gothic whack-a-mole; finish one and another pops up begging for my attention. This brings us to Lust for a Vampire (1971), the second film in the “Karnstein trilogy” of which I’ve now seen a total of one. I will see the rest, as is my sworn duty, and because I’ve heard this entertaining chapter to not be the best of the bunch.
That’s the word on the streets anyway, with top honours going to The Vampire Lovers (1970), the preceding effort based on the story Carmilla and enough of a hit to warrant a follow-up. (And a follow-up to this entitled Twins of Evil .) However the rest play out for this viewer, I can attest that despite some issues, Lust for a Vampire works as a decent Hammer and an effective take on vampiric eroticism.
Originally...
That’s the word on the streets anyway, with top honours going to The Vampire Lovers (1970), the preceding effort based on the story Carmilla and enough of a hit to warrant a follow-up. (And a follow-up to this entitled Twins of Evil .) However the rest play out for this viewer, I can attest that despite some issues, Lust for a Vampire works as a decent Hammer and an effective take on vampiric eroticism.
Originally...
- 9/14/2019
- by Scott Drebit
- DailyDead
Horror changes with each generation. In the ‘50s, societal fear of the Atomic bomb was projected back at us through the use of metaphorical figures such as giant lizards, oversized sea-creatures, and warped representations of nature too often taken for granted. And then there’s fun fare like The Crawling Eye (1958), which posits that visitors from space don’t always come in peace, nor are they willing to go quietly. I guess films don’t always have to reflect society.
This British independent production was released at home under its original title The Trollenberg Terror (also the name of the 1956 BBC serial it is based on) in October with a stateside rollout at the end of the year; unloved by critics (and mocked by Mystery Science Theater 3000), the film satiated the drive-in circuit looking for cheap thrills and cheaper monsters. But The Crawling Eye offers up more - atmosphere,...
This British independent production was released at home under its original title The Trollenberg Terror (also the name of the 1956 BBC serial it is based on) in October with a stateside rollout at the end of the year; unloved by critics (and mocked by Mystery Science Theater 3000), the film satiated the drive-in circuit looking for cheap thrills and cheaper monsters. But The Crawling Eye offers up more - atmosphere,...
- 8/31/2019
- by Scott Drebit
- DailyDead
We’ve got a ton of great titles on the docket for this final week of home media releases in August. Michael Dougherty’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters is hitting various formats on Tuesday, and if you’re looking for some oddball entertainment, The Banana Splits Movie should undoubtedly do the trick. For all you sci-fi fans out there, the classic V miniseries is finally making its way to Blu, and Scream Factory is also giving both The Leech Woman and Fear in the Night the HD treatment as well.
Vinegar Syndrome is showing some love to Hell Comes to Frogtown this week, and the Warner Archive Collection is bringing home several of their films on DVD, including Wolfen, Of Unknown Origin, The Hand, and Dracula Has Risen From the Grave. Also, one of the more disturbing psychological thrillers I’ve seen in some time, Ladyworld, is being released on DVD on August 27th,...
Vinegar Syndrome is showing some love to Hell Comes to Frogtown this week, and the Warner Archive Collection is bringing home several of their films on DVD, including Wolfen, Of Unknown Origin, The Hand, and Dracula Has Risen From the Grave. Also, one of the more disturbing psychological thrillers I’ve seen in some time, Ladyworld, is being released on DVD on August 27th,...
- 8/27/2019
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
Courageous disc boutique Scream Factory takes on one of Hammer’s biggest embarrassments, that almost everyone connected to it would like to disown. I bailed from my first viewing around 1990 … yet this time around found it somewhat better than I expected. The girlie-show nudity is treated as a special effect, and the story at least hangs together. And like every Hammer horror, there’s a sizable, vocal cheering section out there that sings its praises.
Lust for a Vampire
Blu-ray
Scream Factory
1971 / Color / 1:85 & 1:66 widescreen / 91 min. / Street Date July 30, 2019 / 27.99
Starring: Barbara Jefford, Ralph Bates, Suzanna Leigh, Yutte Stensgaard, Michael Johnson, Helen Christie, Mike Raven, Christopher Cunningham, Harvey Hall, Pippa Steel, David Healy, Jonathan Cecil.
Cinematography: David Muir
Film Editor: Spencer Reeve
Original Music: Harry Robinson
Written by Tudor Gates, based on characters by Sheridan Le Fanu
Produced by Harry Fine, Michael Style
Directed by Jimmy Sangster
What? This column...
Lust for a Vampire
Blu-ray
Scream Factory
1971 / Color / 1:85 & 1:66 widescreen / 91 min. / Street Date July 30, 2019 / 27.99
Starring: Barbara Jefford, Ralph Bates, Suzanna Leigh, Yutte Stensgaard, Michael Johnson, Helen Christie, Mike Raven, Christopher Cunningham, Harvey Hall, Pippa Steel, David Healy, Jonathan Cecil.
Cinematography: David Muir
Film Editor: Spencer Reeve
Original Music: Harry Robinson
Written by Tudor Gates, based on characters by Sheridan Le Fanu
Produced by Harry Fine, Michael Style
Directed by Jimmy Sangster
What? This column...
- 8/3/2019
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Continuing in their tradition of adding Hammer Horror to their roster, the genre imprint of Shout! Factory (Scream Factory) releases Lust for a Vampire in North America on July 30. The new Blu-ray for this 1971 film was directed by Hammer stalwart Jimmy Sangster and a few of the other usual suspects, like actor Ralph Bates. The film takes place at a girl's school, which is funny, because the actresses are clearly all in their early 20s or past the usual college age. They also wear late '60s-style hair and make-up and parade around in see-through gowns during a dance sequence --- which a man is allowed to watch during the 1830s,...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 7/29/2019
- Screen Anarchy
Scream Factory will heat up horror fans' summers by bringing the Hammer horror films Lust for a Vampire and The Reptile to Blu-ray on July 30th, and we've been provided with the full list of bonus features for both releases.
Press Release: This summer, beat the heat with two creepy Hammer Films classics! On July 30th, 2019, Scream Factory will be releasing Lust for a Vampire and The Reptile for the first time on Blu-ray. Both releases include numerous new bonus features, including new audio commentaries and interviews, as well as feature presentation in two aspect ratios, 1.66:1 and 1.85:1. Fans can pre-order their copies now by visiting ShoutFactory.com
In Lust for a Vampire, a mysterious man performs rites of black magic, bringing the notorious female vampire Carmilla Karnstein back to life. Looking to quench her bloodlust for the fairer sex, she enrolls at an exclusive girl’s school as...
Press Release: This summer, beat the heat with two creepy Hammer Films classics! On July 30th, 2019, Scream Factory will be releasing Lust for a Vampire and The Reptile for the first time on Blu-ray. Both releases include numerous new bonus features, including new audio commentaries and interviews, as well as feature presentation in two aspect ratios, 1.66:1 and 1.85:1. Fans can pre-order their copies now by visiting ShoutFactory.com
In Lust for a Vampire, a mysterious man performs rites of black magic, bringing the notorious female vampire Carmilla Karnstein back to life. Looking to quench her bloodlust for the fairer sex, she enrolls at an exclusive girl’s school as...
- 6/20/2019
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
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
Saucy Jack has long been meat for the horror mill; my first experience with him was Time after Time (1979), where he time traveled to the future and found he was just another serial killer. But in 1888 he was the first, logging around five prostitutes in the Whitechapel area of London; big numbers for the day and the fact that the case was never solved has turned the Ripper’s exploits into its own cottage industry. As for Jack’s indelible horror image, that starts proper with Jack the Ripper (1959), an effective and grisly independent British shocker brought back to life in a cracking new Blu-ray release from Severin Films.
Released in the U.K. in May of ’58 by Regal Films International, Jack the Ripper was picked up by producer Joseph E. Levine (Magic) and distributed by Paramount stateside in early ’59; some alterations were made for the U.S. release, including...
Released in the U.K. in May of ’58 by Regal Films International, Jack the Ripper was picked up by producer Joseph E. Levine (Magic) and distributed by Paramount stateside in early ’59; some alterations were made for the U.S. release, including...
- 2/6/2019
- by Scott Drebit
- DailyDead
Jack the Ripper
Blu ray
Severin Films
1959 / 1.33:1 – 1:66:1 / 84 Min. / Street Date – January 29, 2019
Starring Lee Patterson, Eddie Byrne
Cinematography by Robert Baker, Monty Berman
Directed by Robert Baker, Monty Berman
Jack the Ripper arrived in America with the kind of fanfare usually reserved for visiting royalty. Thanks to Joseph E. Levine’s million dollar promotional blitz the British shocker rode a wave of irresistible ballyhoo including a soundtrack LP and a typically salacious Monarch paperback that promised a walk on the wild side for adventurous ticket buyers.
Jack was the talk of the schoolyard but once the movie hit theaters it disappeared as quickly as its namesake. Since 1960 the elusive thriller has dipped in and out of sight like the Loch Ness monster until recently surfacing on a new Blu ray from Severin Films – viewers can be forgiven for thinking it should have stayed at the bottom of the lake.
Blu ray
Severin Films
1959 / 1.33:1 – 1:66:1 / 84 Min. / Street Date – January 29, 2019
Starring Lee Patterson, Eddie Byrne
Cinematography by Robert Baker, Monty Berman
Directed by Robert Baker, Monty Berman
Jack the Ripper arrived in America with the kind of fanfare usually reserved for visiting royalty. Thanks to Joseph E. Levine’s million dollar promotional blitz the British shocker rode a wave of irresistible ballyhoo including a soundtrack LP and a typically salacious Monarch paperback that promised a walk on the wild side for adventurous ticket buyers.
Jack was the talk of the schoolyard but once the movie hit theaters it disappeared as quickly as its namesake. Since 1960 the elusive thriller has dipped in and out of sight like the Loch Ness monster until recently surfacing on a new Blu ray from Severin Films – viewers can be forgiven for thinking it should have stayed at the bottom of the lake.
- 2/2/2019
- by Charlie Largent
- Trailers from Hell
Scream Factory is so much fun. They're resurrecting amazing classics and underseen favorites on Blu-ray for those who've seen them and love them, but also to new generations of weirdo film fans that have yet to discover such films. One of these recent releases is Hammer Films' Dracula: Prince of Darkness, the 1966 sequel to their hit Horror of Dracula, which starred Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, and Michael Gough. Whereas the original was directed by Jimmy Sangster, this sequel was helmed by Terence Fisher. Sangster gets a writing credit for the sequel here, which illustrates how much of a family production company really was. It's been talked about, but the credits really "hammer" that home. This release of Dracula: Prince of Darkness from Scream Factory has two versions, which...
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- 12/30/2018
- Screen Anarchy
How to shake up a mid-sixties slump at Hammer Films? It’s back to basics time, with Christopher Lee returning in a most unusual way: there wasn’t much left of Dracula at the finish of his first outing as the number one supernatural public enemy. Terence Fisher is also back, enlivening the third film in the series with some surprisingly excessive gore. Barbara Shelley’s superb performance makes her Hammer’s most self-possessed heroine.
Dracula: Prince of Darkness
Blu-ray
Scream Factory
1966 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 85 min. / Street Date December 18, 2018 / 34.93
Starring: Christopher Lee, Barbara Shelley, Andrew Kier, Francis Matthews, Suzan Farmer, Charles Tingwell, Thorley Walters, Philip Latham, George Woodbridge.
Cinematography: Michael Reed
Film Editor: Chris Barnes
Original Music: James Bernard
Written by Jimmy Sangster
Produced by Anthony Nelson Keyes
Directed by Terence Fisher
Third in Hammer’s Dracula series but only the second to star Christopher Lee, Dracula: Prince of Darkness...
Dracula: Prince of Darkness
Blu-ray
Scream Factory
1966 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 85 min. / Street Date December 18, 2018 / 34.93
Starring: Christopher Lee, Barbara Shelley, Andrew Kier, Francis Matthews, Suzan Farmer, Charles Tingwell, Thorley Walters, Philip Latham, George Woodbridge.
Cinematography: Michael Reed
Film Editor: Chris Barnes
Original Music: James Bernard
Written by Jimmy Sangster
Produced by Anthony Nelson Keyes
Directed by Terence Fisher
Third in Hammer’s Dracula series but only the second to star Christopher Lee, Dracula: Prince of Darkness...
- 12/25/2018
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
The best of all Hammer horror pictures finally comes to Region A Blu-ray, with a bright transfer made to look like original Technicolor prints. This is where Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing came into their own as international stars, as the undead Count Dracula and the no-nonsense vampire killer Van Helsing. It’s the bridge between old-school gothic horrors and the modern age of sex and gore, and it’s as exciting as a breakneck action serial.
Horror of Dracula (Dracula)
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1958 / Color / 1:66 widescreen / 82 min. / Street Date December 18, 2018 / available through the WBshop / 21.99
Starring: Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Michael Gough, Melissa Stribling, Carol Marsh, Olga Dickie, John Van Eyssen, Valerie Gaunt, Janina Faye.
Cinematography: Jack Asher
Film Editor: Bill Lenny
Production Designer: Bernard Robinson
:Makeup Artist: Philip Leakey
Original Music: James Bernard
Written by Jimmy Sangster
Produced by Michael Carreras, Anthony Hinds, Anthony Nelson Keys
Directed by...
Horror of Dracula (Dracula)
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1958 / Color / 1:66 widescreen / 82 min. / Street Date December 18, 2018 / available through the WBshop / 21.99
Starring: Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Michael Gough, Melissa Stribling, Carol Marsh, Olga Dickie, John Van Eyssen, Valerie Gaunt, Janina Faye.
Cinematography: Jack Asher
Film Editor: Bill Lenny
Production Designer: Bernard Robinson
:Makeup Artist: Philip Leakey
Original Music: James Bernard
Written by Jimmy Sangster
Produced by Michael Carreras, Anthony Hinds, Anthony Nelson Keys
Directed by...
- 12/8/2018
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
“Kali bids us to Kill! Kill!” A full review of Indicator’s Hammer Volume 3 Blood and Terror collection will follow, but CineSavant jumps the gun to highlight Terence Fisher’s 1959 mass murder shocker. It adds up to more than exploitative and racist cheap thrills: it’s one of the key films to describe the roots of contemporary terrorism. David Zelag Goodman’s screenplay lets Hammer for once say something relevant about the Colonial past, even if it’s a case of mixed signals — and sex.
The Stranglers of Bombay
Blu-ray
Powerhouse Indicator
1959 / B&W / 2:35 Strangloscope (Megascope) / 81 min. / The Strangler of Bengal / available as part of the Hammer Volume 3 Blood and Terror disc collection with The Camp On Blood Island, Yesterday’s Enemy, and The Terror of the Tongs, at Powerhouse Films UK / Street Date July 30, 2018 / £44.99 (the set)
Starring: Guy Rolfe, Allan Cuthbertson, Marie Devereaux, Andrew Cruickshank, George Pastell, Marne Maitland,...
The Stranglers of Bombay
Blu-ray
Powerhouse Indicator
1959 / B&W / 2:35 Strangloscope (Megascope) / 81 min. / The Strangler of Bengal / available as part of the Hammer Volume 3 Blood and Terror disc collection with The Camp On Blood Island, Yesterday’s Enemy, and The Terror of the Tongs, at Powerhouse Films UK / Street Date July 30, 2018 / £44.99 (the set)
Starring: Guy Rolfe, Allan Cuthbertson, Marie Devereaux, Andrew Cruickshank, George Pastell, Marne Maitland,...
- 7/24/2018
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
New York's Quad Cinema got this summer off to a bloody good start with part 1 of their "Hammer's House of Horror" movie retrospective series featuring 32 films from the Hammer vault. On July 20th, the Quad Cinema team will continue the frights and fun with part 2 of their special Hammer horror screenings, and we've been provided with exclusive details on the second half of their retrospective series that's aptly titled "The Decadent Years."
From July 20th–August 2nd, Quad Cinema will screen a wide range of Hammer horror films from "The Decadent Years," including Dracula A.D. 1972, Countess Dracula, Twins of Evil, Dracula Has Risen from the Grave, and many more! There will be 25 total titles shown (all of them from 1967–1976), with 20 of the films screened in glorious 35mm.
Below, we have the full list of titles screening as part of Hammer's House of Horror Part II, and to learn more about screening dates and times,...
From July 20th–August 2nd, Quad Cinema will screen a wide range of Hammer horror films from "The Decadent Years," including Dracula A.D. 1972, Countess Dracula, Twins of Evil, Dracula Has Risen from the Grave, and many more! There will be 25 total titles shown (all of them from 1967–1976), with 20 of the films screened in glorious 35mm.
Below, we have the full list of titles screening as part of Hammer's House of Horror Part II, and to learn more about screening dates and times,...
- 6/28/2018
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Robert Bloch and Milton Subotsky may have helped to codify the Giallo in this murder thriller but the results are not up to even the shaky standards of Amicus. That said, horror fans are going to flock to get their hands on a big color & ‘scope release that’s gone missing for decades. It’s a significant ‘save’ by Kino Lorber.
The Psychopath
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1966 / Color / 2:35 widescreen Techniscope / 82 min. / Street Date April 10, 2018 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring: Patrick Wymark, Margaret Johnston, John Standing, Alexander Knox, Judy Huxtable, Don Borisenko, Thorley Walters, Robert Crewdson, Harold Lang, Gina Gianelli, Greta Farrer, John Harvey.
Cinematography: John Wilcox
Film Editor: Oswald Hafenrichter
Art Direction: Bill Constable
Original Music: Elisabeth Lutyens
Written by Robert Bloch
Produced by Max Rosenberg, Milton Subotsky
Directed by Freddie Francis
A look at the cast and crew of The Psychopath raises one’s hopes. Good actors Patrick...
The Psychopath
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1966 / Color / 2:35 widescreen Techniscope / 82 min. / Street Date April 10, 2018 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring: Patrick Wymark, Margaret Johnston, John Standing, Alexander Knox, Judy Huxtable, Don Borisenko, Thorley Walters, Robert Crewdson, Harold Lang, Gina Gianelli, Greta Farrer, John Harvey.
Cinematography: John Wilcox
Film Editor: Oswald Hafenrichter
Art Direction: Bill Constable
Original Music: Elisabeth Lutyens
Written by Robert Bloch
Produced by Max Rosenberg, Milton Subotsky
Directed by Freddie Francis
A look at the cast and crew of The Psychopath raises one’s hopes. Good actors Patrick...
- 5/8/2018
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Some TV movies aim for originality, using the tools on hand to try and rise above constraints, be they financial or artistic; others are more than content to just entertain, with reliable craftsmen who deliver within the confines of the small screen format. In other words, sometimes comfort food tastes just as good as a five course meal, which brings us to Scream, Pretty Peggy (1973), a familiar yet entertaining romp through diseased minds and sharpened knives.
Originally airing on November 24th as an ABC Suspense Movie, Scream, Pretty Peggy had to settle for the rest of the audience that wasn’t engrossed in CBS’ M*A*S*H/The Mary Tyler Moore Show/The Bob Newhart Show. Slimmer pickings to be sure, but not everyone wants to laugh (those monsters), and Peggy certainly is bereft of any. What it does offer, however, is a solid thriller with a slasher bent...
Originally airing on November 24th as an ABC Suspense Movie, Scream, Pretty Peggy had to settle for the rest of the audience that wasn’t engrossed in CBS’ M*A*S*H/The Mary Tyler Moore Show/The Bob Newhart Show. Slimmer pickings to be sure, but not everyone wants to laugh (those monsters), and Peggy certainly is bereft of any. What it does offer, however, is a solid thriller with a slasher bent...
- 4/22/2018
- by Scott Drebit
- DailyDead
With nearly two years of worthy Blu ray releases under their belt, ranging from traditional favorites like To Sir With Love to rare essentials like Jack Clayton’s The Pumpkin Eater, it can be said that UK’s Indicator has finally shed their rookie status. Their newest effort is Hammer Volume Two: Criminal Intent, a well-programmed package of that studio’s little seen crime films featuring two minor classics and a couple of honorable misfires, all in glorious black and white.
The Snorkel
1958 – 74 Minutes
Written by Peter Myers and Jimmy Sangster
Produced by Michael Carreras
Directed by Guy Green
Featuring the sloppiest killer this side of the Coen Brothers and the least curious investigator since Chief Wiggum, 1961’s The Snorkel, with its urbane villain and Riviera scenery, is positively Hitchcockian in its intent but definitely not in its execution.
Shadow of a Doubt dogs this story of a young teen...
The Snorkel
1958 – 74 Minutes
Written by Peter Myers and Jimmy Sangster
Produced by Michael Carreras
Directed by Guy Green
Featuring the sloppiest killer this side of the Coen Brothers and the least curious investigator since Chief Wiggum, 1961’s The Snorkel, with its urbane villain and Riviera scenery, is positively Hitchcockian in its intent but definitely not in its execution.
Shadow of a Doubt dogs this story of a young teen...
- 3/6/2018
- by Charlie Largent
- Trailers from Hell
Have you ever had the feeling you’ve seen something before, but couldn’t quite place when or where? A sense of…deja-view? (Hold your applause and/or groans. It was a premium cable channel way before this stupid pun.) I’m sure it’s happened to all of us at some point, and because I’m an old it took me halfway through watching A Taste of Evil (1971), an ABC Movie of the Week, to realize I had seen the almost exact same plot rolled out in a movie earlier in the same week. Horror is incestuous, and it had to happen eventually, especially when the same writer pens both.
Originally airing on Tuesday, October 12th, A Taste of Evil won out over CBS’ Hawaii Five-o/Cannon block and poor NBC’s Sarge/The Funny Side (from the peacock graveyard – if you know what they are, let me know...
Originally airing on Tuesday, October 12th, A Taste of Evil won out over CBS’ Hawaii Five-o/Cannon block and poor NBC’s Sarge/The Funny Side (from the peacock graveyard – if you know what they are, let me know...
- 12/10/2017
- by Scott Drebit
- DailyDead
While us horror lovers revelled in the ripped bodices and cobwebbed corridors of another vampire plagued castle, Hammer was busy trying to clear the halls and make their way into the modern world. Take Nightmare (1964), an effective black and white thriller that shows you don’t need fangs to be fearsome.
Released in its native U.K. in April and stateside in June, Nightmare (Aka the amazing Here’s the Knife, Dear: Now Use It) still has a lot of wandering down darkened hallways, but instead of coming up against the undead, our heroine has to do battle with her own brittle mind. Or has the dead come back for her?
Pity poor Janet (Jennie Linden – Old Dracula). Our film opens with her hearing a distant voice calling her name. She leaves the comfort of her bed and follows the whispered voice which leads her to a shadowed room where...
Released in its native U.K. in April and stateside in June, Nightmare (Aka the amazing Here’s the Knife, Dear: Now Use It) still has a lot of wandering down darkened hallways, but instead of coming up against the undead, our heroine has to do battle with her own brittle mind. Or has the dead come back for her?
Pity poor Janet (Jennie Linden – Old Dracula). Our film opens with her hearing a distant voice calling her name. She leaves the comfort of her bed and follows the whispered voice which leads her to a shadowed room where...
- 12/9/2017
- by Scott Drebit
- 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
The Creative Death sub-sub-genre took flight in the ‘70s with The Omen (1976), as that little imp Damien (and his dad) dispatched the cast in different macabre and entertaining ways. (Variety is the spice, and all that.) The ’78 sequel continued the burgeoning tradition, leading us up to The Legacy (1978) - a film that takes its own stab at variety by marrying The Old Dark House to The Dark Underlord and delivering a fun, wicked (albeit goofy) little offspring.
Released in September in the U.K. (and the following September stateside) by Columbia-emi-Warner (and Universal in the U.S.), The Legacy brought in $11 million against its $2.5 million budget, making it a commercial if not critical success. That this British/American co-production manages to combine their unique aesthetics into something coherent is and of itself some kind of horror miracle.
Maggie (Katharine Ross – The Stepford Wives) and her boyfriend Pete (Sam Elliott – Ghost Rider...
Released in September in the U.K. (and the following September stateside) by Columbia-emi-Warner (and Universal in the U.S.), The Legacy brought in $11 million against its $2.5 million budget, making it a commercial if not critical success. That this British/American co-production manages to combine their unique aesthetics into something coherent is and of itself some kind of horror miracle.
Maggie (Katharine Ross – The Stepford Wives) and her boyfriend Pete (Sam Elliott – Ghost Rider...
- 10/14/2017
- by Scott Drebit
- DailyDead
Yvonne Monlaur: Cult horror movie actress & Bond Girl contender was featured in the 1960 British classics 'Circus of Horrors' & 'The Brides of Dracula.' Actress Yvonne Monlaur dead at 77: Best remembered for cult horror classics 'Circus of Horrors' & 'The Brides of Dracula' Actress Yvonne Monlaur, best known for her roles in the 1960 British cult horror classics Circus of Horrors and The Brides of Dracula, died of cardiac arrest on April 18 in the Paris suburb of Neuilly-sur-Seine. Monlaur was 77. According to various online sources, she was born Yvonne Thérèse Marie Camille Bédat de Monlaur in the southwestern town of Pau, in France's Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, on Dec. 15, 1939. Her father was poet and librettist Pierre Bédat de Monlaur; her mother was a Russian ballet dancer. The young Yvonne was trained in ballet and while still a teenager became a model for Elle magazine. She was “discovered” by newspaper publisher-turned-director André Hunebelle,...
- 4/27/2017
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
A thyroid operation every ten years, plus regular libations of an eerie green liquid, has allowed Anton Diffring to live over a hundred years without looking a year over forty. Hammer’s medical horror show features Christopher Lee, Hazel Court and sumptuous cinematography, but not a whole lot of surprises.
The Man Who Could Cheat Death
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1959 / Color/ 1:66 widescreen / 83 min. / Street Date March 14, 2017 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring: Anton Diffring, Hazel Court, Christopher Lee, Arnold Marle, Delphi Lawrence.
Cinematography: Jack Asher
Production Design: Bernard Robinson
Art Direction: Roy Ashton
Film Editor: John Dunsford
Original Music: Richard Rodney Bennett
Written by Jimmy Sangster from a play by Barré Lyndon
Produced by Michael Carreras
Directed by Terence Fisher
For its first two years of Technicolor horror Hammer Films could seemingly do no wrong. In just a few months their revivals of classic horror motifs were being bankrolled and...
The Man Who Could Cheat Death
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1959 / Color/ 1:66 widescreen / 83 min. / Street Date March 14, 2017 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring: Anton Diffring, Hazel Court, Christopher Lee, Arnold Marle, Delphi Lawrence.
Cinematography: Jack Asher
Production Design: Bernard Robinson
Art Direction: Roy Ashton
Film Editor: John Dunsford
Original Music: Richard Rodney Bennett
Written by Jimmy Sangster from a play by Barré Lyndon
Produced by Michael Carreras
Directed by Terence Fisher
For its first two years of Technicolor horror Hammer Films could seemingly do no wrong. In just a few months their revivals of classic horror motifs were being bankrolled and...
- 3/7/2017
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
It’s Hammer Time again! Every once in a while I like to dip back to that golden age, where the revered monsters of yore were dusted off with loving care for a newly appreciative crowd of teenagers at the Drive-In. Building upon the worldwide success of The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), Horror of Dracula (’58), and The Mummy (’59), it was time for another Drac attack. The Brides of Dracula (1960) keeps up the high level horror, as long as you’re okay with a Dracula movie having no Dracula. Looking back on the whole series, Brides stands out (and up) due to this very omission.
Released in the UK in July, with a stateside rollout in September, Brides was another hit for the unstoppable Hammer machine; and why wouldn’t it be? All the staples (by this point, a formula, really) are present: cleavage, gorgeous cinematography, solid performances, and a gloriously elevated Gothic tone.
Released in the UK in July, with a stateside rollout in September, Brides was another hit for the unstoppable Hammer machine; and why wouldn’t it be? All the staples (by this point, a formula, really) are present: cleavage, gorgeous cinematography, solid performances, and a gloriously elevated Gothic tone.
- 2/4/2017
- by Scott Drebit
- DailyDead
There’s the usual stockpile when we mention horror anthology TV series. Twilight Zone sits firmly on top for most, and then follows Outer Limits, Thriller, Tales from the Crypt, Masters of Horror, Night Gallery, and on and on. (The rankings are up to you.) And sometimes, way down in the pile of yellowed TV Guides lays one that time forgot (and Nielsen killed). Witness NBC’s Ghost Story/Circle of Fear (1972), a one season and done series that provided solid stories well told over 23 episodes.
If the title seems confusing, it’s because it was known as Ghost Story for the first 13 episodes (plus pilot), and then Circle of Fear for the last 9. Low ratings prompted the name change, which proceeded when the show returned from the Christmas break. Rotund host Sebastian Cabot also didn’t survive the retooling.
So what sank the show? ABC aired Room 222/The Odd Couple opposite it,...
If the title seems confusing, it’s because it was known as Ghost Story for the first 13 episodes (plus pilot), and then Circle of Fear for the last 9. Low ratings prompted the name change, which proceeded when the show returned from the Christmas break. Rotund host Sebastian Cabot also didn’t survive the retooling.
So what sank the show? ABC aired Room 222/The Odd Couple opposite it,...
- 9/11/2016
- by Scott Drebit
- DailyDead
Gruesome Galleries collects some hot shots from Hammer’s 1971 sex vampire classic. I’m never been sure as to why Lust For A Vampire, Jimmy Sangster’s full-blooded follow up to Roy Ward Baker’s groundbreaking Hammer Horror film The Vampire Lovers, has been historically met with such disdain. As much of a fan of Baker’s once daring…
The post Gruesome Galleries: 1971’s Lust For A Vampire appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.
The post Gruesome Galleries: 1971’s Lust For A Vampire appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.
- 4/6/2016
- by Chris Alexander
- shocktillyoudrop.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
You may not directly recall the name of director Richard Marquand, though in many ways he’s a notable director from the 1980s thanks to items like the pulpy Glenn Close courtroom drama Jagged Edge (1985), and a Ken Follett adaptation Eye of the Needle (1981). Oh, and he happened to helm Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi in 1983. The British director died of a stroke at the age of forty nine, which explains the abrupt end of a flourishing filmography. He made the jump from documentary and television series to feature with the forgotten 1978 British horror film The Legacy, which starred notable American stars (and real life couple) Katharine Ross and Sam Elliott. Based on a story by Jimmy Sangster, a writer of many Hammer Studio films, the screenplay was also co-written by Patrick Tilley (his last credit) and Paul Wheeler (who would exclusively work in television afterwards). The...
- 9/29/2015
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
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
Oh, to have been there at the drive-in in 1957 when this came out. Drive-ins were peaking in popularity, with over 4000 far and wide across North America providing countless hours of entertainment for youngsters, teenagers, and parents alike. However, if I was a little one and had seen this lurid and terrifying spectacle bleeding from the enormous outdoor screen, looming over the family car, I probably would have cried for my dad to rip off the attached speaker from the car window and make for the safety of home. And fast.
Released in the early summer of 1957, The Curse of Frankenstein was a huge hit worldwide, delighting audiences and – wait for it – appalling reviewers at the time. This isn’t much of a surprise. Curse is different from the Universal monster films of yore; even though it is set in the 1800’s, it has a direct, hip, and dare I say...
Released in the early summer of 1957, The Curse of Frankenstein was a huge hit worldwide, delighting audiences and – wait for it – appalling reviewers at the time. This isn’t much of a surprise. Curse is different from the Universal monster films of yore; even though it is set in the 1800’s, it has a direct, hip, and dare I say...
- 5/16/2015
- by Scott Drebit
- DailyDead
Bourne and Mission: Impossible, right back to Harry Palmer and Danger Diabolik - meet the many pretenders to James Bond's throne...
Since 1962, the James Bond franchise has come to define the spy genre, for good or ill. More broadly, every thriller and action film that comes out now either uses them as inspiration, or attempts to ignore or re-work the tropes that have come to be associated with the series.
Coming off the release of Kingsman: The Secret Service, and with the release of a new Bond film this year, now seems like the perfect time to take a look at a sample of the films which have been inspired by James Bond — either as homages, parodies or reactions.
The Ipcress File (1965)
Produced by James Bond producer Harry Saltzman as a more grounded alternative to the largesse of Bond, The Ipcress File is more concerned with the intricacies of real spy-work — the endless paperwork,...
Since 1962, the James Bond franchise has come to define the spy genre, for good or ill. More broadly, every thriller and action film that comes out now either uses them as inspiration, or attempts to ignore or re-work the tropes that have come to be associated with the series.
Coming off the release of Kingsman: The Secret Service, and with the release of a new Bond film this year, now seems like the perfect time to take a look at a sample of the films which have been inspired by James Bond — either as homages, parodies or reactions.
The Ipcress File (1965)
Produced by James Bond producer Harry Saltzman as a more grounded alternative to the largesse of Bond, The Ipcress File is more concerned with the intricacies of real spy-work — the endless paperwork,...
- 5/3/2015
- by simonbrew
- Den of Geek
The Brides of Dracula
Directed by Terence Fisher
Written by Jimmy Sangster, Peter Bryan & Edward Percy
UK, 1960
After the success of Horror of Dracula (1958), it only made sense to make a sequel. The Brides of Dracula tells the story of a young Marianne who happens to stay the night at a baroness’ castle only to discover her host’s dashing son is locked up in an adjacent wing. Feeling sorry for the Baron Meinster, she releases him from his bonds with no clue that she just unleashed a vampire to wreak havoc on all the ladies of Transylvania. It’s a psycho-sexual scenario peppered with mommy issues that Hitchcock would certainly appreciate – his film Psycho was released the same year as Brides.
David Peel doesn’t have the same animalistic ferocity as Christopher Lee’s Count Dracula, instead he plays Baron Meinster as the Prince Charming-type who is probably slipping...
Directed by Terence Fisher
Written by Jimmy Sangster, Peter Bryan & Edward Percy
UK, 1960
After the success of Horror of Dracula (1958), it only made sense to make a sequel. The Brides of Dracula tells the story of a young Marianne who happens to stay the night at a baroness’ castle only to discover her host’s dashing son is locked up in an adjacent wing. Feeling sorry for the Baron Meinster, she releases him from his bonds with no clue that she just unleashed a vampire to wreak havoc on all the ladies of Transylvania. It’s a psycho-sexual scenario peppered with mommy issues that Hitchcock would certainly appreciate – his film Psycho was released the same year as Brides.
David Peel doesn’t have the same animalistic ferocity as Christopher Lee’s Count Dracula, instead he plays Baron Meinster as the Prince Charming-type who is probably slipping...
- 10/24/2014
- by Jae K. Renfrow
- SoundOnSight
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