David Von Pein
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THE HAMMER HORROR SERIES: THE FRANCHISE COLLECTION
No. of Discs: 2 (Dual-Sided, Dual-Layered).
Video Aspect Ratio: Varies by film (from 1.33:1 to 2.35:1).
Audio: Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono.
Color and B&W: 2 B&W films and 6 films in Color.
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish.
MPAA Film Ratings: All 8 films are .
Packaging: Digipak with outer slipcase box.
DVD Release Date: September 6th, 2005.
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"The Hammer Horror Series: The Franchise Collection" represents one of the best multi-movie DVD bargains I've had the fortune of obtaining -- eight full-length motion pictures offered up by Universal Studios Home Entertainment for a more-than-reasonable sum of currency. Hard to beat that with a stick (even one of those pointed sticks that Doctor Van Helsing carries around with him all the time).
I had never seen even one of these eight Hammer films prior to getting this excellent DVD collection. And after watching these two jam-packed DVDs, I have a whole new appreciation and admiration for the scary-movie factory known as "Hammer Films".
Some of the movies in this 2-Disc set are rarities, having seldom been seen by anybody since their theatrical releases in the 1960s. All eight films here were made in the early portion of the 1960s (spanning the years 1960 to 1964). And Universal has done a superb job of restoring these films to near-pristine condition. It's hard to imagine any of these movies looking any better than they do via these Digital Discs. Each one has been given the preferred Anamorphic Widescreen treatment by Universal, too.
Here's what this spiffy collection contains...........
DISC #1:
"THE BRIDES OF DRACULA" (1960; 1 hr., 26 min.; Color; 1.66:1 DVD Aspect Ratio) ..... On tap for "Brides" is the ever-present Hammer Films' duo of Peter Cushing, as vampire stalker "Dr. Van Helsing", and Terence Fisher, who was the director of the film. Fisher made a career out of directing many of Hammer's finest screen efforts.
"Brides" is a pretty good Dracula outing, but it's not one of my all-time favorite vampire flicks. What we really need here (instead of David Peel) is the imposing figure of Christopher Lee as "The Count". But Chris isn't here, and we're left with Peel's version of the suave Transylvanian blood-sucker (although he isn't known as "Dracula" in this movie; he goes by "Baron Meinster" here).
Peter Cushing, age 47 here, is excellent (as per the norm) in his role as the tireless vampire hunter.
This film, which premiered on July 7, 1960, came fairly closely on the heels of Hammer's first (and arguably best) Dracula venture, 1958's "Horror Of Dracula", which had Mr. Lee donning the cape and fangs for the first time of many. It would be another six years after the release of "Brides" before the king of vampires would be resurrected with Chris Lee in the title role again (which occurred in 1966's "Dracula: Prince Of Darkness").
The DVD furnishes us with a beautifully-restored print of "The Brides Of Dracula". The old "Universal International" spinning-globe logo is also intact at the beginning of all the films in this set (with the exception of, I think, one of the 1964 entries, which uses the newer {smaller globe} logo at the start of the picture). The logos look to be in good shape, too, thanks to these fine digital transfers.
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"THE CURSE OF THE WEREWOLF" (1961; 1 hr., 33 min.; Color; 1.85:1 DVD Aspect Ratio) ..... This is a delicious Terence Fisher-directed Hammer horror gem, which first appeared in movie theaters on May 1, 1961. Oliver Reed and Clifford Evans occupy the top of the cast listing for this well-written and nicely-paced werewolf tale. I truly enjoyed Reed's performance as the tortured "Leon", who fully realizes what his ultimate fate must be.
Only once during the film do we witness Reed's transformation into the hairy nocturnal creature, and that comes just nine minutes prior to the end of the picture. But I think that was a wise decision to keep the full-fledged beast off screen until near the very end. (Which put me in mind of another top-notch thriller that kept its "creature" hidden from audience view until deep into the movie's running time, building the suspense to a fever pitch for as long as the director dare -- "Jaws".)
And the well-timed camera cuts during the last reel of "Curse" allow us to see Reed's exceptional werewolf make-up for just the right amount of time before cutting away from it. A first-class Hammer production all the way. And the film looks scrumptious on the DVD too. Not a blemish to be found (through this writer's eyes anyway). The rich music score comes through just fine as well, via the DVD's crisp-sounding Dolby Digital Mono soundtrack.
In addition to the splendid performances turned in by Reed and Evans, "Curse" also features the acting talents of Anthony Dawson, whom I always enjoy watching on the screen. Richard Wordsworth is also worthy of mention. He does a very nice job as "the beggar". A pretty fair (and gritty) make-up job was done on him too.
And then there's also Yvonne Romain, who brings a set of two items to this film that must be seen to be believed (pause the DVD at the 18:50 mark in the movie to have the full meaning of this comment illustrated). ...
... Sorry about that. I just couldn't resist. And, to give credit where appropriate credit is due, I was reminded of Miss Romain's standout feature(s) in another person's review for this movie that I read at the IMDB website, which struck me as hilarious when I read it.
Two alternate titles have been used for this film -- "The Wolfman" and "The Curse Of Siniestro".
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"THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA" (1962; 1 hr., 24 min.; Color; 2.00:1 DVD Aspect Ratio) ..... Many different movie versions of "Phantom" have been made over the years. This is the 1962 Hammer version, directed by Terence Fisher. Herbert Lom stars as "The Phantom". Heather Sears, Michael Gough, Edward de Souza, and Thorley Walters co-star.
A rather unspectacular Hammer flick, in my opinion. But it's redeemed a bit by the film's finale, which features a nifty dramatic climax to the story.
This early-'60s color version of "The Phantom Of The Opera" was first seen in theaters on June 25th of 1962.
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"PARANOIAC" (1963; 1 hr., 20 min.; B&W; 2.35:1 DVD Aspect Ratio) ..... I was expecting a "B"-grade type of Drive-In movie when I watched "Paranoiac". But I was pleasantly surprised. It rises above that "B" level, IMO.
Initially seen in movie theaters on the date of May 15, 1963, and directed by Freddie Francis (who, like Terence Fisher, was another staple behind the camera at Hammer Studios), "Paranoiac" stars Oliver Reed and Janette Scott in a twisted and macabre story of sibling rivalry, greed, booze, money, murder, madness, suicide, hidden identities, and rotting corpses in the cellar ... with a hint of incest tossed in for good measure.
This mixture produces a pretty nice little tale, with top-caliber acting performances by the whole cast. Reed is delightfully evil and over-the-top in his nifty role. As the film progresses, it's easy to see that Reed's elevator doesn't quite go all the way to the top floor.
For trivia fans -- Twelve years before making this movie, Janette Scott played Jimmy Stewart's young daughter in the very good 1951 drama "No Highway In The Sky".
The black-and-white DVD transfer is flawless-looking. I doubt that this picture could possibly look any better.
A definite "thumbs-up" rating to "Paranoiac".
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DISC #2:
"THE KISS OF THE VAMPIRE" (1963; 1 hr., 28 min.; Color; 1.85:1 DVD Aspect Ratio) ..... I enjoyed this film immensely. It's yet another nicely-photographed Hammer presentation, which made its theater debut on September 11, 1963. Don Sharp served as director.
"Kiss" stars Hammer veterans Clifford Evans and Edward de Souza, along with Jennifer Daniel, Barry Warren, and Noel Willman. Daniel and de Souza play "Marianne and Gerald Harcourt", a just-married couple who have had the misfortune of becoming stranded near "Chateau Ravna", a large castle owned by the seemingly-hospitable "Dr. Ravna" (Willman). But we soon learn that Ravna is better known for his "bite" than for his gracious table manners. Willman makes a pretty good "head vampire" here. He's no Christopher Lee; but then, who is?
Another reason to recommend "The Kiss Of The Vampire" is for the feature-film debut of 19-year-old Isobel Black (who plays "Tania"). The very fetching and alluring Miss Black has only a small part in the film, but she's worth focusing on. (Spoken from the male perspective here, naturally. I could watch her sink her teeth into victims all day long.)
Some good old-fashioned gothic touches adorn this picture too, e.g.: horse-drawn carriages, the old castle, a fog-encased gravesite, and a terrific bat-filled finale (which I just loved). And the opening "shovel" scene provides a chilling beginning to the film. The set designs are excellent, and the color photography is warm and inviting.
A prime example of the lush color cinematography found here can be located at the 23:50 mark in the movie. If you pause the DVD at that point, you'll stop on an image of Dr. Ravna's handsome grand piano, which photographed beautifully.
"The Kiss Of The Vampire" (which is also known by the alternate title "Kiss Of Evil") had an earlier DVD release. But I'm doubting the film looked this good on that other disc. The audio has a little bit of background hiss, but it's not overly distracting. Overall, it's another very pleasing DVD presentation.
I couldn't help but be reminded of two other movie plotlines when watching portions of "Kiss". The closing "bats all over the place" act put me in mind of "The Birds" and that film's multiple bird attacks. And the general storyline of "I can't find my wife; what the hell have you people done with her?!" had me lingering on thoughts of a newer film with that plot twist, 1997's "Breakdown", which had Kurt Russell suddenly misplacing his lovely bride (Kathleen Quinlan).
Favorite "Kiss" dialogue:
GERALD HARCOURT -- "Oh my God!"
DR. RAVNA -- "God is hardly involved, Mr. Harcourt."
(Yeah, no kidding, Dr. Ravna. You ought to know.
)
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"NIGHTMARE" (1964; 1 hr., 22 min.; B&W; 2.35:1 DVD Aspect Ratio) ..... For my money, this enticing little 1964 treasure is the biggest and best prize in this two-disc package. "Nightmare" really bowled me over. It is a fabulously-done psychological chiller from the United Kingdom, directed by Freddie Francis and written by Jimmy Sangster.
I've read several unflattering on-line reviews for this film, and I just scratch my head in bewilderment after reading some of them -- because I couldn't disagree more with such generally negative assessments of "Nightmare". It is true that the viewer will certainly have to toss a bit of "logic" aside while watching this flick. But even so, this film works extremely well, IMO.
The film's cast is absolutely wonderful. Each acting portrayal here is spot-on perfect. The cast features Moira Redmond, Jennie Linden, David Knight, Irene Richmond, and Brenda Bruce. Linden and Redmond are particularly fun to watch here. Each of them is perfectly believable in their respective parts, IMO.
Insanity seems to have a foothold on those who live at "High Towers" estate. But WHO exactly is crazy? And WHO exactly are the ones who are trying to drive some of the others in the house "crazy"? Those are the questions at hand in "Nightmare".
The film takes an abrupt turn at almost exactly the halfway point in the picture, with the main character, "Janet" (played by Linden), disappearing from the movie entirely. But this sudden fork in the road doesn't derail the film in the least. It turns into a cleverly-conceived "whodunnit", that keeps the viewer guessing till the very end.
Spooky atmosphere and stunningly-gorgeous black-and-white photography abound in large doses throughout this film. Several scenes show mysterious unknown figures wandering the darkened corridors of the large estate late at night. These scenes are strengthened by the exquisite work done by cinematographer John Wilcox, who deserves a tip of the hat for creating some truly memorable and scary images during the course of this film. And Universal's breathtaking Anamorphic Widescreen DVD transfer here makes Mr. Wilcox's photography look even more impressive.
The film's clarity and visual detail, especially during the many dark shadowy scenes, had me wondering aloud how it was possible for this movie to have been made so many decades ago. It looks almost brand-new here. "Paranoiac", the other of the two B&W films in this collection, exhibits very similar video perfection.
"Nightmare" is bolstered even further by a good, mood-enhancing music score, which helps guide us through the dimly-lit hallways of "High Towers" at just the right tempo. Excellent, spooky stuff here. Just excellent.
"Nightmare" is certainly no low-grade "B" picture. With acting and cinematography executed with as much care and precision as we see in this film, it ranks as a top-grade thriller/chiller/mystery, and is a motion picture that, in my opinion, is deserving of a generous helping of praise and adulation.
June 17, 1964, was the theatrical release date for this film, which was known by a different title in the U.K. -- "Here's The Knife Dear, Now Use It". (Interesting moniker, huh? I kind of like it.)
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"NIGHT CREATURES" (1962; 1 hr., 22 min.; Color; 2.00:1 DVD Aspect Ratio) ..... I didn't care for this film at all. It was a bit of a painful task, in fact, having to trudge through to the end of this incoherent mess, which is replete with pirates, ghostly "phantoms" on horseback, a few assorted senseless murders, coffins filled with bootleg liquor, and a tongueless maniac on the loose.
And then add in Peter Cushing in kind of a "triple" role, as the presumed-dead "Captain Clegg", a smuggler, and the local clergyman. (And that doesn't even count his role as one of the "Marsh Phantoms" here too.)
Mr. Cushing tries his best here, and certainly gives a very lively and spirited performance. But even Peter's considerable talents can't rescue this hodge-podge of nonsense from the "disaster" file. Well, at least there are seven Hammer winners to counter this one misfire in this DVD set.
A lot of people praise this film up one side and down the other. Some people, in fact, consider this film to be the crown jewel of this 8-movie collection. I can only (once again) scratch my head when hearing that. Oh well...each person has his or her own tastes naturally. But "Night Creatures" just wasn't my cup of tea at all. Perhaps it will look better if I give it a second screening some day. Some month. Some year.
"Night Creatures" is the USA title of this flick. It was released in early June of 1962 in the United Kingdom as "Captain Clegg" (which I think is a title that's better-suited for the film's content). It had never before been released on a home-video format prior to this Universal DVD release. That fact is no doubt why many Hammer fans were so looking forward to its release in this set.
"Creatures" does emit very good-looking video quality. It certainly gets high marks for that, if for nothing else.
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"THE EVIL OF FRANKENSTEIN" (1964; 1 hr., 27 min.; Color; 1.85:1 DVD Aspect Ratio) ..... Peter Cushing is back once again (as "Baron Frankenstein") in this enjoyable monster excursion, which debuted in movie theaters back on May 8th, 1964. Directed by Freddie Francis.
This isn't the best "Frankie" movie ever made, but it's certainly not bad either. Mr. Cushing, as always, is superb in his role as the frustrated scientist bent on creating a "life force" out of an assortment of spare body parts. Thank goodness the Baron's laboratory is located where raging thunderstorms are frequent occurrences.
"Evil" Nitpick --- In the scene where "The Creature" is hypnotized and sent out on his mission to "hurt" two of the village's citizens, I'd like to know just exactly HOW the monster is supposed to know WHO it is he was supposed to "hurt" (or where exactly he was supposed to find these people). I guess we're to assume the beast got really smart all of a sudden and asked a local merchant for the addresses of his two victims.
"The Creature" is played by the little-known Kiwi Kingston. Like the other movies assembled in this set, the video quality excels for this Frankenstein picture, too. The audio is a trifle scratchy in places, but generally okay.
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So, in the final analysis, my top personal faves from this 8-Movie Hammer assortment turned out to be "The Kiss Of The Vampire" and the two B&W entries in this batch (and the only two that were filmed in the wide Hammerscope and Cinemascope ratio of 2.35:1) -- "Nightmare" and "Paranoiac".
A major reason why I find both of those non-color movies very engaging is due to the chill-inducing B&W photography that is readily apparent in both films. There's something about the combination of "Black-And-White", "Spooky And Shadow-Filled Nighttime Cinematography", and "Anamorphic Widescreen" that's right up my alley.
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What does it come in? ...........
"The Hammer Horror Series" comes well-packed in a simple (yet at the same time elegant and classy-looking) Digipak style of fold-out DVD case, with a cleverly-designed open-ended outer slipcase box, which sports a clear "window" on the front. When the inner case is slid into the outer cover, a completed piece of "Hammer Horror" imagery can be seen through the "window glass" on the box front.
I was disappointed when I had to return the first copy of this product I received from an on-line distributor (not due to any disc snafus; but, instead, I returned it because the front of the box was hideously covered with dried-on glue from where the "window pane" had been glued to the inside of the slipcase box). It looked awful. But, thankfully, my second copy arrived free of packaging nastiness. I was wondering for a moment, though, if every copy was going to look as if a kindergarten student had taken liberties with the paste when gluing these boxes together. Happily, this is not the case. .... So if you get a box that looks all icky with glue/paste, return it for a good, clean copy.
Small versions of some of the original promotional artwork for each film adorn the inner portions of the box. Nice packaging touches. Although why in the world Universal has elected to make the inner box exit its slipcase home from the LEFT side is a mystery to me. Universal has done this with many of its recent DVD boxed sets, which seems backwards to my anal way of thinking. Would a book ever open on the LEFT? Quite obviously not; and the disc trays of any DVD set should, IMO, slide out from the right-hand side, not the left. But, that's a very minor packaging complaint.
Two double-sided (DVD-18) discs rest firmly (but not too firmly) inside the Digipak's innards. There are two movies on each side of each disc. No special features here at all. The trailers for a few of these almost-forgotten Hammer gems would have been nice to see here. But I'm certainly not going to raise the roof about the absence of bonus material when I'm getting eight full-length movies for such a bargain-basement price.
The Menus on these discs are simplistic perfection -- quick, easy to navigate, no annoying repetitive music, and static in design. Each film has Menu choices for "Scenes", "Languages", and "Play Feature". Photos from the various movies fill up the individual Menu screens.
In addition to the well-done Anamorphic Widescreen video, each of the films in this collection also includes a more-than-adequate English Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono soundtrack. While two of the movies ("Brides" and "Frankenstein") also contain a Spanish DD 2.0 Mono track as well. Subtitles are provided for each film in English, French, and Spanish.
Skips?/Freezes?/Lock-Ups? ..... Many consumers have had a world of trouble loading up and/or properly playing these DVDs. However, I experienced only one very minor glitch during the playing of any of the eight films on these two discs. That one video hiccup occurred toward the end of "Nightmare", when the picture froze up for exactly one minute and seventeen seconds at the 1:11:40 mark into the film. But the remainder of the movie played perfectly through to its end.* Overall, considering the many software problems that customers have been having with Universal's DVDs, I am quite pleased indeed with the software performance of these two dual-sided discs.
* = EDIT: When playing "Nightmare" on another (newer) DVD player, the whole 82-minute film played perfectly from beginning to end, with no glitches at all.
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SUMMARY (WITH MY RATING FOR EACH FILM):
"The Brides Of Dracula" --
"The Curse Of The Werewolf" --
"The Phantom Of The Opera" --
"Paranoiac" --
"The Kiss Of The Vampire" --
"Nightmare" --
"Night Creatures" --
"The Evil Of Frankenstein" --
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My All-Things-Considered Rating For "The Hammer Horror Series" --
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FINAL THOUGHTS:
For a hearty Hammer horror-fest, this 2-DVD compilation includes all the right ingredients required for a screaming good time at the movies.
With more than 11 full hours of chills and frights in a compact 2-Disc boxed set, "The Hammer Horror Series" is a bargain that even Dr. Van Helsing couldn't drive a stake through.
In other words, "The Hammer Horror Series" is........
SPOOK-TACULARLY RECOMMENDED!
No. of Discs: 2 (Dual-Sided, Dual-Layered).
Video Aspect Ratio: Varies by film (from 1.33:1 to 2.35:1).
Audio: Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono.
Color and B&W: 2 B&W films and 6 films in Color.
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish.
MPAA Film Ratings: All 8 films are .
Packaging: Digipak with outer slipcase box.
DVD Release Date: September 6th, 2005.
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"The Hammer Horror Series: The Franchise Collection" represents one of the best multi-movie DVD bargains I've had the fortune of obtaining -- eight full-length motion pictures offered up by Universal Studios Home Entertainment for a more-than-reasonable sum of currency. Hard to beat that with a stick (even one of those pointed sticks that Doctor Van Helsing carries around with him all the time).
I had never seen even one of these eight Hammer films prior to getting this excellent DVD collection. And after watching these two jam-packed DVDs, I have a whole new appreciation and admiration for the scary-movie factory known as "Hammer Films".
Some of the movies in this 2-Disc set are rarities, having seldom been seen by anybody since their theatrical releases in the 1960s. All eight films here were made in the early portion of the 1960s (spanning the years 1960 to 1964). And Universal has done a superb job of restoring these films to near-pristine condition. It's hard to imagine any of these movies looking any better than they do via these Digital Discs. Each one has been given the preferred Anamorphic Widescreen treatment by Universal, too.
Here's what this spiffy collection contains...........
DISC #1:
"THE BRIDES OF DRACULA" (1960; 1 hr., 26 min.; Color; 1.66:1 DVD Aspect Ratio) ..... On tap for "Brides" is the ever-present Hammer Films' duo of Peter Cushing, as vampire stalker "Dr. Van Helsing", and Terence Fisher, who was the director of the film. Fisher made a career out of directing many of Hammer's finest screen efforts.
"Brides" is a pretty good Dracula outing, but it's not one of my all-time favorite vampire flicks. What we really need here (instead of David Peel) is the imposing figure of Christopher Lee as "The Count". But Chris isn't here, and we're left with Peel's version of the suave Transylvanian blood-sucker (although he isn't known as "Dracula" in this movie; he goes by "Baron Meinster" here).
Peter Cushing, age 47 here, is excellent (as per the norm) in his role as the tireless vampire hunter.
This film, which premiered on July 7, 1960, came fairly closely on the heels of Hammer's first (and arguably best) Dracula venture, 1958's "Horror Of Dracula", which had Mr. Lee donning the cape and fangs for the first time of many. It would be another six years after the release of "Brides" before the king of vampires would be resurrected with Chris Lee in the title role again (which occurred in 1966's "Dracula: Prince Of Darkness").
The DVD furnishes us with a beautifully-restored print of "The Brides Of Dracula". The old "Universal International" spinning-globe logo is also intact at the beginning of all the films in this set (with the exception of, I think, one of the 1964 entries, which uses the newer {smaller globe} logo at the start of the picture). The logos look to be in good shape, too, thanks to these fine digital transfers.
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"THE CURSE OF THE WEREWOLF" (1961; 1 hr., 33 min.; Color; 1.85:1 DVD Aspect Ratio) ..... This is a delicious Terence Fisher-directed Hammer horror gem, which first appeared in movie theaters on May 1, 1961. Oliver Reed and Clifford Evans occupy the top of the cast listing for this well-written and nicely-paced werewolf tale. I truly enjoyed Reed's performance as the tortured "Leon", who fully realizes what his ultimate fate must be.
Only once during the film do we witness Reed's transformation into the hairy nocturnal creature, and that comes just nine minutes prior to the end of the picture. But I think that was a wise decision to keep the full-fledged beast off screen until near the very end. (Which put me in mind of another top-notch thriller that kept its "creature" hidden from audience view until deep into the movie's running time, building the suspense to a fever pitch for as long as the director dare -- "Jaws".)
And the well-timed camera cuts during the last reel of "Curse" allow us to see Reed's exceptional werewolf make-up for just the right amount of time before cutting away from it. A first-class Hammer production all the way. And the film looks scrumptious on the DVD too. Not a blemish to be found (through this writer's eyes anyway). The rich music score comes through just fine as well, via the DVD's crisp-sounding Dolby Digital Mono soundtrack.
In addition to the splendid performances turned in by Reed and Evans, "Curse" also features the acting talents of Anthony Dawson, whom I always enjoy watching on the screen. Richard Wordsworth is also worthy of mention. He does a very nice job as "the beggar". A pretty fair (and gritty) make-up job was done on him too.
And then there's also Yvonne Romain, who brings a set of two items to this film that must be seen to be believed (pause the DVD at the 18:50 mark in the movie to have the full meaning of this comment illustrated). ...
Two alternate titles have been used for this film -- "The Wolfman" and "The Curse Of Siniestro".
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"THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA" (1962; 1 hr., 24 min.; Color; 2.00:1 DVD Aspect Ratio) ..... Many different movie versions of "Phantom" have been made over the years. This is the 1962 Hammer version, directed by Terence Fisher. Herbert Lom stars as "The Phantom". Heather Sears, Michael Gough, Edward de Souza, and Thorley Walters co-star.
A rather unspectacular Hammer flick, in my opinion. But it's redeemed a bit by the film's finale, which features a nifty dramatic climax to the story.
This early-'60s color version of "The Phantom Of The Opera" was first seen in theaters on June 25th of 1962.
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"PARANOIAC" (1963; 1 hr., 20 min.; B&W; 2.35:1 DVD Aspect Ratio) ..... I was expecting a "B"-grade type of Drive-In movie when I watched "Paranoiac". But I was pleasantly surprised. It rises above that "B" level, IMO.
Initially seen in movie theaters on the date of May 15, 1963, and directed by Freddie Francis (who, like Terence Fisher, was another staple behind the camera at Hammer Studios), "Paranoiac" stars Oliver Reed and Janette Scott in a twisted and macabre story of sibling rivalry, greed, booze, money, murder, madness, suicide, hidden identities, and rotting corpses in the cellar ... with a hint of incest tossed in for good measure.
This mixture produces a pretty nice little tale, with top-caliber acting performances by the whole cast. Reed is delightfully evil and over-the-top in his nifty role. As the film progresses, it's easy to see that Reed's elevator doesn't quite go all the way to the top floor.
For trivia fans -- Twelve years before making this movie, Janette Scott played Jimmy Stewart's young daughter in the very good 1951 drama "No Highway In The Sky".
The black-and-white DVD transfer is flawless-looking. I doubt that this picture could possibly look any better.
A definite "thumbs-up" rating to "Paranoiac".
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DISC #2:
"THE KISS OF THE VAMPIRE" (1963; 1 hr., 28 min.; Color; 1.85:1 DVD Aspect Ratio) ..... I enjoyed this film immensely. It's yet another nicely-photographed Hammer presentation, which made its theater debut on September 11, 1963. Don Sharp served as director.
"Kiss" stars Hammer veterans Clifford Evans and Edward de Souza, along with Jennifer Daniel, Barry Warren, and Noel Willman. Daniel and de Souza play "Marianne and Gerald Harcourt", a just-married couple who have had the misfortune of becoming stranded near "Chateau Ravna", a large castle owned by the seemingly-hospitable "Dr. Ravna" (Willman). But we soon learn that Ravna is better known for his "bite" than for his gracious table manners. Willman makes a pretty good "head vampire" here. He's no Christopher Lee; but then, who is?
Another reason to recommend "The Kiss Of The Vampire" is for the feature-film debut of 19-year-old Isobel Black (who plays "Tania"). The very fetching and alluring Miss Black has only a small part in the film, but she's worth focusing on. (Spoken from the male perspective here, naturally. I could watch her sink her teeth into victims all day long.)
Some good old-fashioned gothic touches adorn this picture too, e.g.: horse-drawn carriages, the old castle, a fog-encased gravesite, and a terrific bat-filled finale (which I just loved). And the opening "shovel" scene provides a chilling beginning to the film. The set designs are excellent, and the color photography is warm and inviting.
A prime example of the lush color cinematography found here can be located at the 23:50 mark in the movie. If you pause the DVD at that point, you'll stop on an image of Dr. Ravna's handsome grand piano, which photographed beautifully.
"The Kiss Of The Vampire" (which is also known by the alternate title "Kiss Of Evil") had an earlier DVD release. But I'm doubting the film looked this good on that other disc. The audio has a little bit of background hiss, but it's not overly distracting. Overall, it's another very pleasing DVD presentation.
I couldn't help but be reminded of two other movie plotlines when watching portions of "Kiss". The closing "bats all over the place" act put me in mind of "The Birds" and that film's multiple bird attacks. And the general storyline of "I can't find my wife; what the hell have you people done with her?!" had me lingering on thoughts of a newer film with that plot twist, 1997's "Breakdown", which had Kurt Russell suddenly misplacing his lovely bride (Kathleen Quinlan).
Favorite "Kiss" dialogue:
GERALD HARCOURT -- "Oh my God!"
DR. RAVNA -- "God is hardly involved, Mr. Harcourt."
(Yeah, no kidding, Dr. Ravna. You ought to know.
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"NIGHTMARE" (1964; 1 hr., 22 min.; B&W; 2.35:1 DVD Aspect Ratio) ..... For my money, this enticing little 1964 treasure is the biggest and best prize in this two-disc package. "Nightmare" really bowled me over. It is a fabulously-done psychological chiller from the United Kingdom, directed by Freddie Francis and written by Jimmy Sangster.
I've read several unflattering on-line reviews for this film, and I just scratch my head in bewilderment after reading some of them -- because I couldn't disagree more with such generally negative assessments of "Nightmare". It is true that the viewer will certainly have to toss a bit of "logic" aside while watching this flick. But even so, this film works extremely well, IMO.
The film's cast is absolutely wonderful. Each acting portrayal here is spot-on perfect. The cast features Moira Redmond, Jennie Linden, David Knight, Irene Richmond, and Brenda Bruce. Linden and Redmond are particularly fun to watch here. Each of them is perfectly believable in their respective parts, IMO.
Insanity seems to have a foothold on those who live at "High Towers" estate. But WHO exactly is crazy? And WHO exactly are the ones who are trying to drive some of the others in the house "crazy"? Those are the questions at hand in "Nightmare".
The film takes an abrupt turn at almost exactly the halfway point in the picture, with the main character, "Janet" (played by Linden), disappearing from the movie entirely. But this sudden fork in the road doesn't derail the film in the least. It turns into a cleverly-conceived "whodunnit", that keeps the viewer guessing till the very end.
Spooky atmosphere and stunningly-gorgeous black-and-white photography abound in large doses throughout this film. Several scenes show mysterious unknown figures wandering the darkened corridors of the large estate late at night. These scenes are strengthened by the exquisite work done by cinematographer John Wilcox, who deserves a tip of the hat for creating some truly memorable and scary images during the course of this film. And Universal's breathtaking Anamorphic Widescreen DVD transfer here makes Mr. Wilcox's photography look even more impressive.
The film's clarity and visual detail, especially during the many dark shadowy scenes, had me wondering aloud how it was possible for this movie to have been made so many decades ago. It looks almost brand-new here. "Paranoiac", the other of the two B&W films in this collection, exhibits very similar video perfection.
"Nightmare" is bolstered even further by a good, mood-enhancing music score, which helps guide us through the dimly-lit hallways of "High Towers" at just the right tempo. Excellent, spooky stuff here. Just excellent.
"Nightmare" is certainly no low-grade "B" picture. With acting and cinematography executed with as much care and precision as we see in this film, it ranks as a top-grade thriller/chiller/mystery, and is a motion picture that, in my opinion, is deserving of a generous helping of praise and adulation.
June 17, 1964, was the theatrical release date for this film, which was known by a different title in the U.K. -- "Here's The Knife Dear, Now Use It". (Interesting moniker, huh? I kind of like it.)
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"NIGHT CREATURES" (1962; 1 hr., 22 min.; Color; 2.00:1 DVD Aspect Ratio) ..... I didn't care for this film at all. It was a bit of a painful task, in fact, having to trudge through to the end of this incoherent mess, which is replete with pirates, ghostly "phantoms" on horseback, a few assorted senseless murders, coffins filled with bootleg liquor, and a tongueless maniac on the loose.
And then add in Peter Cushing in kind of a "triple" role, as the presumed-dead "Captain Clegg", a smuggler, and the local clergyman. (And that doesn't even count his role as one of the "Marsh Phantoms" here too.)
Mr. Cushing tries his best here, and certainly gives a very lively and spirited performance. But even Peter's considerable talents can't rescue this hodge-podge of nonsense from the "disaster" file. Well, at least there are seven Hammer winners to counter this one misfire in this DVD set.
A lot of people praise this film up one side and down the other. Some people, in fact, consider this film to be the crown jewel of this 8-movie collection. I can only (once again) scratch my head when hearing that. Oh well...each person has his or her own tastes naturally. But "Night Creatures" just wasn't my cup of tea at all. Perhaps it will look better if I give it a second screening some day. Some month. Some year.
"Night Creatures" is the USA title of this flick. It was released in early June of 1962 in the United Kingdom as "Captain Clegg" (which I think is a title that's better-suited for the film's content). It had never before been released on a home-video format prior to this Universal DVD release. That fact is no doubt why many Hammer fans were so looking forward to its release in this set.
"Creatures" does emit very good-looking video quality. It certainly gets high marks for that, if for nothing else.
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"THE EVIL OF FRANKENSTEIN" (1964; 1 hr., 27 min.; Color; 1.85:1 DVD Aspect Ratio) ..... Peter Cushing is back once again (as "Baron Frankenstein") in this enjoyable monster excursion, which debuted in movie theaters back on May 8th, 1964. Directed by Freddie Francis.
This isn't the best "Frankie" movie ever made, but it's certainly not bad either. Mr. Cushing, as always, is superb in his role as the frustrated scientist bent on creating a "life force" out of an assortment of spare body parts. Thank goodness the Baron's laboratory is located where raging thunderstorms are frequent occurrences.
"Evil" Nitpick --- In the scene where "The Creature" is hypnotized and sent out on his mission to "hurt" two of the village's citizens, I'd like to know just exactly HOW the monster is supposed to know WHO it is he was supposed to "hurt" (or where exactly he was supposed to find these people). I guess we're to assume the beast got really smart all of a sudden and asked a local merchant for the addresses of his two victims.
"The Creature" is played by the little-known Kiwi Kingston. Like the other movies assembled in this set, the video quality excels for this Frankenstein picture, too. The audio is a trifle scratchy in places, but generally okay.
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So, in the final analysis, my top personal faves from this 8-Movie Hammer assortment turned out to be "The Kiss Of The Vampire" and the two B&W entries in this batch (and the only two that were filmed in the wide Hammerscope and Cinemascope ratio of 2.35:1) -- "Nightmare" and "Paranoiac".
A major reason why I find both of those non-color movies very engaging is due to the chill-inducing B&W photography that is readily apparent in both films. There's something about the combination of "Black-And-White", "Spooky And Shadow-Filled Nighttime Cinematography", and "Anamorphic Widescreen" that's right up my alley.
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What does it come in? ...........
"The Hammer Horror Series" comes well-packed in a simple (yet at the same time elegant and classy-looking) Digipak style of fold-out DVD case, with a cleverly-designed open-ended outer slipcase box, which sports a clear "window" on the front. When the inner case is slid into the outer cover, a completed piece of "Hammer Horror" imagery can be seen through the "window glass" on the box front.
I was disappointed when I had to return the first copy of this product I received from an on-line distributor (not due to any disc snafus; but, instead, I returned it because the front of the box was hideously covered with dried-on glue from where the "window pane" had been glued to the inside of the slipcase box). It looked awful. But, thankfully, my second copy arrived free of packaging nastiness. I was wondering for a moment, though, if every copy was going to look as if a kindergarten student had taken liberties with the paste when gluing these boxes together. Happily, this is not the case. .... So if you get a box that looks all icky with glue/paste, return it for a good, clean copy.
Small versions of some of the original promotional artwork for each film adorn the inner portions of the box. Nice packaging touches. Although why in the world Universal has elected to make the inner box exit its slipcase home from the LEFT side is a mystery to me. Universal has done this with many of its recent DVD boxed sets, which seems backwards to my anal way of thinking. Would a book ever open on the LEFT? Quite obviously not; and the disc trays of any DVD set should, IMO, slide out from the right-hand side, not the left. But, that's a very minor packaging complaint.
Two double-sided (DVD-18) discs rest firmly (but not too firmly) inside the Digipak's innards. There are two movies on each side of each disc. No special features here at all. The trailers for a few of these almost-forgotten Hammer gems would have been nice to see here. But I'm certainly not going to raise the roof about the absence of bonus material when I'm getting eight full-length movies for such a bargain-basement price.
The Menus on these discs are simplistic perfection -- quick, easy to navigate, no annoying repetitive music, and static in design. Each film has Menu choices for "Scenes", "Languages", and "Play Feature". Photos from the various movies fill up the individual Menu screens.
In addition to the well-done Anamorphic Widescreen video, each of the films in this collection also includes a more-than-adequate English Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono soundtrack. While two of the movies ("Brides" and "Frankenstein") also contain a Spanish DD 2.0 Mono track as well. Subtitles are provided for each film in English, French, and Spanish.
Skips?/Freezes?/Lock-Ups? ..... Many consumers have had a world of trouble loading up and/or properly playing these DVDs. However, I experienced only one very minor glitch during the playing of any of the eight films on these two discs. That one video hiccup occurred toward the end of "Nightmare", when the picture froze up for exactly one minute and seventeen seconds at the 1:11:40 mark into the film. But the remainder of the movie played perfectly through to its end.* Overall, considering the many software problems that customers have been having with Universal's DVDs, I am quite pleased indeed with the software performance of these two dual-sided discs.
* = EDIT: When playing "Nightmare" on another (newer) DVD player, the whole 82-minute film played perfectly from beginning to end, with no glitches at all.
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SUMMARY (WITH MY RATING FOR EACH FILM):
"The Brides Of Dracula" --
"The Curse Of The Werewolf" --
"The Phantom Of The Opera" --
"Paranoiac" --
"The Kiss Of The Vampire" --
"Nightmare" --
"Night Creatures" --
"The Evil Of Frankenstein" --
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My All-Things-Considered Rating For "The Hammer Horror Series" --
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FINAL THOUGHTS:
For a hearty Hammer horror-fest, this 2-DVD compilation includes all the right ingredients required for a screaming good time at the movies.
With more than 11 full hours of chills and frights in a compact 2-Disc boxed set, "The Hammer Horror Series" is a bargain that even Dr. Van Helsing couldn't drive a stake through.
In other words, "The Hammer Horror Series" is........
SPOOK-TACULARLY RECOMMENDED!