The Absolutely Diabolical Hammer Films Thread

[Bogart-Fan]

Thanks for all the info guys!

[MattP]

Originally Posted by Nebiroth

Coming a bit late to this, but I just got my Hammer set, and both discs on both sides exhibit major problems with the second film. Significantly, this is always at the start of the second film, so I'm assuming that this is at the layerchange point.

My trusty Pioneer player shows massive pixellation and freezing up problems, and in several cases just makes grinding noises after the Univeral logo screen (I am guessing that this is actually only on the disc once, and is in the first layer, and after it playback switches to the film in layer two).

My PC DVD drive does a better job, (it's also a Pioneer), but also shows similar objections.

I scanned the discs with VSO inspector and they all show bad sector errors with CRC failures.

Interestingly, though, my Panasonic DVD player plays them all flawlessly!

I did not replace them because both sides of both discs had the same troubles, so it didn't look like an isolated incident.

It might well be that the Panny has better error correction, or that there's something about Pioneer devices of all kinds. I plan to install a Sony (which are rebadged Lite-On) DVD drive in the PC, so it will be interesting to see what that says about the discs.

Strangely enough, the Bela Lugosi disc - notorious for the same sort of trouble - scanned perfectly with no errors at all.

Thanks for these comments - well, at least someone else is also having problems (worse than mine by the sounds of it) although that doesn't help any of us much!

Ideally, we need individual Region 2 releases of all 8 titles then we can junk the stupidly over-crammed R1 set and be done with it..! I wonder what are the chances of this happening...

[MattP]

Originally Posted by Alan George

Yes! "Camp On Blood Island" & "The Damned" please - & not 4x3 or non-anamorphic.
I did see a list of missing elements some years ago & "Terror Of The Tongs" was on it, I hope they have been found - it doesn't help that it was released in B/W in the U.S. I can remember seeing it in the mid-sixties, in a re-run cinema & quiet enjoying it (& the "in your face" colour).
& good news about "Night Of The Demon" - at long last !

One of DD's previous "HammerScope" releases was The Abominable Snowman which (happily) was anamorphic and in the correct 2.35 ratio so this bodes well. The only time I have ever seen Terror of the Tongs was at the Barbican Centre's Hammer season about nine years ago and the print shown was in pretty appalling shape - very scratchy and loads of missing frames so I'm looking forward to seeing the print that DD manage to release (even though it's not a great, or even especially good, movie - it'll still be a nice addition to our Hammer collections).

The other titles mentioned are very exciting, especially (for me) Taste of Fear (absolutely one of Hammer's best and classiest movies) and The Gorgon (flawed but also containing some of the most beautifully atmospheric stuff in any Hammer Horror).

[Douglas R]

I saw Terror of the Tongs when it was first released, where it played as the second half of a double bill with Roger Corman's The Pit and the Pendulum as the main feature. I was 16 at the time and it was the first time I had seen any X film (you had to be over 16 then to see an X film). I've not seen Tongs since but I remember being distinctly unimpressed, especially when compared to Pit & the Pendulum.

[MattP]

Does anyone know why Lust for a Vampire wasn't re-released by Optimum in their recent Hammer set?

[tonytol]

Hammer including the back-catalogue (all of it?) has been sold today http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6644203.stm

Hammer horror films set to return. Cult Hammer horror films will return to the big screen after the company behind the movies was sold to a group headed by Big Brother creator John de Mol. At least $50m (£25m) will be spent on new horror films after British company Hammer Film Productions was sold to Dutch consortium Cyrte Investments. The new owners have also acquired the Hammer group's back catalogue. Simon Oakes, head of the management team for the consortium, described Hammer as "a great British brand" and said the group wanted to develop Hammer's "global potential". The team has plans to target "a new generation of horror lovers" via mobile phones and the internet, he said.

[Reedo]

Originally Posted by tonytol

Hammer including the back-catalogue (all of it?) has been sold today http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6644203.stm

Hmm, seeing is believing, this must be about the 4th or 5th time Hammer has supposed to start production again - I'll believe it when I see it.

[Reedo]

Originally Posted by MattP

Does anyone know why Lust for a Vampire wasn't re-released by Optimum in their recent Hammer set?

Because it is rubbish?

[MaxNutter]

Originally Posted by Reedo

Because it is rubbish?

you call a film that boasts Ralph Bates, Mike Raven and Yutte Stensgaard's boobies rubbish?

[John Hodson]

The team has plans to target "a new generation of horror lovers" via mobile phones and the internet, he said.

'The Horror of Virgin Media', 'Dracula Has Risen From The Motorola' - where's that 'roll eyes' smiley when you need it?

£25m wouldn't even buy them a decent ad campaign today, and I'm afraid the cheap 'n cheerful market is sadly lacking in talent akin to Lee and Cushing.

[Reedo]

Originally Posted by MaxNutter

you call a film that boasts Ralph Bates, Mike Raven and Yutte Stensgaard's boobies rubbish?

You may have a point!

[Reedo]

Originally Posted by John Hodson

'The Horror of Virgin Media', 'Dracula Has Risen From The Motorola' - where's that 'roll eyes' smiley when you need it?

£25m wouldn't even buy them a decent ad campaign today, and I'm afraid the cheap 'n cheerful market is sadly lacking in talent akin to Lee and Cushing.

They've always got Jason Flemyng for another updated Quatermass though.

[John Hodson]

HammerWeb (link in the first post) has taken down all it's content (including the news of the Columbia / DDHE discs, which I assume will be totally unaffected by this), and all that remains is this statement on the front page:

Cyrte Investments BV, of which John de Mol, one of the world's most successful producers is a major investor, backs purchase of Hammer Horror Group Simon Oakes and Marc Schipper, ex-Liberty Global Inc, to head management team Guy East and Nigel Sinclair of Spitfire Pictures to join board as Hammer plans return to film and television production.

LONDON, May 10, 2007 - A European consortium, headed by Dutch based Cyrte Investments BV, has acquired the legendary UK based Hammer Film Productions Limited, including its 295 title library for an undisclosed sum. The new management team is headed by Simon Oakes and Marc Schipper, formerly of Liberty Global Inc.

Spitfire Pictures founders Guy East and Nigel Sinclair will join the board as non-executive directors. Los Angeles based Spitfire Pictures has entered into a first look development and production pact with Hammer.

The newly constituted Hammer group will have shareholders equity and facilities in excess of approximately $50m. It is the intention to leverage this initial capital in the near future to provide a significantly increased production financing capacity.

Hammer will return to film and television production after more than 30 years with an active development programme designed to emulate the best traditions of Hammer. The new management plans to aggressively reinvigorate the Hammer brand for a new generation of horror-lovers utilizing web and mobile technologies, whilst retaining Hammer's significant heritage.

Hammer is best known for its gothic horror productions in the '50s and '60s, when it was the most innovative producer in the horror genre, enjoying global box-office success, and making the Hammer brand synonymous with horror. Hammer was responsible for the classic movie series of Dracula, Frankenstein, and Quatermass, forever imprinting its "Hammer House of Horror" slogan into the English language.

Simon Oakes: "We have been working on this deal for almost a year now, and are very proud at having brought together this incredibly talented group of people in combination with Hammer's heritage. Hammer is a great British brand - we intend to take Hammer back into production and develop its global potential."

Guy East: "It's great to be back in business with Hammer again. Now is a perfect time to reinvigorate the brand."

[Alan George]

I don't understand this. Did Hammer (or whoever owned the Hammer name) own 295 titles? - I thought they were owned by the companies that they were made for: Universal/Warner/Columbia ect.
Also $50m is nothing these days. Personally I can only see a few TV prods. with the Hammer name attached.

[MattP]

Originally Posted by John Hodson

.

Hammer will return to film and television production after more than 30 years with an active development programme designed to emulate the best traditions of Hammer. The new management plans to aggressively reinvigorate the Hammer brand for a new generation of horror-lovers utilizing web and mobile technologies, whilst retaining Hammer's significant heritage.

I hate to be another pessimistic old cynic but haven't we heard this type of statement about the resurrection of Hammer many times before over the last 15 years or so, without anything ever materialising..? I wish them well and hope this does indeed prove true but I'm not holding my breath...

[MattP]

Originally Posted by Reedo

Because it is rubbish?

"Lust for a Vampire" is rubbish I must admit, but I can't help liking it - it certainly has at least two very prominent positive features.

It just seems odd that other Hammer titles previously released by Warner/Canal+ have been re-released by Optimum but not this one. Especially considering they have released real Hammer clinkers like "The Viking Queen" and "Prehistoric Women" in this batch...

[tonytol]

Companies seem to be securing back catalogue / content on the speculative basis that online distribution, with relatively lower costs compared to DVD will generate significantly higher income than the cost of buying in the content, especially with niche products. Hopefully this means we will see movies that we're not viable for DVD release. More likely we will get Hammer Ringtones and older movies (maybe free) streamed with targeted adverts every 10 minutes.

Although $50million is small change for a Hollywood budget, it's a lot for a European production company taking advantage of numerous tax breaks or tax write-offs coupled with a well-known brand. "Hammer presents House of the Dead IV, directed by Ewe Boll' anyone? Anyone?

[Evilbones]

http://www.itv.com/news/entertainmen...3a6354b45.html

From ITV News

Hammer Horror films are set to rise from the dead after the makers of Big Brother snapped up the British movie company.

Hammer productions was famous for its quality, low-budget films - often starring the likes of Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee.

The movie house made cult flicks such as The Curse of Frankenstein and The Vampires Lovers, but now a new generation of Hammer Horror movies are likely to go into production.

The new owners have also acquired the Hammer group's 295-strong title library, including Hammer House of Horror film classics such as Dracula.


Don know if this is a good or bad thing, just hope we get some mor Hammer Dvd releases!

[Reedo]

Originally Posted by Evilbones

http://www.itv.com/news/entertainmen...3a6354b45.html

From ITV News

Hammer Horror films are set to rise from the dead after the makers of Big Brother snapped up the British movie company.

Hammer productions was famous for its quality, low-budget films - often starring the likes of Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee.

The movie house made cult flicks such as The Curse of Frankenstein and The Vampires Lovers, but now a new generation of Hammer Horror movies are likely to go into production.

The new owners have also acquired the Hammer group's 295-strong title library, including Hammer House of Horror film classics such as Dracula.


Don know if this is a good or bad thing, just hope we get some mor Hammer Dvd releases!

Same here, I'll believe it when they have a product. There has been more announcements that Hammer are returning than I care to remember, the last being that they were making slasher movies in Australia .

[John Hodson]

Exciting news from Roobarbs:

Originally Posted by duggie walker

Restored Hammer Classic 'Dracula' To Screen At Cannes

The BFI has announced that the Cannes Classics section of the forthcoming 60th anniversary edition of the world’s biggest film festival will feature the BFI National Archive’s new restoration of 'Dracula' (1958).

This screening on May 17 will mark the 50th anniversary of the Hammer Horror cycle which rapidly became a hugely influential and popular strand of British horror.

Amanda Nevill, BFI Director said: “We are delighted to be showcasing our latest restoration. Dracula is, for many, the film that has come to characterise the British Gothic horror genre and we are proud to be able to show it in the prestigious Cannes Classics strand.

“The BFI National Archive holds the most significant collection of film and television material in the world. Caring for such an enormous collection is a great challenge to our resources, particularly as the balance between investing in preservation and making the collection available to a wider audience is so precarious. We are immensely grateful to the sponsor of this restoration, Simon Hessel, for his generosity and support.”

Based on the novel by Bram Stoker first published in 1897, this was the first colour version of Dracula. It was a massive international success on its original release and established Christopher Lee for many as the definitive interpreter of the demonic count. Peter Cushing also gives a great performance as the vampire hunter Van Helsing. High production values and a host of character actors, aided by a cracking script by Jimmy Sangster, add up to a rich and satisfying horror classic.

BFI National Archive, Senior Preservation Manager Andrea Kalas added: "The restoration of what many fans call the best Hammer horror film required extensive research into reported censored scenes. Rumour and fact, not unlike the Dracula story itself, are intermingled.

"Our research into missing scenes led us to every conceivable resource from the vaults of Warner Bros to an archive in Japan. Scenes censored by the BBFC for the release of the UK version, but included in the US version, have been recovered. In addition, the US title, “Horror of Dracula”, had been attached to most theatrical and video releases. We have restored the original British release title with its distinctive illuminated “D.”

"Ben Thompson of the BFI National Archive film lab oversaw the restoration and it is due to his diligence and perfectionism that the film is restored. We owe special thanks to Richard Dayton and Eric Aijala of YCM Laboratories and Tim Everett, Ned Price and Bill Rush at Warner Bros."

The film was restored from the original negative, except for the original British title and the censored scenes, which were from dupe negatives found in Warner Bros’ vaults. The original prints were released on IB-Technicolor prints, and Richard Dayton at YCM Laboratories in Burbank worked with Ben to achieve this particular look.

The restoration will have a UK theatrical release later this year and Dracula will become one of the many thousands of films vital to British film history that are preserved at the BFI National Archive.

What's the betting - with Warners involved - that this may form the basis of the DVD re-release?