Icons of Horror: Hammer Films

I have always been a fan of Hammer horror films, and I regret the studio's passing. As long as we have excellent DVDs such as this package, however, it is not forgotten. This combo package is one of the best that I have seen. The others reviewers on this page discuss it quite well, so what I have to do add is perhaps from the position of an academic who loves writing about literature and films. The best of this group is arguably SCREAM OF FEAR, a black-and-white thriller that has been compared to PSYCHO and other Hitchcock works. Perhaps such a comparison is justified, but this little film exists as an eerie mystery in its own right. It is one of the best of the mystery genre -- a work that may have supernatural overtones, but all of these are rationally explained at the end. It is fun for viewers to discover that characters turn out to be not who they are initially set up to be. Ronald Lewis, whom I first saw as Aeneas in Robert Wise' HELEN OF TROY in the mid 1950s, is a centerpiece here -- an apparently sympathetic character who claims to be helping the heroine, the lovely Susan Strasberg. Who can be more helpless than a heroine confined to a wheelchair? A good mystery keeps its viewers guessing. Does the wheelchair-bound heroine really see the corpse of her dead father throughout the Rivera villa? Is he a ghost? Is Christopher Lee someone on hand to help her or menace her? Does the heroine have some secrets of her own? Perhaps the mystery is clear-cut until the end -- is her father dead or alive? Did someone murder him? If so, who? However, the ending is meant to throw us for a loop, and it succeeds quite well in this endeavor. Christopher Lee, who plays a Dr. Gerrard -- using the French spelling of a name that I carry, although mine is the Scottish version of the name -- is a stalwart presence who could easily be the bad-guy of the piece. He is Dracula without fangs, the pirate chief without his sword, and he takes center stage during the few moments when he is on-screen. Casting him as the swarthy-looking physician who appears to know more than he is saying was a deft touch. At the end, we see him in a new light -- as we do all of the major characters. Quite gripping and compelling little mystery. Another black-and-white British thriller, which also starred Ronald Lewis, is worthy of being released on DVD. I am unable to recall its name, but it was released in theatres about the time that SCREAM OF FEAR appeared. It also stars Diane Cilento and Claude Dauphin and has a few twists and turns of its own. THE GORGON is of interest to me because of its mythological origin. Megaera was a sister of the better-known Medusa -- the Greek monster with snakes for hair and a stare that can keep you stoned for good. She was supposedly dispatched by Perseus, son of Zeus, but her sister, as the narrative of THE GORGON sets it up, supposedly fled to the area near this European village. This is a bit hard to swallow, but if one accepts this premise, one is in for a good time. Unfortunately, someone with Ray Harryhausen's skill did not create the Megaera monster herself, and the make-up job is pretty atrocious. One of the minor characters is the actor who played a more significant role in THE WILD GEESE, another Brit actor who, like Michael Ripper, shows up now and then. Peter Cushing, although top-billed here, is an unsympathetic character who only gets in the way of the hero, played by the very capable Richard Pasco. Cushing is shielding the Barbara Shelley character, and an interesting touch here is that the Megaera monster is played as the evil half of a Jekyll and Hyde character or as a type of werewolf who does a transformation act. How this came about is never explained either. However, in the heat of the battle, who really cares? Cushing's old nemesis, Christopher Lee shows up as a crusty professor who tries to save his former student. Nice switch for Cushing and Lee. Many of the characters get stoned in the film, and it is to the film's credit that they are not always the characters you expect to meet such a stiffening demise. That said, why the bohemian artist is found hanging instead of being turned to stone like his pregnant girl friend is not clear. If he did not kill himself, who did it and why? If I missed something, which is entirely possible, I apologize. The music, it should be mentioned, is top notch, adding the perfect pitch to the supernatural proceedings. It is the type of eerie film score that you cannot imagine belonging to any other horror film. Also not just like any other horror film is THE TWO FACES OF DR. JEKYLL, originally released in the US, for some idiotic reason, as HOUSE OF FRIGHT. Although this film includes some top-notch performances, it is far from frightening. Paul Massie speaks his role as Jekyll as if he has a head cold and decided to spout from the bottom of a mug of root beer. God, what horrible make-up! He is definitely no John Malkovich when it comes to playing Jekyll, but his role as Hyde is closer to Malkovich's version of Hyde than any other Hyde character we've seen on the screen. Like Malkovich's Hyde, he is handsome and amoral, vicious and self-serving. The ending of THE TWO FACES OF DR. JEKYLL is not the violent shoot-out we often get in a Jekyll and Hyde film. Oliver Reed makes a brief appearance as a sleezy friend of an even sleezier prostitute who meets his end because of his untimely leap across the table at Hyde, who subsequently bashes in his head for his troubles. Christopher Lee again steals the show as an against-type playboy who mooches off of the guileless Jekyll while romancing his estranged wife, played here by Dawn Addams. He oils his way through the proceedings and meets his end too quickly for the good of the film. Incidentally, Addams being raped by Hyde, who is actually her own husband in another guise, provides an interesting, ironic touch, but it is not enough to save this tepid production. Another tepid film is the weakest of this collection, probably the weakest in the Mummy collection. The best is, of course, the version with Christopher Lee portraying the mummy in stiff, bandaged wrapped fashion and Peter Cushing starring as the sympathetic hero stumbling around with a limp because his father, the distinguished Felix Alymer, was too busy desecrating the mummy's tomb to have his broken leg set properly. THE CURSE OF THE MUMMY'S TOMB, unlike the superior BLOOD FROM THE MUMMY'S TOMB (based loosely on Bram Stoker's JEWEL OF THE SEVEN STARS), would almost be forgettable were it not for the appearance of American Fred Clark as a Barnum and Bailly showman type. Clark is obstreperous and superb, as he usually is, off-setting the British performances who are more staid and colorless. That he lacks integrity because of his ballyhoo-conscious intentions is not surprising, since this is the way many British and Europeans see the typical American -- an image that is not always unjustified. Terence Morgan in the lead as the man who is a lot older than we think steals the heroine from the hapless and straight-laced Ronald Howard character. His real identity is a surprise, but the twist of an ending is not really believable and in no way matches the twists of SCREAM OF FEAR. All in all, THE ICONS OF HORROR is a collection of Hammer films worth adding to your own collection. SCREAM OF FEAR and THE GORGON are the top-liners, but the others are not really shabby. They all just remind us of what the little British studio was able to add to a decade or more of horror greats. It's unfortunate that VAMPIRE CIRCUS and TWINS OF EVIL are only available from foreign markets, and even then in limited supply. Come back, Hammer. We miss you.

First, allow me to discuss the DVD presentation. The only extra features are: theatrical trailers and English subtitles for all four movies. We who are hearing impaired thank Sony for the subtitles. Commentaries would've been nice, especially for those who have a favorite film in this collection. The restoration is superb and the audio is strong and clear for all four features. "The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll" and "The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb" are presented in widescreen with an aspect ratio of 2.35:1; "The Gorgon" and "Scream of Fear" are presented in 1.66:1. Except for "Scream of Fear," all features are in beautiful color. The black and white print is clear and sharp for "Scream of Fear." Too bad it wasn't in color. Overall, the DVD presentation is very good. Now for the review: Hammer Film Productions was famous for their gothic horror films. This is a superb collection and introduction for anyone unfamiliar with Hammer. Horror icon Christopher Lee (most famous for his role as Dracula) is in three of the films. Other horror legends include Peter Cushing, Barbara Shelly, Susan Strasberg, and Oliver Reed. All four movies involve monsters, primarily humans who have become monsters, whether physically or intellectually. Also, in these films, the viewer doesn't know who the real monster is. (The films are rife with betrayal.) A monster can be anyone. Sometimes they are normal in appearance. I promise you no plot spoilers as I briefly describe the monster scenario in each of these highly rated classic gems. "The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll" - Aging Dr. Jekyll drinks his potion and becomes a younger, more handsome man who wishes to be free of all responsibility for his amoral actions. (Don't we all wish we could live like that? Isn't there a monster in all of us?) Masquerading as Dr. Hyde, Dr. Jekyll learns that his gorgeous wife and best friend (Lee) are traitorous monsters. "The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb." - Ra, the Egyptian Prince, has been resurrected by an evil person who possesses an amulet. Who are they and why are they seeking to destroy everyone around them? The real monster is the one who is controlling the unfortunate mummy. "The Gorgon." Both Lee and Cushing star as a doctor and a professor, respectively, who are seeking to destroy the monster who turns innocent villagers into stone with their gaze. Unfortunately, the monster may actually be a respected member of the community. "Scream of Fear." This "Hitchcock"-like thriller stars Susan Strasberg as a crippled young woman; for the first time in ten years, she is visiting her wealthy father who lives on the French Riviera. Someone in the household is a monster who is trying to drive her insane. Quite a good mystery with many surprises. In fact, all four films are mysterious, gloomy, creepy, and shocking. I'm surprised these haven't already been released on DVD in America. They are truly excellent horror classics. I can't tell you which one is my favorite. For having been made in the 1960s, these films contain violence that is surprisingly graphic and shocking. Also, certain scenes in "The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll" had language and sexual innuendoes that were hilarious. This collection is a must have for fans of gothic horror from Hammer Film Productions. I'm very glad I bought it. Try to take it away from me and I'll turn into a monster.

Sort of like the "B" side of Hammer Film's greatest hits, "Hammer Films: Four Creepy Classics" is a blast and, in some cases, surpasses some of the film company's better known classics. In order to truly appreciate these films, it may help to have viewed them as a child (when they had more power to terrify), or, at least, to watch them without the expectation of non-stop action and graphic gore that typifies most horror films in today's market. First up is "Curse of the Mummy's Tomb", the first sequel to Hammer's 1959 Peter Cushing classic, "The Mummy" (itself a remake of, and improvement upon, a number of Universal horror flicks of the 1940's). "Curse" once again finds blasphemous archaeologists desecrating the tomb of an ancient pharaoh, with the usual mayhem resulting after an American showman (Fred Clark channeling P.T. Barnum) decides to take the gauze-covered mummy on a roadshow exhibition. After the usual suspects get wind of this, they resurrect the dusty fellow, who cuts a murderous swath through London before beauty and innocence prove to be his undoing. Terence Morgan, Ronald Howard (no relation to the director), and Jeanne Roland round out the perfectly acceptable cast. Not great, but still quite fun, "Curse" may suffer in comparison to its predecessor, but it's still better than the tired Mummy retreads that Universal has been belching out lately. "The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll" is a surprisingly sexy (for its time) look at the infamous doctor and his alter-ego's sordid doings. Beautiful cinematography and a good cast enhance this story about stuffy Doctor J's transformation into good-looking, sophisticated, man-about-town, Mr. Hyde (both excellently played by Paul Massie). While the good doctor's wife (Dawn Addams) canoodles with his best friend (Christopher Lee), Mr. Hyde hooks up with a snake-charmer in a colorful den of iniquity overseen by bouncer Oliver Reed (in an early screen role). Everyone is lusty and having a grand old time (except for poor old Jekyll) until Hyde's nasty temper begins getting the better of him, and then it's curtains for a number of characters. This is, perhaps, my favorite film on the DVD, although the scene where a seemingly agile, healthy adult stands perfectly still and screams while an extremely slow-moving python slithers over to dispatch said victim is irritatingly ludicrous. "The Gorgon" pairs Hammer faves Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee as two Eastern European doctors at odds with one another as they try to track down the mysterious titular creature responsible for a number of deaths in the local village. Flame-haired Barbara Shelley co-stars as Cushing's beautiful nurse, with Richard Pasco on hand as her suitor. There are some slow moments in "The Gorgon", and the monster, herself, is best seen when reflected in mirrors and pools of water, because the make-up department didn't do anyone any favors with this get-up of rubber snakes and bloodshot eyeballs. Still, it's a pretty good film with high production values, decent acting, and a certain amount of suspense. All in all, I thought "Scream of Fear"--not a horror film, per se--was the creepiest film of the bunch. A wheelchair-bound American heiress (Susan Strasberg) arrives at the French Riviera estate of her estranged father, only to find him missing and her stepmother (Ann Todd) acting suspiciously cozy with the local doctor (Christopher Lee, again, adopting a French accent). The only one of the four movies to be filmed in black and white, "Scream of Fear" has a weird, scary quality that recalls such low budget shockers as "Dementia 13" and "Paranoiac"; there's something claustrophobic about that black-and-white estate that invites cautious looks over the shoulder when characters enter darkened rooms they know they should stay out of. Though not as bloody and violent as "Dementia 13" and its ilk (which are tame by today's standards), "Scream of Fear" succeeds in creeping out the viewer with what it doesn't show. Again, the acting is first-rate with both Strasberg and Todd, in totally opposing roles, giving sympathetic performances, and Lee and actor, Ronald Lewis, fine as the male stand-bys. Again, I was bothered by a perfectly ludicrous scene in this film, when one character is brutally (and unnecessarily) killed while the rest of the cast hovers around the edges, waiting to "make their move". While they have certainly produced better films in the past, the four included on this collection are more than worthy of Hammer's growing DVD canon and a nice addition for collectors.

I got this set because I love "The Gorgon", truly a classic horror movie. Since it's my favorite in this set, I shall review "The Gorgon" first. The movie is filled with tension and suspense, and is highly atmospheric (an element I love in these classic horror movies). The movie is also quite unique as it has Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee playing reversed roles than what one would expect them to portray, i.e. Lee is the good guy and Cushing is the misguided baddie. The story in brief - a small town in Germany circa early 20th century is plagued by gruesome and mysterious deaths which the local authorities hush up. The bodies have all been turned to stone, and Peter Cushing who plays Dr Namaroff, the director of the local asylum, is complicit in this hush-up as well. Amidst this setting, a young man named Paul Heitz arrives to investigate his brother and father's mysterious deaths. He learns from a letter left by his father that there may be an evil force lurking in the small town, a Gorgon whose stare is fatal to all who see it, turning them into stone. As Paul investigates, he meets an attractive lady who also happens to be Namaroff's assistant, Carla (Barbara Shelley). When things get more dangerous, he pleads with his old professor to come and assist him (Christopher Lee). There is much suspense in this movie, and I thought the production qualities were above average. The acting is excellent, especially by Cushing, Lee and, Shelley, and the quality of the DVD is clear. Now for the other three films: "The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb" - revolves around the resurrection of the mummy Ra, who goes on to carry out despicable acts under the control of an evil person who possesses a powerful amulet. This is a weak horror movie, ridden with cliches, and truly underwhelming. The actors are ho-hum, with an especially atrocious dubbing job on the actress who err, gets unwelcome attention from the mummy. There is an interesting twist in the movie though which kept it mildly interesting. Not one I'd care to see again. "The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll" - directed by Terence Fisher,this 1960 Hammer production stars Paul Massie as Dr. Jekyll, and also co-stars Christopher Lee, David Kossoff, and Dawn Addams. What was interesting about this movie is the way the two personas are conceived - Dr. Jekyll is portrayed as a tepid character whereas Dr. Hyde is portrayed as charismatic and good-looking. "Scream of Fear" - Susan Strasberg plays a crippled young woman at the mercy of an evil person/s bent on driving her insane. This movie is more of a psychological thriller, and is quite a well-done suspense movie. Final verdict - a great set for classic horror fans!

Amazed to discover not only have the "hells" and "whores" on the dialogue track been restored in this version of The Two Faces of Dr Jekyll, but at least three scenes that had been trimmed by the censor have also been restored. The uncut ending of Maria's snake dance is pretty bold stuff for the early 60's and it's hard to imagine that Hammer thought they could slip this by the British or American censors. The two other restored moments are also scenes with the snake dancer, Maria. I've always found The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll a compelling reworking of the Stevenson novella, and as others have noted, Christopher Lee gives one of his best performances in an unusual bit of casting. Unfortunately the picture never really knows what to do with its unique premise of a dull bearded Dr Jekyll and a young handsome Mr Hyde. The original script was for a two hour movie and before shooting began was cut down to a more typical Hammer running time of under 90 minutes. Cutting that much material out of the script may be the reason this version never really comes together dramatically. But it's difficult to know without reading, if the longer script would have made a better picture. The original screenplay ended with the execution of Dr Jekyll. His neck in the hangman's noose, Jekyll is dropped through the gallows' door and as the dead man's body swings into view, we see the face of Mr Hyde. It's a stronger ending, but doesn't magically pull the picture together. The Two Faces isn't a horror film and it's not written or directed as a horror film. Maybe the problem is that we expect a horror film and the movie isn't powerful enough to convince us it isn't a horror film. Even with the script problems, The Two Faces is one of Hammer's most elaborate productions with a number of very compelling scenes and strong performances. Terence Fisher's direction is bold and assured, although for some reason Fisher has been blamed for the picture's short comings. But it seems apparent the problem is with the script, not the direction. For all it's flaws, it's one of Hammer's most unusual pictures and I can't help but like it a lot. Scream of Fear is the first and best of Hammer's psychological thrillers, with a few tense scenes that still hold up 47 years later. Although you might find one of the most "shocking" moments is a quiet but sexually charged scene between Ann Todd and Ronald Lewis near the end of the movie. The Gorgon tries hard to be the kind of horror film its title suggests, but fortunately fails miserably. More a tragic romance, in some strange way the picture rises above it's limited premise. Probably because Terence Fisher's direction emphasis the romantic and plays down as much of the conventional horror shtick as possible. But it's an uphill battle since the script is filled with cliches. As for Columbia's restoration of these pictures, for some reason The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll is way over saturated. Maybe it's my set, but nothing else looks over saturated except these recent Hammer releases from Columbia and that includes the two pirate pictures on the Icons of Adventure disc. Jack Asher's photography was always bold, but it didn't look cartoon-ish which is what I'm seeing on my set. Turning color down on my set helps a lot. But can't do much about the red leaning color correction . . . skin tones are way too ruddy and this might be the limits of what can be restored with a faded print. Neither Warner's nor Universal's Hammer releases have over saturated color, though Warner's The Mummy, in particular, leans too much to red in the skin tones.

If you like the old horror, sci-fi, and/or creature features, these are a must for your collection. These were made before computer enhancement, they use what they had to make these work.

One of the movies in this collection is "Scream of Fear", a rare black and white Hammer film that was one of Christopher Lee's favorites. Pure Hammer on set designs and horror, a worthwhile collection.

This is truly a nice gift for the Halloween season. Hammer films of England has been a great purveyor of gothic horror movies during the 1950s and 1960s. This collection is fairly representative of Hammer's work from 1959 through 1964. The presentation of the films in this DVD package was very clear and crisp. The colors were simply sumptuous! I first saw the Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll in a VHS tape. The colors and the look were very faded and muddy. In this DVD, we saw the film as if we were at the movie theater back in 1959. The other three films also look great. Kudos goes to Sony Pictures for the great work done in making these four films available for our viewing pleasure! Finally, it should be noted that all four films are available with closed captions and also have English subtitles for those who are hearing impaired. I only wished the folks at Universal who produced that horrendous DVD package of The Hammer Horror Series (Brides of Dracula, Curse of the Werewolf, etc.), with its flawed and mostly unviewable disks, used the same care which Sony did with this DVD collection. The only problem with this Sony collection is that only trailers are available as special features. But, hey, it is great to have these Hammer films finally in DVD. I look forward to seeing more Hammer classics coming out in the future.

These 4 movies I really liked. The curse of the mummy's tomb, scream of fear, the two faces of Dr. jekyell, and the gorgon. 1960's era. I seen two of them before on TV. But the other two never.

movies to watch

I should think these are the best prints in existence. I prefer NTSC to PAL as I'd rather have films running at their correct speed. The "intolerable" shudder during fast movement on PAL equipment is barely - if at all - noticeable. The "Hammer Horror Series" set is also excellent. Some fans are probably wondering what all the fuss was about regarding the "butchering" of certain Hammer films. These new releases feature "restored" or, I suspect, simply foreign prints that are relatively unscathed compared to the versions known to U.K. audiences. These releases were a nice surprise as it was not generally known that better versions could ever be made available! My one complaint is about Two Faces - for some reason it's a small file size (non-anamorphic?).

More Gothic melodrama than horror...except for the chilling SCREAM OF FEAR but really takes me back to watching these well acted, scripted and produced Hammer classics when I was young.

With two films per disc one might be forgiven in assuming this would be an budget release. Quite the contrary. The prints are bright and clean and the picture and sound quality are very good indeed. Until these classics are on Blu ray (if ever) this is a great way to see them