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This November, Hammer Films marks an extraordinary milestone as it celebrates 90 years in the business of horror and beyond. Founded in 1934, the iconic British film studio remains one of the oldest in the industry, renowned for its indelible mark on horror cinema and for elevating gothic horror to an art form. To honour this remarkable anniversary, the studio has released Hammer: Heroes, Legends and Monsters, a new documentary from Deep Fusion Films that delves into the studio’s legacy, alongside the re-release of the cult classic Captain Kronos Vampire Hunter in its first-ever 4K restoration.

The documentary, now available on Sky Arts and streaming on Now, brings together an impressive line-up of filmmakers and Hammer aficionados to recount the studio’s rise to cult status. Narrated by Charles Dance, Hammer: Heroes, Legends and Monsters revisits Hammer’s early days and traces its journey to becoming a defining force in horror cinema.

As the Bam Smack Pow comic book tournament continues, I realize that popularity isn’t alwasy the winning factor here. For example, the Shang-Chi defeated the more popular Gambit 66% to 34%; Shang-Chi is popular (even more so now thanks to his MCU movie), but Gambit has always been one of the most beloved X-Men, which is why many might consider this a surprise.

We’ve seen round 1 of the superheroes, supervillains, and, superhero fighters brackets. Before we jump into the next chapter, let's look at the results of the supervillain fighters tournament.

Ra's al Ghul over The Gorgon (74% to 26%)Lady Shiva over Bane (83% to 17%)Shredder over Kraven the Hunter (52% to 48%)Lady Deathstrike over Taskmaster (52% to 48%)Cheetah over Sabretooth (68% to 32%)Mystique over Green Goblin (53% to 47%)The Joker over Bullseye (62% over 38%)Deathstroke over Deadshot (76% to 24%)

Now it’s time for a series of fights that are more about brains than brawn. It’s the battle of the geniuses.

Exclusive: Hammer Films turns a spritely 90 years old later this year, and Sky is getting in on the celebrations.

The UK pay-tv network has teamed with the iconic horror studio and Cardiff’s Deep Fusion Films to make Hammer: Heroes, Legends and Monsters, which will launch in November, timed to coincide with the legendary production house’s 90th birthday.

The 90-minute feature doc will track Hammer’s progression from a back office in London’s Regent Street to its iconic status within the horror film genre. The company, started by comedian and businessman William Hinds in 1934, made films such as The Curse of Frankenstein, Dracula and The Quartermass Xperiment during the period for which it is best known, making stars out of the likes of Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing.

Deep Fusion co-founder Benjamin Field is helming the doc, with the director revisiting the people in front of and behind...

Hammer Films is delighted to announce that their upcoming horror thriller Doctor Jekyll will be available exclusively in the UK on Digital Download from 11th March 2024. An isolated mansion, a mysterious locked room, creepy corridors, a dusty cellar and a mad doctor… Hammer Horror is back! Dive into the haunting and enigmatic world of Doctor Jekyll. Starring the incomparable Eddie Izzard in a role like you’ve never seen before. A fresh, horror-filled take on a timeless tale, this adaptation promises to send shivers down your spine. Adapted from Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1886 novel, Doctor Jekyll is directed by Joe Stephenson, and also stars Scott Chambers and Simon Callow, as well as Lindsay Duncan, Jonathan Hyde, Morgan Watkins and Robyn Cara.

“In a year that marks a monumental milestone for Hammer Films, our 90th anniversary, we are proud to present ‘Doctor Jekyll’. This release is not just a new chapter...

I greatly looked forward to the ‘sequel’ rebirth of Hammer Horror into today’s age. It is important to note that those of us who delighted in the Halcyon days of Hammer Studios with the likes of Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, Sherlock Holmes, The Reptile, The Gorgon, and many others stalking around opulent yet budget-conscious sets with blood, gore, and low-cut necklines may be in for a bit of shock. Those types of films meaning the ‘Old’ Hammer Studios formula do not work for audiences of today. That is why Joe Stephenson Directed Doctor Jekyll (2023) is pivotal to the new ‘John Gore’ era of horror filmmaking, to that end it does not disappoint new and old on many fronts.

This picture is an underplayed subversive delight of duality on many levels. The level of decadency each person has on one another no matter how different they seem. Many cast themselves...

Welcome to the Hammer Factory. This month we dissect The Reptile (1966).

While Hammer Studios has been in business since 1934, it was between 1955 and 1979 that it towered as one of the premier sources of edgy, gothic horror. On top of ushering the famous monsters of Universal’s horror heyday back into the public eye, resurrecting the likes of Frankenstein, Dracula and the Mummy in vivid color, the studio invited performers like Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Ingrid Pitt and so many more to step into the genre limelight. Spanning a library housing over 300 films, Hammer Studios is a key part of horror history that until recently has been far too difficult to track down.

In late 2018, Shout Factory’s Scream Factory line began to focus on bringing Hammer’s titles to disc in the US, finally making many of the studio’s underseen gems available in packages that offered great visuals as well as insightful accompanying features.

Step into the mesmerizing world of Peter Cushing, the legendary actor whose name is synonymous with captivating performances and unforgettable characters. In this list, we’re counting down the 10 best Peter Cushing movies that have enthralled audiences and solidified his status as a true icon.

From battling monsters to unraveling mysteries, Cushing’s magnetic presence and exceptional talent have left an indelible mark on the world of cinema. So, fasten your seatbelts and get ready for a thrilling journey through the best of Peter Cushing’s extraordinary filmography.

Warner Bros. The Curse of Frankenstein (1957)

In this horror classic, Cushing brings the infamous Dr. Victor Frankenstein to life with unparalleled charisma and intensity. His portrayal of the mad scientist is a masterclass in captivating performances and solidifies his place as a horror legend.

Hammer Film Productions Horror of Dracula (1958)

Witness Cushing’s electrifying performance as the fearless vampire hunter, Professor Abraham Van Helsing,...

Step into the mesmerizing world of Peter Cushing, the legendary actor whose name is synonymous with captivating performances and unforgettable characters. In this list, we're counting down the 10 best Peter Cushing movies that have enthralled audiences and solidified his status as a true icon.

From battling monsters to unraveling mysteries, Cushing's magnetic presence and exceptional talent have left an indelible mark on the world of cinema. So, fasten your seatbelts and get ready for a thrilling journey through the best of Peter Cushing's extraordinary filmography.

Warner Bros. The Curse of Frankenstein (1957)

In this horror classic, Cushing brings the infamous Dr. Victor Frankenstein to life with unparalleled charisma and intensity. His portrayal of the mad scientist is a masterclass in captivating performances and solidifies his place as a horror legend.

Hammer Film Productions Horror of Dracula (1958)

Witness Cushing's electrifying performance as the fearless vampire hunter, Professor Abraham Van Helsing, in this iconic Hammer Horror production.

“From Dracula to Jedi master, Bond villain to a Metal god, Christopher Lee’s 70-year career was rich, varied and often, pretty weird.”

—The Guardian

The Eurocrypt Of Christopher Lee Blu-ray Collection is now available from Severin. The set can be ordered directly from Severin Here.

8 Blu-ray Collection Featuring 5 Classic European Films, A TV Anthology, Disc Of Rare Interviews + Book & Soundtrack CD

He remains one of the most beloved horror/fantasy icons in US/UK pop culture history, but Christopher Lee delivered several of the most compelling, acclaimed and bizarre performances of his entire career in 1960s Europe. The Eurocrypt Of Christopher Lee brings together five of these Lee classics – the 1964 gothic shocker Crypt Of The Vampire; the 1964 cult hit Castle Of The Living Dead co-starring an unknown Donald Sutherland; 1962’s celebrated Sherlock Holmes And The Deadly Necklace; 1967’s lurid favorite The Torture Chamber Of Dr. Sadism and the rarely-seen...

Barbara Shelley in Dracula: Prince Of Darkness

Hammer Horror was known for its leading ladies but few put across as much force of personality as Barbara Shelley. Now the much loved actress has died, aged 88, after contracting Covid-19 in the run-up to Christmas and developing a secondary infection.

The London-born star, who began her career as a model, worked with Hammer during its heyday in the Sixties, on films including The Gorgon, Rasputin: The Mad Monk, Dracula: Prince Of Darkness and Quatermass And The Pit. She enjoyed a wider range of roles than most of her contemporaries, playing heroines and villains, vulnerable upper class ladies and capable scientists, always bringing a keen intelligence to her work. She had a passion for science fiction and horror and described Hammer as a family, considering herself very lucky to have had the opportunity to work with Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. She continued to attend related events.

By Lee Pfeiffer

British actress Barbara Shelley has passed away from Covid-19 related ailments. She was 88 years-old. Shelley became popular with horror movie fans in the 1960s when she became one of the resident leading ladies at the legendary Hammer Films where she made several movies with another studio legend, Christopher Lee. Among Shelley's Hammer films were "The Camp on Blood Island" (a rare non-horror entry), "The Gorgon", "Dracula: Prince of Darkness", "Rasputin: The Mad Monk" and "Quatermass and the Pit". Shelley played the lead female role in the 1960 MGM cult classic "Village of the Damned" opposite George Sanders. She also played a recurring character in the 1984 "Doctor Who" television series. She appeared in other iconic British television shows including "Blake's 7", "The Avengers", "EastEnders", "Danger Man", "The Saint" "Man in a Suitcase" and "The Two Ronnies" as well as international favorites including "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." and "Route 66". For more,...

Barbara Shelley, an acclaimed British horror movie actress, has died at age 88 after contracting Covid-19.

Shelley’s agent, Thomas Bowington, told the U.K.’s press association that the actress spent two weeks in the hospital before Christmastime battling coronavirus. He added, “it’s most likely Covid is going to come up on the death certificate.”

Shelley was best known for her roles in classic horror films produced by London-based Hammer Film Productions (better known as Hammer Horror), including “The Gorgon,” “The Pit” and “Quatermass.”

She also starred alongside Christopher Lee in the 1966 movie “Dracula: Prince of Darkness,” directed by Terence Fisher. With that role, Shelley helped launch Hammer Horror’s productions into the pop culture lexicon and came to be known as the “Queen of Hammer.”

In 1984, Shelley joined the 21st season of BBC’s intergalactic sci-fi series “Dr. Who,” playing the role of Sorasta in the show’s “Planet of Fire” serial.

One of the all-time greats from the horror genre is no longer with us as Hammer Horror legend Barbara Shelley has passed away. The veteran actress, who was still consistently receiving fan mail praising her classic work, was admitted to the hospital in December and subsequently caught Covid-19. Shelley managed to beat the disease, but "underlying issues" led to her passing soon after. She was 88 years old.

"She really was Hammer's number one leading lady and the technicolour queen of Hammer," said Thomas Bowington, Shelley's agent. "On screen she could be quietly evil. She goes from statuesque beauty to just animalistic wildness. She was a regular favourite of Hammer events and autograph shows but also performed on stage with the RSC. She adored Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing and loved working with them, that was very dear to her."

Actress Nicola Bryant, who worked with Shelley on Doctor Who, also...

Barbara Shelley, best known for her numerous appearances in Hammer Horror titles across the 1950s and 1960s, has died. She was 88.

The actress died from underlying conditions on Monday after contracting Covid-19, her agent revealed.

Shelley starred in some of the best known horror titles from Brit production house Hammer, including The Gorgon, Dracula: Prince Of Darkness, Rasputin: The Mad Monk and Quatermass And The Pit, appearing alongside other icons of the genre such as Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. Her regular appearance as the glamorous gothic leading lady in these films helped earn her the nickname the ‘Queen of Hammer’...

Barbara Shelley, best known for her numerous appearances in Hammer Horror titles across the 1950s and 1960s, has died. She was 88.

The actress died from underlying conditions on Monday after contracting Covid-19, her agent revealed.

Shelley starred in some of the best known horror titles from Brit production house Hammer, including The Gorgon, Dracula: Prince Of Darkness, Rasputin: The Mad Monk and Quatermass And The Pit, appearing alongside other icons of the genre such as Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. Her regular appearance as the glamorous gothic leading lady in these films helped earn her the nickname the ‘Queen of Hammer’...

November 17th looks to be one of the quieter home media release days we’ve had in a while, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have some great titles headed home this week, either. Hammer fans will undoubtedly want to pick up Mill Creek’s new box sets for Hammer Films: The Ultimate Collection and Inner Sanctum Mysteries this Tuesday, or if you’re looking for more modern horror to entertain you, Relic and Monstrum are headed to both Blu-ray and DVD this week as well.

Other releases for November 17th include Death of Me, 2067, Westworld: Season 3, Alfred Hitchcock: 4-Film Collection, and So Sweet, So Dead.

Hammer Films: The Ultimate Collection

For more than four decades, Hammer Films unique blend of horror, science fiction, thrills and comedy dominated countless drive-ins and movie theaters. Enjoy this massive collection from the darkest corners of the Hammer Imagination!

Featuring 20 Cult-Classics...

The Outer Worlds‘ story continues in Obsidian’s recently revealed Peril on Gorgon Dlc.

“What we wanted to do with the Dlc was dig into some of the lore from the main campaign,” says game director Carrie Patel in an interview with GamesRadar. “There are a few details that come up in the base game and specifically there’s a drug called Adrena-Time. And so we saw the Dlc as an opportunity to dig into Halcyon’s underlying problems. We know it’s a strange place run by the corporations. But how did some of the very specific problems that plagued this colony come to be?”

While Patel stops short of expanding on what that last part means, she does verify that that Dlc picks up after players have “finished the critical path on Monarch.” The Dlc will also take place on an asteroid which Obsidian says will be quite large.

Today, as part of the hourlong Microsoft Xbox Games Showcase, Private Division and Obsidian Entertainment revealed details for The Outer Worlds: Peril on Gorgon, the first of two narrative DLCs. That's great news for fans of the sci-fi RPG, like myself, who have been looking for a good reason to get back into the stylish, colorful, humorous game. In my opinion, The Outer Worlds remains one of the best games to come out in 2019, even though it showed up at the tail end of that year. The port over to the Switch also sets a standard for …...

During the Xbox Games Showcase, Obsidian revealed the first of two planned story expansions for The Outer Worlds, coming this September. If you can’t get enough of The Outer Worlds and want to head back to into the RPG’s sci-fi setting, you’re in luck. You’ll get your chance when Peril on Gorgon arrives on September […]

The post New Outer Worlds Dlc Takes Us to Gorgon appeared first on Cinelinx | Movies. Games. Geek Culture..

In the 1960s, Hammer Film Productions reigned supreme. Breathing new life into the classic Universal monsters of the 1930s with lush color photography and plenty of cherry-colored blood, Hammer was the horror studio from the mid 50s until the 70s. Though it didn't fully cease production until the following decade (and was resurrected again in 2007) nothing beats the gothic chillers of the studio at its height.

Related: 10 Best Hammer Films Horror, Ranked

With bonafide classics like The Curse of Frankenstein and Horror of Dracula, and instantly iconic creature features like The Reptile (1966) and The Gorgon (1964) getting all the glory, there are some really good Hammer flicks that fall through the cracks. Below are ten of the best to add to your watchlist.

You can tell that the Halloween season is getting closer, between various retailers already donning their shelves with tons of decorations, the days are getting shorter, and Turner Classic Movies has debuted their October schedule online, which features an abundance of genre awesomeness that will be hitting airwaves this fall. Without a doubt, TCM is one of the best resources for classic film, so for those of you looking to broaden your horizons this Halloween, definitely check out their calendar and set those DVRs.

Also, TCM has designated Godzilla as their “Monster of the Month” for October, so look for a bunch of classic films featuring the “King of the Monsters” and other beloved Kaiju throughout October as well.

**All Listings are in Est.**

Friday, September 27th

3:15pm – The Mummy’s Shroud

6:30pm – The Mummy (1959)

Saturday, September 28th

2:00am – Belladonna of Sadness

3:30am – House (1977)

Sunday, September...

Tenacious D isn’t widely know for writing heavy political objection into their goofball brand of musical entertainment, but Post-Apocalypto is a different, three-headed penis beast. Set in a dystopian future where humanity has been nuked to hell, “The D” must save what’s left of Earth from Nazis, Kkk soldiers, Crackalackadingdong monsters, “The Gorgon,” Amazonian cave […]

The post ‘Tenacious D in Post-Apocalypto’ Review: Relentless Phallic Imagery in an Epic Adventure [Fantastic Fest] appeared first on /Film.

Now in its 12th annual year, Drive-In Super Monster-Rama is one of my favorite horror events of the year. Taking place in Vandergrift, Pennsylvania, I always look forward to two nights of classic horror and sci-fi movies on the big screen, including vintage trailers, delicious drive-in food, special guests, and hundreds of horror fans.

While it's always been a treat to catch a Hammer horror movie at the drive-in, this year's event is an entire "Hammer Horror Weekend," featuring eight restored Dcp presentations. The Friday, September 7th lineup includes The Curse of the Werewolf, The Gorgon, One Million Years B.C., and When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth. On Saturday, September 8th, they'll be screening Scars of Dracula (!!), The Horror of Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde, and Blood from the Mummy's Tomb.

Admission is $10 per person per night and, while you can drive up to the theater each night, they also...

Although it starred Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, Terence Fisher’s 1964 Hammer film The Gorgon never went on to achieve quite the same level of fame and recognition as many of the other films produced by the studio. However, it had such a strong impact on filmmaker Joshua Kennedy that he’s currently raising cash on […]

The post Hammer Stars Reunite for House of the Gorgon appeared first on Dread Central.

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!

Last night, at the tail end of a long and weird day, after all the rest of the folks who live with me were snug in bed, I shut off all the lights in the house, settled into my living room movie-watching chair and fired up a vintage Hammer classic I’d never seen before, The Reptile (1966). Even though it was directed by John Gilling, who helmed one of my favorite Hammer pictures, The Plague of the Zombies (from the same year), my expectations were low—I’d heard from trustworthy sources that it wasn’t a top-drawer offering from my favorite genre-oriented studio. But The Reptile, despite being a bit of a slow burn (as, admittedly, many Hammer pictures are, especially to a generation weaned on visually hyperactive remakes and reboots of established classics), turned out to be a creepy, well-earned scare, and the lead-up to the reveal of...

He was looking for a cure to cancer, but the scientist instead found something else that was deadly in Island of Terror. Starring the legendary Peter Cushing, Island of Terror is coming to Blu-ray on June 20th from Scream Factory, and we've been provided with three Blu-ray copies to give away to lucky Daily Dead readers.

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Prize Details: (3) Winners will receive (1) Blu-ray copy of Island of Terror.

How to Enter: We're giving Daily Dead readers multiple chances to enter and win:

1. Instagram: Following us on Instagram during the contest period will give you an automatic contest entry. Make sure to follow us at:

https://www.instagram.com/dailydead/

2. Email: For a chance to win via email, send an email to contest@dailydead.com with the subject “Island of Terror Contest”. Be sure to include your name and mailing address.

Entry Details: The contest will end at 12:01am Est on June 26th.

Scream Factory has a special treat in store for Peter Cushing fans, as they will release Island of Terror (1966) on Blu-ray sometime this summer.

From Scream Factory: "Heads up for fans of the late great horror legend Peter Cushing. We will be releasing one his more obscure and underrated films, Island Of Terror from 1966 on Blu-ray in early Summer! Film is directed by Terence Fisher (The Gorgon, Dracula: Prince of Darkness).

Pre-order links will go up sometime next month."

Synopsis (via Blu-ray.com): "When the inhabitants of Petrie's island succumb to a mysterious disease, doctors Brian Stanley (Peter Cushing) and David West (Edward Judd) are asked to investigate. Puncture marks on the corpses reveal the horrifying truth: the islanders and their animals are being killed not by a disease, but by a strange type of silicate organism that sucks the bone from their bodies. As the death toll...

Now that September is finally underway, you can expect to see a lot of horror and sci-fi offerings making their way to Blu-ray and DVD from now until Halloween. This Tuesday, we have a handful of selections to look forward to, including a double dose of Hammer Films double features, Haunted Honeymoon (directed by and starring the late, great Gene Wilder), and a trio of new releases: The Neighbor, Tale of Tales, and The Ones Below.

Other notable home entertainment releases for September 6th include Supernatural: Season 11, The Flash: Season Two, The Dead Room, The Darkness, and Night of the Living Deb.

Hammer Films Double Feature: Revenge of Frankenstein & The Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb (Mill Creek Entertainment, Blu-ray)

For more than four decades, Hammer Films’ unique blend of horror, science fiction, thrills and comedy dominated countless drive-ins and movie theaters. Enjoy this impeccable collection from the darkest corners of the Hammer Imagination!

Presenting murderous moppets on screen is always a dicey proposition. For every The Bad Seed or The Omen, there is always The Good Son or Mikey skulking about. It’s all about the fear – making a five or ten year old believably frightening is hard to do. As audience members, we put our faith in filmmakers to produce tension, conflict, and danger in a palpable (but not necessarily plausible) way, and when it’s tested we end up wading through Children of the Corn. But when our faith is rewarded, we find ourselves in the Village of the Damned (1960), a seminal killer kid chiller.

Based on the novel The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham, Village was produced by MGM’s British division and distributed there in July, with a December rollout in the States. The film was a great success, both with critics and audiences alike, luring them in with...

Titan Comics have announced this weekend that, beginning this Halloween 2016, they will team up with world-renowned Hammer to breathe new life into some of their iconic characters. Announced at ComicsPRO retailer summit in Portland, Oregon, the partnership will see the publication of brand-new comic stories featuring classic Hammer properties, as well as wholly original Hammer stories, produced by Titan. Editor David Leach said:

At Titan Comics we’re howling at the moon over this bold new collaboration! Hammer is the home of some of the most groundbreaking horror and genre films in motion picture history. Together we’re going to make some terrifyingly good comics.

Founded in 1934, the legendary British studio Hammer Films produced hundreds of motion pictures across many genres including science fiction, psychological and supernatural thrillers, films noir and even historical epics. However, the famous brand gained its worldwide reputation – and became hugely impactful across popular culture – with...

Hammer horror fans are in for a treat, as respective collections of five William Castle films and five Hammer horror movies are coming out on Blu-ray in August, and The Incredible Two-Headed Transplant has been set to come out on Blu-ray.

The William Castle and Hammer horror collections will respectively come out on DVD August 18th from Mill Creek. The Incredible Two-Headed Transplant, meanwhile, is slated for release later this year by Kino Lorber. Stay tuned to Daily Dead for further updates.

From Mill Creek: "Iconic horror director William Castle created a simple, but winning formula for his films: a little comedy, a lot of scares, a preposterous gimmick, and a clear sense that fright films should be fun. This even meant Castle would, like Alfred Hitchcock, appear in his trailers and even the movies themselves. Though his career spanned 35 years and included everything from westerns to crime thrillers, he'll...

Marc Buxton Oct 21, 2019

Hammer Films produced plenty of amazing horror Movies, but we take a look at the ones the studio abandoned.

Redder than red blood, international ingénues with deep cleavage, lush settings, elaborate costumes and sets, these are just some of the aspects people think of when they remember Hammer Films and the horrors the studio constructed.

Filmed in eye popping color, Hammer’s horror movies brought the Universal pantheon of monsters to life like never before, adding elements of sensual eroticism and (for the age) intense violence to truly update the clunky creatures of yore. Christopher Lee, Ralph Bates, Peter Cushing, Michael Gough, Ingrid Pitt, Valerie Leon, David Prowse, and Patrick Troughton filled filmgoers with loathing and desire in Hammer’s world famous gothic films. Hammer often produced massive scale features on shoestring budgets, relying on recycled costumes and sets and the skill of their players to bring...

That a little studio located in the English countryside consistently put out high quality films on a very limited budget is one of the great stories in filmmaking history. Hammer Films was the most successful independent film company ever, producing comedy, drama, mysteries, and war movies before finding their niche in horror. Hammer became a name synonymous with horror, a name that still means something today.

They took their horror stories from English literature set in Europe in the 19th century and their carefully designed and constructed sets created an atmosphere that made the time and place as much a part of the film as the story. After securing remake rights from Universal for their catalog of classics from the 1930s and 1940s, Hammer became the leading producer of horror films. Hammer’s philosophy was straightforward: always be entertaining, have plenty of sex appeal, and lots of violence and blood.

The Gorgon

Written by John Gilling

Directed by Terence Fisher

UK, 1964

In the 1950’s, at the birth of the atom age, the content of horror films shifted from the supernatural horrors like Dracula and the Wolf Man, to science-based atrocities. Frankenstein’s monster, which was a patchwork of body parts given life by the mysterious power of lightning, became the Colossus of New York, a giant robot with the brain of a brilliant scientist who goes mad. The gypsy curse that turned Lon Chaney Jr.’s Larry Talbot into a Wolf Man becomes a medical experiment that transforms Michael Landon’s Tony Rivers into a Teenaged Werewolf. The monsters were no longer mythological creatures but scientifically created horrors to reflect the place science had taken in our lives.

When Hammer Horror came into prominence at the end of the 50’s and early 60’s it did so because of its penchant for gore and sexuality.

Feature Alex Westthorp 9 Apr 2014 - 07:00

In the next part of his series, Alex talks us through the film careers of the second and fourth Doctors, Patrick Troughton and Tom Baker...

Read Alex's retrospective on the film careers of William Hartnell and Jon Pertwee, here.

Like their fellow Time Lord actors, William Hartnell and Jon Pertwee, Patrick Troughton and Tom Baker also shared certain genres of film. Both appeared, before and after their time as the Doctor, in horror movies and both worked on Ray Harryhausen Sinbad films.

Patrick George Troughton was born in Mill Hill, London on March 25th 1920. He made his film debut aged 28 in the 1948 B-Movie The Escape. Troughton's was a very minor role. Among the better known cast was William Hartnell, though even Hartnell's role was small and the two didn't share any scenes together. From the late Forties, Troughton found more success on the small screen,...

This happened last month !!!!!

Super-8 Peter Cushing Movie Madness was originally scheduled for February 4th but because of the snowstorm predicted in St. Louis, it’s been pushed back one week. The new date is February 11th

Peter Cushing (1913-1994) was one of the most respected and important actors in the horror and fantasy film genres. To his many fans, the British star is recognized for his work with Hammer Films which began in the late 1950’s. Cushing’s best-known roles outside of Hammer include Grand Moff Tarkin in Star Wars (1977) and Dr. Who in Dr. Who And The Daleks (1965) and Daleks Invasion Earth 2150 Ad (1966). Peter Cushing truly was The Gentle Man of Horror and Super-8 Peter Cushing Movie Madness will be a great way to celebrate his career.

Super-8 Peter Cushing Movie Madness will take place at The Way Out Club on February 11th beginning at 8pm. Condensed versions...

Peter Cushing (1913-1994) was one of the most respected and important actors in the horror and fantasy film genres. To his many fans, the British star is recognized for his work with Hammer Films which began in the late 1950’s. Cushing’s best-known roles outside of Hammer include Grand Moff Tarkin in Star Wars (1977) and Dr. Who in Dr. Who And The Daleks (1965) and Daleks Invasion Earth 2150 Ad (1966). Peter Cushing truly was The Gentle Man of Horror and Super-8 Peter Cushing Movie Madness will be a great way to celebrate his career.

Super-8 Peter Cushing Movie Madness will take place at The Way Out Club on February 4th beginning at 8pm. Condensed versions (average length: 15 minutes) of these great Peter Cushing films will be screened on a big screen on Super-8 sound film: Dr Who Daleks Invasion Earth 2150 Ad, The Beast Must Die, Star Wars, At The Earth’S Core,...

Article by Jim Batts, Dana Jung, Michael Haffner, Sam Moffitt, and Tom Stockman

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Peter Cushing (1913-1994) was one of the most respected and important actors in the horror and fantasy film genres. To his many fans, the British star was known as ‘The Gentle Man of Horror’ and is recognized for his work with Hammer Films which began in the late 1950’s, but he had numerous memorable roles outside of Hammer. A topnotch actor who was able to deliver superb performances on a consistent basis, Peter Cushing also had range. He could play both the hero and the villain with ease.

Super-8 Peter Cushing Movie Madness takes place February 4th at The Way Out Club in St. Louis and will be a great way to celebrate the actor’s career. The event is on February 4th beginning at 8pm. Condensed versions (average length:...

Hammer and Horror Film Day!

Saturday November the 9th ( 10am – 5pm )

Central Hall Westminster.

Storey’s Gate, Westminster, London SW1H 9Nh

UK’s longest running film fair and convention.

Now in it’s 40th year!

The Convention presents dealers from all over the UK, Europe, Us ,

Canada and South America.

Specialising in rare original film memorabilia and collectables.

Taking place six times a year these are truly unique events for anyone with an interest in films!

With actors and director’s signings, illustrated talks, retrospectives and film screenings taking place through out the day.

Items covering the history of cinema can be found. From the silents to the present.

From rare items of the 1920’s to new releases and the latest heart throb.

Among the many different field of cinema covered at the show is – Classic Hollywood, horror films, sci-fi, the best of British and European cinema as we as cult tv!

The film career of legendary English actor Sir Christopher Lee began in 1948 and continues to the present day. Lee is best known for his roles in horror films, especially the string of seven Dracula movies he starred in for Hammer Studios between 1958 and 1974. Super-8 Christopher Lee Movie Madness will be a great way to celebrate the career of Lee, who recently celebrated his 91st birthday. Admission is only Three Dollars.

Super-8 Christopher Lee Movie Madness will take place at The Way Out Club on August 6th beginning at 8pm. Condensed versions (average length: 15 minutes) of these great Christopher Lee films will be screened on a big screen on Super-8 sound film: Dracula Prince Of Darkness, Taste The Blood Of Dracula, Scars Of Dracula, The Gorgon (with Peter Cushing), To The Devil A Daughter, Curse Of The Crimson Cult (with Boris Karloff), and Return To Witch Mountain.

The non- Christopher Lee...

Cinema is a kind of uber-art form that’s made up of a multitude of other forms of art including writing, directing, acting, drawing, design, photography and fashion. As such, film is, as all cinema aficionados know, a highly collaborative venture.

One of the most consistently fascinating collaborations in cinema is that of the director and actor.

This article will examine some of the great director & actor teams. It’s important to note that this piece is not intended as a film history survey detailing all the generally revered collaborations.

There is a wealth of information and study available on such duos as John Ford & John Wayne, Howard Hawks & John Wayne, Elia Kazan & Marlon Brando, Akira Kurosawa & Toshiro Mifune, Alfred Hitchcock & James Stewart, Ingmar Bergman & Max Von Sydow, Federico Fellini & Giulietta Masina/Marcello Mastroianni, Billy Wilder & Jack Lemmon, Francis Ford Coppola & Al Pacino, Woody Allen & Diane Keaton, Martin Scorsese & Robert DeNiro...

Joe Dante runs down the TCM Halloween rundown!

Of all the available outlets for classic movies, TCM leads the (admittedly small) pack in variety, invention and print quality.

Still not nearly as widely available as it should be (try finding it on hotel televisions), the brand has nevertheless firmly carved an essential niche in the cable/satellite movie landscape, allowing owner Time Warner to maximize its vast library of vintage movies culled from numerous studio sources. In fact, Time Warner owns more titles than any other entity, and lately has been forthcoming with clever marketing ideas like the Warner Archive on-demand dvd service, which has been thankfully adopted by MGM, Sony, Fox and Universal. There are more titles available to the general public than ever before, often in pristine condition.

But to love a film you have to see it, and to see it you have to know it exists.

Professor Jules Heitz travels to the remote Eastern European village of Vandorf when one of his sons is accused of murder before taking his own life. However, he encounters hostility from the locals and suspects that they are hiding something from him.

Despite threats of violence, Heitz elects to stay in Vandorf to find out the truth. During the dead of night, the calls of a siren lure him to the ruins of the castle where he has a fatal encounter with Magera, a snake-haired gorgon from Greek mythology who could turn a man to stone with her gaze.

In his last hours, he manages to send a letter to his surviving son, Paul, who promptly arrives in Vandorf to be greeted by the same hostility and violence as his father. Paul also has an encounter with Magera, although he is lucky enough to escape. Realising he needs help to combat this creature,...

“My name is Bond - James Bond". That classic introduction to the cinema’s greatest secret agent is as famous as “I am Dracula, I bid you welcome.” When the box office success of Dr No (1962) turned the unknown Sean Connery into a movie legend, Hammer was never far away from the franchise. With their own films running parallel to the Bond series, Hammer and Eon Productions often made use of the same talent.

Dr No also marked the debuts of Bernard Lee (the first of 11 films as M) and Lois Maxwell (the first of 14 as Miss Moneypenny). Lee had a brief turn as Tarmut in Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell (1973) and despite never starring in a Hammer horror, Maxwell turned up in their early fifties thrillers Lady in the Fog (1953) and Mantrap (1954).

As doomed double-agent Professor Dent, Anthony Dawson is best known as the vile Marquis in Curse...

During his fifty years as an actor, Peter Cushing found himself up against many monsters (some of whom he created) of varying creepiness. From his star-making role as Baron Frankenstein, the monster hunter certainly had his hands full...

The Abominable Snowman (1957): Intelligent Val Guest science fiction thriller, with Cushing’s scientist Dr John Rollison leading an expedition to find the Yeti, only to learn there is something more other-worldly about this particular monster.

The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959): Cushing gives his finest performance as Sherlock Holmes, battling the ferocious (and rather feeble-looking) dog that has cursed the Baskerville family for centuries. Cushing played the Great Detective in a 1968 TV series and turned up years later in The Mask of Death (1984), looking very frail but never losing his spark.

The Mummy (1959): Cushing plays crippled archaeologist John Banning, who ignores native warnings and activates a mummy (Lee again) that wrecks havoc.

For nearly half of the previous century, Hammer Films productions was one of the most well known movies for science fiction, thrillers, film noirs and comedies. Many Hammer’s films featured well known actors like Ralph Bates, Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. With its recent release of “Let Me in,” Hammer Films is currently in production of “The Woman in Black” with actor Daniel Radcliffe and plans to possibly revive its horror classics like “Quatermass” and “Dracula.” Check out the following news video from the United Kingdom about Hammer Films and a behind the scenes look of “The Woman in Black.” Gig Patta’s Take: I’ve seen a few of Hammer’s films including “Dracula,” “The Mummy,” and even “The Gorgon.” They weren’t too bad, especially for films made about 50 years ago. Remakes and updates to these Hammer Films are probably not a bad idea to introduce the movies to a new generation.

Super-8 Charles Bronson Movie Madness at the Way Out Club will be held next Tuesday, July 6th from 8pm to Midnight. This will be a major movie event! Super-8 Movie Madness is going to honor the career of Hollywood’s greatest star and we’ll be making history again for as far as I’m aware this is the first Super-8 Charles Bronson festival… like… ever! I will be covering the walls of the Way Out Club with dozens of massive Charles Bronson movie posters and will be displaying busts, figures, and model kits of Charles Bronson all from my personal collection. And best of all, there will be these awesome Super-8 Charles Bronson Movie Madness T-Shirts for sale for only ten bucks!

If you’re not familiar with the madness, here’s a brief rundown: Remember (before video tapes) the Super-8 films they used to sell in the 1950’s...

Warner Brothers is set to “release the kraken” this Friday, April 2… so, Wamg is set to release the Movie Geeks, wielding their swords of cinematic heroism to establish the most epic Top Ten list of Mythological Masterpieces… ever! This week’s Top Ten Tuesday is devoted to the great Greek mythological stories of heroes, gods and monsters.

10. Hercules (1997)

You know why this movie is on this list? It’s not because it was Disney’s last, great, hand-drawn, animated film of the ’90s. It wasn’t. The film’s not great, but you have to hand it to whatever genius decided the perfect voice for Hades, the Lord of the Underworld, would be James Woods. Best. Voice casting. Ever. Rip Torn voicing Zeus? Another stroke of genius. This was also probably the first time many kids born in the early ’90s became privy to the voice of Charlton Heston, who does the narration.

As our favorite holiday creeps ever closer, the DVD release slate continues to become increasingly jammed with the year's horror faves and this week is no exception. The big one this week is, of course, Ghost House Underground's massive 8 film horror boxed set. Featuring 8 great horror films from around the world, The Ghu box features many films we've been following all year including; Dance of the Dead, Trackman, The Substitute, Dark Floors, Room 205, The Last House in the Woods, No Man's Land: Rise of Reeker, and Brotherhood of Blood.

Of course if that's not enough Halloween horror for you, Anchor Bay is releasing a new Halloween: 30th Anniversary Box which includes the original '78 film restored, along with Halloween 4: The Return Of Michael Myers, Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers, and the Halloween: 25 Years Of Terror bonus disc. Where Halloween 2 and 3 are I have no idea.