Hammer Horror

[Boromir]

Hi is anyone a fan of Hammer Film Productions horror films? I saw on amazon.co.uk The Ultimate Hammer Collection (21 Disc Box Set) [DVD] for £43.81

[mizlaplan]

Buy it asap!!
Ingrid Pitt, Madeline Smith....
Utterly gorgeous
Also, the Hammer films in general understood that blood, guts and gore weren't important.
Anticipation, suspense, atmosphere were.

[Sir Honkers]

Originally Posted by mizlaplan

Also, the Hammer films in general understood that blood, guts and gore weren't important.
Anticipation, suspense, atmosphere were.

Well that and lots of cleavage and Lesbian Vampyres
Madeline Smith!!!!

[Meini Hirion]

Originally Posted by mizlaplan

Buy it asap!!
Ingrid Pitt, Madeline Smith....
Utterly gorgeous
Also, the Hammer films in general understood that blood, guts and gore weren't important.
Anticipation, suspense, atmosphere were.

I agree with every point.

Can anyone ever name an 'erotic / sensual' film made in the UK for a mainstrean, cinema audience?

At the height of Hammer's control, in Europe we had Franco, Rollins and others like D'Amato making films on a shoestring budget that had more depth, eroticism and character than anything Hammer ever produced.

Hammer had control of the studio sets and that was one main reason why Roger Corman chose to shoot in England. He said the array of sets and backdrops at Elstree etc were going free, as long as you employed the locals.
Which he did.

Corman helped solidify Hammer's distribution in the USA through his own "Independant" networks.

Hammer's scrupulous 'nipple count' saw them through the hazards of MPPA.
Rollins and Franco etc got labelled 'porno' and barely distributed outside big cities.

By the early 70s Hammer were chasing the more liberalised culture, but
too-little-too-late. In terms of eroticism they survived on cleavage from 1956 to 1968-ish. And made dosh in the USA all the time as a result.

Hammer funded people like Polanksi who made those films outside of the 'Hammer' agenda and were literally and legally separate. Funding only.

............

Beyond 'Bond' ( and how much is that Brit ? )---Hammer and the 'Carry Ons' are - imo - a really pathetic legacy for the UK.

Timid, restrained, behind the times and "safe" for your mom and dad eh?

[Avallanius]

Originally Posted by Boromir

Hi is anyone a fan of Hammer Film Productions horror films? I saw on amazon.co.uk The Ultimate Hammer Collection (21 Disc Box Set) [DVD] for £43.81

I love Hammer too...The Curse of the Werewolf with a young rampant Oliver Reed, is a stunning film.
Got this arty-style book off Am*z*n a while ago, with a brief collection of all the hammer beauties in their semi-clad & Blood spattered beauty. A real treat.

[mikeboob]

Originally Posted by mizlaplan

You're comparing Homer Simpson with Ingrid, Madeline, et al?
Wow!
"err......well done

That's a drool! Not a comparison

[DrBone]

From the age of about 6 or 7 I've loved Hammer films. I used to sneek out of bed on a Friday/Saturday night to watch the late night double bill's that were always on here in the UK back in the 70's. Mum would always find me and put me back to bed, but it was no good.......I was soon back down stairs in front of the Telly, eye's wide open taking in the likes of 'Taste the blood of Dracula' and all the other classic movies.........Mum soon gave up and left me to it.........( Thanks Mum, I turned out almost normal....)....Great memories.

I don't think you can ever describe Hammer films as 'great' movies in the true sense, as compared to 'The third man' for instance, but they were all so memorable, in their own ways. The lack of budget and speed of filming demanded an inventiveness in the directors that seemed to give the films the great energy that makes them work.....the 'Ham' acting, the dramatic sound tracks, the limited special affects, the simple plots are all enchanting.......The whole is greater than the sum of the parts when it comes to Hammer films....

And I haven't even mentioned the women yet

[Boromir]

On amazon the The Ultimate Hammer Collection (21 Disc Box Set) [DVD]
has gone down from £43.81 to £29.12

[dlnhank]

Peter Cushing vs. Sir Christopher Lee.....
I love the Hammer Studios Dracula movies.

When I was young I saw Dracula has risen from the grave; and for a long time I was convinced that Dracula lived in my basement .
I Refused for many years to go down there, since I didn´t want to be a vampire.

Today, I have almost every Dracula film with Sir Christopher Lee, however not "El condo Dracula", I haven´t found that yet .
Not an Hammer film but it is Sir Christopher Lee as Dracula...

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065569/

Found this video. All credit to the original uploader.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7sMO982Bag

[Mal Hombre]

Sir Christopher approves of this thread...