Hammer House of Horror

Could you believe that after so long, the Hammer Company could come back and release a show that had as much quality content as the original Twilight Zone? For those who have not seen this, the closest that I can come to describing this gems is to compare to the 1 hour episodes that Rod Serling put out. Even that doesn't do them justice.

There are thirteen episodes in all. The cover lists Peter Cushing, Denholm Eliot, and Pierce Brosnan, but there are stand-out performances by many more in each episode. Jon Finch (Hitchcock's Frenzy) starts off as director editing his film at home when a fierce storm draws near... From the first minute of the first episode, it is apparent that this series was something special. Good direction, tight casting, and fast paced stories are the norm. This is not to say that all will interest, and some have common themes to other episodes, but all are enjoyable. Picture a standard film, and cut out a half an hour of the excess, and you've got these.

Certainly worth the investment, these episodes can be collected in one box set, which is quite well done by A+E. Werewolves, demons, witches, voodoo dolls, and for good measure a demented Nazi can all be found within. Horror fans, and those who miss good television, should take a look at Hammer. I assure you, you will not be disappointed.

1000 words are not enough to review this entire series but I'll try my best. These are 13 one-hour stories with the usual horrific ending. Standard fare? No. Quality actors, great direction and superb scripts make a great series of stories that are long gone but definitely not forgotten. 25 years have passed since the original airing and upon review, they're still great! Madness, revenge, greed, jealousy and the occult are just some of the subjects covered by these stories. The effects are dated, the actors look unfashionable and the locations look dated but that isn't unexpected. This is the third decade since then and life moves on. You may recognise familiar faces from Peter Cushing (Famous Hammer Actor: From Beyond the Grave, Asylum, Top Secret) to Lucy Gutteridge (Top Secret, Secret Garden) and Denholm Elliott (Trading Places).

If you love British horror, made during the 'golden era' of British television, get the DVD and start watching!

You could argue that by 1980 Hammer's best years were well and truly in the past, but they had one final hurrah with this series, thirteen episodes of witches, demons, werewolves and possessed children.

It's Hammer, so expect to see blood, gore, nudity and of course Peter Cushing. There are actually several very macabre moments to enjoy.

If you're a fan of the Hammer films, or shows like Thriller, Armchair Thriller and Tales of the Unexpectedly, then this show will definitely appeal to you.

It's a generally very well produced series, it certainly looks good, there are some great props and make up, and some of the camera angles are hugely imaginative.

My only gripe with this show, is that it ran for just one series, overall it's an excellent series, but with so many highlights in the series, surely it had a lot of mileage left.

Everyone seems to remember one scene in particular, the party scene from The House that dripped blood, it's certainly a memorable moment.

There are plenty of great episodes, The Silent Scream is a definite fan favourite, and a personal favourite, but the likes of Charlie Boy and The Thirteenth reunion are very good also.

I wouldn't say any episodes are out and out clunkers, but I would say that Visitor from The Grave and Growing Pains are some of the less successful offerings.

Expect to see some incredibly well known faces, look out for Denholm Elliott, Anthony Valentine, Patricia Quinn, Brian Cox and many more.

8/10.

This TV-series contains 13 episodes of 52 minutes, and all of them are worth to watch. Of course, not all stories are even, there are tops and flops. But all in all, there is no episode that is really bad.

First, the three weakest stories. The fourth episode, "Growing Pains", tells an interesting story about the ghost of a dead boy coming back from the grave to haunt his parents who haven't had enough time to look after him. But too slow paced and a tame ending make this episode rather a letdown. The ninth episode "Carpathian Eagle" boosts a very interesting serial killer story with a twist (and Pierce Brosnan in a small role as a victim), but it's also too slow paced and predictable towards the end. The weakest of all episodes is number ten, "Guardian of the Abyss". It's a not very original story about a Satan's cult, only the final twist is nice to watch.

But there are some exquisite horror stories in the series. For example, episode two, "The Thirteenth Reunion". It's a creepy story about a cannibalistic secret society, highly recommended. As is the sixth episode, "Charlie Boy", the goriest episode with the highest body count about an African voodoo fetish with deadly powers. Or the seventh, "The Silent Scream" starring Peter Cushing as an ex-concentration camp guard who makes a grueling experiment with an ex-convict. Psychologically very unnerving. "Visitor from the Grave", the eleventh episode, has also some creepy moments that are perfectly timed. But the most haunting story is the twelfth, "The Two Faces of Evil", which will make You shiver for quite a while. Atmospheric horror at its best.

The first episode, "Witching Time", starring Ian "Zombi 2" McCullogh, is mainly remarkable for being the only one with a happy-end. "Rude Awakening", the third, is the most (dark) humorous one with Denholm Elliott playing the lead role gleefully funny. The fifth episode "The House That Bled to Death" makes a seven year old girl suffer some really bad shocks, while episode eight, "Children of the Full Moon", tells a nice variation of the classic wolf man story. The final episode, "The Mark of Satan", is an interesting study of a man's paranoia and its unpleasant consequences.

For being a TV-series, the episodes boost surprisingly subversive and violent moments. They are mostly highly entertaining and creepy. Recommended to all who like to shiver while they're watching movies.

Hammer House Of Horrors DVD collection is the ultimate collectible when it comes to horror DVD's. I have almost 200 horror films in my collection, and I must say Hammer House Of Horrors is amongst the top 5 in the horror category.

Anyway, Hammer House Of Horrors is one series of films that one can't grow tired of. The episodes are well thought out and executed. The best of all is episode VII – "the silent scream." The episode is everything horror should be, surprise, fright, and regret. I strongly suggest seeing this series of DVD's with an emphasis on episode VII – "the silent scream.

Enjoy!