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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!

The Creative Death sub-sub-genre took flight in the ‘70s with The Omen (1976), as that little imp Damien (and his dad) dispatched the cast in different macabre and entertaining ways. (Variety is the spice, and all that.) The ’78 sequel continued the burgeoning tradition, leading us up to The Legacy (1978) - a film that takes its own stab at variety by marrying The Old Dark House to The Dark Underlord and delivering a fun, wicked (albeit goofy) little offspring.

Released in September in the U.K. (and the following September stateside) by Columbia-emi-Warner (and Universal in the U.S.), The Legacy brought in $11 million against its $2.5 million budget, making it a commercial if not critical success. That this British/American co-production manages to combine their unique aesthetics into something coherent is and of itself some kind of horror miracle.

Maggie (Katharine Ross – The Stepford Wives) and her boyfriend Pete (Sam Elliott – Ghost Rider...

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.

A thyroid operation every ten years, plus regular libations of an eerie green liquid, has allowed Anton Diffring to live over a hundred years without looking a year over forty. Hammer’s medical horror show features Christopher Lee, Hazel Court and sumptuous cinematography, but not a whole lot of surprises.

The Man Who Could Cheat Death

Blu-ray

Kl Studio Classics

1959 / Color/ 1:66 widescreen / 83 min. / Street Date March 14, 2017 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95

Starring: Anton Diffring, Hazel Court, Christopher Lee, Arnold Marle, Delphi Lawrence.

Cinematography: Jack Asher

Production Design: Bernard Robinson

Art Direction: Roy Ashton

Film Editor: John Dunsford

Original Music: Richard Rodney Bennett

Written by Jimmy Sangster from a play by Barré Lyndon

Produced by Michael Carreras

Directed by Terence Fisher

For its first two years of Technicolor horror Hammer Films could seemingly do no wrong. In just a few months their revivals of classic horror motifs were being bankrolled and...

This summer, Universal kicks off its monster reboot universe with The Mummy, which hits theaters on June 9, and will set the stage for a slew of other projects based on some of Universal's most beloved monsters and creatures. One of the other movies that has moved forward through the massive writers room lead by Alex Kurtzman and Chris Morgan is Van Helsing, which will be written by Eric Heisserer (Arrival) and Jon Spaihts (Passengers). While there is still very little we know about the story, writer Eric Heisserer shed some light on his approach to this vampire hunter character.

While most fans may remember the 2004 Van Helsing movie starring Hugh Jackman, this character goes back several decades, with Peter Cushing portraying him in the iconic Hammer Films such as The Brides of Dracula, and Anthony Hopkins portrayed him in the 1992 Dracula adaptation. While Eric Heisserer, who is coming off two...

It’s Hammer Time again! Every once in a while I like to dip back to that golden age, where the revered monsters of yore were dusted off with loving care for a newly appreciative crowd of teenagers at the Drive-In. Building upon the worldwide success of The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), Horror of Dracula (’58), and The Mummy (’59), it was time for another Drac attack. The Brides of Dracula (1960) keeps up the high level horror, as long as you’re okay with a Dracula movie having no Dracula. Looking back on the whole series, Brides stands out (and up) due to this very omission.

Released in the UK in July, with a stateside rollout in September, Brides was another hit for the unstoppable Hammer machine; and why wouldn’t it be? All the staples (by this point, a formula, really) are present: cleavage, gorgeous cinematography, solid performances, and a gloriously elevated Gothic tone.

The Hammer Films Eis Fund will back film and TV projects.

UK financier Motion Picture Capital, the Reliance Entertainment Group subsidiary, has formed a partnership with iconic UK production company Hammer Films.

The two companies are teaming on a new film fund called The Hammer Films Eis Fund which will offer private investors the opportunity to invest in a slate of Hammer branded film and TV productions.

The new fund will sit alongside Motion Picture Capital’s existing Eis fund and will only be accessible through a financial adviser.

Iconic horror label Hammer, best known for gothic horror films of the 1950’s including The Curse of Frankenstein, The Mummy and Christopher Lee’s Dracula, made a splash in 2012 with UK horror The Woman In Black, starring Daniel Radcliffe, which became the highest-grossing British horror film on record, taking £21.3m in its home territory and going on to gross over $130m worldwide.

2014 productions included...

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone, and welcome to Daily Dead’s fourth annual Holiday Gift Guide! Once again, our goal is to help you navigate through the horrors of the shopping season with our tips on unique gift ideas, and we’ll hopefully help you save a few bucks over the next few weeks, too.

This year’s Holiday Gift Guide is being sponsored by several amazing companies, including Mondo, DC Entertainment, Anchor Bay Entertainment and Magnolia Home Entertainment, who have all donated an assortment of goodies to help you get into the spirit of the season. Daily Dead also recently teamed up with Texas-based artist Dustin Pace of Duddy in Motion to create an amazing Stranger Things print (see below) that all of our giveaway winners will receive with our awesome prize packs that feature a collection of items including movies, graphic novels, and much more.

For a chance to win...

I'm just going to come right out with it:

I think a Van Helsing film series is a brilliant concept.

That said, I don't have faith in anyone getting it right after that unruly mess of a Hugh Jackman movie in 2004. I think the concept is fantastic, though. You have a main character- a monster hunter (!!!)- that can, essentially, navigate his way throughout an entire shared, cinematic universe. And the universe he lives in is inhabited by legendary monsters like Dracula, The Wolf Man, The Invisible Man, Frankenstein, and The Mummy! And one of the things that made those monsters legendary was the mystique surrounding them, and the way they could be used sparingly to create maximum tension and anticipation. Therefore, the idea of making the star of those movies a single, human protagonist means you don't have to over-expose your famous beasts!

Everybody wins, right? Van Helsing can be a gold mine,...

Hammer hits one out of the park with this 'ripping good' Sherlock Holmes tale, tilted heavily toward gothic mystery and horror. Peter Cushing and André Morell excel in heroic roles, while Christopher Lee doesn't have to play a monster, just a coward. Terence Fisher's directing skill is at its height. The Hound of the Baskervilles Blu-ray Twilight Time Limited Edition 1959 / Color / 1:66 widescreen / 86 min. / Ship Date June 14, 2016 / available through Twilight Time Movies / 29.95 Starring Peter Cushing, André Morell, Christopher Lee, Marla Landi, David Oxley, Francis De Wolff, Miles Malleson, Ewen Solon. Cinematography Jack Asher Production Designer Bernard Robinson Film Editor Alfred Cox Original Music James Bernard Written by Peter Bryan from the novel by Arthur Conan Doyle Produced by Michael Carreras & Anthony Hinds Directed by Terence Fisher

Reviewed by Glenn Erickson

In addition to their straight-up gothic horrors, Hammer films produced films in other genres, such as costume adventures and war pictures.

Michelangelo Antonioni's pre-international breakthrough drama is as good as anything he's done, a flawlessly acted and directed story of complex relationships -- that include his 'career' themes before the existential funk set in. It's one of the best-blocked dramatic films ever... the direction is masterful. Le amiche Blu-ray The Criterion Collection 817 1955 / B&W / 1:37 flat full frame / 106 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date June 7, 2016 / 39.95 Starring Eleonora Rossi Drago, Gabriele Ferzetti, Franco Fabrizi, Valentina Cortese, Madeleine Fischer, Yvonne Furneaux, Anna Maria Pancani, Luciano Volpato, Maria Gambarelli, Ettore Manni. Cinematography Gianni De Venanzo Film Editor Eraldo Da Roma Original Music Giovanni Fusco Written by Suso Cecchi D'Amico, Michelangelo Antonioni, Alba de Cespedes from a book by Cesare Pavese Produced by Giovanni Addessi Directed by Michelangelo Antonioni

Reviewed by Glenn Erickson

It's time to stop being so intimidated by Michelangelo Antonioni. His epics of existential alienation La notte, L'eclisse and...

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...

The Phantom of the Opera

Written by John Elder

Directed by Terence Fisher

U.K., 1962

Hammer Film Productions is one of the oldest, most respected film studios to ever earn significant popularity. Founded in 1934 in England, the production company earned an outstanding sequence of success in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s by re-appropriating several well known horror stories like The Mummy and Dracula, as well as concocting several original concepts. Even in 2015, long after the studio’s heyday, cinephiles continue to look back at and appreciate the work Hammer put out during those three illustrious decades. Being such specialists in breathing new life into old horror tales, it would only seem befitting that they would try their hand at a new adaptation of French author Gaston Leroux’s The Phantom of the Opera novel.

Transplanting the action over to home soil in London, this iteration of The Phantom of the Opera...

Curious about all those Region B Hammer Blu-rays from overseas, the ones requiring a region-free player? As a public service, Savant has solicited an expert opinion (you'll have to take my word for that) of a film restoration/transfer specialist who is also an informed fan of the filmic output of the little horror studio at Bray. I know, real Hammer fans buy first and worry about quality later, but this little guide might be of help to the rest of us budget-conscious collectors.

A 'Guest' article Written by a trusted Savant correspondent.

(Note: I receive plenty of emails asking for advice about the quality of Region B Blu-rays, most of which I don't see. I have access to industry people qualified to compare and judge the discs, but they stay off the record, because their employers forbid them to go online with their opinions. They must sometimes simmer in...

Warners answers the call for Hammer horror with four nifty thrillers starring the great Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. The transfers are immaculate -- Technicolor was never richer than this. The only drawback is that Chris Lee's Dracula has so few lines of dialogue.  On hi-def, Cushing's Frankenstein movie is a major re-discovery as well. Horror Classics: Four Chilling Movies from Hammer Films Blu-ray The Mummy, Dracula has Risen from the Grave, Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed, Taste the Blood of Dracula Warner Home Video 1959-1970 / Color / 1:66 - 1:78 widescreen / 376 min. / Street Date October 6, 2015 / 54.96 Starring Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Yvonne Furneaux, George Pastell, Michael Ripper; Christopher Lee, Rupert Davies, Veronica Carlson, Barbara Ewing, Barry Andrews, Ewan Hooper, Michael Ripper; Peter Cushing, Veronica Carlson, Freddie Jones, Simon Ward, Thorley Walters, Maxine Audley; Christopher Lee, Geoffrey Keen, Linda Hayden, Isla Blair, John Carson, Ralph Bates, Roy Kinnear. <Cinematography Jack Asher; Arthur Grant; Arthur Grant; Arthur Grant.

Warner Home Video has a nasty Halloween treat for all: the release of the Horror Classics Vol. 1 boxed Blu-ray set. The titles are smartly bound in a hardcover book format, complete with some cool graphics. Each of the films contains the original theatrical trailer as well. Here is the official press release:

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment will scare the heck out of fans when Taste the Blood of Dracula; Dracula Has Risen from the Grave, Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed; and The Mummy are released October 6 in the new Blu-ray Horror Classics Vol. 1 Collection, just in time for Halloween celebrations. All films in the collection are newly re-mastered in 1080p HD and packaged in elegant rigid pocketbook style ($54.96 Srp).

The quartet of classic horror films, featuring cinema monsters Dracula, Frankenstein and the Mummy, represent classic examples from Hammer Film Productions. Founded in 1934, the British company became best known for a series...

The late Peter Cushing, who was one of the unmistakable faces in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, is being recreated in CGI for upcoming movie Rogue One.

The British actor, who died in 1994, played Death Star commander Grand Moff Tarkin in the original 1977 film.

Everything we know so far about Star Wars movie Rogue One

Now, his appearance will be painstakingly recreated using digital CGI for the Star Wars spin-off, The Mail on Sunday reports.

Cushing was also known for his roles in such films as The Mummy, The Curse of Frankenstein and Horror of Dracula.

Meanwhile, the first-look image of Star Wars: Rogue One recently revealed that joining the previously-announced Felicity Jones in the film will be Riz Ahmed, Diego Luna, Jiang Wen and Donnie Yen.

Star Wars: Rogue One is due for release on December 16, 2016.

Watch director Gareth Edwards discuss Star Wars: Rogue...

Though Sir Christopher Lee sadly passed away, his work will live on forever. In a new Blu-ray set, Warner Archive is preserving three Lee-starring Hammer horror movies: Dracula Has Risen From The Grave, The Mummy, and Taste the Blood of Dracula.

Blu-ray.com reports that Warner Archive's Horror Classics Volume One Blu-ray collection will hit shelves this fall (October 6th, according to Home Theater Forum). The collection includes four Hammer films: Dracula Has Risen From The Grave (1968), The Mummy (1959), Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970), and Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed (1969).

In addition to the Horror Classics Volume One, Warner Archive will also release the Special Effects Collection Volume One, a sci-fi / adventure Blu-ray set comprising Son of Kong, Mighty Joe Young, Beast From 20,000 Fathoms, and Them!

It's estimated that both collections will be priced at $54.96 apiece and released in early October, and it's even believed that the titles will be sold separately,...

Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will celebrate the life and career of the late actor Christopher Lee, Lee, who passed Sunday June 11 at the age of 93. (Our obit is here.) The British actor owned Dracula through nine movies and also played the Frankenstein monster and Fu Manchu. TCM will play eight of Lee's films on Monday, June 22. He boasted 275 film credits including Peter Jackson’s "Lord of the Rings" trilogy and four films with director Tim Burton. Read More: Rip Christopher Lee, Who Played Dracula 9 Times The following is the complete schedule for "TCM Remembers Christopher Lee" – Monday, June 22: 6:15 a.m. The Mummy (1959) 8:00 a.m. The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) 9:30 a.m. Horror of Dracula (1959) 11:00 a.m. Dracula, Prince of Darkness (1966) 12:45 p.m. Dracula Has Risen From The Grave (1969) 2:30 p.m. Horror Express (1972) 4:00 p.m. The Three Musketeers (1972) 6:00 p.m. The Four Musketeers...

Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will celebrate the life and career of acclaimed British actor Christopher Lee, whose haunting, intimidating performances as Count Dracula, the Frankenstein monster and Fu Manchu made him an icon of horror films with an eight film tribute on Monday, June 22.

Lee, who passed Sunday June 7th at the age of 93, had long career which emcompased more than 275 credits including Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy and four films with director Tim Burton.

The following is the complete schedule for TCM’s tribute to Christopher Lee:

TCM Remembers Christopher Lee – Monday, June 22

6:15 a.m. The Mummy (1959)

8:00 a.m. The Curse of Frankenstein (1957)

9:30 a.m. Horror of Dracula (1959)

11:00 a.m. Dracula, Prince of Darkness (1966)

12:45 p.m. Dracula Has Risen From The Grave (1969)

2:30 p.m. Horror Express (1972)

4:00 p.m. The Three Musketeers (1972)

6:00 p.m. The Four Musketeers (1975)

(All...

Legendary actor Christopher Lee has passed away at the age of 93. The beloved actor, who spent his earlier years frightening audiences in vintage Hammer horror movies like Dracula before going on to star as the central villain in major franchises like Lord of the Rings and Star Wars, died after being hospitalized due to respiratory problems. Your relationship with Lee's work probably depends on what era you grew up in. His career began in the mid-40s, with ongoing roles in classic gothic horror films like The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), Horror of Dracula (1958), The Mummy (1959), Crypt of the Vampire (1964) and more. These roles -- along with his iconic Dracula, a part he played well into the 1970s -- are what truly marked him as one of cinema's greatest...

Read More...

Christopher Lee, an actor who brought dramatic gravitas and aristocratic bearing to screen villains from Dracula to James Bond enemy Scaramanga, has died at age 93.

Lee appeared in more than 250 movies, including memorable roles as the wicked wizard Saruman in The Lord of the Rings trilogy and the evil Count Dooku in two of George Lucas' Star Wars prequels. But for many he will forever be known as the vampire Count Dracula in a slew of "Hammer Horror" movies - the gory, gothic thrillers churned out by the British studio in the 1950s and 1960s that became hugely popular.

He railed against the typecasting, however, and ultimately the sheer number and range of his roles - from Sherlock Holmes to the founder of Pakistan - secured his place in film history.

"I didn't have dreams of being a romantic leading man," Lee told The Associated Press in 2002. "But I...

British screen icon Christopher Lee has passed away at the age of 93.

Christopher Lee 1922-2015: Entertainment world pays tribute to acting icon

The beloved actor notched up more than 280 screen credits across seven decades that saw him work with some of the biggest stars and filmmakers in Hollywood. Whether it was frightening the life out of us in Hammer horrors or duking it out with Jedis in Star Wars, Lee's films bridge multiple generations of moviegoers.

Digital Spy picks out six great Christopher Lee roles below...

1. The Curse of Frankenstein (1957)

Hammer's first ever colour horror film helped to cement the studio as purveyors of fright cinema. Lee brilliantly brought to life Frankenstein's monster thanks to some then-cutting edge prosthetic make-up and a performance tinged with pathos.

Curse of Frankenstein boasted the dream team of Lee, Peter Cushing and director Terence Fisher, who later collaborated on Dracula and The Mummy.

Legendary British actor Christopher Lee has died at the age of 93. Lee passed away on Sunday in hospital, where he had been treated for respiratory problems and heart failure over the preceding three weeks. Lee's agent in an emailed statement said his family "wishes to make no comment".

Tall, pale, with stern features and a deep and resonating voice, it made him in high demand to play villains in numerous films - something he grew frustrated about, even though he admitted enjoying the roles as they often offered more range than limited heroic ones.

Lee was most famous for his work as Dracula in the Hammer Horror films of the 1970s, as the wizard Saruman the White in both "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" trilogies, as the Bond villain Francisco Scaramanga in the Bond film "The Man with the Golden Gun," as Count Dooku in the "Star Wars" prequel trilogy,...

If you see a movie for the first time and swear you've heard the score before, it may not be your imagination...

Last month, the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada (Afm) sued six major studios for reusing film soundtracks in other films without paying the appropriate compensation. It's the kind of news that will make people roll their eyes. Ah yes, they'll say after seeing the headlines. Typical Hollywood. Not even the music's original any more.

But go beyond the headlines about reusing the same music too much and delve into the lawsuit and it reveals an interesting insight into the kind of situations where music does get repeated.

The lawsuit, it soon becomes evident, isn't about the use of music in itself (a quick browse through the soundtracks for the titles in question, such as This Means War or Argo, reveals that they have...

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.

Telling the origins of the Prince of Darkness, Dracula Untold is a dark action fantasy starring Luke Evans. Here's Duncan's review...

Dracula has been a popular draw for cinema audiences since the earliest days of cinema. Just the mere mention of the name will conjure up a variety of actors who’ve made the Transylvanian blood sucker their own, from Bela Lugosi and Christopher Lee to Gary Oldman and, er, Dominic Purcell. Very little screen time has been devoted to Dracula’s origins, though, so in keeping with the year one (Untold’s original title) trend that’s punctuated many a movie re-launch over the past decade or so - in the likes of Casino Royale and X-Men: First Class - the prince of darkness finally has a little light shone on how he came to be.

Dracula Untold's opening sees first-time feature director Gary Shore’s unique visual...

Sir Christopher Lee was born 92 years ago today, on May 27, 1922 and we want to wish him a very Happy Birthday! Even at the age of 92, he shows no signs of slowing down, and continues to be involved in a number of music and movie projects.

How is Christopher Lee celebrating his birthday? Last year, he released Charlemagne: The Omens of Death and he has followed that up with a brand new heavy metal album that is available today.

The new album is titled Metal Knight and features seven new tracks. The official Charlemagne Productions website has an audio player on their site that will allow you to preview Metal Knight and the previous releases before you buy them. Unfortunately, it will not play on iOS devices due to to it being a Flash audio player, so keep that in mind if you’re visiting with an iPhone. You can also...

Most fans and collectors of vintage action figures have a soft spot for the toys turned out by Mego Corporation in the '70s. Their 8” action figure collections included classic monsters, Marvel and DC superheroes, and TV & movie characters based on everything from The Wizard of Oz to Charlie's Angels and Planet of the Apes. While Mego rode off into toy history in the early '80s (and we let out a collective sigh of mourning), custom artisans have taken it upon themselves to resurrect that company's style, from figure designs and costumes to the vintage box art. One of the new players in the retro-figure game is Thailand-based outfit Distinctive Dummies, who create limited-edition series of 8” retro-style horror movie figures, in addition to their original 12” figure line. Distinctive's limited editions include incredible likenesses of Vincent Price's characters in The Abominable Dr. Phibes and House on Haunted Hill (including...

Deal covers 900 titles including Hammer and Icon films.

Repertory specialist distributor Park Circus has signed a deal to represent theatrical and non-theatrical licensing of the library of films controlled by Exclusive Media.

The deal covers almost 900 titles including films from the Hammer film library and from the recently acquired Icon Entertainment library.

They include new restorations of Terence Fisher’s The Mummy and The Curse of Frankenstein (now playing in the BFI Gothic season), plus titles such as Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ, Kenneth Branagh’s Henry V and Donnie Darko.

Nick Varley, Co-Founder and Managing Director said, “We are pleased to be working with Peter Naish and the team at Exclusive to bring this valuable and diverse range of films back to cinema audiences around the world. In addition to the many wonderful films this agreement allows us to make available to the public, as a long standing fan of the Hammer studio...

British outfit to make new version of cult 50s Yeti horror starring Peter Cushing in wake of Woman in Black success

• The Mummy: watch a clip from the restored version of the Hammer Horror classic

• Top 10 horror movies

British horror specialists Hammer Films are to remake The Abominable Snowman, their own 1957 cult classic starring Peter Cushing and Forrest Tucker. The project is being produced by Ben Holden, who is currently producing Hammer's Woman in Black sequel, subtitled Angel of Death.

In the original, Cushing and Tucker play scientists who are searching for the mythical giant beasts in the Himalayas; the Yeti turn out to be intelligent beings laying low until they can reclaim their land from invading humankind. Hammer have said their new version, from Pusher scriptwriter Matthew Read and Angel of Death writer Jon Croker, will be a "modern take" on the story, in which "a scientific...

Whenever one thinks of British horror films, one’s mind usually flits to Hammer Horror films. Hammer is practically synonymous with the British horror movie – the classic Gothic tales of Vampires, Frankenstein and Mummies. The studio was most prolific between the 1950s and the 1970s, and thanks to distribution deals with big companies like Warner Bros, their films were watched by a very large worldwide audience.

Hammer horror tends to be very tasteful. It does tackle things like madness, incest, child murder – but it does it in a classy, inoffensive way. The films are loaded with a morbid atmosphere and they are beautifully filmed – making great use of colour. The company produced classic horror film after horror film – usually starring Christopher Lee and/or Peter Cushing – two excellent horror stalwarts.

Unfortunately in the late 70s, the horror film market became saturated and Hammer ceased productions in the 1980s. However the...

All the news coming up today, including the actor's refusal to 'grind' for a 12 Years a Slave Oscar, echoing Phoenix's dismissal of the awards last year as a carrot he didn't want

In the headlines today

• Darren Aronofsky "fighting with studio" over final cut on Noah epic

• Michael Fassbender "will not grind" for 12 Years a Slave Oscar

• New Woody Allen film titled Magic in the Moonlight

• Kate Beckinsale set for Michael Winterbottom film inspired by Amanda Knox trial

• Gotham vs Metropolis game to shoot this weekend as Superman vs Batman gets under way

Elsewhere on the site

• At 12.45pm Stuart Heritage will be liveblogging Chariots of Fire from the TV

• We'll launch that first look review of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

• Paul Greengrass talks Captain Phillips

• Clip joint saddles up with bikes

• The UK box office report on the take for The Fifth Estate and Le Week-End

• We've...

Today's film news is not a hearts and flowers kind of guy

In the news today

• Alexander Skarsgard and Jamie Dorman tipped for Fifty Shades of Grey as replacement sought for Charlie Hunnam

• Joseph Gordon Levitt and Paul Rudd frontrunners for Edgar Wright's Ant Man

• Brad Dourif claims to have been Tim Burton's first choice for The Joker

• Gravity cleared for release in China

• Iron Man 3 kid lands lead in Jurassic World

Coming up elsewhere on the site

• An exclusive clip of the restored print of the classic 1959 Hammer horror, The Mummy, starring Christopher Lee

• A quiz on those spooky Stephen King adaptations

• Cine-files offers a paean to the Filmhuis Den Haag

• We'll have a first look review of the New York film festival hot ticket, the Ben Stiller-directed remake of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

More first look reviews, this time from the London...

(Terence Fisher, 1959, Icon/Hammer, 12)

The Mummy

After nearly 20 years of unmemorable programme fillers, Hammer Films found sudden international success with horror movies, first the black-and-white The Quatermass Xperiment, then Technicolor versions of the 1930s Universal classics, The Curse of Frankenstein, Horror of Dracula and The Mummy. Made in a sprawling country mansion on the Thames at Bray, near Windsor, all three films featured the same stars (Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee) and the same crew, headed by director Terence Fisher, screenwriter Jimmy Sangster, designer Bernard Robinson and cinematographer Jack Asher. A distinctive style was born, and Hammer became synonymous with horror. The Mummy drew on four Universal movies for its tale of an Egyptologist (Peter Cushing) being pursued back to Britain by the ancient, vengeful mummy of an Egyptian priest (Christopher Lee) that he has roused from his tomb in Karnak in 1896.

Alternately corny and magical, scary and comic, naive and perverse,...

The remastered classics just keep coming, and this time it's Icon Film Distribution stepping up to the plate to bring 1959's Peter Cushing chiller The Mummy back to hi-def life on Blu-ray in the UK on October 14th.

From the Press Release:

On 14th October Hammer’s classic film The Mummy will be released for the first time ever in HD on Blu-ray and on DVD double play and presented in its original UK theatrical aspect ratio of 1.66:1. Fans will also be treated to a host of brand new extras never seen before.

Starring Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee in their iconic roles in the third of Hammer’s original Gothic classics, The Mummy (1959) was directed by the legendary Terence Fisher, who previously helmed Dracula and The Curse Of Frankenstein.

Available 14th October in the UK on 3-disc Double Play, the pack comprises 1 x Blu-ray and 2 x DVD; the...

On 14th October Hammer’s classic film The Mummy will be released for the first time ever in HD on Blu-ray and on DVD double play and presented in its original UK theatrical aspect ratio of 1.66:1, accompanied by a host of brand new extras never seen before. To mark its release we have 3 copies to give away!

Starring Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee in their iconic roles in this the 3rd of Hammer’s original Gothic classics, The Mummy (1959) was directed by the legendary Terence Fisher who previously helmed Dracula and The Curse Of Frankenstein.

One by one the archaeologists who discover the 4,000-year-old tomb of Princess Ananka are brutally murdered. Kharis (Lee), high priest in Egypt 40 centuries ago, has been brought to life by the power of the ancient gods and his sole purpose is to destroy those responsible for the desecration of the sacred tomb. But Isobel...

It has been officially announced that Hammer’s The Mummy will be released in October in the UK as a 3-disc Blu-ray and DVD set. Starring Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, the 1959 classic will be available on October 14th and includes an extensive set of bonus features:

“One by one the archaeologists who discover the 4,000-year-old tomb of Princess Ananka are brutally murdered. Kharis (Lee), high priest in Egypt 40 centuries ago, has been brought to life by the power of the ancient gods and his sole purpose is to destroy those responsible for the desecration of the sacred tomb. But Isobel Banning (Furneaux), wife of one of the explorers (Cushing), resembles the beautiful princess, forcing the speechless and tormented monster to defy commands and abduct Isobel to an unknown fate… ”

Presentation Details and Bonus Features (via The Digital Fix):

Original UK theatrical aspect ratio: 1.66:1 (the film has never...

Monster Weekend | Future Cinema Presents Dirty Dancing | Otway: The Movie & Q&A | Open Air Screenings |

Monster Weekend, London

The BFI's ambitious season Gothic: The Dark Heart Of Film casts a celebratory shadow of gloom over the next four months. Proceedings begin this weekend, as the forecourt of the British Museum hosts screenings of such monstrous classics as Jacques Tourneur's occult mystery Night Of The Demon, and Terence Fisher's definitive Hammer reworkings of Dracula and The Mummy. There's horror-themed music beforehand, and fancy dress is encouraged, though using the Ancient Egypt galleries as a prop store is forbidden.

British Museum, WC2, Thu to 31 Aug, bfi.org.uk

Future Cinema Presents Dirty Dancing, London

Somehow, Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey's star-cross'd, 1960s-by-way-of-the-1980s fairytale has become the definitive summer outdoor movie, to the extent you'd have thought everyone in the country had seen it outside the comfort of a cinema by now.

The British Film Institute (BFI) is to launch a major project dedicated to Gothic cinema, which includes more than 150 films and around 1,000 screenings throughout the UK.

Running from August until January 2014, the Gothic project include the longest ever season at BFI’s Southbank venue in London, UK wide theatrical and DVD releases, an education programme, a new BFI Gothic book, a range of partnerships, special guests and commentators including project ambassador Sir Christopher Frayling.

Heather Stewart, creative director at the BFI, said: “Gothic has never been more potent or popular, reflecting the turbulent times we are living in, our deepest fears and hidden passions.

“The British discovered sex in vivid Technicolor through Gothic. With a new generation gripped by the post modern Gothic world of Twilight’s ‘vegetarian’ vampires, Harry Potter’s spells and El James’s 50 Shades, its meaning has mutated yet again. It’s now time to look back into the deep dark beating heart of...

Sir Christopher Lee was born 91 years ago today, on May 27, 1922 and we want to wish him a very Happy Birthday! Even at the age of 91, he shows no signs of slowing down, and continues to be involved in a number of music and movie projects. How is Christopher Lee celebrating his birthday? He just released a new heavy metal album that is the follow up to Charlemagne: By the Sword and the Cross.

Titled Charlemagne: The Omens of Death, Lee recorded the 10-track album with Judas Priest guitarist Richie Faulkner. Here’s a preview of the album, with comments from Christopher Lee. The album is now available in the UK and at various online outlets.

I wanted to take this time and help celebrate Christopher Lee’s birthday by introducing some of our younger readers to his past films, and have included a number of movie trailers to watch.

In recent years,...

Today is the birthday of one of the greatest horror icons in the history of our beloved genre: Christopher Lee. This is the man who played Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster, The Mummy, Rasputin, Lord Summerisle, etc…, and that’s not even scratching the surface of this historic actor’s filmography. Now, what better way to celebrate the birthday... Read More...

Last year the Hammer horror name made a welcome return with The Woman In Black and now there are three new Blu-ray releases of Hammer classics, The Devil Rides Out, The Mummy’s Shroud and Rasputin The Mad Monk.

Back in my teenage years, when there were only four channels of TV to watch in the UK, these were the kind of films that would turn up on BBC2 or Channel4 late on a Saturday evening at what was colloquially known as pub-chucking-out-time so I’ve sat through many of them before though my original recollections of them, while fond, may be understandably hazy.

*****

Rasputin the Mad Monk (1966) is Hammer’s take on the life of Rasputin with Christopher Lee as the wild-eyed monk of the title. The quality of the Blu-ray conversion is fabulous and I’d have to guess that this is the closest experience you’ll get...

It’s Monday, so we all know what that means! Yes, it’s time for another rundown of DVDs and Blu-ray’s hitting stores online and offline this week. It’s a jam-packed week, with plenty of movies waiting to take you money, so let us breakdown the new releases and highlight what you should – and shouldn’t – be buying from today, October 22nd 2012.

Pick(S) Of The Week

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (Blu-ray/DVD)

From visionary filmmakers Tim Burton and Timur Bekmambetov (Wanted) comes this visceral, satisfying thriller based on Seth Grahame-Smith’s best seller. Benjamin Walker turns in a killer performance as Abraham Lincoln, who must risk the presidency, his family and his life to protect America from bloodthirsty vampires. Led by the diabolical Adam (Rufus Sewell), the vicious creatures plot to create a nation of their own–the U.S. Thrust into an epic fight against the hideous undead killers,...

Following on from their recent releases of the fully restored and re-mastered Hammer classics, The Reptile and The Plague of the Zombies last June, StudioCanal have released the next three iconic Hammer titles in their new restored and re-mastered collection: The Devil Rides Out, The Mummy’s Shroud and Rasputin The Mad Monk. Not only are the films restored, but they are also accompanied by a host of specially created new extras, produced in collaboration with Hammer expert and author Marcus Hearn (author of The Hammer Vault), including brand new making of featurettes and interviews with original cast members.

The Devil Rides Out

Stars: Christopher Lee, Charles Gray, Nike Arrighi | Written by Richard Matheson, Dennis Wheatley | Directed by Terence Fisher

Starring Christopher Lee in one of his personal favourite roles and based on the celebrated novel by Dennis Weatley, The Devil Rides Out sees the debonair Duc de Richleau trusted...

Frankenweenie

Written by John August, story by Tim Burton and Leonard Ripps, based on Tim Burton’s short film Frankenweenie

Directed by Tim Burton

USA 2012 imdb

A feature-length, black and white 3-D animated expansion of his original black and white live action short film, Frankenweenie is an amazing technical achievement by Tim Burton. The film looks fantastic and for once the 3-D isn’t just an excuse for Hollywood to dip their sticky fingers into your wallet. Rather than constantly thrusting objects into into your face like most 3-D horror films, Burton uses the technology to create a film environment to draw in the audience, apparently taking his cue from Henry Selick’s immersive animated masterpiece Coraline. Characters are blocked like in a theatre piece, moving from upstage to downstage as necessary. In the film’s best sequence, Burton draws the audience into the middle of a burning building, pulling...

Hammer Blu-rays The Devil Rides Out (1968, dir. Terence Fisher)

Hammer applies its trademark Gothic veneer with considerably greater care than usual in this, the second and best of the company's three stabs at the satanic stylings of author Dennis Wheatley. Christopher Lee comes over to the light for a rare foray as central hero the Duc de Richleau, teaming up with friend Rex van Rijn (Leon Greene) to prevent the evil Satanist Mocata (Charles Gray) from enmeshing the son of his old friend (Patrick Mower) into a devil-worshipping cult.

The Devil Rides Out is perhaps best remembered for what Lee argues in his commentary to be Hammer's most enduring image, that of our heroes fighting a series of spectral and psychological nemeses from within the protective confines of a ritual circle. And yet the most chilling scene contains no special effects, but is instead a simple conversation between the wife...

Following on from the recent releases of the fully restored and re-mastered Hammer classics, The Reptile and The Plague Of Zombies last June, Studio Canal are delighted to announce the releases of the next three iconic Hammer titles in our new restoration series: The Devil Rides Out, The Mummy’S Shroud and Rasputin The Mad Monk – out to own individually on Double Play (DVD & Blu Ray) from 22nd October.

In celebration, the restored releases are accompanied by a host of specially created new extras, produced in collaboration with Hammer expert and author Marcus Hearn (author of “The Hammer Vault”), including brand new making of featurettes and interviews with original cast members.

To celebrate these releases, What Culture has three copies of each Blu-ray to give away to our readers.

The Devil Rides Out (Released 22nd October)

The debonair Duc de Richleau has been trusted with the care of his deceased friend’s son,...

Sir Christopher Lee was born 90 years ago today, on May 27, 1922 and we want to wish him a very Happy Birthday! Even at the age of 90, he shows no signs of slowing down, with upcoming roles in Frankenweenie and The Hobbit movies. I wanted to take this time and help celebrate Christopher Lee’s birthday by introducing some of our younger readers to his past films, and have included a number of movie trailers to watch.

In recent years, the average moviegoer probably will recognize Christopher Lee as Saruman in The Lord of the Rings films or Count Dooku from the second and third Star Wars prequels. However, he has over 275 credits, including playing a Bond villain in The Man With the Golden Gun and Lord Summerisle in the 1973 cult classic The Wicker Man. He also has multiple Hammer credits, playing characters including Dracula, The Mummy, and Frankenstein’s monster.

I...