The legacy of Hammer Films is hard to equal. The British film studio made their name by pushing the boundaries of taste and propriety with their series of gothic thrillers and horror. Largely piggybacking off the success of America’s Universal, Hammer Films brought new life to the likes of Dracula, Frankenstein, and even the Wolfman throughout the 50s and 60s into the 70s.
There’s was simple aesthetic and ethos; they produced their films quickly but brought to them themes and imagery unheard of in American horror at the time. Owing largely to the ever looming threat of lawsuits from Universal, who were none to pleased to see someone else mining similar fields, their takes on the popular characters of the day were largely unique, telling the tales of Victor Von Frankenstein, Count Dracula, et al, with a kind of exploitation gusto. Liberties were taken with the source material, allowing Hammer to explore the tales and characters free from the threat of lawsuits while breathing new life into the tales that have haunted us for centuries.
But over the decades they established themselves as the most ardent competitor to the relatively tame output of Hollywood at the time. A Hammer film is one that was unafraid to get its hands dirty; it might be bloodier than its American counterpart and it was certainly sexier. It’s not unfair to say that the trajectory of cinematic horror was forever altered by Hammer and what they got away with.
And while their takes on the likes of Dracula (starring the inimitable Christopher Lee in the title role) and Frankenstein (a role originated at Hammer by Peter Cushing) might be the most well remembered of their Hammer output, over the decades they produced over 150 works of genre film whose influence can be felt to this day. Outside of horror, they made swashbucklers, thrillers, mystery, and sci-fi. Much of these works pale in comparison to their straight horror output, but there are some gems to be found within those hundred or so non-horror Hammer films.
It’s these that are celebrated in the new box set Hammer Films: The Ultimate Collection. The 20 films included here run the gamut of Hammer’s output but focuses its attention largely away from the straight horror films for which Hammer is best known. This results in a collection that, while certainly not the cream of the crop, showcases the kinds of films that Hammer fans have come to know and love over the decades.
Each film in this collection has been remastered to the best of their ability; the results are sometimes mixed but, for the most part, these old black and white and technicolor B-movie marvels look as best as they’ve looked in decades. That said, these were all low-budget films to begin with, and in many cases the best they can do isn’t much.
Still, that almost just adds to the atmosphere of a Hammer Film. The tawdry feel of their brand of genre filmmaking welcomes the lo-fi sensibilities of grainy picture and bad lighting. At this point, it’s part of the mystique, especially considering that for the longest time much of Hammer’s output was available only on half-worn out video cassettes passed down over the decades.
Included in the set are some fine examples of Hammer’s genre output, including the likes if Die! Die! My Darling, Scream of Fear, and The Gorgon. While perhaps not well-known outside of certain circles of horror and B-movie fandoms, these films are shocking and unique examples of how Hammer elevated and evolved horror and thrillers from the early days of the Hollywood system.
The films are violent (for their time) and ooze with a kind of nefarious energy and tone that horror fans just expect these days. While they’re low budget in production value, the limits imposed on the writers and directors of these films led to innovative techniques that helped push the genre (and filmmaking itself) to new territory.
But perhaps what’s most interesting is the chance it gives us to see early performances from modern day legends. Seeing Cushing and Lee ham it up for the screen, decades before either became the internationally acclaimed performers they’d become, offers a unique look at how both actors honed their crafts to become the time honored legends they’re known as today. Both actors were on contract with Hammer Films, and so both are seen liberally in this set, sometimes starring, sometimes just appearing, but always captivating with their subdued performances (even when they’re being over the top).
All in all, Hammer Films: The Ultimate Collection is a decent set for any fan of old horror and B-movies. Featuring commentary on select films as well as multiple behind the scenes featurettes, the collection offers a unique view into one of the more controversial independent studios of all time and makes a stunning addition to any physical collection.
Hammer Films: The Ultimate Collection is available now on Blu-ray. The films included are:
The Revenge of Frankenstein (1958)
The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll (1960)
The Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb (1963)
These Are The Damned (1962)
The Old Dark House (1963)
The Gorgon (1964)
The Snorkel (1958)
Maniac (1963)
Die! Die! My Darling (1965)
Scream of Fear (1961)
Stop Me Before I Kill! (1961)
Never Take Candy From A Stranger (1960)
Cash On Demand (1961)
The Stranglers of Bombay (1960)
The Terror of the Tongs (1961)
The Pirates of Blood River (1962)
The Devil-Ship Pirates (1964)
The Camp on Blood Island (1958)
Yesterday’s Enemy (1959)
Creatures the World Forgot (1971)
