Stars: Mark Claney, Aimee Richardson, Dan Leith, Siobhan Kelly, Libby McBride, Jay Lowey, Antoinette Morelli, David Fleming | Written and Directed by Dominic O’Neill
Haunted Ulster Live is part homage to, and part parody of the BBC’s infamous Ghostwatch. For those unfamiliar with it, it was a 1992 Halloween special hosted by Michael Parkinson and presented as a live broadcast from a haunted house. Unfortunately, many viewers didn’t know it wasn’t the real thing and the BBC ended up fielding over 1,000,000 from concerned viewers. An early entry in the mockumentary/found footage genre it’s also the precursor of films like Kild TV, Deadstream, and The Cleansing Hour.
It’s Halloween night in 1998, TV veteran Gerry Burns and children’s TV presenter Michelle Kelly along with radio DJ Declan broadcasting live from the attic of an allegedly haunted house. They’re joined by the home’s owner Sarah, her daughter Rose,...
Haunted Ulster Live is part homage to, and part parody of the BBC’s infamous Ghostwatch. For those unfamiliar with it, it was a 1992 Halloween special hosted by Michael Parkinson and presented as a live broadcast from a haunted house. Unfortunately, many viewers didn’t know it wasn’t the real thing and the BBC ended up fielding over 1,000,000 from concerned viewers. An early entry in the mockumentary/found footage genre it’s also the precursor of films like Kild TV, Deadstream, and The Cleansing Hour.
It’s Halloween night in 1998, TV veteran Gerry Burns and children’s TV presenter Michelle Kelly along with radio DJ Declan broadcasting live from the attic of an allegedly haunted house. They’re joined by the home’s owner Sarah, her daughter Rose,...
- 11/7/2023
- by Jim Morazzini
- Nerdly
In the age of streaming television, horror is alive and well. Shows like "Stranger Things" and "Wednesday" are topping Netflix's charts, "What We Do in the Shadows" continues to prove series adaptations of movies can be even better than the source material, and although "The Walking Dead" came to a conclusion with its 11th season, its multiple spin-offs are certain to keep its spirit shambling along for years to come. But what if you're looking for something off the beaten path?
The good news is that there's a whole world of horror television lurking in the shadows, hungrily waiting for its next captive audience. From old-school anthology series to a Danish supernatural hospital drama, or even obscure relics of the Y2K age, we've put together a lineup of forgotten or simply underappreciated shows that are worth checking out. While some of these might take a little elbow grease...
The good news is that there's a whole world of horror television lurking in the shadows, hungrily waiting for its next captive audience. From old-school anthology series to a Danish supernatural hospital drama, or even obscure relics of the Y2K age, we've put together a lineup of forgotten or simply underappreciated shows that are worth checking out. While some of these might take a little elbow grease...
- 1/21/2023
- by Kyle Milner
- Slash Film
Real-world journalism comes with some occupational hazards, but usually death isn’t one of them. In the horror genre, on the other hand, members of the press find themselves in danger every time they get a hot lead on something weird and unexplained. Their tenacity never does them any good; one minute they’ve found the story of their career, the next they’re never heard from again.
Journalists often get in over their heads in horror. Something goes wrong in their investigation, and they end up becoming the story. As these five TV-anthology tales illustrate, digging for the truth can also mean digging your own grave.
Out of the Unknown (1965-1971)
Deathday
Out of the Unknown was one of several BBC anthologies from the ’60s and ’70s. And like others from this era, this show was almost entirely scrubbed from existence. It was common practice to erase series back then,...
Journalists often get in over their heads in horror. Something goes wrong in their investigation, and they end up becoming the story. As these five TV-anthology tales illustrate, digging for the truth can also mean digging your own grave.
Out of the Unknown (1965-1971)
Deathday
Out of the Unknown was one of several BBC anthologies from the ’60s and ’70s. And like others from this era, this show was almost entirely scrubbed from existence. It was common practice to erase series back then,...
- 8/31/2022
- by Paul Lê
- bloody-disgusting.com
Hammer Horror: Four Gothic Horror Films
Blu ray – All Region
Imprint
1971-72
Starring Ingrid Pitt, Peter Cushing, Eric Porter
Cinematography by Kenneth Talbot, Dick Bush
Directed by Peter Sasdy, John Hough, Robert Young
In December of 1959, Hammer Studios released a bit of Yuletide cheer called The Stranglers from Bombay, a censor-baiting melodrama highlighted by severed limbs and Marie Devereux’s cleavage. The studio would spend the next decade expanding upon those themes and wore the inevitable X Certificates like badges of honor. But as an ancient reprobate said, “Politicians, ugly buildings, and whores all get respectable if they last long enough” and by the seventies the bad boys of Bray seemed positively sedate. Though the power to shock had waned, Hammer was still a thriving business—there were two Dracula films produced in 1970 alone. Still, no one could blame them for shaking things up—Anthony Hinds, the studio’s guiding light,...
Blu ray – All Region
Imprint
1971-72
Starring Ingrid Pitt, Peter Cushing, Eric Porter
Cinematography by Kenneth Talbot, Dick Bush
Directed by Peter Sasdy, John Hough, Robert Young
In December of 1959, Hammer Studios released a bit of Yuletide cheer called The Stranglers from Bombay, a censor-baiting melodrama highlighted by severed limbs and Marie Devereux’s cleavage. The studio would spend the next decade expanding upon those themes and wore the inevitable X Certificates like badges of honor. But as an ancient reprobate said, “Politicians, ugly buildings, and whores all get respectable if they last long enough” and by the seventies the bad boys of Bray seemed positively sedate. Though the power to shock had waned, Hammer was still a thriving business—there were two Dracula films produced in 1970 alone. Still, no one could blame them for shaking things up—Anthony Hinds, the studio’s guiding light,...
- 8/28/2021
- by Charlie Largent
- Trailers from Hell
It’s safe to say that the world is a bit weird right now. Much to some people’s surprise, horror movies can often be a way for fans to make sense of things and confront their fears in a safe space. Streaming service Shudder offers a large array of horror movies, TV shows, and even podcasts covering the full spectrum of the macabre. But how do you know where to start?
We’ve put together a guide to some of the best films the service has to offer. The Shudder catalogue is always growing and changing so we’ll keep this updated – head back for the latest additions and new suggestions.
(All entries are available in both UK and US unless stated otherwise!)
Hammer The Vampire Lovers (1970)
Only Available In The US
After literally decades in which the classic Hammer Films library of horror titles was often difficult to see,...
We’ve put together a guide to some of the best films the service has to offer. The Shudder catalogue is always growing and changing so we’ll keep this updated – head back for the latest additions and new suggestions.
(All entries are available in both UK and US unless stated otherwise!)
Hammer The Vampire Lovers (1970)
Only Available In The US
After literally decades in which the classic Hammer Films library of horror titles was often difficult to see,...
- 9/26/2020
- by Rosie Fletcher
- Den of Geek
When I was a kid, I somehow inherited an 8mm film projector and managed to convince my mom to buy me a handful of movies on the format. Now when I say “movies,” I mean these little spools of 8mm celluloid that basically took various motion pictures and condensed them down to silent 10-minute highlight reels, mostly in black and white.
They were in many ways the earliest precursor of home video, and one of the films I convinced my mom to purchase was Hammer Films’ Taste the Blood of Dracula. While the format really prevented me from making much sense of the narrative, certain imagery–Dracula’s face emerging from beneath a cracking caul of dust, two beautiful young women driving a stake into the heart of an older gentleman, a younger man drinking a cup of blood and choking as it poured out of his mouth–stayed firmly with me.
They were in many ways the earliest precursor of home video, and one of the films I convinced my mom to purchase was Hammer Films’ Taste the Blood of Dracula. While the format really prevented me from making much sense of the narrative, certain imagery–Dracula’s face emerging from beneath a cracking caul of dust, two beautiful young women driving a stake into the heart of an older gentleman, a younger man drinking a cup of blood and choking as it poured out of his mouth–stayed firmly with me.
- 6/8/2020
- by Don Kaye
- Den of Geek
Enter worlds filled with magic and terror in John Burr's fantasy horror film Muse that will see a U.S. digital release on August 21st. Also in today's Highlights: the Blu-ray debut for Hammer Horror: The Warner Bros. Years, ScareHouse 2018 opening day details, and Hell House LLC, II: The Abbadon Hotel release details.
Muse Release Details: "TriCoast Entertainment’s horror division, DarkCoast, will finally release John Burr’s eight-time winning fantasy horror Muse onto U.S. digital streaming platforms on August 21st.
Written and directed by John Burr, Muse is described as a twisted, haunted fairytale that combines elements of a psychological thriller, the supernatural, and past Irish legends and mythological influences. Shot entirely in 15 days, Muse is a gripping, psychological thriller that ultimately examines how inspiration can be the downfall of any great artist. “If you have the opportunity, See. This. Movie.” - Nightmarish Conjurings
Muse credits its fantastic editing to longtime,...
Muse Release Details: "TriCoast Entertainment’s horror division, DarkCoast, will finally release John Burr’s eight-time winning fantasy horror Muse onto U.S. digital streaming platforms on August 21st.
Written and directed by John Burr, Muse is described as a twisted, haunted fairytale that combines elements of a psychological thriller, the supernatural, and past Irish legends and mythological influences. Shot entirely in 15 days, Muse is a gripping, psychological thriller that ultimately examines how inspiration can be the downfall of any great artist. “If you have the opportunity, See. This. Movie.” - Nightmarish Conjurings
Muse credits its fantastic editing to longtime,...
- 8/9/2018
- by Tamika Jones
- DailyDead
New York's Quad Cinema got this summer off to a bloody good start with part 1 of their "Hammer's House of Horror" movie retrospective series featuring 32 films from the Hammer vault. On July 20th, the Quad Cinema team will continue the frights and fun with part 2 of their special Hammer horror screenings, and we've been provided with exclusive details on the second half of their retrospective series that's aptly titled "The Decadent Years."
From July 20th–August 2nd, Quad Cinema will screen a wide range of Hammer horror films from "The Decadent Years," including Dracula A.D. 1972, Countess Dracula, Twins of Evil, Dracula Has Risen from the Grave, and many more! There will be 25 total titles shown (all of them from 1967–1976), with 20 of the films screened in glorious 35mm.
Below, we have the full list of titles screening as part of Hammer's House of Horror Part II, and to learn more about screening dates and times,...
From July 20th–August 2nd, Quad Cinema will screen a wide range of Hammer horror films from "The Decadent Years," including Dracula A.D. 1972, Countess Dracula, Twins of Evil, Dracula Has Risen from the Grave, and many more! There will be 25 total titles shown (all of them from 1967–1976), with 20 of the films screened in glorious 35mm.
Below, we have the full list of titles screening as part of Hammer's House of Horror Part II, and to learn more about screening dates and times,...
- 6/28/2018
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Donald Pleasence, Joan Collins, and Caroline Munro co-star in The Devil Within Her, aka Sharon's Baby and I Don't Want to Be Born, a 1975 horror film featuring a violent baby that is coming to Blu-ray from Scorpion Releasing.
Blu-ray.com reports that the folks at Scorpion Releasing are hard at work on a fresh 2K restoration of The Devil Within Her, and while an exact release date has yet to be revealed, the Blu-ray is expected to come out in early 2017.
We'll keep Daily Dead readers updated on special features announcements and release details. In the meantime, we have the official synopsis, trailer, and poster for the Peter Sasdy film:
Synopsis (via Blu-ray.com): "Hollywood legend Joan Collins teams up with cult stars Donald Pleasence and Caroline Munro in this terrifying tale of a demonic baby!
Lucy (Collins, Dynasty, Land Of The Pharoahs) is a former dancer, having moved...
Blu-ray.com reports that the folks at Scorpion Releasing are hard at work on a fresh 2K restoration of The Devil Within Her, and while an exact release date has yet to be revealed, the Blu-ray is expected to come out in early 2017.
We'll keep Daily Dead readers updated on special features announcements and release details. In the meantime, we have the official synopsis, trailer, and poster for the Peter Sasdy film:
Synopsis (via Blu-ray.com): "Hollywood legend Joan Collins teams up with cult stars Donald Pleasence and Caroline Munro in this terrifying tale of a demonic baby!
Lucy (Collins, Dynasty, Land Of The Pharoahs) is a former dancer, having moved...
- 9/20/2016
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
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.
- 10/6/2015
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Iconic Hammer actresses Martine Beswick, Veronica Carlson and Caroline Munro. (All photos copyright Adrian Smith. All rights reserved.)
Retro-active: The Best From Cinema Retro's Archives
(The following article was originally run in November, 2014)
By Adrian Smith
With around sixty special guests in attendance, the Westminster Central Hall on Saturday the 7th of November was packed to its domed roof with excited Hammer film fans.
Familiar faces including Caroline Munro, Valerie Leon, Madeline Smith and Martine Beswick were providing some glamour, but the organisers managed to make the event extra-memorable by securing the presence of Edina Ronay, George Cole, Freddie Jones and others who had not signed autographs at a fan event before. At times queues to meet them ran out of the building and down the street! Other rare UK appearances were made from Veronica Carlson and Linda Hayden, flown in from the Us to meet their fans. It was...
Retro-active: The Best From Cinema Retro's Archives
(The following article was originally run in November, 2014)
By Adrian Smith
With around sixty special guests in attendance, the Westminster Central Hall on Saturday the 7th of November was packed to its domed roof with excited Hammer film fans.
Familiar faces including Caroline Munro, Valerie Leon, Madeline Smith and Martine Beswick were providing some glamour, but the organisers managed to make the event extra-memorable by securing the presence of Edina Ronay, George Cole, Freddie Jones and others who had not signed autographs at a fan event before. At times queues to meet them ran out of the building and down the street! Other rare UK appearances were made from Veronica Carlson and Linda Hayden, flown in from the Us to meet their fans. It was...
- 3/4/2015
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Cinema Retro has received the following press release:
London Film Convention
The 80th Anniversary of Hammer!
Saturday November the 8th ( 10am – 6pm )
Venue : Central Hall Westminster.
Storey’s Gate, Westminster, London SW1H 9Nh
Celebrates in a one-off special event one of the worlds longest running film production companies Hammer’s 80th anniversary.
Founded by William Hindes and James Carerras in November 1934!
The company very much dominated the world market from the 1950’s to the 1970’s in comedies but above all their now classic horror films.
Now very much back in production with several successful films over the past years.
With a sequel to their film version of the play “ Woman In Black “ that starred Daniel Radcliff due for release in 2015 “ Woman In Black : Angel Of Death “ .
The show is also a celebration of the British film industry and of the past and present creative film making in...
London Film Convention
The 80th Anniversary of Hammer!
Saturday November the 8th ( 10am – 6pm )
Venue : Central Hall Westminster.
Storey’s Gate, Westminster, London SW1H 9Nh
Celebrates in a one-off special event one of the worlds longest running film production companies Hammer’s 80th anniversary.
Founded by William Hindes and James Carerras in November 1934!
The company very much dominated the world market from the 1950’s to the 1970’s in comedies but above all their now classic horror films.
Now very much back in production with several successful films over the past years.
With a sequel to their film version of the play “ Woman In Black “ that starred Daniel Radcliff due for release in 2015 “ Woman In Black : Angel Of Death “ .
The show is also a celebration of the British film industry and of the past and present creative film making in...
- 10/20/2014
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Hammer have had something of a renaissance on Blu-ray recently, with StudioCanal releasing a number of classic titles in new hi-def editions. And now, released as part of Network’s ‘The British Film’ collection, comes two of Hammer’s “sexier” films of the 70s: the infamous Twins of Evil, starring Playboy Playmates Mary and Madeleine Collinson; and Countess Dracula, which features a career-defining performance from Ingrid Pitt in the titular role.
Despite being made during Hammer early-70s fallow period, where the studio was running out of stories, out of budget and were being left behind by more “extreme” horror films and exploitation movies emanating from the Us (after all this was just after the release of Night of the Living Dead which ultimately changed the face of the genre forever), both Twins of Evil and Countess Dracula are beloved by fans of the studio, and with good reason.
Twins of Evil
Stars: Peter Cushing,...
Despite being made during Hammer early-70s fallow period, where the studio was running out of stories, out of budget and were being left behind by more “extreme” horror films and exploitation movies emanating from the Us (after all this was just after the release of Night of the Living Dead which ultimately changed the face of the genre forever), both Twins of Evil and Countess Dracula are beloved by fans of the studio, and with good reason.
Twins of Evil
Stars: Peter Cushing,...
- 9/16/2014
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
I’ve seen at least a dozen Hammer Horror films, both old and new. As far as the classics go, I’d say I’ve seen more of them for the first time thanks to companies like Synapse, that constantly release them to Blu-ray. Such is the case for Countess Dracula. This was a first time viewing for me, so it was good to be able to sit down with Synapse’s new Blu-ray release of the film. The story, you’ll recognize immediately. Old countess, feasts on the blood of young virgins in order to regain her youthful outer appearance. It is a story that has been told to death, but nobody does it quite like Hammer. I recognize the appeal of a film like Countess Dracula, and I did enjoy watching it, but things like these are sometimes films I can only see myself watching once. I’m a patient man,...
- 5/23/2014
- by Shawn Savage
- The Liberal Dead
Director: Peter Sasdy > Review Chris Sawin. Hammer Horror is notorious for being delectably campy and over the top with cheese so thick it could pave a driveway. If that's your definition of a horror classic, then "Countess Dracula" absolutely lives up to expectations. The insensitive Elizabeth Nadasdy (Ingrid Pitt) is thrown into a bitter state after the passing of her late husband. During the funeral arrangements, Elizabeth is drawn to Lt. Imre Toth (Sandor Eles), a young soldier who is also the son of a man who fought with her husband in the war. But her wrinkly, old age stands in the way of Elizabeth and her happiness. The Countess soon discovers that she can turn back the hands of time by bathing in the blood of young women. Women around the village go missing and are then discovered murdered just so Countess Elizabeth can feel young again and bask...
- 5/12/2014
- 24framespersecond.net
Synapse Films has a new release heading our way in May that fans of classic 70's horror are sure to want to take note of. Hammer's dark and underrated Countess Dracula, starring the voluptuous Ingrid Pitt, will be available in a Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack on May 6th.
The film was directed by Peter Sasdy and co-stars Nigel Green, Lesley-Anne Down, Sandor Elès, Patience Collier, and Maurice Denham.
Synopsis:
The beautiful Ingrid Pitt (The Wicker Man, Where Eagles Dare) stars as Elisabeth Nádasdy, an aging Hungarian Countess who discovers she can reverse her aging by bathing in the blood of young women.
While in her youthful state, the Countess falls for the handsome Lt. Imre Toth (Elès) and impersonates her own daughter (Down) to win his affections. Soon girls in the village go missing… kidnapped and murdered by the Countess and her steward, Julie (Collier), to satiate her horrifying bloodlust.
The film was directed by Peter Sasdy and co-stars Nigel Green, Lesley-Anne Down, Sandor Elès, Patience Collier, and Maurice Denham.
Synopsis:
The beautiful Ingrid Pitt (The Wicker Man, Where Eagles Dare) stars as Elisabeth Nádasdy, an aging Hungarian Countess who discovers she can reverse her aging by bathing in the blood of young women.
While in her youthful state, the Countess falls for the handsome Lt. Imre Toth (Elès) and impersonates her own daughter (Down) to win his affections. Soon girls in the village go missing… kidnapped and murdered by the Countess and her steward, Julie (Collier), to satiate her horrifying bloodlust.
- 4/1/2014
- by Debi Moore
- DreadCentral.com
We’ve known for a while that Synapse Films was going to bring Countess Dracula to Blu-ray and now an official release date has been announced. We also have details on a petition for Warner Bros. to bring their Hammer titles to Blu-ray. Thanks to DVD Drive-In, we know that Synapse Films will release Countess Dracula as a Blu-ray / DVD combo on May 6th:
“The beautiful Ingrid Pitt (The Vampire Lovers) stars as Elisabeth Nádasdy, an aging Hungarian Countess who discovers she can reverse her aging by bathing in the blood of young women. While in her youthful state, the Countess falls for the handsome Imre Toth (Sandor Elès), and impersonates her own daughter to win his actions. Soon, girls in the village go missing… kidnapped and murdered by the Countess and her steward, Julie (Patience Collier) to satiate her horrifying bloodlust. Can Elisabeth live a life of deception...
“The beautiful Ingrid Pitt (The Vampire Lovers) stars as Elisabeth Nádasdy, an aging Hungarian Countess who discovers she can reverse her aging by bathing in the blood of young women. While in her youthful state, the Countess falls for the handsome Imre Toth (Sandor Elès), and impersonates her own daughter to win his actions. Soon, girls in the village go missing… kidnapped and murdered by the Countess and her steward, Julie (Patience Collier) to satiate her horrifying bloodlust. Can Elisabeth live a life of deception...
- 3/6/2014
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
Although Hammer Films will always be associated with British horror, the studio did have stiff competition. Amicus specialised in the successful horror anthologies and Us counterparts American International Pictures established a permanent UK base in the mid sixties. Other smaller independents took their own bite from the cherry tree of horror with some success, the best known being Tigon Films.
Tigon has received some belated recognition in recent years. Andy Boot’s book on British horror Fragments of Fear devotes a chapter to the company while John Hamilton’s excellent book Beast in the Cellar covers the varied career of Tigon’s charismatic founder Tony Tenser.
Like Hammer’s Sir James Carreras, Tenser was one of the British Film Industry’s great entrepreneurs. Born in London to poor Lithuanian immigrants and a movie fan since childhood, he was an ambitious man with a natural talent for showmanship. Combining shrewd business...
Tigon has received some belated recognition in recent years. Andy Boot’s book on British horror Fragments of Fear devotes a chapter to the company while John Hamilton’s excellent book Beast in the Cellar covers the varied career of Tigon’s charismatic founder Tony Tenser.
Like Hammer’s Sir James Carreras, Tenser was one of the British Film Industry’s great entrepreneurs. Born in London to poor Lithuanian immigrants and a movie fan since childhood, he was an ambitious man with a natural talent for showmanship. Combining shrewd business...
- 2/18/2014
- Shadowlocked
Hands of the Ripper (1971) (Blu-ray/DVD Combo Review) Directed By: Peter Sasdy Starring: Eric Porter, Angharad Rees, Jane Merrow Rated: R/Region A/1:66/1080p/Number of Discs 2 Available from Synapse Films An infant girl watches in horror as her father, the infamous Jack the Ripper , brutally murders her mother. Years later, young Anna (Angharad Rees) is now under the care of a fake psychic and has been forced into prostitution. At the end of a…...
- 7/16/2013
- Horrorbid
Stars: Jane Asher, Michael Bryant, Ian Cuthbertson, Michael Bates, Reginald Marsh, Tom Chadbon, John Forgeham, Philip Trewinnard, James Cosmo | Written by Nigel Kneale | Directed by Peter Sasdy
I’ve never been a huge fan of ghost stories, largely because most of them feel (if you’ll excuse the pun) insubstantial and are more often than not resolved cheaply and without much in the way of originality. Which is to say nothing of the BBC’s insistence on producing at least four dusty Victorian-era spooky tales every Christmas. With exception, if you’ve seen one ghost story, you’ve seen them all, and The Stone Tape is mercifully one of the former.
Set in an ill-kept Victorian house, an electronics research team stumble across a room in which a female apparition appears at regular intervals to scream and just as quickly disappear, leading them to believe that she’s a psychic...
I’ve never been a huge fan of ghost stories, largely because most of them feel (if you’ll excuse the pun) insubstantial and are more often than not resolved cheaply and without much in the way of originality. Which is to say nothing of the BBC’s insistence on producing at least four dusty Victorian-era spooky tales every Christmas. With exception, if you’ve seen one ghost story, you’ve seen them all, and The Stone Tape is mercifully one of the former.
Set in an ill-kept Victorian house, an electronics research team stumble across a room in which a female apparition appears at regular intervals to scream and just as quickly disappear, leading them to believe that she’s a psychic...
- 5/18/2013
- by Mark Allen
- Nerdly
Synapse Films' collection of classic Hammer releases expands this summer with the U.S. Blu-ray debut of Peter Sasdy's 1971 supernatural serial killer thriller Hands of the Ripper. Considered one of Hammer's bloodiest productions (with the gore quotient upped to meet audiences' craving for more graphic horror), the film stars Angharad Rees as a young woman psychologically scarred from childhood by the knowledge that her father is none other than London's most notorious murderer, Jack the Ripper. As an adult, she becomes the prime suspect in a new series of brutal murders after a séance apparently unleashes the Ripper's demonic spirit to possess his daughter. Synapse is presenting a fully-restored print of Ripper, uncut and in high definition. The Blu-ray/DVD combo pack includes the following special features: The Devil’s Bloody Plaything: Possessed by Hands of the Ripper Featurette Slaughter of Innocence: The Evolution of Hammer Gore Motion Still Gallery U.
- 5/3/2013
- by Gregory Burkart
- FEARnet
This July our friends over at Synapse films are releasing yet another Hammer classic, Hands of the Ripper, on Blu-ray, and we've got your first look at the artwork and more. Check it out!
From the Press Release
Another landmark title in Synapse Films' Hammer Films Collection! Peter Sasdy's Hands Of The Ripper! Look for it in stores on July 9th!
An infant girl watches in horror as her father, the infamous “Jack the Ripper,” brutally murders her mother. Years later, the damaged young Anna (Angharad Rees) is now under the care of a fake psychic and has been forced into a career of prostitution. At the end of a séance one evening, a woman is mysteriously killed. Dr. John Pritchard (Eric Porter) suspects Anna is the murderer but cannot understand how she could perform this unspeakable act. Using new Freudian psychoanalysis techniques, Pritchard experiments on Anna and...
From the Press Release
Another landmark title in Synapse Films' Hammer Films Collection! Peter Sasdy's Hands Of The Ripper! Look for it in stores on July 9th!
An infant girl watches in horror as her father, the infamous “Jack the Ripper,” brutally murders her mother. Years later, the damaged young Anna (Angharad Rees) is now under the care of a fake psychic and has been forced into a career of prostitution. At the end of a séance one evening, a woman is mysteriously killed. Dr. John Pritchard (Eric Porter) suspects Anna is the murderer but cannot understand how she could perform this unspeakable act. Using new Freudian psychoanalysis techniques, Pritchard experiments on Anna and...
- 5/3/2013
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
The definition of a slasher film varies depending on who you ask, but in general, it contains several specific traits that feed into the genre’s formula. Author Vera Dika rather strictly defines the sub-genre in her book Games of Terror by only including films made between 1978 and 1984. In other words, she saw it as a movement. When someone describes Brick, they don’t define it as a noir, but instead neo-noir . In other words, it’s a modern motion picture that prominently utilizes elements of film noir, but with updated themes, content, style, visual elements or media that were absent in those from the 1940s and 1950s. So does one consider Scream a slasher film or a neo-slasher, or simply put, a modern slasher?
Some consider Thirteen Women to be the earliest slasher – released all the way back in 1932. Personally I think that is rubbish. Thirteen Women is more like Desperate Housewives on sedatives.
Some consider Thirteen Women to be the earliest slasher – released all the way back in 1932. Personally I think that is rubbish. Thirteen Women is more like Desperate Housewives on sedatives.
- 10/29/2012
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
Adrian Mole topically comments “everyone is swept along on a tide of patriotic fervour”, in keeping with the current Jubilee frenzy, making it the perfect time to finally release Peter Sasdy’s TV adaptation of Sue Townsend’s legendary books.
The Complete Adrian Mole begins with The Secret Diary and Adrian tragically discovering a spot on his chin on the first day of the New Year. Each episode starts with shots of Adrian writing his diary, moaning and asking a rhetorical question. From his first wet dream to him having his tonsils out, his voice breaking and a holiday in Skegness, those who fondly remember the original books will be pleased to be reunited with old character favourites. Pandora is introduced in episode one as the new girl who sits next to him in Geography who is “alright”. Adrian matter-of-factly reflects he “might fall in love with her” as “it...
The Complete Adrian Mole begins with The Secret Diary and Adrian tragically discovering a spot on his chin on the first day of the New Year. Each episode starts with shots of Adrian writing his diary, moaning and asking a rhetorical question. From his first wet dream to him having his tonsils out, his voice breaking and a holiday in Skegness, those who fondly remember the original books will be pleased to be reunited with old character favourites. Pandora is introduced in episode one as the new girl who sits next to him in Geography who is “alright”. Adrian matter-of-factly reflects he “might fall in love with her” as “it...
- 7/12/2012
- Shadowlocked
We’ve known that Synapse Films had plans to release Hammer House of Horror since 2010, but it is now official and will be released later this year. The complete 13-episode TV series will be available in a 5-dvd set on September 11th. According to Fangoria, the episodes will be presented in their original airdate order and are completely uncut:
“Produced in 1980, Hammer House Of Horror consisted of 13 episodes shot at Hampden Manor House in the heart of England, with directors including Hammer vets Peter Sasdy and Alan Gibson and featuring actors such as Peter Cushing, Pierce Brosnan, Brian Cox and Denholm Elliott. Synapse’s five-dvd set will present the episodes in original airdate order, uncut with all the nudity and violence intact, presented in the original 1.33:1 broadcast aspect ratio.”
The DVD set will sell for $39.95 and we’ve included a look at the cover art below. Here is a...
“Produced in 1980, Hammer House Of Horror consisted of 13 episodes shot at Hampden Manor House in the heart of England, with directors including Hammer vets Peter Sasdy and Alan Gibson and featuring actors such as Peter Cushing, Pierce Brosnan, Brian Cox and Denholm Elliott. Synapse’s five-dvd set will present the episodes in original airdate order, uncut with all the nudity and violence intact, presented in the original 1.33:1 broadcast aspect ratio.”
The DVD set will sell for $39.95 and we’ve included a look at the cover art below. Here is a...
- 7/4/2012
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
On 21 March 2012, the British horror cinema lost of one of its most interesting and distinctive talents, director Robert Fuest. Although his association with the genre was very brief, he achieved cult status for directing two very popular slices of classic English Gothic, The Abominable Dr Phibes (1971) and Dr Phibes Rises Again (1972).
A former set designer with a unique visual flare, Fuest represented a group of innovative and original film-makers that formed an important part of the horror genre of the late sixties and early seventies. These luminaries included Roman Polanski, Michael Reeves, Peter Sasdy, Daniel Haller and Curtis Harrington. Fuest came on the scene much later on, and like his colleagues before him, never quite fulfilled his early promise. Its fair to say Fuest never had much of a chance. The horror genre of the late sixties was beginning to lose direction, both artistically and commercially, and by the mid seventies,...
A former set designer with a unique visual flare, Fuest represented a group of innovative and original film-makers that formed an important part of the horror genre of the late sixties and early seventies. These luminaries included Roman Polanski, Michael Reeves, Peter Sasdy, Daniel Haller and Curtis Harrington. Fuest came on the scene much later on, and like his colleagues before him, never quite fulfilled his early promise. Its fair to say Fuest never had much of a chance. The horror genre of the late sixties was beginning to lose direction, both artistically and commercially, and by the mid seventies,...
- 4/11/2012
- Shadowlocked
By Lee Pfeiffer
The Scorpion DVD label has released the notorious 1976 British horror flick I Don't Want to Be Born under its American title, The Devil Within Her (It was also known as Sharon's Baby). It's easy to see why this cult movie has gained its reputation, as its a real hoot. Joan Collins stars as Lucy, a one-time London stripper who gives up her wild lifestyle in favor of a more sedate life. She marries a successful Italian businessman, Gino (Ralph Bates) and finds herself pregnant immediately after their wedding night. Trouble is, she suspects the real father is actually her sleazy ex-boyfriend Tommy (John Steiner), who she slept with the night before her wedding in order to have one final fling. Things are moving along swimmingly with the happy couple living the good life in a tony section of London. However, when Lucy goes into labor, the process...
The Scorpion DVD label has released the notorious 1976 British horror flick I Don't Want to Be Born under its American title, The Devil Within Her (It was also known as Sharon's Baby). It's easy to see why this cult movie has gained its reputation, as its a real hoot. Joan Collins stars as Lucy, a one-time London stripper who gives up her wild lifestyle in favor of a more sedate life. She marries a successful Italian businessman, Gino (Ralph Bates) and finds herself pregnant immediately after their wedding night. Trouble is, she suspects the real father is actually her sleazy ex-boyfriend Tommy (John Steiner), who she slept with the night before her wedding in order to have one final fling. Things are moving along swimmingly with the happy couple living the good life in a tony section of London. However, when Lucy goes into labor, the process...
- 1/16/2012
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Henry Hobson is the chosen director of the upcoming adaptation of the classic 1954 Isaac Asimov novel, "Caves of Steel."
"Caves of Steel" is a murder mystery set a thousand years in the future on an overpopulated earth, where robots are regarded with fear and suspicion. Police detective Elijah Bailey is forced to work with the humaniform (he looks like a person) robot Daneel Olivaw to solve the murder of a rich "Spacer," a human who has migrated to another planet, where everything is beautiful and hundreds of robots provide humans with every need and do all the work while the people lay around in mansions and get massages and drink mimosas.
Asimov was a master of the detective story, and his "Caves of Steel" series lays out the possibility of two possible sequels to the film: "The Naked Sun," which is set on another robot-and-human planet and involves a gorgeous woman and a murdered,...
"Caves of Steel" is a murder mystery set a thousand years in the future on an overpopulated earth, where robots are regarded with fear and suspicion. Police detective Elijah Bailey is forced to work with the humaniform (he looks like a person) robot Daneel Olivaw to solve the murder of a rich "Spacer," a human who has migrated to another planet, where everything is beautiful and hundreds of robots provide humans with every need and do all the work while the people lay around in mansions and get massages and drink mimosas.
Asimov was a master of the detective story, and his "Caves of Steel" series lays out the possibility of two possible sequels to the film: "The Naked Sun," which is set on another robot-and-human planet and involves a gorgeous woman and a murdered,...
- 10/13/2011
- by Superheidi
- Planet Fury
As our second annual 31 Days of Horror spectacle is now well and truly underway, check out WhatCulture!’s ten best Hammer Horror picks!
They were one of Britain’s most successful film studios throughout their heyday from the late 1950s to mid 1970s and within that time they produced some of the most memorable horror films ever to be made here. After disbanding in the late 1970s, after a slew of commercial flops, today Hammer Picture Productions is a fully-fledged, working company once again. With their production of The Woman in Black, starring Daniel Radcliffe, eagerly awaited in cinemas next year and in celebration of our 31 Days of Horror spectacular, it’s time to get nostalgic and remember the 10 Best Hammer Horrors! So dim the lights, grab a cushion…you’re in for some sheer terror!!
10. Dr Jekyll & Sister Hyde (1971)
This has to be one of Hammer’s greatest films from the advertising campaign alone!
They were one of Britain’s most successful film studios throughout their heyday from the late 1950s to mid 1970s and within that time they produced some of the most memorable horror films ever to be made here. After disbanding in the late 1970s, after a slew of commercial flops, today Hammer Picture Productions is a fully-fledged, working company once again. With their production of The Woman in Black, starring Daniel Radcliffe, eagerly awaited in cinemas next year and in celebration of our 31 Days of Horror spectacular, it’s time to get nostalgic and remember the 10 Best Hammer Horrors! So dim the lights, grab a cushion…you’re in for some sheer terror!!
10. Dr Jekyll & Sister Hyde (1971)
This has to be one of Hammer’s greatest films from the advertising campaign alone!
- 10/5/2011
- by Stuart Cummins
- Obsessed with Film
When I was invited to cover the Fantastic Films Weekend at the National Media Museum in Bradford I snapped up the chance. Being a fan of horror and living in Bradford it was very easy for me to get there and it gave me the chance to view many movies that I’d never seen on the big screen and of course finally get to see Hobo with a Shotgun which I’d wanted to see for a while. My comments on Hobo will come in my coverage of day two, but I will say that I loved it.
This is my coverage of day one which was Friday 10th June. I’m going to comment on the movies I managed to see but there was much more I would have loved to attended including the talk by Peter Sasdy one of the key directors of the Hammer movies. But...
This is my coverage of day one which was Friday 10th June. I’m going to comment on the movies I managed to see but there was much more I would have loved to attended including the talk by Peter Sasdy one of the key directors of the Hammer movies. But...
- 6/15/2011
- by Pzomb
- Nerdly
The Good Bad Movie Club, London
Going from bad to worse can only be a good thing in the world of crap movie appreciation, and the establishment that brought you Tommy Wiseau's The Room and Troll 2 has scraped even deeper to bring you a season of bottom-of-the-late-80s-barrel gems. First off is the imaginatively demented Killer Klowns From Outer Space, in which alien clowns set balloon dogs, custard pies and mutant popcorn on Earthlings – expect fancy dress and free candy floss. Other godawful classics include the cheap and disgusting Garbage Pail Kids Movie, the Et-with-product-placement tale Mac And Me, and Dolph Lundgren's pec-flexingly camp fantasy Masters Of The Universe.
Prince Charles, WC2, Sat to 10 Sep
Fantastic Films Weekend, Bradford
It's mostly retro fare for this cult festival, which is especially good news for fans of Hammer/Amicus horror – a legion to whom the name Peter Sasdy will be legend.
Going from bad to worse can only be a good thing in the world of crap movie appreciation, and the establishment that brought you Tommy Wiseau's The Room and Troll 2 has scraped even deeper to bring you a season of bottom-of-the-late-80s-barrel gems. First off is the imaginatively demented Killer Klowns From Outer Space, in which alien clowns set balloon dogs, custard pies and mutant popcorn on Earthlings – expect fancy dress and free candy floss. Other godawful classics include the cheap and disgusting Garbage Pail Kids Movie, the Et-with-product-placement tale Mac And Me, and Dolph Lundgren's pec-flexingly camp fantasy Masters Of The Universe.
Prince Charles, WC2, Sat to 10 Sep
Fantastic Films Weekend, Bradford
It's mostly retro fare for this cult festival, which is especially good news for fans of Hammer/Amicus horror – a legion to whom the name Peter Sasdy will be legend.
- 6/3/2011
- by Steve Rose
- The Guardian - Film News
My first real introduction to the horror film came courtesy of the British film company Hammer, whose gory, gothic output was a late-night TV staple when I was growing up in the U.K during the ’70s. However, there was much more to Hammer movies than death. There was also, frequently, sex. And no Hammer actress was sexier than the Polish-born Ingrid Pitt, the star of 1970′s The Vampire Lovers and the following year’s Countess Dracula, who sadly died Tuesday at the age of 73.
It may seem poor taste to talk in such a lusty manner about the recently deceased.
It may seem poor taste to talk in such a lusty manner about the recently deceased.
- 11/24/2010
- by Clark Collis
- EW.com - PopWatch
If you have Netflix and are a horror fan in need of something to watch this Labor Day weekend, one look at this gargantuan list I compiled of the new terror titles Netflix has added for instant streaming in just the first three days of this month should keep you busy until Labor Day next year. You'll find something for everyone, from older titles to recent releases, famous to obscure, classic to not-so-classic, monsters to maniacs - you name it.
For the record, I considered compiling this list in alphabetical order or by year of the film's release, but then I realized I had already spent well over an hour just sorting through the massive catalogue of titles Netflix has now made available for instant streaming and realized Labor Day would be over by the time I finished arranging this list in any kind of order. Ready? Here you go.
For the record, I considered compiling this list in alphabetical order or by year of the film's release, but then I realized I had already spent well over an hour just sorting through the massive catalogue of titles Netflix has now made available for instant streaming and realized Labor Day would be over by the time I finished arranging this list in any kind of order. Ready? Here you go.
- 9/3/2010
- by Foywonder
- DreadCentral.com
The UK’s longest-running genre event, the Festival of Fantastic Films, has added director Peter Sasdy to the guest lineup of its 2009 edition, running Friday-Sunday, October 16-18 in Manchester, England. Best known for his work with Hammer Films, Sasdy’s association with the iconic company stretches all the way from the 1969 TV anthology Journey To The Unknown to the company’s 1986 swansong, Hammer House Of Mystery And Suspense, also encompassing the features Taste The Blood Of Dracula, Countess Dracula and Hands Of The Ripper.
Other Hammer veterans speaking and socializing at the weekend-long event include Twins Of Evil director John Hough and actors John Carson (from Plague Of The Zombies) and Scars Of Dracula’s Jenny Hanley. But there’s more to the British genre scene than Hammer; among the other actors attending are Burke And Hare’s Derren Nesbitt, The Ghoul (and Zombie) star Ian McCulloch and Evil Aliens’ Emily Booth.
Other Hammer veterans speaking and socializing at the weekend-long event include Twins Of Evil director John Hough and actors John Carson (from Plague Of The Zombies) and Scars Of Dracula’s Jenny Hanley. But there’s more to the British genre scene than Hammer; among the other actors attending are Burke And Hare’s Derren Nesbitt, The Ghoul (and Zombie) star Ian McCulloch and Evil Aliens’ Emily Booth.
- 9/24/2009
- by no-reply@fangoria.com (M.J. Simpson)
- Fangoria
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