#TBT #THROWBACKTHURSDAY : HAMMER FILM CINEMA MARQUEES

#TBT #THROWBACKTHURSDAY: FOUR great vintage photographs hailing the screenings of classic Peter Cushing #hammerfilms!

BRITISH CULT CINEMA: 'THE AMICUS ANTHOLOGY': BRUCE G. HALLENBECK

BRUCE G. HALLENBECK: British Cult Cinema: The AMICUS ANTHOLOGY: Order Here: http://www.hemlockbooks.co.uk/Shop/category/7

In 1965, the newly-formed Amicus Productions of filmmaking duo Max J Rosenberg and Milton Subotsky burst onto the British fantasy scene with Dr Terror’s House of Horrors, an anthology film featuring five tales of suspense and the supernatural. The success of Dr Terror encouraged the partners to produce more of the same and in the years that followed, Torture Garden, The House That Dripped Blood, Tales From the Crypt and others forever associated the name of Amicus with the anthology horror film.

The Amicus Anthology is an in-depth look at a body of films which were unique in the annals of fantasy cinema and featured not only the talents of horror icons Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee but those of dozens of the most famous names on the British screen in the 1960s and ’70s.

240pp plus 8pp in colour.

Fully illustrated throughout.

ZOMBIE FEST: 'SHOCK WAVES' PETER CUSHING : JOHN CARRADINE : COMES TO BLU RAY

NEWS: Peter Cushing's 1977 zombie fest 'SHOCK WAVES' is coming to BLU RAY later this year: U.S. distributors Blue Underground have confirmed that they are planning to release on Blu-ray director Ken Wiederhorn's film Shock Waves (1977), starring Peter Cushing, Brooke Adams, Fred Buch, John Carradine, and Luke Halpin. The release is expected to arrive on the U.S. market later this year.

Official synopsis: In the dark days of World War II, the Nazi High Command ordered its scientists to create a top secret race of indestructible zombie storm troopers - un-living, unfeeling, unstoppable monstrosities that killed with their bare hands. They were known as The Death Corps. No member of this horrific SS unit was ever captured by Allied Forces - and, somewhere off the coast of Florida they have survived...

Peter Cushing (The Curse of Frankenstein), Brooke Adams (The Dead Zone) and John Carradine (The Howling) star in this suspenseful and genuinely creepy shocker co-written and directed by Ken Widerhorn (Return of the Living Dead II) - one of the great horror "sleepers" of the 1970s.

MONSTER FROM HELL: CUSHING FRANKENSTEIN SWAN SONG: UK BLU RAY REVIEW

Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell (1974) The gloriously gory swansong for Hammer’s Gothic horror series gets an uncut Blu-ray release His brain came from a genius. His body came from a killer. His soul came from Hell. Convicted of bodysnatching, Dr Simon Helder (Shane Briant) is sentenced to an insane asylum. On arrival, he recognises the resident surgeon as the infamous Baron Victor Frankenstein (Peter Cushing), who has been hiding out there under the guise of Dr Carl Victor.

 

He also discovers that Frankenstein has been assembling a new creature using the body of an insane murderer (David Prowse), the brain of a musical and mathematical genius (Charles Lloyd Pack) and the hands of a sculptor (Bernard Lee). Unable to operate himself due to his hands having been burnt, Frankenstein has been relying on his mute assistant Sarah (Madeline Smith) to stitch the body parts together. Now he turns to Helder for help. The operation is a success, but the creature (Prowse) is torn between the conflicting aspects of itself – an intelligent, artistic person imprisoned in the body of a murderous hulk. Escaping from its cell, the creature then sets out to hunt down those who abused him – starting with the asylum’s corrupt director (John Stratton)… 

Filmed in September 1972, but not released until May 1974, this was the last of Hammer’s long-running series of Frankenstein films that had started with 1957’s The Curse of Frankenstein, and was 68-year-old director Terence Fisher’s final feature film. Fans and critics also consider it to be a gloriously gory swan song to the studios gothic era.

 

With the drama taking place entirely within the claustrophobic clinical confines of the asylum, this is the most downbeat of all the films in the series, and there’s a real sense that the end is nigh (the drab sets and laughable model used for the exterior shots emphasis this), but Fisher goes out on a high with a truly perverse idea (this time round Frankenstein is building his new creature only to mate with his mute assistant) and imbues his twisted tale with lashings of gore, including disembodied eyeballs, graphic transplants and stitching of limbs, and bloody body parts being flung about (when the lunatics take over the asylum).

Peter Cushing also gives his mad Baron (which he had played five times before) a suitably chilling send off. Now totally detached from the outside world, Frankenstein repeats his experiments almost out of habit than conviction. But it is Cushing’s conviction in the role that is the real draw here. No matter how depraved the premise or silly the wig he wears (which he said made him look like Helen Hayes), he gives his mad monster maker pathos and believability. Even when he’s using his teeth to hold an artery, which could have come off as comic relief, he makes it look like he’s man obsessed. Famously, Cushing and Prowse (who had also played the creature in Hammer’s 1970 spoof The Horror of Frankenstein) would re-unite four years later, playing two of the most iconic villains in the cinematic galaxy Grand Moff Tarkin and Darth Vader in Star Wars.

 

As a Hammer horror fan, I relish each new restoration from the studios horror archives. But the best thing is that these Blu-ray releases are also giving new audiences the opportunity to appreciate the class and care that went into these films. Plus, you can catch Cushing doing what he does best, making us believe in the unbelievable.

THE UK RELEASE
Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell is out on Blu-ray/DVD Double Play from 28 April 2014 in the UK from Icon Home Entertainment.

THE EXTRAS
• Taking of the Asylum: The Making of Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell featurette with contributing from Denis Meikle, Jonathan Rigby, David Miller, Shane Briant, Philip Voss, Janet Hargreaves, Madeline Smith and David Prowse.
• Charming Evil: Terence Fisher at Hammer featurette, with Mikey Harding (Fisher’s daughter) and Sue Cowie (Hammer convention organiser).
• Animated stills gallery.

Peter Fuller's Blog: HERE

START THE WEEK. MONDAY TREAT! JOHNATHAN HARKER HAMMER DRACULA' 1958 VINTAGE STILL ALBUM

Here's a 'start off the week', Monday treat! A Hammer films, 'DRACULA' (1958) John Van Eyssen as Johnathan Harker FIVE PHOTOGRAPH album! Included here is the RARE shot of the UNDEAD Harker, a shot that didn't appear in the final edit of the film.  All the photographs here are full size scans from original vintage photographs, in as high res as the server would allow....and for free! Have a great week everyone!

'NIGHT OF THE BIG HEAT' CUSHING LEE BRIT SCI FI CLASSIC GETS BLU RAY RELEASE DATE

The Terence Fisher, 1969 Brit sci fi classic 'NIGHT OF THE BIG HEAT' starring Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Patrick Allen. Jame Merrow and Sarah Lawson is available on BLU RAY (Region B/2) , for the first time as a 'pre order' with a street date release of JUNE 17th 2014, from Odeon Entertainment. Now on sale at amazon. Order Here.

GUSTAV ASKS WHAT DAY IS IT? HAPPY STAR WARS DAY!

 

Peter Cushing as Gustav Weil, in Hammer Films 'TWINS OF EVIL holds up the witch burning business to stop and check his calendar!

How could we forget? MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU! HAPPY STAR WARS DAY!

 

Like what you see? Like what we do? It's ALL for YOU! Please show your appreciation by voting for us in the RONDON HATTON CLASSIC HORROR AWARDS 2014 for BEST BLOG in CATEGORY  19 Best Blog of 2013. Thank You. Here's the link to the voting poll: VOTE HERE

INTERVIEW: SHANE BRIANT Q AND A PART TWO AT THE HORROR CHANNEL WEBSITE

NOW AT THE HORROR CHANNEL FACEBOOK PAGE! http://bit.ly/PWu9 Here's PART TWO of our Q AND A with SHANE BRIANT star of Hammer Films, 'FRANKENSTEIN AND THE MONSTER FROM HELL' now out on blu ray, Uncensored in a great three disc set, also starring Peter Cushing, Madeline Smith and Dave Prowse. Just following the link! The Horror Channel Q and A with Shane Briant

You can now order your copy of the UNCUT, three disc blu ray / dvd of 'Frankenstein and the monster from Hell' starring Peter Cushing, Shane Briant, Madeline Smith and Dave Prowse... just by clicking this link! (http://amzn.to/1i51bHI 

THE SHANE BRIANT 'FRANKENSTEIN AND THE MONSTER FROM HELL' Q AND A': YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED!

The WINNING entries and questions...and the best of, from our 'Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell: Shane Briant Q and A! Congratulations to our lucky winners and many thinks to everyone who entered, to Shane for taking part, Hammer films, and everyone at Fetch!

Part two of our Shane Briant 'Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell' Q and A will be a THE HORROR CHANNEL facebook page shortly :)

You can now order your copy of the UNCUT, three disc blu ray / dvd of 'Frankenstein and the monster from Hell' starring Peter Cushing, Shane Briant, Madeline Smith and Dave Prowse... just by clicking this link! (http://amzn.to/1i51bHI) We will be posting a review of this UK release at this blog later today at the blog!

FRANKENSTEIN FACTS FROM HELL! HISTORY AND TRIVIA FROM THE WORLD OF HAMMER FILMS FRANKENSTEIN SAGA

'FRANKENSTEIN AND THE FACTS FROM HELL'! A Celebration of Hammer's Notorious Gothic Horror Series starring Peter Cushing! If you haven't got your copy of Hammer films 'Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell : Uncut' blu ray / dvd three disc set. Order from the link here...It's out now! http://amzn.to/1i51bHI