What is meant by Hammer horror?

Question

I have heard of this genre in listening to film commentaries by Tim Burton and Peter Jackson. What is it exactly in layman's terms and how does it compare to horror films in general?

Answer 1

Hammer Studios was a British movie company that broke ground with their reivention of the horror genre. They added Technicolor, gore, and sexuality, along with good production values. They're defunct now, but had their heyday from the mid '50's to mid-'70's.