What did you all think of the Hammer house movies?

Question

I just can't wait to see the old ones again, and now to beable to view the modern version. But it usally kills the spookiness don't you think... we the movie watchers should have a say in who directs/writes and produces movies...

Answer 1

Classics! The Current issue of 'Fortean times' is a special devoted to British Gothic Movies, and especially Hammer. It's worth picking up a copy if you're into that!

Answer 2

No matter what remakes are made, the original Hammer productions will always stand out in people's memories. So many monsters were created and have been indelibly etched in the minds of those who viewed them. Take "The Invisible Man", which I watched a couple of months ago: it uses effects that are still used today. It is an excellent film and we don't need to be able to see Claude Rains actual face due to his raspy voice. Such casting and effects prevented the spookiness from being killedas "The Invisible One", derails trains and pushes a car with a person in it off a cliff. I have to say that if a remake of the film ever came out, I wouldn't even bother going to see it. I watched Dracula and the Werewolf of London (aswell as The Werewolf with Lon Chaney Jr. which sported a better-known cast includint the aforementioned Claude Rains, and Bela Lugosi in a supporting role) but a slightly weaker plot) aswell: all are masterful products of their time, cementing their names over 70 years later as indisputable classics!

Answer 3

For me,one of the best ones is the underated "The Devil Rides Out" WHICH WAS A CLASSIC FROM 1968.It starred Christopher Lee and Charles Gray.It was directed by Hammer Stalwart Terence Fisher.Myself,I cannot wait for the original versions to come out on Dvd,intended as they were to be shown in the cinemas but were cut to by the censors for being too gory.

Answer 4

The Hammer films were a bridge between the early Warner Bros horor films and what we have these days. I wasn't aware that they were bringing out modern versions, but I wouldn't be likely to be watching until it came out on television. As far as you having a say in who directs, writes or produces movies...you might need to be able to put up a few million bucks in order for that to happen.

Answer 5

the hammer films were ok...the frankenstien series they made was very good,the dracula series started well but fell off rapidly and are now best viewed as cheesy kitschy errors in judgement...
lesser hammer films such as the reptile,plauge of the zombies and the mummy are good in places but hard to sit thru..

i suggest trying the rivals of hammer...amicus and tigon as some of their output stands up much better!

Answer 6

...what was great about the initial onslaught of Hammer Films, was the fact that they took chances; in a cinematic world wrought with fear of the atomic age, with murderous radiated scientists and giant monsters, Hammer proved to be a veritable, albeit macabre breath of fresh air. Sexual enuendo and early graphic bloodletting were the order in Hammer productions, appealing to the masses in a revolutionary way, and forever changing the structure of the horror film.

I truly sympathize with actor Christopher Lee, who has repeated noted that in the early seventies, the Hammer films took a much more drab, contrived and off-target direction in their films, patricularly the Dracula series; much like the Universal monster films of the 30's and 40's, Hammer was even compelled to instill a dark humor into the fray (and even delved into black mass...yet another contraversial and taboo subject matter), amongst the gore and the sex. Though many of these latter films are now, years later, fondy remembered, in a nostalgic, campy and ludicrous light, they clearly fail to capture that inovative, daring and revolutionary stance once upheld, with macabre & ghoulish delight.

I trust that the reported filmmakers of the new Hammer regime will do honorable justice and homage to the original films, as they attempt to recreate them.

High Points of the Hammer filmography:

"Horror of Dracula"/"Curse of Frankenstein"

The one-two punch of these two horrific and striking films was key in putting Hammer Films on the map; Daring to rebel against the mainstream of run-of-the-mill horror, at the time, with bloody graphics and blantant sexual overtones, "Horror..." and "Curse..." ushered in a new and inovative era of the horror film. (Note: A recently discovered, uncut version of "Horror of Dracula" is presently being screen at Cannes; hopefully, Warner Bros. see fit to release this edition to the masses, on DVD, in the near future).

"Brides of Dracula"

...very chilling entry, though sans Christopher Lee, and proved that there were some interesting stories to tell, lying outside the area of the original classic story; the scene where an insane old woman is tending to the grave of young vampirized girl, waiting for her to emerge from her earthen tomb, and cackling maniacally, always chilled me to the bone.

"The Evil of Frankenstein"

Once again, a fine example of a poignant and interesting story, that lied well beyond the boundaries of the original classic tale; Universal distributed this one, so Hammer was free to used the classic squared-headed image of the monster, for the film.

"Twins of Evil"

One of the three chapters in the Hammer/Karnstein trilogy, examining the classic 'Carmilla' vampire story; campy, and very, very sexually suggestive, this film helped usher in a extremely contraversial and taboo subject matter, which vertially grew into a genre of it's own...that of lesbian vampires (Euro-horror film director Jean Rollins took that genre to heart, and produced several similair films, albeist much more graphic and sexual than Hammer could EVER conceive of)

"Dracula Has Risen from the Grave" and ""Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed"

Definately the height of graphic horror, in both the Dracula and Frankenstein series; chilling...horrific...shocking...daring...and once again, quite interesting and derivitive stories, which complemented the original classic tales...probably the last two that actually and fully achieved this ("Dracula...Grave" is my favorite of the Hammer films; I remember seeing this back to back with "Frankenstein...Destroyed" at the drive-in, as a child)

"Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde"

Probably the last time Hammer proved most inovative, daring, controvercial and horrific, all in the same light; a veritable new twist to the Jekyll & Hyde tale, Hammer pull no punches in exploiting the advertising and distribution possibilities ("Now, you WILL see man become woman!!").

"The 7 Brothers Meet Dracula"

Alright, so this isn't exactly one of Hammer finest moments; I list this one as a guilty pleasure. A mish-mash of the Dracula legend, chinese black magic, and dynamic kung-fu action, "7 Bros..." WAS campy, gimmicky, and overall quite fun; Christopher Lee was most wise to back out of this one (the previous film, "The Satanic Rites of Dracula", where Lee was scripted to play Dracula as a Howard Hughes/Dr. No executive recluse, was his swan song to the character)..

Answer 7

yeah, i like the old hammer horrors, but now the people who made big brother have bought hammer... god help us all

Answer 8

I love them.

Answer 9

Simply the BEST!

Answer 10

i used to love them!