The luster and heritage of Hammer Studios is now lost to a
generation that’s grown up with gore fueled blood drenched horror films
dependent on shock value as opposed to storytelling and atmosphere. But growing
up in the sixties the name Hammer meant horror as much as the name Universal
and their classic creatures did. The release of a Hammer film meant something
special and if one of their movies was on late night television forget about
sleep that night.
FLESH & BLOOD: THE HAMMER HERITAGE OF HORROR was a 2
part BBC documentary celebrating the studio in 1994. It was released by Anchor
Bay on home video around the same time since they were licensing their films
for video distribution but that was a shortened version of the original. Now
S’Mores Entertainment is releasing the documentary in its full 2 hours and 28
minutes running length.
Begun in 1934 it wasn’t until Hammer studios ventured into
the science fiction and horror realms that their films really gained notoriety.
Starting with the Quatermass character in several films starring that fixture
they gained enough impetus to move forward. But it was their gothic horror
films that garnered the most attention and filled their coffers. Starting with
THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN the studios seemed to find a gimmick that worked.
That gimmick was much easier than one would think. They took
a solid story, created fantastic sets are small costs and featured actors who
might not have been that well-known but were superb in their abilities. For
this feature they employed two who would go on to greater acclaim but who
starred in a vast number of Hammer films and became long-time icons in the
world of horror: Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. So associated with the
studio were these two actors that they are the ones chosen to narrate this
documentary.
The pair would not only be used to launch the series of
Frankenstein films the studio made featuring Cushing as the maniacally possessed
scientist, they would co-star in a number of films based on that other towering
giant of horror films Dracula. With HORROR OF DRACULE (released in the UK as
just DRACULA) the studio hit pay dirt. The film featuring Lee as the horrific
Count and Cushing as his formidable foe Van Helsing. Made for a small amount
the film went on to become a top grossing film that year.
As you can see it’s easy to get caught up in the mania for
Hammer horror when you reflect on the studio and its output if you grew up watching
these films as I have. I could go on about all of the things they did and their
progress into more horror and their eventual downturn but to do so would leave
you with no reason to watch this wonderful documentary.
Combining film clips, trailer clips and interviews with many
who were responsible for making those classic films the story of Hammer comes
through from their beginning to their demise to their eventual rising from the
grave much like the famed count himself, reinvented for a new generation with
new movies being produced recently. There is little doubt that the inclusion of
this portion of the documentary may be what increased the length of it from
previous incarnations since these films have only been made recently. To see
the words “Hammer Films” on the screen once again is a joy for fans.
The documentary is broken down into various chapters
covering the types and styles of films that Hammer made. One will focus on
Frankenstein, another on Dracula and yet another on what was termed the glamour
of Hammer focusing on the beautiful women placed in many of their films. Each
takes a look at the items that made Hammer the studio that they were.
If you are unfamiliar with the studio and the output of
films they are responsible for then this is a nice jumping point to start with.
It will provide you with a glimpse at their offerings and afterward you’ll be
able to pick and choose those you want to seek out. The background information
and interviews are enjoyable and give you a background on some of the films and
the productions of them from when they were made. That we are fortunate enough
to have the archival interviews is good news for fans of film since many have
since passed away, in particular both narrators.
Watching this documentary not only took me back to the
movies they created but to Friday nights growing up when my friends and I would
make sure we stayed up late and watched the local horror hosts airing these
films. If one of them popped up on some schedule during the week you know that
we would be bleary eyed the next morning having snuck out of bed to watch them.
It also made me want to go back through my collection of films to re-watch a
number of the films they made and enjoy them all over again or to pick up
copies of those I was missing. Best of all the documentary brings forth an
awareness of the studio that many may not have or may not have grown up with in
spite of being fans of horror. If you are among those then might I suggest you
pick this one up and educate yourself in all things Hammer and then seek out
those films.
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