Hammer Horror Blu-ray Releases

[captainsolo]

There are mostly continuity touches in the Frankenstein series and less so in the Draculas. It helps to go in the chronological production order as Hammer went through several production cycles which affected the way they made their horror films.

I'd also agree the only ones to see first in order are Curse of Frankenstein before Revenge, F Must be Destroyed before Monster From Hell and Horror of Dracula before any sequel.

[Member-244966]

Thanks everyone!

[oddbox83]

Originally Posted by magnum_valentino

Youse are incorrect about one wee issue there, folks - there is post-Revenge continuity in that Frankenstein's hands are damaged at the end of Revenge and he needs assistance with his experiments in Created Woman for that same reason. Otherwise, no Thorley Walters.

They are irreconcilable to me because

[Show spoiler]because at the Revenge, Frankenstein is essentially victorious, his assistant makes himself a whole new body and it is a success. Damaged hands? Just replace them - it is expressly shown he no longer has his original body parts in the ending. So why would everything go backwards and pear shaped for him again?

So that part of FCW is a bit of a convolution, continuity wise. You just have to gloss over them and enjoy the films, same way you have the Dracula ones which on the surface share stronger continuity yet have contradictions.

I never watched the films in order when I discovered them apart from a few of the Draculas BTW and it hasn't stopped me in any way being a big fan. Just adds to it later on when you can rewatch in production order and get a whole new level of enjoyment as you can pick apart the continuity, or lack thereof much of the time.

[SMOOT]

Originally Posted by captainsolo

There are mostly continuity touches in the Frankenstein series and less so in the Draculas. It helps to go in the chronological production order as Hammer went through several production cycles which affected the way they made their horror films.

I'd also agree the only ones to see first in order are Curse of Frankenstein before Revenge, F Must be Destroyed before Monster From Hell and Horror of Dracula before any sequel.

Acutually,
only "The Revenge of Frankenstein" (1958) picks up directly after the previous film ("The Curse of Frankenstein" from 1957) in the Cushing Frankenstein adventures.
It may be a series fully completed within those first two films and not connected to any of the other Cushing Frankenstein stories.

The third film, "The Evil of Frankenstein" (1964), recounts the creation of the Monster in a totally different way. Arguments can be made as to whether any of the following films are sequels to "The Evil of Frankenstein" or "The Revenge of Frankenstein",
or,
are they just random adventures with most of Victor Frankenstein's saga omitted and left for us to try to piece together or simply ignore.

The thing about Frankenstein's hands is found in "Frankenstein Created Woman" (4th of the 6 Peter Cushing as Frankenstein "adventures"),
but seems to be omitted in the next, "Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed",
yet, the film following after (Must Be Destroyed),
"Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell" (the 6th and final) gets back to the scarred hands.

On the other hand, the first 4 Dracula sequels pick up directly from the closing of the previous films,
as "Brides of Dracula" has narration about the previous film ("Horror of Dracula") closing,
with "Dracula: Prince of Darkness" repeating some of the first film closing (although not referencing the activity by Van Helsing in "Brides of Dracula",
as Van Helsing disappears from Hammers time-period Dracula Legacy unless you count the nutty Hong Kong "Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires" thing).
"Dracula Has Risen From the Grave" finds the Count rising directly after the previous film in the series
and
the same sort of thing for "Taste the Blood of Dracula".
So,
the first 5 films in the time-period Hammer Legacy
Horror of
Brides of
Prince of Darkness
Has Risen From
Taste the Blood of
do have continuity.

After that, we don't know where the Count has been prior to the final "time-period" encounter, "Scars of Dracula". This Christopher Lee time-period Dracula film seems to fall anywhere (or nowhere) in the timeline.

[paulboland]

Hammer Dracula or Van helsing Films to watch in order

Dracula 1958 (Christopher Lee/Peter Cushing
The Brides of Dracula (1960) (Peter Cushing)
Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966) (Christopher Lee)
Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (1968) (Christopher Lee)
Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970) (Christopher Lee)
Scars of Dracula (1970) (Christopher Lee)
Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972) (Christopher Lee/Peter Cushing)
The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973) (Christopher Lee/Peter Cushing)
The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires (1974) (Peter Cushing)


Vampire films but nothing to do with Dracula/Van Helsing

The Kiss of the Vampire (1963)
Vampire Circus (1971)
Captain Kronos, Vampire Hunter (1974)


Carmilla Trilogy films watch in order below
The Vampire Lovers (1970)
Lust for a Vampire (1971)
Twins of Evil (1971)

[Cosmo Valdemar]

Originally Posted by SMOOT

On the other hand, the first 4 Dracula sequels pick up directly from the closing of the previous films,
as "Brides of Dracula" has narration about the previous film ("Horror of Dracula") closing,
with "Dracula: Prince of Darkness" repeating some of the first film closing (although not referencing the activity by Van Helsing in "Brides of Dracula",
as Van Helsing disappears from Hammers time-period Dracula Legacy unless you count the nutty Hong Kong "Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires" thing).
"Dracula Has Risen From the Grave" finds the Count rising directly after the previous film in the series
and
the same sort of thing for "Taste the Blood of Dracula".
So,
the first 5 films in the time-period Hammer Legacy
Horror of
Brides of
Prince of Darkness
Has Risen From
Taste the Blood of
do have continuity.

After that, we don't know where the Count has been prior to the final "time-period" encounter, "Scars of Dracula". This Christopher Lee time-period Dracula film seems to fall anywhere (or nowhere) in the timeline.

There's a problem with the continuity from Dracula Prince of Darkness to Risen From The Grave,

[Show spoiler]in that the latter film has the monsignor being responsible for the Count being in the ice, while it was Father Sandor in DPOD.

[SMOOT]

Originally Posted by Cosmo Valdemar

There's a problem with the continuity from Dracula Prince of Darkness to Risen From The Grave,

[Show spoiler]in that the latter film has the monsignor being responsible for the Count being in the ice, while it was Father Sandor in DPOD.

I don't think that is correct. The Monsignor only plants the cross at the home of Dracula.

I don't recall him taking credit (which he would be falsifying) for Dracula being on/under ice.

[sonny gaunt]

The cool thing about the continuity of Hammer's Dracula and Frankenstein films, to me, was as a kid(aged 10-12) trying to map the stories out. I never saw them in any sort of order and had to remember how an entry ended and began to put the story together. It was a puzzle. My friends and I would discuss the films and try to work it out, along with the help of Famous Monsters of Filmland.
Anyway, beautiful films that bring back great memories.

[horroru]

Originally Posted by sonny gaunt

The cool thing about the continuity of Hammer's Dracula and Frankenstein films, to me, was as a kid(aged 10-12) trying to map the stories out. I never saw them in any sort of order and had to remember how an entry ended and began to put the story together. It was a puzzle. My friends and I would discuss the films and try to work it out, along with the help of Famous Monsters of Filmland.
Anyway, beautiful films that bring back great memories.

Same here, although Creature Double Feature (in the Boston area) would show Prince of Darkness and Risen from the Grave together so I knew those two connected.

I miss Famous Monsters, the excitement as a kid seeing a new issue at the drug store.

[sonny gaunt]

Originally Posted by horroru

Same here, although Creature Double Feature (in the Boston area) would show Prince of Darkness and Risen from the Grave together so I knew those two connected.

I miss Famous Monsters, the excitement as a kid seeing a new issue at the drug store.

I was in the Philly broadcast range in my youth, stations 17, 48(Philly) with 9 and 11 out of NY ran the weekend afternoon's play list, lol.
It was hard, at that time, to see almost any particular film. The TV guides(usually from the Sunday paper) would list the wrong film/wrong start time and we had the odd phenomenon of channels switching stations during different times of day!

[Dallasnorthforty]

Anyone here know if we will see a UK release of the legend of the 7 golden vampires.

[moorje]

Originally Posted by Dallasnorthforty

Anyone here know if we will see a UK release of the legend of the 7 golden vampires.

It's coming out in America in April. However it's coming out via Shout Factory so not sure if it'll be region free.

[paulboland]

Originally Posted by moorje

It's coming out in America in April. However it's coming out via Shout Factory so not sure if it'll be region free.

Scream Factory is a USA release will be region A locked


There is no UK release on Blu-ray planned at the moment but that could change

[Si Parallel Universe]

Strange that Warner have licensed Legend of.. to Shout (or anyone come to think of it) I would have thought that was a perfect WA Blu fit, but hey.

Maybe someone here could release the non botched UK version but who ?


Edit: The details are here :


https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=24715


BRAND NEW 2K REMASTER OF THE FILM
NEW Audio Commentary with author/film historian Bruce G. Hallenbeck
NEW When Hammer Met Shaw – an interview with actor David Chiang
NEW Kung Fear – an interview with Hong Kong Film Expert Rick Baker
Alternate U.S. Theatrical version – The 7 Brothers Meet Dracula (in HD with some standard definition inserts)
Theatrical Trailers
TV Spot
Still Gallery
Optional English subtitles for the main feature

[jacksparrow900]

Originally Posted by Si Parallel Universe

Strange that Warner have licensed Legend of.. to Shout (or anyone come to think of it) I would have thought that was a perfect WA Blu fit, but hey.

Maybe someone here could release the non botched UK version but who ?


Edit: The details are here :


https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=24715


BRAND NEW 2K REMASTER OF THE FILM
NEW Audio Commentary with author/film historian Bruce G. Hallenbeck
NEW When Hammer Met Shaw – an interview with actor David Chiang
NEW Kung Fear – an interview with Hong Kong Film Expert Rick Baker
Alternate U.S. Theatrical version – The 7 Brothers Meet Dracula (in HD with some standard definition inserts)
Theatrical Trailers
TV Spot
Still Gallery
Optional English subtitles for the main feature

Warner doesn't own the rights in the US Hammer does. Warner has the rights everywhere else in the world.

[BarnDoor]

That said, rumour has it that Warner may have licenced a few Hammer titles to Shout, with Crescendo and Curse of Frankenstein being among them. If possible, you'd have thought Shout might also have grabbed Hysteria and She, given they acquired the follow-up to the latter via their deal with Hammer (but then, would it not have made sense to release She first?).

[Si Parallel Universe]

Paging Aclea

[Darby1985]

Originally Posted by BarnDoor

That said, rumour has it that Warner may have licenced a few Hammer titles to Shout, with Crescendo and Curse of Frankenstein being among them. If possible, you'd have thought Shout might also have grabbed Hysteria and She, given they acquired the follow-up to the latter via their deal with Hammer (but then, would it not have made sense to release She first?).

I wonder why they are willing to let their biggest Frankenstein title go but elected to put out a barebones (Horror Of) Dracula themselves rather than giving that to Shout as well, if that's the case.

[BarnDoor]

Originally Posted by Darby1985

I wonder why they are willing to let their biggest Frankenstein title go but elected to put out a barebones (Horror Of) Dracula themselves rather than giving that to Shout as well, if that's the case.

No idea - George Reis of the Hammer Horror on Blu-ray Facebook group has indicated that it's coming, though not through Warner Archive, which can only really leave Scream.

Could possibly have something to do with restoration costs, as most have said that a new restoration of Curse would be a complex undertaking. Though as you say, why not do the same thing with Dracula? There's no real logical answer. Ditto for some of the other horror titles they've chosen to keep for Warner Archive and those they've elected to licence to Scream. You look at something like The Body Snatcher - the recipient of a sparkling new 4K restoration - and can only think that Scream going in on the expense made such a thing possible, as it would be unfathomable for Warner to undertake the restoration themselves - and foot the entire bill - only to licence it out.

[babybreese]

Sometimes titles that get licensed has much to do with what has or does not have a high def transfer ready.

CRESCENDO
HYSTERIA
SHE

all need HD transfers

CURSE needs a miracle.

2 of these seems reasonable,
all 4 might be too much for 1 company to take on at once.