HAMMER HORROR: 8-Film Collection from Universal!

[alucardthe69th]

Originally Posted by Partyslammer

I was under the impression the Universal fire resulted in the loss of the very dated digital transfers used for VHS, Laserdisc and maybe DVD, not the actual film restoration prints done in the 80's.

Regarding the fire at Universal Studios, this took place at the "Video Vault" in June 2008 which saw the loss of many archived 35mm prints. These however were thankfully not the negatives. The concern for Universal following that fire was the cost implication of making new prints off the negatives.

Since the print of Brides of Dracula used on the original DVD Box Set is unavailable, they would have to use the (incorrect aspect ratio) version from the UK Blu Ray or the (better) German Blu Ray. Alternatively they could create a new master from the negative. Just depends how much they care about this release.

[#Darren]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Nice! I'm apparently going to have to start a second job acting in porn films this fall in order to pay for all of the September/October Blu-ray releases that I want.

I believe they make their real money doing gay prostitution off camera. Good luck!

[Mr. Thomsen]

If new transfers are on the table, I am definitely ready to double-dip. I already have several of the UK and Anolis BDs, though, so that is really what it will take for me.

Hope we will see a similar announcement from Warner soon.

[Cortiz]

Not that I'm complaining, I'll definitely get this set, but where the hell is Horror of Dracula and Curse of Frankenstein????

[dsman71]

Originally Posted by Cortiz

Not that I'm complaining, I'll definitely get this set, but where the hell is Horror of Dracula and Curse of Frankenstein????

With Warner Brothers, rumors being that they will be on a Hammer Horror Volume 2 set with Dracula 1972AD and Satanic Rights of Dracula..

[Rory]

Yeah, Horror of Dracula is currently back up on the Warner Archive streaming service in HD, a very nice transfer too. I hope that and this Universal release means another Warner set is coming. Perhaps Universal is trying to get the jump on them.

[JohnCarpenterFan]

If Brides is in OAR then this will be a day one for me. I heard about material being destroyed in a fire but surely there is some material out there that could be used to restore it. If it is in Storarovision then I'll just stick with the DVD set.

[UncleBingo315]

I have the DVD version of this and I find the film selection a bit disappointing. Brides is GREAT - probably one of the best from Hammer (even without Christopher Lee), Evil of Frankenstein is pretty good just to see Hammer try to duplicate the Jack Pierce/Karloff makeup, Curse is ok but takes a long time to get moving...the rest, meh. Kiss of the Vampire I thought was horrible.

Curse of Frankenstein and Horror of Dracula NEED to be restored as those are truly Hammer classics. The Hammer Classic set that came out last year with the Lee Dracula sequels, the Mummy and Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed was an excellent set.

The lack of features is a bummer for sure.

Only way I'd double dip on this is if Brides looks completely stunning. However, my gut says they'll go cheap and basically just chuck the DVDs onto blu with no fanfare.

On the more recent set, I hadn't seen Destroyed before and was delighted with it. The movie I was least interested in turned out to be the best of the bunch!

[babybreese]

Originally Posted by cakefactory

Were the DVDs correct? I would think these blu-rays would be the same as those as opposed to the same as the foreign blu-rays.

Universal thought so when they released the DVD set with 2 films at 2:1.
Subsequently 2 more films have come out at 2:1 in the UK ( BRIDES & WEREWOLF ).
The fan community at large disagreed, Uni said they found'documentation' that supported their choice.

So that's 4 films Universal thinks out to be 2:1 when there is very little chance anyone ever saw them at way when new. I have no reason to think this new set will be any different. Universal sent Anolis the 2"1 WEREWOLF that Final Cut used, and they smartly sent it back and got a 1.85 version ( with an SD insert ) but I'd bet were going to see the 2:1 version.

Unfortunately along with transfer / elements quality issues on select titles we also have to be braced for framing issues.

[dsman71]

Originally Posted by UncleBingo315

I have the DVD version of this and I find the film selection a bit disappointing. Brides is GREAT - probably one of the best from Hammer (even without Christopher Lee), Evil of Frankenstein is pretty good just to see Hammer try to duplicate the Jack Pierce/Karloff makeup, Curse is ok but takes a long time to get moving...the rest, meh. Kiss of the Vampire I thought was horrible.

Curse of Frankenstein and Horror of Dracula NEED to be restored as those are truly Hammer classics. The Hammer Classic set that came out last year with the Lee Dracula sequels, the Mummy and Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed was an excellent set.

The lack of features is a bummer for sure.

Only way I'd double dip on this is if Brides looks completely stunning. However, my gut says they'll go cheap and basically just chuck the DVDs onto blu with no fanfare.

On the more recent set, I hadn't seen Destroyed before and was delighted with it. The movie I was least interested in turned out to be the best of the bunch!

Film selection ? Its the entire Universal Studios Hammer catalog

Curse of Frankenstein, the Mummy and Horror of Dracula are with Warner.

I agree about the lack of extras, but at the same time, its icing on the slice of 1080p cake.

[CinemaScope]

If Universal are using their old HD masters, I hope they give then a clean-up, in HD you can really notice all the sparkle & marks. I'm interested to see what Warner do with The Curse Of Frankenstein & Dracula, the UK release of Frankenstein is god awful & Dracula is just not colourful enough for me...& Twilight Time is releasing some Sony Hammer titles. This could be a great year for Hammer in HD.

[LeeFanatic007]

Who controls the Hammer titles that Anchor Bay put out on DVD years ago? I was lucky enough to have purchased quite a few of them but still missed a lot, plus Blu-rays of these titles would be amazing:

Scars of Dracula
Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde (one of the more expensive ones to get)
The Devil Rides Out (one of my favorite Hammer films)
Quatermass 2
Quatermass and the Pit
The Witches
The Reptile
The Plague of the Zombies
The Mummy's Shroud
Blood from the Mummy's Tomb
Rasputin: The Mad Monk
X the Unknown
The Abominable Snowman
The Lost Continent

I'm sure there are others but these ones spring to mind, does Anchor Bay still control these?

[dsman71]

Originally Posted by LeeFanatic007

Who controls the Hammer titles that Anchor Bay put out on DVD years ago? I was lucky enough to have purchased quite a few of them but still missed a lot, plus Blu-rays of these titles would be amazing:

Scars of Dracula
Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde (one of the more expensive ones to get)
The Devil Rides Out (one of my favorite Hammer films)
Quatermass 2
Quatermass and the Pit
The Witches
The Reptile
The Plague of the Zombies
The Mummy's Shroud
Blood from the Mummy's Tomb
Rasputin: The Mad Monk
X the Unknown
The Abominable Snowman
The Lost Continent

I'm sure there are others but these ones spring to mind, does Anchor Bay still control these?

Studio Canal for each and every one of them (as far as Ive read and researched )

[gates70]

Up for PO on Amazon.ca for $48.99 https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B01...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[El_Fez]

No extras? That's sad - come on, at least throw on the trailer!

[cakefactory]

Originally Posted by dsman71

Studio Canal for each and every one of them (as far as Ive read and researched )

Yup, you need to get the foreign ones. They stopped partway through years ago, said they were going to do One Million Years BC, cancelled it, and now we're back to waiting. I don't have much hope. Can only hope for Anolis to eventually run out of ones that are already released since they said they just got the rights to the Studiocanal films but so far haven't done anything that doesn't already have a release. Shock in Australia did The Nanny last year so maybe they could put some out too.

Studiocanal won't even release Ran in the US so I think the odds of these ever happening here are near zero.

[movieman1979]

Originally Posted by CinemaScope

Yeah, the same old transfers that they've been licensing out, then not so good, but new HD jobs from the Universal that bought us Spartacus, then one of the releases of the year. Fingers crossed (hoping for the best, but expecting the worse).

Oh, & while they're at it, The Universal Frankenstein sequels please.

HELL. YES. I've been pining for 'Son Of Frankenstein' ever since that first Universal set

[EManT2200]

I also own this set on dvd. Very happy to see that it is getting a blu release, day one purchase. Hope that this and the coming Warner release will get other companies on the ball. Would love to see region one blu releases of The Gorgon, The Reptile, Plague of the Zombies, Scars of Dracula, The Mummy's Shroud, Curse of the Mummy's Tomb, The Devil Rides Out, Lust for a Vampire and more.

[Mystic]

Originally Posted by EManT2200

I also own this set on dvd. Very happy to see that it is getting a blu release, day one purchase. Hope that this and the coming Warner release will get other companies on the ball. Would love to see region one blu releases of The Gorgon, The Reptile, Plague of the Zombies, Scars of Dracula, The Mummy's Shroud, Curse of the Mummy's Tomb, The Devil Rides Out, Lust for a Vampire and more.

That about sums it up! Add the "Abominable Snowman" and "Quatermass and the Pit" to that list, and cross your fingers that these films one day see a Region I release.

[The Great Owl]

I would really really like a Region A playable Blu-ray of The Devil Rides Out. I've always wanted to see that movie.

I would also love to upgrade my DVD set, The Icons of Suspense Collection: Hammer Films, because those movies are all gems. Especially These Are the Damned.