Hammer Horror Collection: Volume One (1959-1970) + Individual Releases

[Akijama]

Hammer Horror Classics, Volume One Blu-ray

Individual releases:



http://www.amazon.com/Dracula-Risen-...n%3A2650305011
http://www.amazon.com/Frankenstein-M...n%3A2650305011
http://www.amazon.com/Mummy-BD-Blu-r...n%3A2650305011
http://www.amazon.com/Taste-Blood-Dr...n%3A2650305011

Horror Classics Collection, Volume 1

Four Gothic Horror Films from Hammer Film Productions

Newly Re-mastered on Blu-ray October 6
from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment



Burbank, Calif., June 24, 2015 Warner Bros. Home Entertainment will scare the heck out of fans when Taste the Blood of Dracula; Dracula Has Risen from the Grave, Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed; and The Mummy are released October 6 in the new Blu-ray Horror Classics Vol. 1 Collection, just in time for Halloween celebrations. All films in the collection are newly re-mastered in 1080p HD and packaged in elegant rigid pocketbook style ($54.96 SRP).



The quartet of classic horror films, featuring cinema monsters Dracula, Frankenstein and the Mummy, represent classic examples from Hammer Film Productions. Founded in 1934, the British company became best known for a series of gothic horror films and a leader among English filmmakers that dominated the international horror film market from the mid-1950s through the early 1970s.



ABOUT THE FILMS



THE MUMMY (1959)

In this vivid Technicolor® reincarnation of The Mummy, screen horror icon Christopher Lee wraps on the moldy gauze bandages and emerges as the tormented Kharis, an avenger stalking the hills and bogs of Victorian England to track down archaeologist John Banning (Peter Cushing) and other desecrators of his beloved Princess Anankas Egyptian tomb. Lee looks tremendous, smashing his way through doorways and erupting from green, dreamlike quagmires in really awe-inspiring fashion (David Pirie, Time Out Film Guide). Awe-inspiring, too, was the box-office success of this third Hammer reinvigoration after The Curse of Frankenstein and Horror of Dracula of a classic screen monster.



DRACULA HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE (1968)

In his third incarnation as Bram Stokers infamous vampire, horror great and 55-year movie veteran Christopher Lee goes fang to cross with the forces of good in this atmospheric Hammer Studios film directed with stylish menace by two-time Academy Award®-winning cinematographer Freddie Francis.



FRANKENSTEIN MUST BE DESTROYED! (1969)

Baron Frankensteins (Peter Cushing) experiment went wrong, dead wrong. Thus, another victim lies in a makeshift grave. Suddenly, a water main bursts, forcing the dead mans arm to the surface. Next, the torrent heaves the body upward. Frankensteins panicked accomplice tries to conceal the body but corpses can be so unwieldy.

This creepy scene is a highlight of Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed, horror great Peter Cushings fifth Hammer Studios Frankenstein saga. Other cast members of note include film-debuting Simon Ward (Young Winston) and Freddie Jones (The Elephant Man) as the scientists pitiable new creation.



TASTE THE BLOOD OF DRACULA (1970)

Taste the Blood of Dracula, the fourth film in Hammer Studios cycle of hemogobbling Victorian-era horror, is a showcase of why Hammer became the name in Gothic terror. The solid cast and rich production design raise goosebumps of real-life fear and otherworld dread. And Christopher Lee dons his red-lined cape again to become Evil Incarnate. Hes Count Dracula, a being neither dead nor alive...but his movies are livelier than ever.

[Show spoiler]First reported by Robert Harris here , but more importantly WAC has confirmed that Warner Home Video is indeed working on a Hammer blus.

SOURCE >>>>

[Show spoiler]

How do i know it's a collection? Well, one of the guys from Fangoria who initiated an online petition to encourage Warner to release more Hammer's on blu, got in touch with someone from WHV after the petition was closed and he told him that a Hammer box set has been greenlit for '15 and it will contain 4 titles, I believe.

Anyways, The Hammer Collection box set is coming sometime in, presumably, late '15. Just in time for Halloween. Yeah, it's not exactly behind the corner, but here's something to look forward to in '15.

[MifuneFan]

Next year is already shaping up to be an awesome year.

[NoirFan]

Good to know, although I'm guessing I already have all of them via the UK imports.

[RandyK]

Wonder what the four titles will be?

Horror of Dracula
Curse of Frankenstein
The Mummy
?

[BluMonday]

Originally Posted by RandyK

Wonder what the four titles will be?

Horror of Dracula
Curse of Frankenstein
The Mummy
?

[bgart13]

http://diaboliquemagazine.com/sign-p...itles-blu-ray/

That's the link to the original petition that I shared here. The Hammer horror titles are listed within. The four that might or might not be ready at this time really ought not to be listed yet, as WB said nothing was fully official yet. Dima is from Diabolique, not Fangoria, btw. Also: CURSE OF THE WEREWOLF is a Universal property, not WB, so keep holding your breath (unless you're region free, then you can get it in a month or two in Europe).

[Frightener22]

Delightful news! I've said it once and I'll say it again, we are living in probably the best time for home video releases especially when it comes to horror and cult titles. So many titles to purchase, so little time

[dallywhitty]

Originally Posted by bgart13

Also: CURSE OF THE WEREWOLF is a Universal property, not WB, so keep holding your breath (unless you're region free, then you can get it in a month or two in Europe).

Wait, Curse of the Werewolf is getting a Blu-ray release?

[jah13]

Originally Posted by Frightener22

So many titles to purchase, so little time

Forget about actually watching them.

[bgart13]

Originally Posted by dallywhitty

Wait, Curse of the Werewolf is getting a Blu-ray release?

[The Great Owl]

I'd love to see the Blu-ray equivalent of this Hammer Classics DVD set.

[Show spoiler]

[HuggyBear73]

Hope CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN is one of them. The UK one was a disaster.

[Todd Tomorrow]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I'd love to see the Blu-ray equivalent of this Hammer Classics DVD set.

[Show spoiler]

...and in addition I want a Blu-ray version of the Ultimate Collection which I have:

http://mondo-esoterica.net/boxsets/U...%20Hammer.html

[EddieLarkin]

If it's definitely planned as a 4 film box set then I don't see them releasing the 3 big titles (Dracula, Frankenstein, Mummy) and just dropping one of the far less popular films they have in as a 4th.

They do own 4 Dracula titles altogether though. I could definitely see a Christopher Lee/Dracula box set coming.

[Yojimbo68]

Originally Posted by HuggyBear73

Hope CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN is one of them. The UK one was a disaster.

Yes. Sadly, it is. I actually prefer the US DVD release which is a sad state of affairs. The UK release did have some good extras tho...

[Todd Tomorrow]

Originally Posted by HuggyBear73

Hope CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN is one of them. The UK one was a disaster.

I'm not sure there will ever be a version that is going to look much better. The problem lies with film stock used, which by now has badly deteriorated.

[Ellis Hugh]

This is good news. Hopefully they don't stop at the box set and all WB owned Hammer titles get released.

[bgart13]

Originally Posted by Ellis Hugh

This is good news. Hopefully they don't stop at the box set and all WB owned Hammer titles get released.

I doubt we'll see bds of CRESCENDO, MOON ZERO TWO, and SHE. I love to have bds for the latter two, though. Yes, I like MZT and I'm not afraid to admit it!

[Partyslammer]

Some information......

Warner Bros holds the US release rights to the following Hammer Horror films:

Horror Of Dracula
Dracula Has Risen From The Grave
Taste The Blood Of Dracula
Dracula AD 1972
Curse Of Frankenstein
Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed
The Mummy
Moon Zero Two
When Dinosaurs Ruled The Earth

....and while it's not a Hammer film, Polanski's "The Fearless Vampire Killers" which is considered among the most "Hammeresque" non Hammer film produced in the 60's is a WB property.

To address a post earlier in this thread, "Curse Of The Werewolf" is not a WB license, it's a Universal release in the US along with fellow Hammer films like "The Phantom Of The Opera" and "Brides Of Dracula." COTW will likely see a UK (region free, btw) Blu-ray release by the end of 2014 or early '15 on the Final Cut label which has already released less-than-steller looking BDs of TPOTO and BOD in that country.

Warner Bros US had (and hopefully still has) the best film elements for all their Hammer films. While Curse Of Frankenstein and to a far lesser extent Horror Of Dracula are not pristine on their old dvd releases (not to mention the incorrect 16:9 aspect framing on those two films for DVD), WB's prints *are* in better condition than the sources used for the respective UK Blu-ray releases (especially in the case of COF). In fact, the BFI used Warner Bros source for Dracula for their restoration and controversial color re-grading in 2007. Warner Bros sources for all the other films are not only generally very good quality, but also completely uncut (especially important for Taste The Blood Of Dracula and When Dinosaurs Ruled The Earth). The only Hammer/WB home video release that has never looked very good was "The Mummy," and the recent UK Blu-ray release remains the best release of that particular film.

Hopefully, the powers that be have kept their physical elements of the Hammer films well-preserved and will do new, up-to-date scans and correct the framing issues on the early films. I will be very disappointed if WB simply uses the dated, cropped 16:9 HD scans shown regularly on the TMC channel. I don't expect anything more than a basic 2 films per-disc, 2 disc set, no frills release, but I'd be happy with solid presentations in their correct aspect ratios.

The 4 most likely picks (following the old, cheapo WB/TMC dvd collection) for the set would be:

Horror Of Dracula
Dracula Has Risen From The Grave
Curse Of Frankenstein
Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed

Personally, I'd love to see WB just do all 4 Dracula films on one set with a 2nd set including their 2 Frankenstein titles, The Mummy and When Dinosaurs Ruled The Earth.

One last note, back when Hammer/Lionsgate was putting together their (Horror of) Dracula UK Blu-ray release in 2011, Robert Harris publicly approached Hammer through their online forum to aid in some capacity on that restoration (when it wasn't really clear that the already completed '07 BFI restoration was simply going to have the newly-discovered Japanese scenes plugged into it) and was rather brusquely rebuffed.

[mharrison56]

I want all the warner hammers on blu-ray! the six film collection would be a great start!