horror classics

Horror fans have long memories. And while millenials are inundated by digital monsters of every sort, there still remains a great deal of affection for the old-school artistry behind Hammer Studio’s pioneering versions of Dracula, Frankenstein and The Mummy. It took a while to get going, but the Hammer catalog is now fairly well represented on standard DVD. What it lacked was an impressive hi-def Blu-ray treatment….until now!

Warner Bros four-movie Horror Classics Volume One is long overdue. While Universal got great results from the hi-resolution remastering of its seminal monster flicks from the ‘30s and ‘40s, it seemed that Hammer’s distribution history (their films were released in the US through several different companies) would prevent any particular studio from investing too much time and energy. But here they are – The Mummy, Dracula has Risen from the Grave, Taste the Blood of Dracula and Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed – in exactly the sort of pristine collection fans hoped to see.

Although other films might have made a more cohesive package, each title has its own charms and two of them are a good as anything the studio ever produced. The Mummy (1959) is one of the best versions of that oft-repeated tale of an Egyptian curse plaguing a team of archeologists after raiding a sacred tomb. Here the man behind the wrappings is Kharis (Christopher Lee) who’s also pursuing the reincarnation of his forbidden love, Princess Ananka. Frequent co-star Peter Cushing is pitted against him in a film that features several shocking action sequences and an iconic swampy finale.

Dracula Has Risen From the Grave (1968) was Lee’s third time playing the Count (Hammer’s excellent Brides of Dracula used a different vampire altogether) and stuck to the established blood and boobs formula the studio would use from here on out. Director Freddie Francis (an accomplished cinematographer in his own right) sparks some visual interest by using heavy colored filters in several scenes and making excellent use of some rooftop sets.

But Taste the Blood of Dracula (1969) goes even further out on a limb, involving a trio of pleasure-seeking snobs whose go off on a Satanic lark and accidently resurrect the Count. Here, Lee’s all-powerful vampire is merely out for revenge, using the daughters of his intended victims to do the dirty work. With only three ridiculously short lines, the actor wasn’t even keen to reprise the role (Ralph Bates, who plays trouble-maker Lord Courtley was to have the lead) but distributors demand he appear. Director Peter Sasdy crafts a cracking good story anyhow and this uncut version (now rated “R”) includes flashes of nudity and violence finally restored.

And finally Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed (1969) reinforces what the Hammer films have tried to say all along: it’s the Doctor who is the real monster of this story. Cushing’s portrayal of Victor Frankenstein was always borderline psychotic, but here he finally becomes pure evil, committing blackmail, murder and rape in pursuit of his goal to transplant the brain of his fellow-scientist in a convenient new body. Helmed by Hammer’s most reliable director, Terence Fisher, the film forgoes most of the tired body-snatching clichés to become a truly disturbing thriller with the most villainous performance of Cushing’s career.

Packaged in a beautifully designed digibook portfolio with stunning treatment of classic poster artwork, Warner’s set looks as beautiful outside as it does inside. The level of color and detail apparent on each film is a massive upgrade of the previous standard-def DVDs. A lack of extras, besides the original theatrical trailers, is about the only complaint one could muster.