Review of Hammer House of Horror Vampire Collection

6 / 10

Introduction

Carlton have raided the Rank catalogue for the "Hammer House Of Horror Vampire Collection". This is not to be confused with the release of the "Hammer House Of Horror" tv series. The three discs included in this collection are original cinema features from 1971-72, when the studio was churning out its particular mix of boobs and blood.

The contents, in chronological order are: Countess Dracula (1971), where British scream queen Ingrid Pitt plays real-life character Countess Elizabeth Bathory who believed she could ward off the effects of aging by bathing in the blood of virgins - Oil of Olay not having been invented at the time. Twins Of Evil (also 1971) was the last instalment in the "Mircalla Karnstein" trilogy (The Vampire Lovers & Lust For A Vampire). Add to the mix twin would-be victims and Playboy centerfolds Mary and Madeleine Collinson; and their Puritan uncle Gustav (played by Hammer stalwart Peter Cushing), there are stakings and burnings at the stake aplenty. Rounding off the set is Vampire Circus (1972 although the box says 1971), where surprise surprise a vampire circus rolls into a Serbian town and children start disappearing.

The films are littered with familiar faces. In Countess Dracula, Britain`s number one scream queen Ingrid Pitt turns in a totally ruthless performance as the black-hearted Elizabeth Bathory, stabbing gypsy girls in the neck, bathing in blood and getting it on with that nice Sandor Eles bloke from Crossroads. Nigel Green, Maurice Denham and an extremely young and shiny Lesley-Anne Down provide support. Twins Of Evil is a pretty nasty piece of work with Peter Cushing indiscriminately rotisserie-ing pretty girls. Given the choice between Witchfinder-General types and vampires, I`d rather have the guys with the pointy teeth. Oddly enough this picture only merits a "15" compared with the "18" ratings of its box-mates. Vampire Circus has more familiar faces, with Adrienne Corri and Thorley Walters (of the St. Trinian pictures), Dave (Darth Vader) Prowse, Lalla Ward (from Dr Who) and the last Mrs. Peter Sellers, the late Lynne Frederick as the Girl.

Video

The films are presented in 16:9 anamorphic widescreen, which is as near as dammit to the original aspect ratio. Yet again, Carlton have pushed the boat out remastering the movies and the pictures are sharp, clean and artefact-free. Contrast is excellent and colours are Eastmancolor bright. You get pretty familiar with the bridle path in Iver Heath`s Black Park (just round the back of Pinewood Studios) as a regular location.

Audio

Only Dolby 2.0 Mono mixes, but as ever you couldn`t hope for anything more on movies of this era.

Features

Unlike the recent Warner releases, the three films are individually boxed in standard Amaray cases with matching colour themed box illustrations. They come in a light card outer wrap which might not stand up to repeated use. The disc menus are backed by film clips and rivulets of animated blood - nice... The extras are thin on the ground - subtitles and theatrical trailers for Countess Dracula and Vampire Circus, but for budget titles who`s complaining?

Conclusion

The Hammer horror movies were never meant to be great works of fiction. They`re potboilers, bodice-rippers or tripe if you want to be ultra-critical, but if you accept them for what they are, they`re brilliant entertainment. Great camp fun with a smattering of nudity and a spattering of blood - pretty restrained in comparison with today`s horror pictures. They`ll give nobody nightmares, and the Buffy crowd will probably laugh themselves sick. Recommended.

Your Opinions and Comments

These reviews rise out of the ashes of the past like the living dead! I like the part where you say that the aspect ratio of 16:9 is as near as dammit to the original. 10 years on and I suspect, having been spoiled by wonderful prints, high def and OAR's, that such a thing would no longer impress. :)

posted by Stuart McLean on 18/11/2012 19:48

Actually I miss those days. Innocent as we were, we were used to crappy pan&scan VHSs and DVDs were a revelation with their pin sharp 16:9 pictures (which are near as dammit to OAR for most flat widescreen pictures). I'm kind of depressed by the rise of the OAR Nazi- obsessed with the shape of the image as the "artistic intent" of the director rather than the content. I miss the days of buying a shiny new copy of a movie in eye-wateringly sharp high definition and just being able to enjoy the movie itself. (Wistful) Hearing other folk similarly gobsmacked by the quality.

Now if they're not moaning about the OAR, or the sound, they're going on about the colour grading not matching their forty-year-old memory of seeing the picture at the Cleckheaton Tivoli (every seat regularly fumigated).

posted by Mark Oates on 18/11/2012 23:14

You're right! We used to be so forgiving. I remember being thrilled to bits to be able to replace my VHS of 'School for Scoundrels' with a twofer DVD - despite the fact that it was still pan and scan. I couldn't bring myself to watch that now. I'm fearful I have become the very creature you describe...I was outraged by the 'Thunderbirds' Blu-Ray for example and completely perplexed by the re-mastered 'World at War' now pushed and cropped to 16:9, every bit as criminal as the full-screen pan and scans which were arguably more necessary as screens were so much smaller back then. As for the Cleckheaton Tivoli, who will ever be able to better that viewing experience!

posted by Stuart McLean on 19/11/2012 13:25

I think we get spoiled by good transfers, and begin expecting everything to live up to those standards. I watched the Blu-ray of Ninja Scroll last night, and it wasn't just a matter of being impressed at its presentation, I found myself thinking back on the Ghibli Blu-rays I have been watching recently, and picking nits in the DNR that's been applied to them, an aspect that didn't even bother me until I saw Ninja Scroll last night.

posted by Jitendar Canth on 19/11/2012 18:08