Hammer, Amicus & Classic British Horror

[sf1378]

Re: Hammer, Amicus & Classic British Horror

Dr Jekyll & Sister Hyde is another classic - the late Ralph Bates and Martine Beswick, it also mixes into the story Jack The Ripper AND Burke and Hare...

Darren, why do you format your posts like poems?

[darren]

Re: Hammer, Amicus & Classic British Horror

never realised i did.





other very good ones are are frankenstein must be destroyed,witchfinder general,taste the blood of dracula, dracula has risen from the grave, the vampire lovers,scars of dracula wicker man.

not seen Dr Jekyll & Sister Hyde

Dr Jekyll & Sister Hyde is another classic - the late Ralph Bates and Martine Beswick, it also mixes into the story Jack The Ripper AND Burke and Hare...

Darren, why do you format your posts like poems?

[hal9001]

Re: Hammer, Amicus & Classic British Horror

Absolutely - they were both made at Pinewood studios too! And of course Carry on Screaming both takes the p*ss out of - and pays homage to - the Hammer style.

I think you will find that most of the Hammer films were made at Bray Studios.

Here are two excellent books on the subject.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1...ls_o03_s00_i00
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1...ls_o04_s00_i00

I have both boks and they are an excellent read, wth some really good insight anfd lots of heaving bosums.

[hal9001]

Re: Hammer, Amicus & Classic British Horror

Another tip for you all. Join Lovefilm for £10 a month they have a huge rangle of classic horror. Their 'instant' viewing even gives access to films not available on DVD at the moment, such as The Creeping Flesh and Satanic Rites of Dracula.

My girlfriend bought me this boxed set, there are some classics in here.

[battyrat]

Re: Hammer, Amicus & Classic British Horror

I used to try to stay up late to see the horror films on telly especially when I reached teenage years.It was kind of cool to talk about it in school with your mates.Hammer films are still great to watch even now,but seem so tame by modern standards.

[darren]

Re: Hammer, Amicus & Classic British Horror

they seem tame but remember what budget they had to make them on.

to be honest if they had the budget some blockbuster horrors had there is no certainty they would be better or even as good.[

sometimes less is more.

these old brit horrors where scary had a real atmosphere about them that modern horrs do not.

I used to try to stay up late to see the horror films on telly especially when I reached teenage years.It was kind of cool to talk about it in school with your mates.Hammer films are still great to watch even now,but seem so tame by modern standards.

[darren]

Re: Hammer, Amicus & Classic British Horror

Amicus productions is a British film company founded by Milton Subotsky and Max Rosenberg.
Its based at Shepperton studios, England. Its known for its trademark portmanteau or anthology horror films. These were inspired by Ealing Studios film Dead of Night. Lots of the actors appearing in Amicus Productions also appeared in Hammer films.
Amicus films differed with Hammer films by having contemporary settings.

list of amicus horror films.

Dr. Terror's House of Horrors 1964
The Skull 1965
Torture Garden 1967
The House That Dripped Blood 1970
I, Monster 1971
Asylum 1972
Tales from the Crypt 1972
The Vault of Horror 1973
From Beyond the Grave 1973And Now the Screaming Starts! 1973
The city of the dead 1960

[ayrshireman]

Re: Hammer, Amicus & Classic British Horror

Another fan here.

Hammer, Amicus, Tigon etc.

I am also a fan of the non-horror Hammer canon of films. People tend to forget that from the their earliest days, they never did just horror: they did drama, war films, comedies. Some films like Never Take Sweets From a Stranger (1960) were genuinely groundbreaking (the first film to deal with paedophilia)

[chrisino]

Re: Hammer, Amicus & Classic British Horror

I am also a big fan of earlier Hammer offerings which were thrillers rather than horror.

Here's a few of my favourites.

Taste of Fear (1961)
Fear In The Night (1972)
The Nanny (1965)
Hysteria (1965)

All written by Jimmy Sangster I think.

[Wirral Writer]

Re: Hammer, Amicus & Classic British Horror

Can there be anything better than snuggling up, gone midnight, and watching a Hammer horror?

Yes, and snuggling up with a beautiful girl too!

[Wirral Writer]

Re: Hammer, Amicus & Classic British Horror

Did you know that there is brand new horror portmanteau movie out starring Brian Murphy as a gravedigger? It's called GRAVE TALES and can be bought from Hemlock Books for £9.99. I bought it, and watched it last night, and thought it was brilliant. Really captures the spirit of the Amicus portmanteau movies. Great twist at the end too.

[ayrshireman]

Re: Hammer, Amicus & Classic British Horror

Can there be anything better than snuggling up, gone midnight, and watching a Hammer horror?

Still a virgin then?......

[Wirral Writer]

Re: Hammer, Amicus & Classic British Horror

Still a virgin then?......

Don't be funny, you. I was talking GENERALLY.

Come on, who DOESN'T like curling up on the sofa with his girl whilst watching a good, spooky movie?

[Wirral Writer]

Re: Hammer, Amicus & Classic British Horror

And they both had gorgeous women!

[Sandy Sandwich]

Re: Hammer, Amicus & Classic British Horror

Dark comedy quartet, The League Of Gentlemen have a good pedigree of paying homage to the classic British portmanteau horror movie in their Nineties series.

See The League Of Gentlemen Christmas Special. For further investigation LOG related: Psychoville Halloween Special, Jermy Dyson & Andy Nyman's theatre production Ghost Stories and Mark Gattiss excelled recapturing the Amicus vibe with the TV thriller Crooked House.

All recommended.