Screenhead

I was excited to read that a group of European investors has plans to revive Hammer Films, the venerable British studio that was famous for their horror films in the Fifties through the early Seventies. The plan is to make films both for theaters and television. Included in this deal is ownership of Hammer’s 295 film library. The initial plan is to make new films under the Hammer label. There may be remakes of classic titles although that is dependent on clearing rights with various studios. Hammer’s films were distributed through several different companies such as Universal, 20th Century Fox, and Warner Brothers. The investors feel certain that the Hammer name will attract top talent interested in making horror films.

For those who are less familiar with Hammer, the studio first came into existence in 1949. Hammer stopped producing new features in the mid-Seventies. After beginning with series of low budget crime and science fiction films, the struck gold by remaking some of the Universal horror films of the Thirties. While Curse of Frankenstein did well, it was Horror of Dracula that boosted Hammer’s worldwide popularity. Hammer films were noted for starring classically trained British actors like Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, and add a few bosomy women showing just enough cleavage to thrill teenage boys of all ages. While for most of the audience it was enough that Dracula, Frankenstein and the others were now in color, what critics noticed was the visual creativity of directors such as Terence Fisher. Many of the most popular Hammer films are on DVD, delighting both old fans and new.