Though 20-year-old Playboy playmates Mary and Madeleine Collison were chosen mostly for their beauty and their bodies, they actually turn in solid performances in what is a surprisingly strong effort by Hammer during this late run of films. Peter Cushing is excellent as always, but the enticement of the Collinson twins and their vampiric activities allow Twins of Evil to shine brightest among the films presented here. The third film in The Karnstein Trilogy (preceded by The Vampire Lovers and Lust for a Vampire), it’s also one of the sexiest and most compelling. Airing on ITV in Britain in the fall of 1980 and later gaining even further notice in syndication, Hammer House of Horror took what was being done on the big screen and re-created it for home-based consumption. Hammer Studios was foundering at the box office in the late 1970s as Gothic horror was not bringing in audiences like it had in the past. The plan was to head to television for a horror anthology program with big stars, but at almost half the length of a major motion picture. The show was a hit, but it never made it past a single season. In the Shadow of Shelley (2020, 25 mins): in-depth interview with the legendary horror actor Barbara Shelley Commentary with filmmaker/film historian Constantine Nasr and author/film historian Steve Haberman.

Countess Dracula is an uneven film, but is ultimately driven by a terrific leading performance by Ingrid Pitt. The film borrows heavily from the exaggerated (and now considered mostly unsubstantiated) tales of serial murderer Countess Elizabeth Bathory in telling its story of a woman obsessed with her own youth and beauty, but with its own particular spin. Along with The Vampire Lovers, Countess Dracula essentially turned Ingrid Pitt into one of Hammer’s most beloved stars. Hammer had an unprecedented run of success through the end of the 1970s, before closing up shop in the wake of decreasing interest in their trademark Gothic horror melodramas, and the proliferation of increasingly violent films coming out of mainstream Hollywood that detracted from Hammer's bloodthirsty demographic. Over a 44-year period, Hammer produced nearly 166 films in addition to three anthology series for television, including Journey Into the Unknown and Hammer House of Horror. The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires is wildly absurd in the best ways, a feat of exploitation filmmaking that is astonishing for existing in the first place, all the more so because it works so well. The Shaw brothers were initially unhappy with the film delivered by Roy Ward Baker, so they hired Chang Cheh, a favored director of theirs, to spice up the fight scenes. While evidently a vision of two separate artists, Golden Vampires is staged at such an operatic level that you can excuse any inconsistency in the presentation. The martial arts sequences are gorgeously handled in majestic wide shots; an early battle in an open field brings to mind the acrobatics in Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. The vampires don't disappoint either, and Cushing commits admirably to his part as he always does. It's only a shame that he doesn't engage in much kung fu…The Mossman Legacy (2014, 7 mins): Kinsey discusses the contributions of transport historian and collector George Mossman to Hammer productions This remastered Director’s Cut features stereo sound, new candid interviews, rare clips, photos, home movies and over 40 minutes of additional content added to the film. Well over two hours of Gothic ghouls, gore and glamour.

Three years later and the group have returned to England, unawares of the nefarious consequences of their actions. A follower off the same Egyptian religion unleashes The Mummy to exact grisly revenge on the despoilers of the sacred past. As it edges nearer to exact its revenge, can anything save them from its relentlessly vicious and vengeful mission? What it does mean is we'll probably have to wait for titles like Vengeance of She and Viking Queen to be done before we may see something like Kiss of the Vampire. Sadly, Kiss just got a new release in the UK but DVD only. So there you have it – my personal rundown of what hasn’t been offered to U.S. customers and why multi-region players are an absolute must for the aficionado of Hammer horror. There are a few that aren’t covered here because I haven’t seen them. I haven’t caught up with The Witches but I understand it looks very good. The reverse situation also exists, of course, with foreign territories deprived of a number of titles released so far only in the states.When the Blu-ray market was starting out Hammer fans waited impatiently, hoping for some of the studio’s horror titles to start hitting the new format. It took several years. This was the first, released in the U.K. by Eureka. A middling entry in the sub-genre of Psycho- inspired movies Hammer cranked out in the mid sixties, it was an odd choice to be the first of their horror entries to hit HD. The film’s detriments are offset by the fantastic transfer however, which is razor sharp with a great grayscale. It’s an exciting peek at the promise the new format could provide the Hammer library, a promise displayed only intermittently with the releases that followed. Presented on Blu-ray, this film has been upscaled to deliver the best possible visual presentation of this documentary. Passengers aboard the Trans-Siberian Express from Shanghai to Moscow are stalked by a humanoid creature that can absorb the skills of its victims. Lee and Cushing play the doctors on board tasked with stopping the chaos. Horror Express is a prime example of Hammer at the peak of its powers, operating outside of the Universal monster blueprint. Eugenio Martín's thrill ride has an enduring wit, not to mention a bloodlust to match that of Jason Voorhees or Michael Myers. At their best, the Hammer period horrors approached a serious-minded costume drama as invaded by a variety of murderous predators. (Depending on budget, this approach was more convincing at some times than others.) Hammer House of Horror: The Complete Series on Region Free Blu-ray is a three-disc set, with each disc sitting in separate clear amaray cases. Each case contains an insert featuring artwork that’s a collage of artworks pertaining to each episode. Everything is housed in a sturdy slipcase. The following episodes and extras are included on each disc: DISC ONE (PARTS I-V)