Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Audience Rating: Unrated Binding: DVD Brand: Sony EAN: 0043396271074 Format: Anamorphic, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC Label: SONY PICTURES Manufacturer: SONY PICTURES Number Of Items: 2 Publisher: SONY PICTURES Region Code: 99 Release Date: 2008-10-14 Studio: SONY PICTURES
Rating: - Buy This Set of DVDs and Get Hammer-ed!
Horror fans are well aware of the iconic position that Britain's Hammer Film Productions holds in the history of horror cinema, but most would agree that it's a bit of a stretch for Sony/Columbia to have included these four films in their Icons of Horror series. While these flicks are not without their merits, critics and fans alike agree that all four films are essentially second-string examples from the overall Hammer catalog and are not, therefore, icons of horror in and of themselves. Nonetheless, it's cool that Sony/Columbia has made these less-than-stellar films available in such a reasonably priced two-disc DVD set, and ardent fans of Hammer horror will definitely want to add the set to their collections.
THE TWO FACES OF DR. JEKYLL (1960), the first film in this set, was initially panned by critics for being slow paced and poorly directed, yet it actually offers an interesting twist on the familiar Robert Louis Stevenson story and contains some superb acting. In this interpretation, instead of being a handsome and successful doctor whose self-inflicted experimentation turns him into an ugly brute, the good doctor is a dull, ordinary-looking milquetoast who turns into a suave, handsome libertine after ingesting a chemistry-set concoction. (It wouldn't be unreasonable to argue that this treatment served as the inspiration for the 1963 Jerry Lewis parody THE NUTTY PROFESSOR and its later remake, both of which also used the ugly-duckling-to-beautiful-swan idea.) Canadian actor Paul Massie delivers very convincing and affecting performances as both Jekyll and his evil alter ego Hyde, and Hammer regular Christopher Lee is delightful in a supporting role. And as with all Hammer films, there are also plenty of pretty women with heaving bosoms. In fact, the only truly egregious flaw in THE TWO FACES OF DR. JEKYLL is the special FX makeup--the visual difference between Jekyll and Hyde is achieved solely via the presence of facial hair (Jekyll) or the lack thereof (Hyde), and it therefore becomes difficult for viewers to suspend disbelief and accept the idea that the denizens of Jekyll's world can't tell that he and Hyde are one in the same.
The second film in the set, 1964's THE CURSE OF THE MUMMY'S TOMB, comes closer to being a remake of Universal's classic Karloff vehicle THE MUMMY (1932) than did Hammer's 1959 film of the same name. Yet, as with most mummy-centric horror films, this flick is little more than a collection of cliches based on the myths and misconceptions that originated with the discovery and opening of King Tut's tomb in the early 1920s. Maybe it's because I hold a degree in Art History and have extensively studied the art of ancient Egypt, but the props and production design for this Hammer flick are historically and aesthetically inaccurate and therefore seem unconvincing to me. And if that's not enough, even the FX makeup on the titular monster looks technically more primitive than that with which Jack Pierce covered Boris Karloff nearly 32 years prior! Admittedly, THE CURSE OF THE MUMMY'S TOMB is mildly entertaining despite its flaws, but there is really nothing outstanding or groundbreaking about the film.
The third offering in this set, 1964's THE GORGON, is probably the least entertaining of the four. Inspired by the Greco-Roman myth about the feminine creatures whose gazes could turn men to stone, the film is almost unbearably slow paced and, with the exception of the anticipated decapitation at the denouement, wholly uneventful. As always, regular Hammer thespians Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing give it their best, and director Terence Fisher and his crew do a pretty good job of creating the moody, depressing Gothic atmosphere for which Hammer films are famous, but the material they are forced to work with is a creative albatross that they just can't ultimately overcome. The only really notable thing about THE GORGON is that it marks the first high-profile role in a Hammer film for actor Patrick Troughton, who here plays the chief of police in the town where the Gorgon resides. Troughton would go on to play supporting roles in a few other Hammer films, after which he would achieve international stardom playing the second incarnation of the titular character in TV's DOCTOR WHO. Horror fans might also recognize Troughton from his later role as the priest who gets impaled by a lightning rod in THE OMEN (1976).
SCREAM OF FEAR (1961), the fourth and final entry in this DVD set, was actually released in the UK (where it was made) under the moniker TASTE OF FEAR. It tells the story of a wheelchair-bound heiress who, at the invitation of her estranged father, arrives at the family estate only to discover that her father is conspicuously absent and that her stepmother is behaving rather suspiciously. Just when she becomes convinced that her father has been murdered and that her stepmother and family friends are conspiring to cheat her out of her inheritance, everything takes an interesting twist. Unlike the other three flicks in this "icons of horror" set from Sony/Columbia, SCREAM OF FEAR noticeably lacks the usual accoutrements of a horror film, and it would therefore be more acurate to describe it as a thriller or a mystery. Nonetheless, the tightly plotted story, excellent acting (including an early performance by American actress Susan Strasberg, who portrays the heiress), and skilled directing make it the best film of the lot, and it alone is worth amazon.com's price of admission.
The digital transfers of the films in this set are clean and crisp, all films are presented in their original aspect ratios (enhanced for widescreen TVs), and the sound quality is pretty good. The discs also include the original theatrical trailers for each film, but those are the only extras. While these films might not actually qualify as icons of horror in and of themselves, the studio that produced them, Hammer Film Productions, will always stand as an icon in the history of horror cinema. So all in all, this DVD set will make a fine addition to the collections of true fans of Hammer horror, and even fans of good mystery movies might want to pick up a set just to get a copy of the excellent SCREAM OF FEAR.
Rating: - HAMMERING OUT A CREEPY (AND FUNNY!) TIME
The Brits have a way with the horror film, a respect for the genre and a sense of fun that we yanks would do well to emulate. In these Hammer films, as in most British productions, don't look for millions in production values; instead check out the imagination and style. There's The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb, with the usual Egyptian claptrap flashback and stalwart American actor Fred Clark as a greedy showman out to get his comeuppance. The Two Faces of Dr Jekyll, with Christopher Lee as a loyal friend to the two-faced doctor played by Paul Massie, boasts an interesting switch: Jekyll is the hairy slob, while the evil Hyde is squeaky-clean and wildly malevolent. The Gorgon, with Lee and Peter Cushing. is pretty silly, but there are lot of thrills and suspense as the ancient Greek demon goes for gruesome revenge. Scream of Fear is the most interesting outing in the collection, featuring a translucently beautiful Susan Strasberg, daughter of acting teacher Lee and Marilyn Monroe guru Paula, and creepy goings-on in a mansion whose swimming pool holds a frightening secret. OK, so this quartet may not be the most magnificent examples of cinema genius, but they'll help to keep the post-Halloween horror going while offering up a good scare, or a good laugh, once in a while.
Rating: - Excellent value for at least two previously rare Hammer gems!
Having already bought the expensive DVD set by Sony in Japan that includes "Scream of Fear", I bought this set for "The Gorgon". These two classics are undoubtedly the best and most sought after films in this set. "The Curse of The Mummy's Tomb" is quite good, but a weaker "Mummy" flick than most other Hammer ones. "The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll" I think is very poor, despite some good acting; the least exciting of all the 'Jekyll and Hyde' movies. The quality of all the prints here is great, and I still can't believe what excellent value for money this set is, although as others have said, the packaging could have been better! But really, we've got these great films for just a few bucks, what more could we ask for?
Rating: - Who Is The Real Monster? (Superb Collection of Monster Movies From Hammer Film Productions)
First, allow me to discuss the DVD presentation. The only extra features are: theatrical trailers and English subtitles for all four movies. We who are hearing impaired thank Sony for the subtitles. Commentaries would've been nice, especially for those who have a favorite film in this collection. The restoration is superb and the audio is strong and clear for all four features. "The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll" and "The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb" are presented in widescreen with an aspect ratio of 2.35:1; "The Gorgon" and "Scream of Fear" are presented in 1.66:1. Except for "Scream of Fear," all features are in beautiful color. The black and white print is clear and sharp for "Scream of Fear." Too bad it wasn't in color. Overall, the DVD presentation is very good. Now for the review:
Hammer Film Productions was famous for their gothic horror films. This is a superb collection and introduction for anyone unfamiliar with Hammer. Horror icon Christopher Lee (most famous for his role as Dracula) is in three of the films. Other horror legends include Peter Cushing, Barbara Shelly, Susan Strasberg, and Oliver Reed. All four movies involve monsters, primarily humans who have become monsters, whether physically or intellectually. Also, in these films, the viewer doesn't know who the real monster is. (The films are rife with betrayal.) A monster can be anyone. Sometimes they are normal in appearance. I promise you no plot spoilers as I briefly describe the monster scenario in each of these highly rated classic gems.
"The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll" - Aging Dr. Jekyll drinks his potion and becomes a younger, more handsome man who wishes to be free of all responsibility for his amoral actions. (Don't we all wish we could live like that? Isn't there a monster in all of us?) Masquerading as Dr. Hyde, Dr. Jekyll learns that his gorgeous wife and best friend (Lee) are traitorous monsters.
"The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb." - Ra, the Egyptian Prince, has been resurrected by an evil person who possesses an amulet. Who are they and why are they seeking to destroy everyone around them? The real monster is the one who is controlling the unfortunate mummy.
"The Gorgon." Both Lee and Cushing star as a doctor and a professor, respectively, who are seeking to destroy the monster who turns innocent villagers into stone with their gaze. Unfortunately, the monster may actually be a respected member of the community.
"Scream of Fear." This "Hitchcock"-like thriller stars Susan Strasberg as a crippled young woman; for the first time in ten years, she is visiting her wealthy father who lives on the French Riviera. Someone in the household is a monster who is trying to drive her insane. Quite a good mystery with many surprises.
In fact, all four films are mysterious, gloomy, creepy, and shocking. I'm surprised these haven't already been released on DVD in America. They are truly excellent horror classics. I can't tell you which one is my favorite. For having been made in the 1960s, these films contain violence that is surprisingly graphic and shocking. Also, certain scenes in "The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll" had language and sexual innuendoes that were hilarious.
This collection is a must have for fans of gothic horror from Hammer Film Productions. I'm very glad I bought it. Try to take it away from me and I'll turn into a monster.
Rating: - A big surprise on this set of Hammer Horrors. Keep 'em coming Columbia
Amazed to discover not only have the "hells" and "whores" on the dialogue track been restored in this version of The Two Faces of Dr Jekyll, but at least three scenes that had been trimmed by the censor have also been restored. The uncut ending of Maria's snake dance is pretty bold stuff for the early 60's and it's hard to imagine that Hammer thought they could slip this by the British or American censors. The two other restored moments are also scenes with the snake dancer, Maria.
I've always found The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll a compelling reworking of the Stevenson novella, and as others have noted, Christopher Lee gives one of his best performances in an unusual bit of casting. Unfortunately the picture never really knows what to do with its unique premise of a dull bearded Dr Jekyll and a young handsome Mr Hyde. The original script was for a two hour movie and before shooting began was cut down to a more typical Hammer running time of under 90 minutes. Cutting that much material out of the script may be the reason this version never really comes together dramatically.
But it's difficult to know without reading, if the longer script would have made a better picture. The original screenplay ended with the execution of Dr Jekyll. His neck in the hangman's noose, Jekyll is dropped through the gallows' door and as the dead man's body swings into view, we see the face of Mr Hyde. It's a stronger ending, but doesn't magically pull the picture together.
The Two Faces isn't a horror film and it's not written or directed as a horror film. Maybe the problem is that we expect a horror film and the movie isn't powerful enough to convince us it isn't a horror film.
Even with the script problems, The Two Faces is one of Hammer's most elaborate productions with a number of very compelling scenes and strong performances. Terence Fisher's direction is bold and assured, although for some reason Fisher has been blamed for the picture's short comings. But it seems apparent the problem is with the script, not the direction. For all it's flaws, it's one of Hammer's most unusual pictures and I can't help but like it a lot.
Scream of Fear is the first and best of Hammer's psychological thrillers, with a few tense scenes that still hold up 47 years later. Although you might find one of the most "shocking" moments is a quiet but sexually charged scene between Ann Todd and Ronald Lewis near the end of the movie.
The Gorgon tries hard to be the kind of horror film its title suggests, but fortunately fails miserably. More a tragic romance, in some strange way the picture rises above it's limited premise. Probably because Terence Fisher's direction emphasis the romantic and plays down as much of the conventional horror shtick as possible. But it's an uphill battle since the script is filled with cliches.
As for Columbia's restoration of these pictures, for some reason The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll is way over saturated. Maybe it's my set, but nothing else looks over saturated except these recent Hammer releases from Columbia and that includes the two pirate pictures on the Icons of Adventure disc. Jack Asher's photography was always bold, but it didn't look cartoon-ish which is what I'm seeing on my set. Turning color down on my set helps a lot. But can't do much about the red leaning color correction . . . skin tones are way too ruddy and this might be the limits of what can be restored with a faded print. Neither Warner's nor Universal's Hammer releases have over saturated color, though Warner's The Mummy, in particular, leans too much to red in the skin tones.
I've heard it said by Dave Winer and many many others: if only Dean had reinvested half the money raised into the Internet, then ...
OK, so you're the Dean Campaign Chief Information Officer in August 2003. The money starts to roll in. $20 million over six months, $2-4 million per month.
What would you spend the money on?
What does your monthly budget look like?
What is your application and infrastructure portfolio?
How much will you allocate to maintenance?
You're building from scratch, so what problems do you hope to avoid through wise architecture?
What are your big milestones?
Who are your key vendors?
How do you spend in consonance with the campaign strategy?
How will you use the Internet to bring offline voters into the campaign at the same numbers as radio or television broadcasts?
What is your online strategy for responding to attack ads and opposition pundits in radio, television and print?
Online community takes time to build and is very hard to organize geographically. What will you do to match the state-by-state primary schedule?
What can you do with online services to serve the campaign in caucus states?
You are preparing for Bush to launch in Spring 2004. What are your countermeasures to reach out to moderate Republicans online while the GOP uses its advanced voter email systems to barrage 200 million validated email addresses?
Wikis are shedding their free-for-all reputation and getting down to business. We found four IT shops that are tapping enterprise wikis to transform some of their internal processes.
The authors of the new book "Sex and War" talk with Wired Science how biology and technology have shaped violence and war in the past and likely will in the future.
This is a first for yours truly--Wi-Fi from a commercial flight: I'm blogging from somewhere above 10,000 feet on Virgin America's press event flight to kick off its commercial launch of Internet in-flight Internet service. The flight is littered with e-celebrities and a few real ones (a couple of the great ensemble from 30 Rock are here). We're flying over the ocean. And the Gogo Internet service from Aircell seems to be working just fine. I've Twittered, I've IM'd, and I'm about to post this blog entry. (Success! Updated later.)
There are about 130-odd people aboard, and I should apparently recognize lots of people, but I am so unhip, as Douglas Adams once wrote, that it's a wonder my bum doesn't fall off. I was able to talk briefly with Dave Cush, the head of Virgin America, who is very keen on having this rolled out, and at some length with Jack Blumenstein, the head of Aircell. (I did a in-flight air-to-ground interview with Blumenstein for BoingBoingTV which I'll link to when my fine friends there have the segment edited and up.)
The service works as one might expect: Aircell has had months to troubleshoot problems via the American pilot, and we're flying right around San Francisco, so nothing unpredictable in the middle part of the country. In a quick test using Qwest's bandwidth tester, I was able to get 700 Kbps downstream--while there were 100 other people using the service, too.
This wasn't a commercial flight (it was technically a charter), but it was on a regular Virgin America Airbus 320 using Aircell's ground network. Some material was broadcast live from the plane to YouTube Live, which was hosting a simultaneous event on the ground at Fort Mason in San Francisco.
This is the first time I've used Internet service on a commercial plane. Back a few years ago, I was on a Connexion by Boeing press flight that used ground stations for the flight instead of the production satellite servers.
Virgin isn't the first domestic airline to launch Internet service; American Airlines has a pilot with 15 planes that have been in the air on cross country routes for nearly three months. But Virgin is poised to be the first airline to launch Wi-Fi fleet wide. Delta has made a commitment--and they have several hundred planes in the U.S.--but hasn't gotten its first bird launched with service. Alaska, Southwest, and JetBlue have various plans that seem to have been pushed into 2009.
(Photo courtesy Virgin America. I'm the guy in an oatmeal sweater holding a white MacBook up. Disclosure for clarity: I paid my own way to San Francisco for the event.)
This is a first for yours truly--Wi-Fi from a commercial flight: I'm blogging from somewhere above 10,000 feet on Virgin America's press event flight to kick off its commercial launch of Internet in-flight Internet service. The flight is littered with e-celebrities and a few real ones (a couple of the great ensemble from 30 Rock are here). We're flying over the ocean. And the Gogo Internet service from Aircell seems to be working just fine. I've Twittered, I've IM'd, and I'm about to post this blog entry. (Success! Updated later.)
Twits du Jour
- HAMMERING OUT A CREEPY (AND FUNNY!) TIME
- Who Is The Real Monster? (Superb Collection of Monster Movies From Hammer Film Productions)