Hammer Horror: The Warner Bros Years

The untold story of Hammer at Warner Bros, and the relationship that produced some of the British company’s finest films!

A short live intro given at the Arrow FrightFest Film Festival 2018 by Kim Newman and Marcus Hearn.

The classic Hammer films from Warner Bros are now appearing on Blu-ray. However, they have never received an in-depth exploration in any special feature or documentary. Now, the fascinating story is finally told in this unprecedented 101-minute documentary feature, HAMMER HORROR: THE WARNER BROS YEARS, written and directed by Marcus Hearn, Hammer Films’ official historian. The documentary features exclusive interviews with some of the key players from that period, as well as authors and historians like Sir Christopher Frayling and Jonathan Rigby. Also included are rare production stills, previously unseen film footage, Hammer’s original shooting locations, and access to previously unpublished archive documents.

Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards Winner,

Best Documentary, 2018!

History

In the 1950s Hammer, England’s world-renowned production company, initiated a new style of horror filmmaking that transformed the genre. At the end of the 1960s, the world that Hammer had helped to create was changing fast – the once-reliable business model was unraveling and audiences wanted something new from their films.

Amid this uncertainty, Hammer’s short-term survival was secured by an alliance with American distributor Warner Bros. The films the two companies made together are among the most renowned in Hammer’s history. Classics such as Dracula Has Risen From the Grave (1968), Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed (1970) and Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970) were produced alongside the Oscar-nominated epic When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth (1970), the disturbing thriller Crescendo (1970) and the bizarre sci-fi western Moon Zero Two (1969).

The films became increasingly experimental in the 1970s, challenging the perception of traditional Gothic horror with Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972), The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973) and The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires (1974).

Credits

Featuring: Veronica Carlson, John Carson, Steve Chibnall, Chris Cooke, Joe Dante, Sir Christopher Frayling, Renee Glynne, IQ Hunter, Wayne Kinsey, Denis Meikle, Caroline Munro, Nadja Regin, Jonathan Rigby, Peter Sasdy, Madeline Smith, Gordon Thomson

Written and Directed by Marcus Hearn
Edited by Dima Ballin, Jamie Green, Sarah Appleton
Additional Editting by Constantine Nasr
Produced by Dima Ballin
Consulting Producer: Constantine Nasr
Production Coordinator: Michelle Jaha
Camera: Sarah Appleton, Marcus Hearn
Veronica Carlson & Joe Dante Interviews Conducted, Shot & Produced by Constantine Nasr (Rivendell Films)
Colourist Jamie Green
Sound Mix: Dima Ballin
Original Music by Paul Taylor
Title Sequence by Chris Gavin
Additional Graphics by Peri Godbold
Publicity Art by Mark Spears
Archival Footage Courtesy of Wayne Kinsey
Archive Scanning by Deluxe

Duration: 01:41:27
Color, 1080p HD Widescreen (1.77:1)
DTS HD Master Audio
Hammer Horror: The Warner Bros Years © 2017 Diabolique Films. All rights reserved.