HAMMER Movies

I've just started getting into these. I've tried a couple of times over the years, but couldn't seem to do it, but I've always wanted to. I've always thought they should be my cup of tea, given their influence on Who and my love for classic Who and The Avengers and so forth.

Anyhow this time around it seems to be working. Am mainly concentrating on the Dracula series so far. Loved the original Dracula and really liked Prince of Darkness and Taste the Blood of... What really sparked me off, amusingly enough, was a rather unpopular one - Satanic Rites of Dracula. Really awful full-screen VHS one-of-50-movies DVD rip, but I loved it anyway and am going to fork out for the Blu ray when I get paid. Haven't seen (but have got) Brides of Dracula and Scars of Dracula, and will have to get AD72 as well.

I have seen Frankenstein Created Woman, which was just okay. Not bad, well made and acted, but nothing spectacular, but I understand it's seen as a middling entry anyway.

Anyone else a fan? Anyone got any other recommendations? With modern pop culture being a cup of cold sick to me, I'm rather enjoying finding something 'new' that's to my taste. Will have to check out the Amicus ones too (when I can afford it).

I picked up Horror of Dracula and Taste the Blood of Dracula on VHS a few months ago, but have yet to get around to watching them.

I've been a fan since about 1973 when Dracula Prince of Darkness was on tv one night.
I'd gone on a caravan holiday weekend with a school friend, and it did nothing piss it down the whole weekend.
The highlight was being allowed to stay up to watch DPoD on a tiny black and white portable tv, complete with snowy reception. It was still the most awesome film I'd ever seen.
I love the Dracula movies, my favourites being the first five: Dracula, Dracula Prince of Darkness, Dracula Has Risen From the Grave, (which seems ti be missing from your list?) Taste the Blood of Dracula, and Scars of Dracula.
I don't count Brides of Dracula because misleadingly, Dracula himself is not in it, although Peter Cushing returns as Van Helsing. But Christopher Lee is sorely missed. It's not a bad film, but the non-entity pretty boy sub-Dracula is no replacement for the real thing.
Scars is interesting because Patrick Troughton plays Klove, although I think Philip Latham does a better job of the role in DPoD. Also, Kate O'Mara is in it.
Also you'll probably like Dracula A.D. 1972, on the basis that I think it's the weakest.
The Frankenstein movies are variable. I think the best ones by far are the first one: Curse of Frankenstein, and Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed.
The Mummy films are variable again. The best ones for me are the original 1959 'The Mummy', with Lee and Cushing, and Blood From the Mummy's Tomb, which features a lush Valerie Leon, Hugh Burden, from Spearhead From Space, and a great soundtrack by Tristram Carey. The Mummy's Shroud is a bit dull, but has Delgado in it.
Other personal favourites are: Kiss of the Vampire, The Gorgon (featuring Lee, Cushing, and Troughton), The Reptile, The Devil Rides Out, The Vampire Lovers, (first film I ever had a wank to) To the Devil A Daughter, Lust For A Vampire, Twins of Evil, The 3 Quatermass movies, X-The Unknown, Rasputin the Mad Monk, Plague of the Zombies (with Jaqueline Pearce) and The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll.
There are many others that are worth a go, but I'll stop there.

iank wrote:Will have to check out the Amicus ones too (when I can afford it).

My favourites are Dr Terror's House of Horrors, From Beyond the Grave, Tales From the Crypt, and The Skull.
Vault of Horror is not bad, and features Tom Baker. Also, Scream and Scream Again is barking mad, but I think you'll like it somehow.

Technically not Amicus, but might as well be:
Tales That Witness Madness, (features Mary Tamm) Blood on Satan's Claw, (features Wendy Padbury briefly) and The Ghoul. (1974, not the old Karloff film from the '30s)

I've ordered some of them already.

I wasn't keen on Rises to be honest, I thought it a bit dull with the cast a bit nondescript.

Scream and Scream Again looks interesting, but the Blu's hard to come by it seems.

iank wrote:I've ordered some of them already.

I wasn't keen on Rises to be honest, I thought it a bit dull with the cast a bit nondescript.

Scream and Scream Again looks interesting, but the Blu's hard to come by it seems.

I got Scars of Dracula on Blu from JB HiFi pretty cheap. Worth looking when they have a sale on. I find that quite a few are harder to find over here....

I'm a fan of the original Christopher Lee Dracula films. Haven't seen much else for a while. This must go on my ''to watch'' list.