TOP 5 Hammer Horrors!

[RCMerchant]

What's your T0P 5 favorite Hammer horrors? This can include the Quartermass series too!

Mine-?
1. The VAMPIRE LOVERS (1970) The more I watch this, the more I think it's the signature Hammer film of they're later period. The photography, the surreal, slow motion feel to it, and, of course, Ingrid Pitt.
I love it.
2.  TASTE THE BLOOD OF DRACULA (1969)
3. TWINS OF EVIL (1971) I'm on the early 70's Hammer kick lately....
4. VAMPIRE CIRCUS (1972)
5. The EVIL OF FRANKENSTEIN (1964)- I dunno why, becuase many of the Hammer FRANKENSTEIN movies are so much better made and thought out- but I like this one the best.

So what are your favorites? And why?

[Ticonderoga 64]

In no particular order:

QUATERMASS AND THE PIT(aka Five Million Years To Earth)(1967)..one of the best UK sci-fi films ever.
EVIL OF FRANKENSTEIN(1964)..the oddball in the Frankenstein series, yet, still the most fun with the hypnosis angle.
DRACULA, PRINCE OF DARKNESS(1966)..Barbara Shelley makes for a sexy vampiress and Christopher Lee is demonic here.
THE GORGON(1964)..Lee does a rare heroic turn here with Peter Cushing as the villain hiding the secret of Barbara Shelley.
BRIDES OF DRACULA(1960)..great follow up to Horror Of Dracula..Cushing was the best Van Helsing.
TWO FACES OF DR.JEKYLL(1960)..unusual turn on the Jekyll/Hyde tale with Paul Massie becoming handsome as Hyde.
THE MUMMY'S SHROUD(1967)..death curse follows the violators of an ancient tomb with a rather lively mummy.
THE VAMPIRE LOVERS(1970) Ingrid Pitt and Madeline Smith never looked better!
PLAGUE OF THE ZOMBIES(1966)..Hammer's only take on the zombie legend yet with some great eerie moments.
CURSE OF THE WEREWOLF(1961)..Roy Ashton's werewolf makeup on Oliver Reed is truly iconic with a great supporting cast.

[Alex]

Quatermass and the Pit - Got to be on any list of the best for me.
The Quiet Ones - A newer Hammer film but one I still enjoyed. Certainly found it better than Wake Wood.
Dracula - Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. Need I say more?
Woman In Black - Another newer title that proves Hammer still have it.
The Gorgon - You could put pretty much any Hammer movie with bodices in here. They had a big effect on me as a boy, but I'll go with this one.

[RCMerchant]

Quatermass and the Pit - Got to be on any list of the best for me.
The Quiet Ones - A newer Hammer film but one I still enjoyed. Certainly found it better than Wake Wood.
Dracula - Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. Need I say more?
Woman In Black - Another newer title that proves Hammer still have it.
The Gorgon - You could put pretty much any Hammer movie with bodices in here. They had a big effect on me as a boy, but I'll go with this one.

I seen one of the new Hammer films. It was called the RESIDENT. It even had Christopher Lee!
But It didn't feel like a Hammer film.
 Something is missing. Bray Studios? The old Gothic atmosphere?  Buxom vampires, maybe?
It wasn't bad, but I don't think it's going on a Top 10  list anytime soon.

[Alex]

Quatermass and the Pit - Got to be on any list of the best for me.
The Quiet Ones - A newer Hammer film but one I still enjoyed. Certainly found it better than Wake Wood.
Dracula - Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. Need I say more?
Woman In Black - Another newer title that proves Hammer still have it.
The Gorgon - You could put pretty much any Hammer movie with bodices in here. They had a big effect on me as a boy, but I'll go with this one.

I seen one of the new Hammer films. It was called the RESIDENT. It even had Christopher Lee!
But It didn't feel like a Hammer film.
 Something is missing. Bray Studios? The old Gothic atmosphere?  Buxom vampires, maybe?
It wasn't bad, but I don't think it's going on a Top 10  list anytime soon.

Since not many of the original people involved are still around it is never quite going to feel the same. The gothic atmosphere most certainly isn't there, but would it still feel the same in a modern movie? They do need more buxom vampires and everyone having a cut glass english accent in the middle of Transylvania.

[RCMerchant]

If I had to pick the next 5-

6.SCARS OF DRACULA (1970) Lee has more screen time and dialouge than all the previous Hammer sequels combined!
7. the QUATERMASS XPERIMENT (1956)
8. FRANKENSTEIN AND THE MONSTER FROM HELL (1973) Again- I don't know why.
9. the MUMMY (1959) This movie is better than the Karloff version and all the Chaney Jr. Mummy's.
10. ONE MILLION YEARS BC (1966) Raquel Welch? Ray Harryhausen? Dinosaurs? Martine Bestwick?  Yes, Ma'am-eggs and spam!

[RCMerchant]

Quatermass and the Pit - Got to be on any list of the best for me.
The Quiet Ones - A newer Hammer film but one I still enjoyed. Certainly found it better than Wake Wood.
Dracula - Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. Need I say more?
Woman In Black - Another newer title that proves Hammer still have it.
The Gorgon - You could put pretty much any Hammer movie with bodices in here. They had a big effect on me as a boy, but I'll go with this one.

I seen one of the new Hammer films. It was called the RESIDENT. It even had Christopher Lee!
But It didn't feel like a Hammer film.
 Something is missing. Bray Studios? The old Gothic atmosphere?  Buxom vampires, maybe?
It wasn't bad, but I don't think it's going on a Top 10  list anytime soon.

Since not many of the original people involved are still around it is never quite going to feel the same. The gothic atmosphere most certainly isn't there, but would it still feel the same in a modern movie? They do need more buxom vampires and everyone having a cut glass english accent in the middle of Transylvania.

I dunno. I think a Gothic horror film could be made today. Why not? I saw WINCHESTER the other day- that had a gothic flaver to it- and it was set in California in 1906!

[RCMerchant]

In no particular order:


CURSE OF THE WEREWOLF(1961)..Roy Ashton's werewolf makeup on Oliver Reed is truly iconic with a great supporting cast.

I always wondered why this was Hammer's only Werewolf movie. I always felt let down by this one. Not enough werewolf.

Little known factoid: Bela Lugosi was  in Hammer's very first film- the PHANTOM SHIP (1939) aka the MYSTERY OF THE MARIE CELESTE.

[Alex]

Quatermass and the Pit - Got to be on any list of the best for me.
The Quiet Ones - A newer Hammer film but one I still enjoyed. Certainly found it better than Wake Wood.
Dracula - Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. Need I say more?
Woman In Black - Another newer title that proves Hammer still have it.
The Gorgon - You could put pretty much any Hammer movie with bodices in here. They had a big effect on me as a boy, but I'll go with this one.

I seen one of the new Hammer films. It was called the RESIDENT. It even had Christopher Lee!
But It didn't feel like a Hammer film.
 Something is missing. Bray Studios? The old Gothic atmosphere?  Buxom vampires, maybe?
It wasn't bad, but I don't think it's going on a Top 10  list anytime soon.

Since not many of the original people involved are still around it is never quite going to feel the same. The gothic atmosphere most certainly isn't there, but would it still feel the same in a modern movie? They do need more buxom vampires and everyone having a cut glass english accent in the middle of Transylvania.

I dunno. I think a Gothic horror film could be made today. Why not? I saw WINCHESTER the other day- that had a gothic flaver to it- and it was set in California in 1906!

Oh, they have done gothic horror. Watch The Woman In Black (it is a pretty good film I think). It just doesn't have the same atmosphere as the old classics though. Its just not quite the same one as before. Times change alas.

[RCMerchant]

I'll have to check it out. It sounds interesting.
Of course it's not gonna feel like the old Hammer. Just like you can't go home again with the Universal monsters from the 1930's. Even Universal couldn't do it! Though SON OF DRACULA (1942) tried- But without Whale or Tod Browning....the Universal 1940's horror films were the equivelant of the TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 2 was to Tobe Hoopers 1974 film.
I reckon you can't go home again. 

[Alex]

Sad but true my friend.

[Ticonderoga 64]

In no particular order:


CURSE OF THE WEREWOLF(1961)..Roy Ashton's werewolf makeup on Oliver Reed is truly iconic with a great supporting cast.

I always wondered why this was Hammer's only Werewolf movie. I always felt let down by this one. Not enough werewolf.

Originally, it wasnt even slated to be a werewolf film; it was going to be a pseudo-historical film(like the later RASPUTIN THE MAD MONK) based on the horrors of the Spanish Inquisition. The sets were built and it was a go until Hammer execs become worried that it would offend the Catholic church and chickened out. It became a werewolf film then and that's why it was set in Spain due to the Spanish village sets made for the aborted film.

[RCMerchant]

In no particular order:


CURSE OF THE WEREWOLF(1961)..Roy Ashton's werewolf makeup on Oliver Reed is truly iconic with a great supporting cast.

I always wondered why this was Hammer's only Werewolf movie. I always felt let down by this one. Not enough werewolf.

Originally, it wasnt even slated to be a werewolf film; it was going to be a pseudo-historical film(like the later RASPUTIN THE MAD MONK) based on the horrors of the Spanish Inquisition. The sets were built and it was a go until Hammer execs become worried that it would offend the Catholic church and chickened out. It became a werewolf film then and that's why it was set in Spain due to the Spanish village sets made for the aborted film.

But why no more werewolf movies?
Amicus made the BEAST MUST DIE in 1974, and Tyburn made LEGEND OF THE WEREWOLF in 1975)- both with Peter Cushing!
LEGEND was even written by the the writer for CURSE OF THE WEREWOLF- Anthony Hinds!

[316zombie]

hhmm..i'm gonna need to think on this to pick my top five....and i obviously need to look  up the new hammer stuff, since i didn't know it existed! i  am woefully ignorant of the movie news the last few years, life gets in the way.

[Alex]

In no particular order:


CURSE OF THE WEREWOLF(1961)..Roy Ashton's werewolf makeup on Oliver Reed is truly iconic with a great supporting cast.

I always wondered why this was Hammer's only Werewolf movie. I always felt let down by this one. Not enough werewolf.

Originally, it wasnt even slated to be a werewolf film; it was going to be a pseudo-historical film(like the later RASPUTIN THE MAD MONK) based on the horrors of the Spanish Inquisition. The sets were built and it was a go until Hammer execs become worried that it would offend the Catholic church and chickened out. It became a werewolf film then and that's why it was set in Spain due to the Spanish village sets made for the aborted film.

But why no more werewolf movies?
Amicus made the BEAST MUST DIE in 1974, and Tyburn made LEGEND OF THE WEREWOLF in 1975)- both with Peter Cushing!
LEGEND was even written by the the writer for CURSE OF THE WEREWOLF- Anthony Hinds!

I don't know for sure, but I would guess that Werewolf's simply aren't as sexy as Vampires and Hammer figured out early that sex sells.