Hammer DVD Guide

[Julian K]

Zeta Minor's Hammer DVD Guide has been substantially updated.

I've added an introduction to the update, which is worth repeating here, for future reference:

It's been a turbulent time for Hammer collectors recently, with new discs and re-issues from Warner Home Video and DD Video, in stark contrast with the complete lack of activity from Columbia Tristar and Universal, who, between them, own the bulk of the remaining unreleased horror titles (including classics like Brides of Dracula and Curse of the Werewolf) .

The rights to the early US Anchor Bay Hammer discs have now lapsed, and many of their releases are quickly disappearing from retailers. For some time it was expected that Anchor Bay's rival Blue Underground would snap up the rights, releasing their own re-mastered versions with exciting new additional features. Sadly that doesn't look likely to happen (at least, not in the foreseeable future). Anchor Bay's final push to clear stocks by bundling two discs together at bargain prices has considerably devalued the product, and made it far less attractive for any company thinking of re-issuing them. Having spoken to Blue Underground's Bill Lustig, I've removed references to the company being a potential licensee for the titles deleted by Anchor Bay.

Warner Home Video only has one or two unreleased titles, and DD Video is running out of available titles, too. DD Video have the Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense TV series lined up, as well as early SF films Spaceways, Four Sided Triangle and Stolen Face, and the "documentary" clip-show series World of Hammer. Their release of the 1954 racing drama Mask of Dust is likely to be the final Hammer movie from the company for the time being. DD Video are keen to license and release more Hammer titles, but unless they can come to some kind of deal with one or more of the big studios who are neglecting their Hammer titles, pickings look slim.

While things look bleak for American Hammer fans, there are glimmers of hope elsewhere. The best version of Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell was recently released in Germany, along with an attractive version of Dracula - Prince of Darkness, which combines an anamorphic widescreen transfer with the bonus features from the deleted Anchor Bay disc.

Keeping track of all the different versions is quite a task, so I'm always happy to receive corrections, additions or corrections (email me at admin@zetaminor.com).

You can also post updates, corrections, etc, in this thread!

[Stuart F]

Well I'd like to say a word of thanks Julian. The Hammer guide is an invaluable resource, and much appreciated!

[Matt C]

Nice one, Julian. Well, I've gone and ordered German versions of Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell and Dracula: Prince of Darkness. Fed up with my non-anamorphic NTSC version of the latter.

Incidentally - there's now a dead link on your header introduction where it says "contribute to this thread".

And finally...

Does anyone have any further details of the German version of Plague of the Zombies? I'm interested to find out about the picture and sound quality and whether it is the original UK theatrical version.

[Witold Tietze]

Originally posted by Julian Knott@19 Nov 2004, 10:15 AM
You can also post updates, corrections, etc, in this thread!

i notice there aren't too many listings for australian releases -- which is understandable as until recently we didn't have many!

if you'd like, i'd be happy to saunter down to the local dvd shop and take note of what's available, and in what state. i could probably already list most of it from memory (it's good to know how things are looking as the releases are mostly pretty cheap here), so do holler if you're after that level of completeness.

but it has been good news for oz fans -- many of the warner bare bones releases have hit our shores, and at budget prices. even columbia got in on the act recently by releasing revenge of frankenstein for under $10!

[Julian K]

It would be nice to add any other Australian titles. There are a few other discs available in Europe, too, but, like the Oz discs, they don't seem to offer anything that isn't readily availble elsewhere, so I'm not losing sleep about them not being listed.

The deletion of the Anchor Bay discs has, however, moved some of the goalposts - making some sub-standard discs the only versions readily available!

[Witold Tietze]

Originally posted by Julian Knott@20 Nov 2004, 9:54 AM
There are a few other discs available in Europe, too, but, like the Oz discs, they don't seem to offer anything that isn't readily availble elsewhere, so I'm not losing sleep about them not being listed.

that's why i figured it wouldn't be a terribly high priority. the warner releases are carbon copies, while the studio canal discs appear to be duplicates of all those dodgy budget releases like dracula, prince of darkness.

but i'll certainly make a note of what's available next time i'm down the shops.

[Richard Crowther]

Quote from William Lustig, from Blue Underground, for those who missed it in another thread:

I feel as though the Hammer titles are played out. The economics is such that I've decided not to go back and revisit [them]. I know I did an interview... the Quatermass titles, the early Hammer films I did... I just felt that the economics were such that it didn't make sense to go back. They're already out there. They're not bad. It's not like I can add more extras. I mean Christopher Lee's only going to... it was an arm twist to get him to do the commentary. I just felt... let them rest.

He said this in August this year, so I can't see his position changing any time soon.

So it looks like those old Anchor Bay discs or the Warner R2 releases will have to do for the time being.

[nebiroth]

And isn't it a shame that the other studios with their grubby mits on the remaining titles don't seem interested in releasing them.

I'd love to have Brides of Dracula for example.

Does anyone know who has the rights to Dracula A.D. 1972? The one remaining Dracula "sequel".

It's worth seeing for Chris Neame's performance alone. Then there's Stephanie Beacham and Caroline Munro providing the boobfactor...

and a distinctly novel approach to the old "death by running water". Well, death by crucifix, bible, reflected sunlight, sunlight AND running water really.

Thank goodness one of the alternative working titles Dracula Chases the Mini Girls never made it. :rolleyes:

[John Hodson]

Something odd - Amazon.com is listing the supposedly OOP Hammer titles as being 'available after December 24'. Now I wonder what that's all about?

[nebiroth]

They seem to have a lot of the Anchor Bay Hammer titles in stock; for example,
The Witches, The Reptile, The Devil Rides Out, Scars of Dracula all show as shipping in either 24 hours or 1-2 days. That usually means they're actually in Amazon's warehouse.

Dracula - Prince of Darkness, though is different. It shows as being "1-2 weeks" which normally means Amazon will have to order it. As normal, they've also added a caveat about "some titles going out of print or publishers running out, we will warn you in 2-4 weeks if we have trouble obtaining this item".

I think the 24 December thing isn't a promise to deliver; it's a warning that there's no way this item will be arriving on the doorstep by that date, ie in time for someone's Christmas present.

I imagine that this warning is just applied universally to everything that isn't going to ship pretty much right away.

[Reedo]

I would love for someone to release the full unedited Joseph Losey classic hammer flick 'The Damned'

[Witold Tietze]

Originally posted by nebiroth@26 Nov 2004, 4:48 AM
Does anyone know who has the rights to Dracula A.D. 1972? The one remaining Dracula "sequel".

wb put it out on tape, though i'm not sure if they were the original rights holders. might make a nice addition to their budget range.

[Witold Tietze]

Originally posted by Reedo@26 Nov 2004, 6:57 AM
I would love for someone to release the full unedited Joseph Losey classic hammer flick 'The Damned'

i was so lucky to be able to catch a full anamorphic print of this at a losey retrospective a couple of years ago. the film naturally weathers much better in widescreen, and is very enjoyable, even if the shifts in tone throughout are so extreme that you can't doubt losey brought his own writer onto the project.

one i've been wanting columbia to release letterboxed for years!

[Matt C]

Julian, I just wanted to confirm one or two things with a couple of discs.

German releases of:

Dracula: Prince of Darkness - 2:35 anamorphic, English and German audio, German subs. Single sided - not sure how many layers. Same extras as the Anchor Bay except for the combo trailer and there are some additional extras, the most notable one being a video featurette of the comic adaptation. All extras are in English audio (with German subs). 4-page booklet in German.

Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell - 1:66 anamorphic, English and German audio, German subs. Single sided. Don't have anything to compare it with but there are two interview featurettes of about 20 minutes each which are in German audio and sadly have no English subs. 8-page booklet in German.

Hope that helps.

[Chris Ermacora]

A big thanks for this guide, an absolutely essential resource.

Here are a few additional titles to add to the list. As stated above, most of the Oz releases are pretty much redundant (except for those of us who actually live here and can get our hands on some cheap versions!!&#33, but there are a few noteworthy exceptions:

US Release

- Flesh and Blood doco (Image Entertainment), different edit to the Oz release as far as I can determine. You can view the details here:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detai...?v=glance&s=dvd

Australian Release

- Demons of the Mind+Fright (a bare bones release from Universal/Canal+, but at least it's 2 films for the price of one RRP $19.95)
- To The Devil, A Daughter+Zoltan Hound of Dracula (Universal/Canal+ double)
http://www.michaeldvd.com.au/Reviews...ws.asp?ID=5267
- Revenge of Frankenstein ($9.99 Columbia budget release-same as UK)
- Hound of the Baskervilles (MGM, as per UK)
- The Mummy (part of the Hammer Horror Selection)
- Frank Must Be Destroyed (as per UK)
- Drac Has Risen From the Grave (as per UK)
- Taste the Blood of Dracula (as per UK)
- Dr Jekyll, Sister Hyde (budget release from Universal/Canal+, RRP $9.95)
- Hammer House of Horror (Magna is distributed in Australia as well)
- Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires (as per UK)