Hammer Horror: Four Gothic Horror Films Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.0

Hammer Horror: Four Gothic Horror Films Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman September 14, 2021

Chances are if you mention the phrase "classic Hammer horror" to the casual film fan, and perhaps especially to the genre aficionado, the immediate response might be focused on some of Hammer's now legendary output beginning in 1957 with The Curse of Frankenstein, and continuing at least through both some of the subsequent Frankenstein offerings, as well as 1958's Horror of Dracula, and its follow-ups, not to mention other properties Hammer either "updated" (The Mummy) or invented (Maniac ). Those follow-ups by themselves of course continued apace for several years, and that fact, when combined with the general perception among some that Hammer's overall quality not necessarily confined to so-called "franchises" declined as the sixties wore on, is where things may start to differ among respondents in terms of when Hammer's "classic" period ended, if in fact it ended at all. In that regard, it can be interesting to watch this collection of productions from the seventies when, as one of the supplements included in this set overtly mentions, "Hammer wasn't Hammer anymore", at least in terms of some of the erstwhile resident talent who had moved on to other places. It's also interesting to note that at the same time the back cover of the slip box housing the discs in this set itself overtly mentions a perceived "classic early '70s period", which may be a bit of PR hyperbole, but which may also invite approval from those who don't feel Hammer's output in the seventies is automatically dismissable, even if the studio had become manifestly different from what it had been in prior decades. Within that overall context, then, the four films offered in this collection are often quite interesting in their own regard, and Imprint has supplied each of them with a really bounteous collection of bonus features.

For reviews of the four films included in this set, please click on the following links:

Countess Dracula Blu-ray review

Hands of the Ripper Blu-ray review

Twins of Evil Blu-ray review

Vampire Circus Blu-ray review

Hammer Horror: Four Gothic Horror Films Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Video quality of each film is assessed in the above linked reviews.

Hammer Horror: Four Gothic Horror Films Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Audio quality of each film is assessed in the above linked reviews.

Hammer Horror: Four Gothic Horror Films Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Supplements included on each disc are detailed in the above linked reviews.

Hammer Horror: Four Gothic Horror Films Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The four films in this set may not look or feel exactly like some of Hammer's other earlier horror outings, but I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. Each of the films in this set has a rather distinctive ambience, and Imprint is offering both generally secure technical merits and an outstanding slate of supplemental materials. Recommended.