Customer Reviews

The Abominable Snowman

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

The three star rating here isn't for the film, which is one of Hammer's finest early films. It's for the DVD. Read the description carefully and be advised - This is NOT a DVD, but a DVD-R. I don't know who makes it, but despite what Amazon says, and what the case liner says, it most certainly ISN'T Anchor Bay, who apparently no longer have the rights to distribute the Hammer films. The genuine Anchor Bay copy is on Amazon too, at the usual ridiculous astronomical scalper prices - $516.76 REALLY! This DVD-R, with the usual blurry copy of the cover sheet, and a generic label on the disk, is almost certainly an illegal copy.

Having said that however, it's also apparently copied from the genuine disk, as it looks virtually identical. The picture isn't quite as good as the real one (which I have), but it's not bad. A bit darker and less sharp, but by no means bad. About what you'd expect from a copy of the original. Everything is exactly the same, and all the extras are there - the commentary etc., so if you don't feel like selling your house to get a genuine copy, which is rather hard to get now, this is an OK choice. Just know what you're getting.

As for the film itself - As I said, it's one of Hammer's best of the first wave, having been made the same year as Curse of Frankenstein. Not exactly horror, nor quite science fiction, but somewhere in between. With a literate script by Nigel Kneale from his own BBC teleplay version, (which also starred Cushing, but with Stanley Baker instead of Forrest Tucker as Tom Friend, and which like so many other BBC productions of the time, sadly no longer exists,) the film has good pacing and the usual fine performance from Cushing, and from Tucker as well. Filmed in Hammerscope (2.35:1) I believe it was their first really widescreen film, the other early horrors being shot 1.66:1. And it was (wisely I believe) shot in black and white, which adds to the eerie atmoshpere of the setting, on the snowy Himalayan peaks. Avoiding showing the creature outright adds an air of mystery, and the film treats it's subject matter with respect. It is probably the only film about the Yeti which is any good, not that there are that many. It's definetely worth owning. I'd give the film four stars, the DVD-R three.

The Abominable Snowman proves that you don't need a mega budget to produce an excellent movie. The treatment of the subject matter, the Yeti, is surprising. Not surprising that the great Nigel Kneale would create an intelligent story. The acting is superb. Peter Cushing became a fixture and headliner in Hammer movies about this time. This dvd has a nice special feature on Cushing. By all accounts, it was wonderful to be a part of the Hammer Family. The sets depicting the Himalayas are very atmospheric. The location footage, shot in the French Pyrenees, is also excellent. The director is the very talented Val Guest. Can't say enough about how delightfully surprised I was concerning the depiction of the Yeti. Who the Yeti were, why they were living in the awesomely foreboding Himalayas, their intelligence(and superintelligence), and their protection by the lama. The ending is haunting. Engrossing film. The Abominable Snowman is a triumph of the Horror/Sci-Fi Genre!

"THE ABOMINABLE SNOWMAN"

This is an unexpectedly involving movie with a great look.

Forrest Tucker is greedy Tom Friend looking for a new side show attraction in this pristine black and white widescreen transfer of a gripping, thoughtful, artistic Hammer Films classic from the 1950s.

Tucker, aided by Peter Cushing's sensitive scientist Dr. Rollason, set off into the Himalayas to find the legendary eponymous creature in a surprisingly intelligent adventure.

Vast, lonely mountain vistas and a large, finely detailed monastery make a believable setting in which the hunters ponder life, their dilemma and the great yeti - who apparently has the ability to play mind games until the hunters become the hunted!

The sound design, including the hair-raising, echoing, whale-like moans of the yeti and the oriental music score add considerably to the authentic atmosphere.

In the entertaining bonus audio track, Droll director Val Guest and writer Nigel Kneale make reference to the similar adventures of millionaire Tom Slick as a source of inspiration.

When it's all over, you will long remember the sad, wise eyes of the snow beast and will have no doubts about who the real monsters are. This is the best of the sub genre of bigfoot/abominable snowman films. And yes, there are others. (DVD from Anchor Bay Entertainment, no regional code restrictions, not rated, 88 minutes)

Before Frankenstein cursed, before Dracula horrified, Hammer Studios found the Abominable Snowman. This is an intelligent sci-fi/horror flick that poses probing questions of man vs. nature. The austere tone of the film is enhanced by the bleak B&W photography, and captures the grim atmosphere of remote Tibet. Peter Cushing and Forrest Tucker disagree over what to do with the creature, even before capture. Tucker is American Tom Friend, and his interest is strictly commercial. Cushing is John Rollason, a dedicated scientist. Rollason is more interested in solving the scientific conundrum than gaining a profitable circus attraction. As their expedition reaches distant heights and snowy peaks, strange cries in the night presage tragedy. The script takes an unusual perspective as it suggests that the yeti are not missing-link predators, but intelligent, superior beings. Questions of man's relevance vs. nature's inevitability rank this film well above the more common sci-fi/horror schlock of pseudo-science and cheesy special effects. Soul-searching aside, goosefelsh rises when the men realize that killing one yeti caused a chorus of plaintive wailing across the mountains. Whatever they are, they are communicating with each other, and they are coming this way. Darkness and howling winds add to the eerie atmosphere as the expedition succumbs to madness and death. Ironically, the yeti are passive, and standby as the feeble men self-destruct. The director suggests terror without overt display. You may feel compelled to quickly turn and see what lurks behind you. The film ends on an enigmatic note. This movie is fine for collectors of classic horror flicks, and for the ranks of HammerHeads assembled. ;-)

(These comments refer to the film, not to the DVD or VHS editions perse)

Vasquez Rocks is quickly being circled by the communities in the Santa Clarita Valley. In 1940's Hollywood, a caravan of panel trucks and cars would depart around two o'clock in the morning for the long and arduous drive to shoot there on location. From Hollywood proper and the studios one used to take Cahuenga thru the pass, out to Balboa, past the dam, and out (now "old") Balboa up into the mountains and thence into the desert. It gets both raging hot (therefore the early departure, to arrive before the sun rose) and terribly cold. Get as far as Vasquez Rocks, and it snows in the winter sometimes.

There is no raging beast, no graphic violence. This black-and-white film may be considered slow-paced for those with a taste only to MTV-quick-cuts films. The trick here is to get into the mood of the characters, and the solid acting allows this to happen with ease. Let it not be the cold of winter in a southern California desert, but the rarified air of the Himalayas, with a deadly mystery growing even as the storms build that you explore.

It's a good old film. Not many DVDs are going to be sold at ..., but this will be a popular collector's item once the price drops to the appropriate ... range for this type of film. And pay close attention to the ending - it happens quickly. -M.

This great Hammer classic stars Peter Cushing and Forrest Tucker in a gripping thriller set in the Himalayas. Forrest Tucker is Tom Friend a show biz con-man looking for a side show attraction. Aided by an innocent botanist (Cushings) Dr. Rollason. They hunt the great yeti until it is they who are hunted.This creature is definitely a female because of all the mind games it plays..(loosen up) We do not see the monster until the end. But by then you"ve already guessed who the real monster is....Larry Storch.(just kidding) Great acting and you feel the vastness of their surroundings. It must be seen in widescreen!

While I also like more recent sci-fi and horror flicks, I still have a place in my heart for the classics, which I consider this film to be. The special effects were very good for its time, but I really liked the way the story developed without the "cheesy" technique of having the "snowman" chase people around on-screen throughout. Having the creature lurking in the background, mostly unseen, gave the feel of the first Alien movie (not an exact analogy, of course). My copy was excellent, and very inexpensive: I looked at Amazon.com for several months, and found mostly used copies priced as high as $100. When I saw this offer of under $20 for new, I jumped quickly.

This is a whimsical and very well done movie. In fact, it is extremely well done all around. The performances by Forrest Tucker and Peter Cushing were very effective and convincing. I particularly liked the mood setting camera work by Arthur Grant and wonderfully logical script by Nigel Kneale. The intelligent and plausible script succeeded on many levels making it engaging to a wide audience. I found this film to be both entertaining and thought provoking. Another excellent and unsung Hammer Production.

This is a very atmospheric and enthralling movie. It's a big departure from most of the Hammer Films in the sense that its basis is on folklore and speculation rather than "Classic Monster" genre. Peter Cushing and Forrest Tucker give great performances and the film sets itself up well.

It also contains great shots of the Nepal mountain range and also pays a respect to Himalayan culture and religion.

This is a wise decision for any old monster movie buff or fan of the Hammer Films.

Bigfoot enthusiasts will enjoy this especially.

It's a good old fashion creature feature that delivers the goods and is suitable for everyone.

Every good dvd collector once in a while takes a gamble on a movie they've never seen. In this case I did and was extremely happy with the results. Peter Cushing stars in what I believe to be one of Hammer's more grand movies, with a superbly sinister and dramatic storyline. Dr.John Rollason (Cushing)joins a stubborn group of expeditionists on a quest to search for the Yeti. Rollason is one of Cushing's more sympathetic roles (more of the Van Helsing, less of the early Frankenstein), a botanist who leaves his wife at a buddist temple as he goes off to explore the Himalayas for the abominable snowman. Unfortunate is it, then, that he is accompanied by a group of morons with the "bull in a china shop" approach to myths and legends.. I mean, haven't they seen King Kong for crying out loud? maybe not. As you can guess, things get a bit pear shaped (it would'nt be much of a movie if not) and the viewer is subjected to a storyline which keeps you glued to the screen as things get ever more desperate for the seemingly doomed exploration team. Boasting few effects, the film deliveres an astoundingly eerie feel. Even at the point when they capture one of the creatures you are not given the full view of it, which keeps the mystery element alive right up until the climax of the movie. The picture quality is quite exceptional for a film of it's age and the soundtrack, although mono, is quite crisp and clear throughout. In short, if you don't like old movies, why are you reading this? but for avid Cushing fans it's a must.