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I have always been a fan of Hammer horror films, and I regret the studio's passing. As long as we have excellent DVDs such as this package, however, it is not forgotten.
This combo package is one of the best that I have seen. The others reviewers on this page discuss it quite well, so what I have to do add is perhaps from the position of an academic who loves writing about literature and films.
The best of this group is arguably SCREAM OF FEAR, a black-and-white thriller that has been compared to PSYCHO and other Hitchcock works. Perhaps such a comparison is justified, but this little film exists as an eerie mystery in its own right. It is one of the best of the mystery genre -- a work that may have supernatural overtones, but all of these are rationally explained at the end. It is fun for viewers to discover that characters turn out to be not who they are initially set up to be. Ronald Lewis, whom I first saw as Aeneas in Robert Wise' HELEN OF TROY in the mid 1950s, is a centerpiece here -- an apparently sympathetic character who claims to be helping the heroine, the lovely Susan Strasberg. Who can be more helpless than a heroine confined to a wheelchair?
A good mystery keeps its viewers guessing. Does the wheelchair-bound heroine really see the corpse of her dead father throughout the Rivera villa? Is he a ghost? Is Christopher Lee someone on hand to help her or menace her? Does the heroine have some secrets of her own? Perhaps the mystery is clear-cut until the end -- is her father dead or alive? Did someone murder him? If so, who? However, the ending is meant to throw us for a loop, and it succeeds quite well in this endeavor.
Christopher Lee, who plays a Dr. Gerrard -- using the French spelling of a name that I carry, although mine is the Scottish version of the name -- is a stalwart presence who could easily be the bad-guy of the piece. He is Dracula without fangs, the pirate chief without his sword, and he takes center stage during the few moments when he is on-screen. Casting him as the swarthy-looking physician who appears to know more than he is saying was a deft touch. At the end, we see him in a new light -- as we do all of the major characters. Quite gripping and compelling little mystery.
Another black-and-white British thriller, which also starred Ronald Lewis, is worthy of being released on DVD. I am unable to recall its name, but it was released in theatres about the time that SCREAM OF FEAR appeared. It also stars Diane Cilento and Claude Dauphin and has a few twists and turns of its own.
THE GORGON is of interest to me because of its mythological origin. Megaera was a sister of the better-known Medusa -- the Greek monster with snakes for hair and a stare that can keep you stoned for good. She was supposedly dispatched by Perseus, son of Zeus, but her sister, as the narrative of THE GORGON sets it up, supposedly fled to the area near this European village. This is a bit hard to swallow, but if one accepts this premise, one is in for a good time. Unfortunately, someone with Ray Harryhausen's skill did not create the Megaera monster herself, and the make-up job is pretty atrocious. One of the minor characters is the actor who played a more significant role in THE WILD GEESE, another Brit actor who, like Michael Ripper, shows up now and then.
Peter Cushing, although top-billed here, is an unsympathetic character who only gets in the way of the hero, played by the very capable Richard Pasco. Cushing is shielding the Barbara Shelley character, and an interesting touch here is that the Megaera monster is played as the evil half of a Jekyll and Hyde character or as a type of werewolf who does a transformation act. How this came about is never explained either. However, in the heat of the battle, who really cares? Cushing's old nemesis, Christopher Lee shows up as a crusty professor who tries to save his former student. Nice switch for Cushing and Lee. Many of the characters get stoned in the film, and it is to the film's credit that they are not always the characters you expect to meet such a stiffening demise. That said, why the bohemian artist is found hanging instead of being turned to stone like his pregnant girl friend is not clear. If he did not kill himself, who did it and why? If I missed something, which is entirely possible, I apologize.
The music, it should be mentioned, is top notch, adding the perfect pitch to the supernatural proceedings. It is the type of eerie film score that you cannot imagine belonging to any other horror film.
Also not just like any other horror film is THE TWO FACES OF DR. JEKYLL, originally released in the US, for some idiotic reason, as HOUSE OF FRIGHT. Although this film includes some top-notch performances, it is far from frightening. Paul Massie speaks his role as Jekyll as if he has a head cold and decided to spout from the bottom of a mug of root beer. God, what horrible make-up! He is definitely no John Malkovich when it comes to playing Jekyll, but his role as Hyde is closer to Malkovich's version of Hyde than any other Hyde character we've seen on the screen. Like Malkovich's Hyde, he is handsome and amoral, vicious and self-serving. The ending of THE TWO FACES OF DR. JEKYLL is not the violent shoot-out we often get in a Jekyll and Hyde film. Oliver Reed makes a brief appearance as a sleezy friend of an even sleezier prostitute who meets his end because of his untimely leap across the table at Hyde, who subsequently bashes in his head for his troubles. Christopher Lee again steals the show as an against-type playboy who mooches off of the guileless Jekyll while romancing his estranged wife, played here by Dawn Addams. He oils his way through the proceedings and meets his end too quickly for the good of the film. Incidentally, Addams being raped by Hyde, who is actually her own husband in another guise, provides an interesting, ironic touch, but it is not enough to save this tepid production.
Another tepid film is the weakest of this collection, probably the weakest in the Mummy collection. The best is, of course, the version with Christopher Lee portraying the mummy in stiff, bandaged wrapped fashion and Peter Cushing starring as the sympathetic hero stumbling around with a limp because his father, the distinguished Felix Alymer, was too busy desecrating the mummy's tomb to have his broken leg set properly. THE CURSE OF THE MUMMY'S TOMB, unlike the superior BLOOD FROM THE MUMMY'S TOMB (based loosely on Bram Stoker's JEWEL OF THE SEVEN STARS), would almost be forgettable were it not for the appearance of American Fred Clark as a Barnum and Bailly showman type. Clark is obstreperous and superb, as he usually is, off-setting the British performances who are more staid and colorless. That he lacks integrity because of his ballyhoo-conscious intentions is not surprising, since this is the way many British and Europeans see the typical American -- an image that is not always unjustified. Terence Morgan in the lead as the man who is a lot older than we think steals the heroine from the hapless and straight-laced Ronald Howard character. His real identity is a surprise, but the twist of an ending is not really believable and in no way matches the twists of SCREAM OF FEAR.
All in all, THE ICONS OF HORROR is a collection of Hammer films worth adding to your own collection. SCREAM OF FEAR and THE GORGON are the top-liners, but the others are not really shabby. They all just remind us of what the little British studio was able to add to a decade or more of horror greats. It's unfortunate that VAMPIRE CIRCUS and TWINS OF EVIL are only available from foreign markets, and even then in limited supply. Come back, Hammer. We miss you.
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Customer reviews
Who Is The Real Monster? (Superb Collection of Monster Movies From Hammer Film Productions)
Reviewed in the United States on October 21, 2008
First, allow me to discuss the DVD presentation. The only extra features are: theatrical trailers and English subtitles for all four movies. We who are hearing impaired thank Sony for the subtitles. Commentaries would've been nice, especially for those who have a favorite film in this collection. The restoration is superb and the audio is strong and clear for all four features. "The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll" and "The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb" are presented in widescreen with an aspect ratio of 2.35:1; "The Gorgon" and "Scream of Fear" are presented in 1.66:1. Except for "Scream of Fear," all features are in beautiful color. The black and white print is clear and sharp for "Scream of Fear." Too bad it wasn't in color. Overall, the DVD presentation is very good. Now for the review: Hammer Film Productions was famous for their gothic horror films. This is a superb collection and introduction for anyone unfamiliar with Hammer. Horror icon Christopher Lee (most famous for his role as Dracula) is in three of the films. Other horror legends include Peter Cushing, Barbara Shelly, Susan Strasberg, and Oliver Reed. All four movies involve monsters, primarily humans who have become monsters, whether physically or intellectually. Also, in these films, the viewer doesn't know who the real monster is. (The films are rife with betrayal.) A monster can be anyone. Sometimes they are normal in appearance. I promise you no plot spoilers as I briefly describe the monster scenario in each of these highly rated classic gems. "The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll" - Aging Dr. Jekyll drinks his potion and becomes a younger, more handsome man who wishes to be free of all responsibility for his amoral actions. (Don't we all wish we could live like that? Isn't there a monster in all of us?) Masquerading as Dr. Hyde, Dr. Jekyll learns that his gorgeous wife and best friend (Lee) are traitorous monsters. "The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb." - Ra, the Egyptian Prince, has been resurrected by an evil person who possesses an amulet. Who are they and why are they seeking to destroy everyone around them? The real monster is the one who is controlling the unfortunate mummy. "The Gorgon." Both Lee and Cushing star as a doctor and a professor, respectively, who are seeking to destroy the monster who turns innocent villagers into stone with their gaze. Unfortunately, the monster may actually be a respected member of the community. "Scream of Fear." This "Hitchcock"-like thriller stars Susan Strasberg as a crippled young woman; for the first time in ten years, she is visiting her wealthy father who lives on the French Riviera. Someone in the household is a monster who is trying to drive her insane. Quite a good mystery with many surprises. In fact, all four films are mysterious, gloomy, creepy, and shocking. I'm surprised these haven't already been released on DVD in America. They are truly excellent horror classics. I can't tell you which one is my favorite. For having been made in the 1960s, these films contain violence that is surprisingly graphic and shocking. Also, certain scenes in "The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll" had language and sexual innuendoes that were hilarious. This collection is a must have for fans of gothic horror from Hammer Film Productions. I'm very glad I bought it. Try to take it away from me and I'll turn into a monster.
Reviewed in the United States on October 21, 2008
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Three Good Ones Here!
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