From the Vaults of Famed Horror Studio Hammer Films'

From the Vaults of Famed Horror Studio Hammer Films'

Hammer Horror Series DVD

A Collectible Set of Eight Blood-Curdling Classics Featuring Frankenstein, the Werewolf, Dracula and More Screams Onto DVD September 6, 2005 From Universal Studios Home Entertainment

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif., Aug. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Brace yourself for pre-Halloween thrills with Universal Studios Home Entertainment's "The Hammer Horror Series" -- a two-disc set containing eight spine-tingling titles from renowned horror and sci-fi studio Hammer Films. Focusing on Hammer's astoundingly prolific output during the 1960s, the collection includes such memorable chillers as "Brides of Dracula," "The Curse of the Werewolf," "Phantom of the Opera," "Paranoiac," "The Kiss of the Vampire," "Nightmare, Night Creatures," and "The Evil of Frankenstein." In stores on September 6, 2005, featuring new collectible packaging, "The Hammer Horror Series" is priced at $29.98 SRP.

Hammer Films: Classic Horror at its Best

The name Hammer Films has been synonymous with horror for more than half a century, ever since the British studio began focusing its prodigious talents on the increasingly popular genre in the late 1950s. The company's signature approach to retelling classic horror stories -- shooting in period castles, in lurid color, with visionary shock sequences and vivid special effects -- was an instant hit with moviegoers. Throughout the '60s, the Hammer team produced dozens of scream-inducing features whose unique style would later exert a powerful influence on U.S. filmmakers from Roger Corman to Martin Scorsese. Now recognized as one of the most significant independent film studios of all time, Hammer Films titles continue to attract new generations of fans.

Synopses

"Brides of Dracula"

Marianne (Yvonne Monlaur), a beautiful young French girl, is stranded en route to a teaching assignment in Eastern Europe. She is persuaded to spend the night at the nearly deserted castle of a mysterious Baroness (Martita Hunt), where she accidentally discovers a man chained to the wall of his room. The Baroness only explains that he is her seasick and feeble-minded son. Unable to get any further information from the maid Greta (Freda Jackson), Marianne steals a key and sets him free. Once unbound, the Baron (David Peel) fiendishly recruits the undead for his evil purposes until captured by Marianne and the indefatigable Dr. Van Helsing (Peter Cushing).

"The Curse of the Werewolf"

Oliver Reed portrays the bloodthirsty man-beast who loves by day and kills by night in this gripping gothic thriller. Directed by famed horror filmmaker Terence Fisher, this atmospheric tale of terror follows Reed, the orphaned baby of a maniacal beggar and a mute girl, from birth to manhood, when he discovers his horrible secret. Try as he may, the cursed youth is unable to suppress the dark forces within. When the moon is full, he becomes an uncontrollable killer incapable of distinguishing between friend and foe. Spectacular makeup effects and beautifully photographed 19th Century European locales heighten the suspense of this classic werewolf story.

"Phantom of the Opera"

Herbert Lom stars as the Phantom in Hammer Films' celebrated production of Gaston Leroux's horror classic. Mysterious mishaps bedevil a London opera house, but when tragedy strikes during an opening night performance, it's clear that these "accidents" are the deliberate work of a deranged madman

-- the Phantom. When Christine (Heather Sears), the young star of a new musical is contacted by the shadowy specter, her producer (Edward de Souza) investigates, tracking the ghostly Phantom to his secret underground lair. More than an evil apparition, the Phantom proves to be a brilliant composer. Disfigured and nearly destroyed, he now demands his hellish revenge. Christine, his new star, is the Phantom's one weakness, and he pays the ultimate price to keep his love alive.

"Paranoiac"

Nothing is quite what it seems in this riveting, complex tale of greed, dementia and deceit. Rescued from a suicide attempt by a man claiming to be her long-dead brother, a young heiress (Janette Scott) finds a new reason to live. But her relatives have doubts; they think "Tony" (Alexander Davion) is an imposter who's trying to get his hands on the family fortune. Everyone has their own secret reasons to suspect Tony, as well as their own designs on his vast inheritance -- especially brother Simon (Oliver Reed), a magnetic but devastatingly cruel wretch who'll stop at nothing to thwart the supposed pretender. In this flavorful feast of a thriller, "the horror-mystery elements are brewed to a fine discriminating savor."

"The Kiss of the Vampire"

Lost on the way to their honeymoon, a young couple stumbles upon a mysterious family of vampires and their evil leader. A wrong turn leaves Marianne (Jennifer Daniel) and Gerald (Edward de Souza) stranded in a remote Bavarian forest where they have no choice but to accept the hospitality of the hypnotic Dr. Ravna (Noel Willman), distinguished lord of the local castle. Ravna uses his "children" to lure the newlyweds to his lair, and soon, they are plunged into a nightmare of horror and deception from which there may be no escape. Their only hope is Professor Zimmer (Clifford Evans), who calls upon an ancient ritual in a desperate attempt to destroy the vampires and free Marianne from Ravna's power. A lush 19th-century-setting, masterful direction, and vivid special effects intensify this spooky Hammer Films chiller.

"Nightmare"

This thriller walks the thin line between sanity and madness, exploring the shadowy world between dreams and reality. As a child, Janet (Jennie Linden) witnessed an unbearable horror: her insane mother stabbing her father to death. Now a young woman, Janet's recurring nightmares have her convinced she'll follow her mother to the asylum. Accompanied by her schoolteacher Miss Lewis (Brenda Bruce), Janet retreats to the home of her guardian (David Knight), who has hired lovely Grace (Moira Redmond) as a companion to help calm his troubled ward. But Janet's nightly terrors, magnified by the eerie, creaky old house, bring all of her fears chillingly to life. Are Janet's problems all in her head, or is there a sinister force at work? Startling plot twists reveal that sometimes when you wake up, the nightmare is just beginning.

"Night Creatures (Captain Clegg)"

In this engaging costume melodrama of skulduggery on the low seas set back in the 18th-century, the Royal Crown suspects a bit of smuggling is going on in this locale, and they send Captain Collier (Patrick Allen) and his crew to check it out. When a mysterious swamp phantom clouds the investigation, Captain Collier suspects the odd village vicar (Peter Cushing) may be hiding something. What better way to do that than by the appearance of ghosts to scare away the curious, or by posing as someone he is not?

"The Evil of Frankenstein"

Peter Cushing stars in this inspired fantasy as Baron von Frankenstein, the creator of the infamous monster. On the run from irate villagers who disapprove of his unorthodox experiments, Dr. Frankenstein returns to a remote mountain castle with his assistant Hans. Caught in a snowstorm, they are rescued by a mute deaf girl (Katy Wild) who leads them to the safety of her cave home. There, Frankenstein finds his original creature preserved in ice. Resurrecting the monster in his laboratory, Frankenstein discovers the brain is dormant, and he calls in Zoltan, a mystical hypnotist (Peter Woodthorpe). But Zoltan uses the creature for his own selfish purposes, and unleashes a violent chain of events. This chiller offers all the excitement and suspense of the original with spectacular effects and blood-curdling action in vivid color.

CAST & FILMMAKERS ("Brides of Dracula")

Director: Terence Fisher
Screenwriters: Jimmy Sangster, Peter Bryan and Edward Percy
Executive Producer: Michael Carreras
Producer: Anthony Hinds
Associate Producer: Anthony Nelson Keys
Director of Photography: Jack Asher
Production Design: Bernard Robinson
Editors: Alfred Cox, James Needs
Original Music: Malcolm Williamson
Wardrobe: Molly Arbuthnot
Cast: Peter Cushing, Freda Jackson, Martita Hunt, Yvonne Monlaur

CAST & FILMMAKERS ("The Curse of the Werewolf")

Director: Terence Fisher
Screenwriter: John Elder
Based on a Novel by: Guy Endore
Executive Producer: Michael Carreras
Producer: Anthony Hinds
Associate Producer: Anthony Nelson Keys
Cinematography: Arthur Grant
Editors: Alfred Cox, James Needs
Production Design: Bernard Robinson
Original Music: Benjamin Frankel
Wardrobe: Molly Arbuthnot
Cast: Clifford Evans, Oliver Reed, Yvonne Romain, Catherine Feller

CAST & FILMMAKERS ("Phantom of the Opera")

Director: Terence Fisher
Screenwriter: John Elder
Based on the Novel by: Gaston Leroux
Producer: Anthony Hinds
Associate Producer: Basil Keys
Cinematography: Arthur Grant
Production Design: Bernard Robinson
Editor: Alfred Cox
Original Music: Edwin Astley
Wardrobe: Molly Arbuthnot
Cast: Herbert Lom, Heather Sears

CAST & FILMMAKERS ("Paranoiac")

Director: Freddie Francis
Screenwriter: Jimmy Sangster
Producer: Anthony Hinds
Associate Producer: Basil Keys
Cinematography: Arthur Grant
Production Design: Bernard Robinson
Editor: James Needs
Original Music: Elisabeth Lutyens
Wardrobe: Molly Arbuthnot
Cast: Janette Scott, Oliver Reed, Sheila Burrell, Alexander Davion

CAST & FILMMAKERS ("The Kiss of the Vampire")

Director: Don Sharp
Screenwriter: John Elder
Producer: Anthony Hinds
Cinematography: Alan Hume
Editor: James Needs
Production Design: Bernard Robinson
Original Music: James Bernard
Wardrobe: Molly Arbuthnot
Cast: Clifford Evans, Noel Willman, Edward de Souza, Jennifer Daniel,
Barry Warren

CAST & FILMMAKERS ("Nightmare")

Director: Freddie Francis
Screenwriter: Jimmy Sangster
Producer: Jimmy Sangster
Cinematography: John Wilcox
Production Design: Bernard Robinson
Editor: James Needs
Original Music: Don Banks
Wardrobe: Rosemary Burrows
Cast: David Knight, Moira Redmond, Jennie Linden and Brenda Bruce

CAST & FILMMAKERS ("Night Creatures")

Director: Peter Graham Scott
Screenwriter: John Temple-Smith
Based on a Novel by: Russell Thorndike
Additional Dialogue: Barbara S. Harper
Producer: John Temple-Smith
Cinematography: Arthur Grant
Production Design: Bernard Robinson
Editors: Eric Boyd-Perkins, James Needs
Original Music: Don Banks
Wardrobe: Molly Arbuthnot
Cast: Peter Cushing, Yvonne Romain, Patrick Allen

CAST & FILMMAKERS ("The Evil of Frankenstein")

Director: Freddie Francis
Screenwriter: John Elder
Producer: Anthony Hinds
Cinematography: John Wilcox
Editor: James Needs
Original Music: Don Banks
Wardrobe: Rosemary Burrows
Cast: Peter Cushing, Peter Woodthorpe, Duncan Lamont

TECHNICAL INFORMATION
DVD
Street Date: 9/6/2005
Pre-Order Date: 8/2/2005
Copyright: 2005 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.
Price: $29.98 SRP
Selection Numbers: 28333
Number of Discs: 2
Running Time: 11 Hours and 26 Minutes
Layers: Dual/Dual (Double Sided)
Aspect Ratio: Anamorphic Widescreen 1:66:1 ("Brides of Dracula"); 1:85:1
("The Curse of the Werewolf," "The Kiss of the Vampire," "The Evil of
Frankenstein"); 2:00:1 ("Phantom of the Opera," "Night Creatures");
2:35:1 ("Paranoiac," "Nightmare")
Rating: NR
Technical Info: English Dolby 2.0 Mono/Captioned; French Subtitles;
Spanish Subtitles

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Source: Universal Studios Home Entertainment

CONTACT: Vivian Mayer, Senior Vice President, Publicity,
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