Plot: What’s it about?
Although Hammer has become a name synonymous with horror movies, they also dabbled in television, the results of which can be found here. As a fan of Hammer pictures, I was thrilled to be able to take a look at these episodes, as I had seen only a few before this. I admit these don’t have the same gloss and atmosphere as their big screen counterparts, but as far as television horror goes, this is some cool stuff. The stories are well written and provide some great moments, as well as featuring some gifted performers, such as Peter Cushing and Denholm Elliot. In this four disc set from A&E, you’ll find all thirteen episodes of Hammer House of Horror, which amounts to over eleven hours of content, plus a few extras tacked on. I highly recommend this release to all horror fans and while the price looks high, you have to consider the wealth of content included. Below is a brief synopsis for each episode, in case you might need them.
1. Witching Time- After a fierce storm, a musician goes out to his barn to check on his wife’s horse, but discovers something unexpected instead. He finds a young woman lying in the hay, who claims to be a witch from the 1600s and while she was to be burned, she managed to transport herself here, to save her own life. Of course, the man finds this to be laughable and after he locks her in a room, he calls his doctor to have a look. But she is gone when the doctor arrives, which leads the man to think he is having mental issues, mainly due to his excessive work habits and a starlet wife, whom he thinks is cheating on him. But soon enough, more strange things happen and unless something is done soon, this witch (whether real or imagined) to bound to ruin the man’s life, as well as the lives of others around him.
2. The Thirteenth Reunion- It seems like a new weight loss fad comes and goes every day, but at a new special clinic, the results speak for themselves. Sure, lots of diets work for a while, but then you add back the pounds, though this clinic promises no such relapses. But there is something about this place that just seems off kilter, despite the success stories. As such, a young journalist decides to venture in and investigate, but what will be found inside this slimming center, or more to the point, who will be found of it?
3. Rude Awakening- I think we’ve all had the same dreams a few times, where we revisit them each night, as opposed to new ones. While that can be good if the dreams are pleasant, returning nightmares can be horrific, perhaps even remaining with you after you wake. An estate agent seems to have that exact problem, as he is stuck inside of a terrible nightmare, unable to escape from within it. But as he continues to live inside of this awful dream, is he having simple nightmares, or have the dreams taken over his real life as well?
4. Growing Pains- A lot of people find poetry fun to read and quite relaxing, but in this case, it turns out to be a terrible mistake. A very unusual poem is the central force in this story, as after it has been read, a spirit from the realm of the dead is awoken. If the book that houses has some type of solution, can it be found and recited in time to keep the spirit under control, or will this vengeful undead force remain free forever, to wreak chaos?
5. The House That Bled to Death- We’ve all heard stories of haunted houses, but most are urban legends or tall tales, right? When some new people move into the house at 42 Colman Road, they have no idea what horror lurks inside the place, but soon enough, they will know. This house is haunted and for real, as all sorts of hideous events and happenings unfold, all to the total terror of the new residents, to be sure. But what is behind this violent series of events and can anything can be done, aside from moving out or facing certain doom?
6. Charlie Boy- In spooky stories, we sometimes hear about cursed objects or such, where an inanimate object comes to life, for whatever reason. While that seems hokey to most people, some folks are about to discover first hand how real the situation can be. An African souvenir is involved here and it has been involved in voodoo rituals, which means some of that voodoo passed into it and of course, that’s bad news. As this item begins to lash out and take on a life of its own, can anything manage to remove the voodoo curse?
7. The Silent Scream- An ex-con has been released from prison and seeks to start over again, perhaps on the right side of the law this time. As such, he finds himself a job and tries to walk the straight & narrow, but little does he know how tough that can be. His newfound profession involves a lot more underhanded tasks than he expected, which means he could be on the fast track back to prison, or perhaps an even worse fate, should he leave.
8. Children of the Full Moon- After he awakes from a hideous nightmare, a man discovers he is back in his own life, free from the horror of his bad dream. It all seemed so real to him though, as it if it were real and he was trapped in the middle of it all. But now he has woken up and is resting inside of a hospital, pleased to have ended his miserable dreams. Of course, he is not aware that his nightmare has not ended yet, as his reality is about to take a turn for the worse…
9. Carpathian Eagle- A series of brutal murders has started, which seem to be connected in many ways, which means one person or group is behind them. As one of the top inspectors delves into the rash of killings, he discovers there seems to be more to these crimes than meets the eye, but he is unable to believe his own eyes. But as time passes and he gets drawn deeper into the mysterious case, he finds himself faced with the legend of the Carpathian Countess, which sounds far fetched, but could turn out to be the truth behind the murders.
10. Guardian of the Abyss- I assume that antique dealers run into all sorts of unusual items, some from times long ago and now, the items might be useless or used for a different purpose. But some items remain useful and one of those items could be a mirror, which collectors often like to attain, as old, unbroken ones can be quite valuable. But when an antiques merchant gets a hold of this unique mirror, they have no idea what sort of powers it has and as such, who knows what will become of them once they do…
11. Visitor from the Grave- A young woman is alone inside a cottage, which is off the beaten path and quite isolated, to be sure. But she is soon joined by someone else, although this is unwanted intruder and in a desperate turn of events, she kills this unwanted visitor. It would seem her troubles were over for right now, but even though this intruder is dead as can be, the young woman is about to visited again, by a much darker force this time.
12. The Two Faces of Evil- I’ve heard a lot of stories about insane hitchhikers and the like, where the hitcher kills, rapes, or scars the driver kind enough to pick them up. But unlike most urban legends, the tales of the hitchhikers have some truth, as a lot of people have been killed, raped, or seriously wounded by the folks they’ve picked up. As a family heads off on vacation, they decide to pick up a hitchhiker and t as you would expect, this person is strange and very unusual, but will this turn into another horror story?
13. The Mark of Satan- A morgue is an eerie place to work, as it can mess with your mind, cause you to see or hear things that aren’t even there. So when a young man starts out as a worker in one, he tries to prepare himself, to avoid those kind of issues. But some events arise that make him question his situation, which at first he assumes are due to his mind, not some horrific deed. As time passes and more events transpire however, he becomes convinced that some evil force at work, but is he right in this wild assumption?
Video: How does it look?
The episodes are presented in full frame transfers, as intended. I was quite surprised by how good the episodes look, as most of them show minimal age signs and in truth, some look brand new and of course, that’s fantastic news. Some look better than others, but all look acceptable and most are superb in overall visual presentation. The materials have little in terms of grain and debris, while colors and contrast look good also, never overly dated, which was also a most welcome surprise. I never expected the episodes to look this good, but A&E has delivered the good here and fans should be nothing less than thrilled with this release.
Audio: How does it sound?
The audio isn’t as impressive as the video, but for mono tracks from this era, they sound good enough to me. I heard a little hiss in a couple episodes, but only for a brief while and never too loud, so I think we can be understanding, given the age & nature of the materials. I would have been surprised to find a total lack of hiss, so the minor instances are more than acceptable, since they never distract in the least. The music sounds very good in some of the episodes and solid in all of them, while dialogue is clean and never hard to understand. Yes, the audio sometimes shows its age, but I doubt anyone will be let down here.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This release contains a complete filmography of Hammer Films, an essay on the history of Hammer, and a selection of still photos.
