Hammer House of Horror: The Complete Series [3 Blu-ray]
This star-studded anthology from Hammer Films presents thirteen unforgettable tales of spine-chilling terror. Reimagining classic Hammer themes in a contemporary British setting and signalling a new direction for the legendary film studio under the aegis of producer Roy Skeggs, the series blends the supernatural with a very modern horror – from hauntings and demonic possessions to sinister incarcerations and cannibalism… A huge hit for ITV, Hammer House of Horror boasts a consistently high-caliber cast including Peter Cushing, Diana Dors, Denholm Elliott, Brian Cox and Sian Phillips.
Hammer House of Horror is a British television series made in 1980. An anthology series created by Hammer Films in association with Cinema Arts International and ITC Entertainment, it consists of thirteen hour-long episodes, originally broadcast on ITV.
Each self-contained episode features a different kind of horror. These vary from witches, werewolves and ghosts to devil-worship and voodoo, but also include non-supernatural horror themes such as cannibalism, confinement and serial killers.
Excerpt from Wikipedia located HERE
Broadcast Premiere: September 13th, 1980
Review: Imprint - Region FREE - Blu-ray
Also available on Blu-ray from Network in the UK:
Distribution Imprint - Region FREE - Blu-ray
Runtime 0:54:13.000 X 13
1.33:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray
Disc One Size: 47,612,412,161 bytes
Average Episode: 9,297,678,336 bytes
DTS-HD Master Audio English 3354 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 3354 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)
Commentaries:
Subtitles English, None
Studio: Imprint
• NEW 2020: Exclusive Audio Commentaries by Mark Gatiss & Kim Newman on "Witching Time", "Rude Awakening", "The House That Bled to Death" and "The Two Faces of Evil"
• NEW 2020: Exclusive Audio Commentary by actress Rosalyn Landor & Kim Newman on "Guardian of the Abyss"
• NEW 2020: Exclusive Audio Commentaries by Jonathan Rigby & Kevin Lyons on "The Thirteenth Reunion", "Charlie Boy", "The Silent Scream", "Children of the Full Moon", & "The Mark of Satan"
• Grave Recollections: A Visit with actress Kathryn Leigh Scott featurette (9:42)
• Hammer Housekeeping: A Visit with actress Mia Nadasi featurette (7:58)
• Widescreen version of the episode "Guardian of the Abyss" (53:57)
• Opening Montage Raw Takes for episode "Rude Awakening" (1:31) (11:08)
• Promotional Material Gallery (14:21)
Blu-ray Release Date: November 6th, 2020
Transparent Blu-rays inside Custom Box (see below)
Chapters 5 X 13
ADDITION: Imprint Blu-ray (December 2020): Imprint have transferred 1980's, the complete series of The Hammer House of Horror to Blu-ray. It is cited as being "All 13-epsiodes fully restored from the original camera negative". There are five - 55 minute episodes per dual-layered Blu-ray. These were broadcast on TV at 1.33:1 aspect ratio. They look marvelous despite modest bitrates. Colors gain depth and vibrancy when compared to the previous DVD editions (see comparison below.) The 1080P image quality is consistently strong episode after episode. There is depth and tight lines - these look great!
NOTE: We have added 130 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE
On their Blu-ray, Imprint use a DTS-HD Master 5,1 surround bump (24-bit) and an advertised option of linear PCM dual mono tracks (the latter identified as lossy Dolby stereo by my system and software) in the original English language. While the opening theme music is credited to Roger Webb (Au Pair Girls), each episode has different musical score's credited to the like of Hammer regular James Bernard (The Terror of the Tongs, X the Unknown, The Devil Rides Out, The Plague of the Zombies, Dracula Prince of Darkness, These Are the Damned, Across the Bridge, The Curse of Frankenstein), Wilfred Josephs (The Prisoner), John McCabe (Fear in the Night) and others. It sounds clean, the surround have some less-impactful separations (although they are there) Purists may balk at the lossy original tracks. Imprint offer optional English subtitles on their Region FREE Blu-ray.
The Imprint Blu-ray offers supplements - new and repeated. 10 of the more notable episodes have new audio commentaries by Mark Gatiss and Kim Newman on four, actress Rosalyn Landor paired with Kim Newman on "Guardian of the Abyss" and Hammer experts Jonathan Rigby and Kevin Lyons on five other episodes. These are fun and informative - mostly relaxing and enjoying the viewing with some interesting revelations popping up about the production, cast and crew. There is also a 10-minute interview with actress Kathryn Leigh Scott ("Visitor from the Grave" episode and The Great Gatsby 74 film) entitled Grave Recollections: A Visit. There is also an 8-minute interview with Mia Nadasi (wife of Peter Sasdy) also in "Visitor from the Grave" as a Psychic entitled Hammer Housekeeping: A Visit. Both are found on the 2012 by Synapse Films DVD release (REVIEWED HERE.) Imprint also include the 1.66:1 widescreen version of the episode "Guardian of the Abyss", opening montage raw takes for episode "Rude Awakening" and a promotional material gallery.
The series has some recognizable stars; Jon Finch (Frenzy), Ian McCulloch (Zombie), Denholm Elliott (The Night My Number Came Up), Leigh Lawson (Tess), Marius Goring (The Red Shoes), Peter Cushing (The Brides of Dracula), Brian Cox (25th Hour), Diana Dors (Yield to the Night,) Celia Gregory (who became a faith healer in later life), episodes directed by the likes of Tom Clegg (Sweeney 2), Don Sharp (Kiss of the Vampire), Peter Sasdy (Countess Dracula), Robert Young (Vampire Circus) and others. Transplanting back in the 80's UK this series has a ton of value. I liked the deviation from Gothic with the modernization yet still carrying some Hammer Studio charm. The commentaries are a great addition. The Imprint Blu-ray package is a beautiful and functional box. I'm really high on this and we give it a very strong recommendation!
"Guardian of the Abyss" in 1.33: (LEFT) and in 1.66:1 widescreen (RIGHT)
1) A&E Home Entertainment (4 DVD) - Region 1 - NTSC TOP
2) Synapse Films (5-DVD) - Region 1 - NTSC - MIDDLE (Reviewed HERE)
3) Imprint - Region FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM