Hammer Films

[capncnut]

Who remembers the old Hammer Films? Well, now they are BACK! Surely this is the best news in the last 20 years of horror filmmaking?

[Cody]

its a spot on alright

[AcesandEights]

Bang up news! I remember seeing Hammer movies when I was very young and though most were trite, they were all fun, had surprisingly good catss at times and even--if I recall correctly--produced some films that were so scary to me that one or two bits of different films stand out to me after having not seen them in probably 25 years.

[capncnut]

Here's the official word. Cyrte Investments BV, of which John de Mol, one of the world's most successful producers is a major investor, backs purchase of Hammer Horror Group Simon Oakes and Marc Schipper, ex-Liberty Global Inc, to head management team Guy East and Nigel Sinclair of Spitfire Pictures to join board as Hammer plans return to film and television production. LONDON, May 10, 2007 - A European consortium, headed by Dutch based Cyrte Investments BV, has acquired the legendary UK based Hammer Film Productions Limited, including its 295 title library for an undisclosed sum. The new management team is headed by Simon Oakes and Marc Schipper, formerly of Liberty Global Inc. Spitfire Pictures founders Guy East and Nigel Sinclair will join the board as non-executive directors. Los Angeles based Spitfire Pictures has entered into a first look development and production pact with Hammer. The newly constituted Hammer group will have shareholders equity and facilities in excess of approximately $50m. It is the intention to leverage this initial capital in the near future to provide a significantly increased production financing capacity. Hammer will return to film and television production after more than 30 years with an active development programme designed to emulate the best traditions of Hammer. The new management plans to aggressively reinvigorate the Hammer brand for a new generation of horror-lovers utilizing web and mobile technologies, whilst retaining Hammer's significant heritage. Hammer is best known for its gothic horror productions in the '50s and '60s, when it was the most innovative producer in the horror genre, enjoying global box-office success, and making the Hammer brand synonymous with horror. Hammer was responsible for the classic movie series of Dracula, Frankenstein, and Quatermass, forever imprinting its "Hammer House of Horror" slogan into the English language. Simon Oakes: "We have been working on this deal for almost a year now, and are very proud at having brought together this incredibly talented group of people in combination with Hammer's heritage. Hammer is a great British brand - we intend to take Hammer back into production and develop its global potential." Guy East: "It's great to be back in business with Hammer again. Now is a perfect time to reinvigorate the brand."

[Danny]

i dunno ,they had there day during the 60's, when little else but those kind of films were succesful outside the uk, what with the wane in british cinema, but i just dont see them haveing the same appeal today.

[capncnut]

I'm kinda hopeful about this project, but it has to stand on it's own two feet and not rely on its glorious past to bring home the bacon. Saying that though, who wants to see Christopher Lee play Dracula one last time?

[Danny]

ugh, thats bringing up the biggest reason why i dont think it'll click, and horror fans may want to brace yourself for this. noone but me in my film class knew who christopher lee was, after the wickerman, no less, one said "wasnt he one of the men in lord of the rings?"

[capncnut]

Excellent news!!! Columbia Hammer films on DVD - at last! We can exclusively reveal that a large number of long sought-after Hammer films are finally being made available on Region 2 DVD. A deal recently finalised between British distributor DD Home Entertainment and US distributor Sony, which controls the Columbia back catalogue, means that some of Hammer’s finest films, including The Gorgon, The Camp on Blood Island and The Damned, will receive a DVD release. The Columbia catalogue includes such previously unavailable classics as Taste of Fear, the controversial Never Take Sweets From a Stranger and the highly acclaimed drama Cash on Demand. A spokesman for DD is keen to stress that the exact titles due to be released are dependent on the results of an ongoing evaluation of archive materials, but we can confirm that the thirteen Hammer titles provisionally scheduled for release are The Camp On Blood Island, Cash on Demand, Creatures the World Forgot, The Damned, Don’t Panic Chaps, The Gorgon, Maniac, Never Take Sweets From a Stranger, The Stranglers of Bombay, Sword of Sherwood Forest, Taste of Fear, The Terror of the Tongs and Watch it Sailor. There may be other titles to follow. Details of the Hammer release schedule will be made available later this year. In the meantime, DD’s release of Columbia titles will get underway with the British DVD premiere of the 1957 film Night of the Demon. DD are planning a collector’s edition of this classic horror film and work is already underway on exclusive behind-the-scenes extra features.