The Abominable Snowman/Brides Of
Dracula/Evil Of Frankenstein
(Hammer Studios/Umbrella Entertainment DVD/Region Zero/0/PAL Format)
Picture:
C/C+/C+ Sound: C+ Extras: C/C-/C- Films: C+
PLEASE NOTE: These DVD can only be operated
on machines capable of playing back DVDs that can handle Region Zero/0/PAL
format software, and can be ordered from our friends at Umbrella Entertainment
at the website address provided at the end of the review.
Peter Cushing was one of the kings of the Hammer Studios, one of the most
underrated actors of his generation and like Vincent Price, he often gets the
short shrift these days when it comes to how they are remembered. It is one thing to argue in his favor as I
often due, in part because I have seen and remember more of his great work than
many seem to, especially in the U.S., but the proof is in his work and Umbrella
Entertainment is issuing three of his Hammer Horror films on DVD.
The Abominable Snowman (1957) is one of the only films
to treat the legend with any sense of seriousness, is somewhat ambitious in
Director Val Guest’s hands and is from a book by Quatermass creator Nigel
Kneale. Though not always successful and
sometimes problematic, it is one of the few black and white Horror outings from
the studio that people still remember and talk about. Forest Tucker and Robert Brown also star.
Brides Of Dracula (1960) has a beneficiary of the
original count (David Peel) getting ready for a big female blood count. Jimmy Sangster co-wrote this and had written
the first color Dracula and Frankenstein films ever, both for this studio. It is formulaic but not bad and at least
consistent. There are some good moments
here and there, but you have to wait longer sometimes than you might want to.
Evil Of Frankenstein (1964) has the good doctor
(Cushing) wanting to dispose of his creation, but it is never, ever that easy
and it won’t be long before the return of the repressed ruins everybody’s
day. Freddie Francis does his usual
stylized job with iconic cinematography and Sandor Eles, Duncan Lamont and
Peter Woodthorpe make a great supporting cast.
Kiwi Kingston is interesting as the monster.
Though
none are the best of their kind, they are solid Hammer entries that kept the
studio going and once you watch them, you realize it is Cushing who makes these
work far better than the scripts would and some of the writing is even relying
(for better and worse) on his star power.
Well, he had it and that is why these films constantly go back in print
along with so many other films he made.
If you have never seen any of them, they are all worth a look.
The
anamorphically enhanced 2.35 X 1 HammerScope image on Snowman is in black and white, but is plagued with details and
aliasing issues throughout. Why this
looks so poor is hard to tell, but a recycled older video master or new
transfer gone wrong is likely the source.
The anamorphically enhanced 1.85 X 1 color images for the other films
are better, looking decent and were three-strip dye-transfer Technicolor
releases at the time. All need serious
HD upgrades, but the color films are not bad for DVD. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono is also pretty
good and clean for their age, though Snowman can sound a little rougher because
of its lower budget. Extras
on all include trailers and the color films add stills, while Snowman adds more
Cushing trailers and an interview with Director Val Guest fans will enjoy.
As noted
above, you can order these imports exclusively from Umbrella at:
http://www.umbrellaent.com.au/
- Nicholas Sheffo
