ARROW VIDEO PRESENTS: PHANTASM 1-5 LIMITED EDITION COLLECTION. REVIEW BY SANDRA HARRIS.

ARROW VIDEO PRESENTS: HOUSE: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION. REVIEW BY SANDRA HARRIS.

WHEN A STRANGER CALLS- 1979 and WHEN A STRANGER CALLS- 2006. REVIEWS BY SANDRA HARRIS.

THE WICKER TREE. (2011) REVIEW BY SANDRA HARRIS.

NOSFERATU: A SYMPHONY OF HORRORS. 1922. REVIEW BY SANDRA HARRIS.

Blu-ray Review - The Island Of Dr.Moreau (1977)

Horror Channel Reviving Hammer Double-bill nights

Vampire vixens, creepy castles, mouldy mummies, satanic sadists and Lee & Cushing on top show. Yes, its Hammer heaven as the UK’s number one TV destination for all things horror presents a HAMMER DOUBLE-FEATURE SEASON, which broadcasts from Sat Feb 1 – Feb 22 @ 9.00pm.

Here is the line-up:

Sat 1 Feb @ 21:00 – DRACULA: PRINCE OF DARKNESS (1966)

This sequel to the 1958 The Horror of Dracula sees the supposedly dead Count Dracula back in bloody business once his trusty servant Klove entices the English Kents - Charles (Francis Matthews), brother Alan (Charles Tingwell), and their wives, Diana (Suzan Farmer) and Helen (Barbara Shelley), inside his welcoming castle. Directed by Terence Fisher, this is seen as the “quintessential Hammer horror"

Sat 1 Feb @ 22:45 - SCARS OF DRACULA (1970)

Directed by Roy Ward Baker, this popular sequel to Taste the Blood of Dracula stars Christopher Lee as Count Dracula, who spreads his evil from his mountaintop castle. When libertine Paul Carlson disappears one night, his brother Simon and girlfriend trace him to the area, discovering a terrified populace. They make their way towards the sinister castle and its undead host. Also stars Dennis Waterman.

Sat 8 Feb @ 21.00 – FRANKENSTEIN CREATED WOMAN (1967)

Directed by Terence Fisher, this popular feature stars Peter Cushing as Baron Frankenstein, who discovers a way of trapping the soul of a dead person. Frankenstein believes he can transfer the soul into a recently deceased female (Susan Denberg) to restore her to life. This is one of the most critically acclaimed Hammer films and Martin Scorsese cites this as one of his favourite films.

Sat 8 Feb @ 22.50 - FRANKENSTEIN AND THE MONSTER FROM HELL (1974)

The aged Baron Victor Frankenstein (Peter Cushing) is housed at an insane asylum where he has been made a surgeon, where, under the alias of Dr. Carl Victor, uses his position to continue his experiments in the creation of man. Filmed at Elstree Studios in 1972 but not released until 1974, it was the final chapter in the Hammer Frankenstein saga of films as well as director Terence Fisher's last film.

Sat 15 Feb @21:00 – THE MUMMY’S SHROUD (1967)

Directed by John Gilling, the film stars André Morell and David Buck as explorers who uncover the tomb of an ancient Egyptian mummy. (played by stuntman Eddie Powell, Christopher Lee’s regular stunt double), brought back to life to wreak revenge on his enemies. It was the third of Hammer's four Mummy films, and the last to feature a bandaged mummy. It was the final Hammer production to be made at Bray Studios.

Sat 15 Feb @ 22:45 - BLOOD FROM THE MUMMY’S TOMB (1971)

This was the swan song for director Seth Holt, who died before filming finished. An expedition, led by Professor Fuchs (Andrew Keir), find the tomb of an evil Egyptian princess. Her preserved, still-bleeding severed hand sports a dazzling ruby ring. Several years later, Fuchs gives the ring to his daughter Margaret (Valerie Leon), who slowly begins to take on the malevolent traits of its original wearer.

Sat 22 Feb @ 21:00 – THE DEVIL RIDES OUT (1968)

The powers of good are pitted against the forces of evil in this gripping tale of Satanism, based on the best-selling 1934 novel of the same name by Dennis Wheatley. Written by Richard Matheson and directed by Terence Fisher, the film stars Christopher Lee, Charles Gray, Niké Arrighi, Leon Greene and Patrick Mower. Christopher Lee has often said that of all his vast back catalogue of films this is his favourite

Sat 22 Feb @ 22:50 - TO THE DEVIL A DAUGHTER (1976)

Directed by Peter Sykes, this was the second of Wheatley's "black magic" novels to be filmed by Hammer, following The Devil Rides Out and stars Richard Widmark, Christopher Lee, Honor Blackman, Nastassja Kinski and Denholm Elliott. Wheatley disliked the film because it did not follow his novel and found it obscene. Wheatley told Hammer Production that they were not to make another film from his novels ever again


Other highlights during Feb include the UK TV premieres of SAWNEY: FLESH OF MAN (Fri 21 Feb @ 22:55) and SHARKZILLA (Tues 25 Feb @ 16:00). Plus there is the Network premiere of OPEN WATER (Fri 7 Feb @ 22:50)

TV: Sky 319 / Virgin 149 / Freesat 138
 www.horrorchannel.co.uk | twitter.com/horror_channel

The Brood Blu-Ray Review

Rating: 18
BD Release date: 8th July 2013 (UK)
Director: David Cronenberg
Cast: Olivier Reed,Samantha Eggar, Art Hindle
Buy The Brood: [Blu-ray] David Cronenberg’s cult classic The Brood is perhaps one of the most innovative and surprising films to deal with the dangers of psychological therapy. Starring Oliver Reed as the mysterious therapist, Dr Raglan, Art Hindle as Frank Carveth, and Samantha Eggar as Nola Carveth, The Brood explores the possibilities for body horror in medical science without following tired routes: a man desperately clinging to what is left of his family after his ex-wife becomes increasingly more involved with mysterious treatments at a cultish psychological institute, seeks to save his family and solve a recent spate of murders that coincide with his wife’s psychotic turns.

Considering the plot for the film, it would be easy in other hands for The Brood to misfire in a big way, but in careful hands, with a good sense of humour, Cronenberg executes this passion project with nothing short of full genius. One of the things you’ll notice after a first viewing is how brave the film seems once you’ve gotten over the initial shock. The sites of violence and the manner in which those brutal scenes are depicted is riveting and sharp, in particular a class room assault is one of the most controversial yet open-eyed choices in the film.

At points The Brood can stray into laughable territory, spending too much time with hyper-characterized figures and relying a little too much on the apparent terror attached to lonesome children. Cronenberg does, however, carefully balance the humour of his film with visceral imagery and merciless moments of grotesque violence. Yes, the mutant children have perhaps approached their sell-by date and in their bright winter coats appear a wee bit garish but when taken as part of the whole they are still rendered as utterly feral and devious.

The Brood’s cult reputation comes mostly from its classic finale which offers one of the most startling images in horror, and one of the most engaging feminist/horror dialogues committed to film. It is in this shocking final scene that Samantha Eggar unleashes the full fury of her wonderfully damaged psychotic mother-figure and flaunts an unsettling talent for barmy behaviour.

Sharp and well executed, with stand-out performances from Hindle, Reed, and Eggar, and one of cinemas greatest villians and finales, Cronenberg’s The Brood is a sadly often ignored story of relationship breakdown meets horror of the psyche, highly recommended viewing for any classic horror fan.

★★★★☆

Scott Clark