Director: Terence Fisher
Screenplay: Jimmy Sangster / John Elder
Starring: Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Yvonne Furneaux, Shane Briant, David Prowse, Madeline Smith, Patrick Troughton, John Stratton
Country: United Kingdom
Running Time: 88 / 99 minutes
Year: 1959 / 1974
BBFC Certificate: PG / 15
This month sees the release of two Hammer films courtesy of Second Sight, and a chance to dive into nostalgia. Hammer were as quintessentially British as Carry On and Bond, but were they any good? Certainly like the other franchises, they ran the gamut of quality, in their case from reliable lift-and-shift versions of the Universal monsters to more ragged, grungy affairs, and Second Sight’s choice of these two titles ostensibly reveals both extremes. And yet, there are surprises.
Both The Mummy and Frankenstein and The Monster From Hell were directed by Terence Fisher and star Peter Cushing, stalwarts of Hammer. The Mummy paired Cushing with his regular sparring partner, Christopher Lee, under the muddy bandages of the titular monster, and took a classic Universal plot, giving it a splash of melodramatic Technicolour. It’s reliably fabulous stuff, but in retrospect, unambitious. The plot is a straightforward stalk and slash and there’s no escaping that it is as dated as its crusty villain, considering the horror genre in 1959 was about to get a heck of a boost from Bava (Bloody Sunday), Hitchcock (Psycho) and Powell (Peeping Tom). Still, none of those featured a proper, classic monster for cinema audiences and The Mummy has a unique charm.
On the other hand, jumping to the 70s, Frankenstein and The Monster From Hell should have been a disaster. Near the end of Hammer’s run and past the studio’s strongest days, Terence Fisher was persuaded back to direct yet another Frankenstein sequel; the powerful subtext of the original story long since diluted. Following an accident a few years earlier, Fisher would not have been blamed for retirement. Cushing too, still mourning his late wife, was physically reduced. And yet, Cushing was always a consummate professional who would give even the most ridiculous role his utmost attention. He was a superb actor, somewhat underrated because he would frequently choose b-movies.
Cushing and Fisher make this last Frankenstein film a strong one. A good plot with more than a hint of nihilism puts it in a period Re-Animator territory, some truly horrific moments might remind you of Romero. This easily forgotten minor Hammer might have had more influence than you would assume. Also, that’s David Prowse under the monster prosthetics, a couple of years before he would meet Peter Cushing once more on the deck of b-movie spaceship. Uninspired casting elsewhere (Bernard Lee cameo notwithstanding), bad studio habits and routine dialogue hold it back from being a classic, but still, it’s the more entertaining of the two films.
Both films are great fun. The Mummy as a tribute to Hammer’s golden era, but clumsy, tired Frankenstein and The Monster From Hell is nonetheless a wry example of what the studio could be capable of.
VIDEO
The Mummy is a fabulous transfer with natural, bold colours, finite detail and a strong contrast, but HD is not always kind to low-budget older films and cut corners can appear too sharp. The opening scenes suffer from the increased clarity and the Egyptian dig site is too clearly a stage with plastic rocks. It dates the film even further, but thankfully, back in England there is a gorgeous depth of field more befitting of Hammer quality. It is the best the film has looked.
Some dodgy model shots and mattes stick out in Frankenstein and The Monster From Hell but otherwise it’s a fine looking film. The photography is not as ambitious as some of The Mummy, but the sets are stronger. Plus, lashings of disgusting effects are bright and satisfying, holding up remarkably well.
EXTRA FEATURES
Indicator has been churning out some fantastic Hammer sets recently, but Second Sight have done a marvellous job with these two individual releases. New audio commentaries and essays explore the legacy of the films. The archive commentaries unpick some of the anecdotes of the making of them. Split across the two releases are features exploring the legacy of Hammer and Bray Studios, plus the career of Terence Fisher.
These limited editions might not match the Indicator spines, but they match the content and deserve a place on any discerning fan of British cinema.
The Mummy
New audio commentary by film academic Kelly Robinson
Archive audio commentary by Marcus Hearn and Jonathan Rigby
An Appreciation of The Mummy by David Huckvale
The Music of The Mummy
Unwrapping The Mummy
The House of Horror: Memories of Bray
The Hammer Rep Company
Frankenstein and The Monster From Hell
New audio commentary by film academic Kat Ellinger
Archive audio commentary by Shane Briant, Madeline Smith and Marcus Hearn
An Appreciation of Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell by David Huckvale
The Music of Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell
Taking Over the Asylum
Charming Evil: Terence Fisher at Hammer