By: Grave Reviews Staff
Hammer Film Productions has conquered the Horror Genre up to the late 1970s
A British film company, established in 1934, Hammer Film Productions, produced a variety of horror films from the mid-1950s to the 1970s. There were many successful hits and more a period of time, Hammer Films dominated the horror genre. Some of their works include The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), Dracula (1958), The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll (1960), Scream of Fears (1961), The Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb (1964) as well as other pictures. The films would also depict horror icons such as Dracula, Frankenstein and as mentioned above, The Mummy. In addition, the films starred such actors as Christopher Lee, who would later be the evil wizard, Salomon in Lord of the Rings. The production companies success was also due to their partnership with major studios such as Warner Brothers.
Hammer Films Sold off
After their success, Hammer films saw a huge change in the market and started to lose momentum from competition and a lack of funding. By the mid-1980s, Hammer Films had stopped productions altogether. It was not until 2000, that the company was bought by some millionaire individuals, Charles Saatchi, Neil Mendoza and William Sieghart. In 2007, the company was again sold to John de Mol for $50 million.
Since the acquisition, the production company has made movies such as Let Me In (2010), The Woman in Black (2012), and The Quiet Ones (2014). There are not many films that are produced to date. However, personally, I have always enjoyed the Hammer films because, at an age where technology was not great, the directors and writers needed to be more creative. It is worth paying a tribute to their contribution to the horror genre.
Hammer Films also puts out a number of adult musicals which are held in the UK. I am also very curious to see a Hammer productions play. It is an immersive small theatre performance that will transform the audience as part of the show. The most recent play that Hammer has advertised for is called “The Soulless Ones.”
You can visit the hammer site here: http://www.hammerfilms.com
Check one of the Hammer films out and share your thoughts.
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