The gory details of an unconventional movie partnership
For any fan of classic horror, the name Hammer conjures up fond memories of blood, gore and the kind of dark theatrics that inspired generations of filmmakers and genre aficionados for decades. Now the famed studio is the subject of a new documentary, which focuses on a specific time in Hammer’s history when the company was stuck between tradition and progress in the world of cinematic horror. Die-hard fans and general cinephiles alike will find plenty to like about documentarian Marcus Hearn’s film and what it says about one of the most crucial eras within the Hammer legacy. Looking at the period of the late 60s and into the early 70s, Hammer Horror: The Warner Bros. Years traces the partnership of the British horror makers brief marriage with the Hollywood power studio; the successful triumphs, the admirable experiments and the bumpy journey that lay ahead.
As much as I love horror, and especially Hammer horror, the fan in me wishes more could have been done to have made Hearn’s doc stronger. Although Hammer Horror is clearly centering on a very specific period in the company, there’s too much of a quick jump into the heart of the story, without enough background to pay homage to the history which gave Hammer its name. Likewise, because of the nature of the project, it feels like there’s a whole sub-section of titles left out, with only a small handful chosen as representatives of the studio which churned out one after another to the delight of their many fans. Not helping doc’s case is the collection of film historians whose takes occasionally overstay their welcome when the filmmakers allow their theories to become ramblings. Because of this, the scope of Hammer Horror cannot help but feel limited, at times coming off as a video essay as opposed to the insightful retrospective documentary it eventually ends up being.
Quibbles aside, Hearn’s affection for Hammer and the films they made are more than obvious. The film takes careful time to note the various approaches the company invested into their movies in terms of style and technique, mixing classical characters with modern fright tactics through the classics Dracula Has Risen from the Grave and Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed. Hearn also makes a great effort at showing Hammer’s willingness to experiment and how the results in such efforts, including the underrated Crescendo and the fan favorite When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth, were always diverting on some level. As previously stated, the doc does make time for some revealing and incredibly telling commentary from the likes of Hammer starlet Veronica Carlson and director Joe Dante, among others who describe the company’s influence and place in the world of cinema. Ultimately, Hammer Horror becomes a document of the changing of societal times and moods and how the shift was strongly felt and represented in the world of film. Hearn’s depiction of Hammer as a company of filmmakers trying admirably to keep up with the new times through titles such as Dracula A.D. 1972 and The Legend of the Seven Golden Vampires, were no match for the likes of The Exorcist, gives a good sense of the tension felt by the company to survive.
I had a great aunt, my grandmother’s youngest sister, who lived well into her 90s. As is the case with so many who reach that stage in life, her faculties were failing her and life wasn’t anywhere close to what it had been. She required constant love and attention, which she received from her son and his family. According to her son, the sole pleasure she still enjoyed in her life was, believe it or not, Hammer films. Put on a Hammer title and my great aunt would come alive and radiate glee as she took in Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee and the embraceable terror they helped Hammer conjure up. As trivial as it may seem, not to mention random, my anecdote exemplifies Hammer’s unwavering commitment to the stories they told and just how important the terror-infused joy they brought to audiences was, and still is.
Hammer History: The Warner Bros. Years is now available on Blu-Ray from Diabolique Films.
