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Many horror filmmakers today will claim they were inspired by the slasher classics of the ’80s. Freddy, Jason, and Michael all have an influence of some kind on many modern horror movies. What about filmmakers that pre-dated the slasher craze? Their inspiration was the classic Universal Monster movies. While still highly influential today, horror filmmakers from the 50s, 60s, and 70s likely grew up as these classic chillers first hit the big screen.
These influences were key in the rise of the British film studio, Hammer. Hammer sought to take these classic horror movies and apply an exploitative style to them. These films prided themselves on bright red blood, gratuitous sexual content, and more importantly, scares. The Hammer films were so impactful, that the word Hammer is often used to describe a subgenre as opposed to a studio. For those horror hounds looking to take a bite out of these classic films, here are ten of the best the studio has to offer.
10/10 Let Me In (2010)
Most people think of the ’60s, and ’70s when discussing Hammer, and for good reason. The studio was at its peak then and eventually stopped making films around 2000. in 2007, they finally started up again. Most of these modern-era films aren’t as fondly discussed, save for one. That one is Let Me In from 2010, a remake of the 2008 Swedish film Let the Right One In.
The movie revolves around a bullied boy who falls in love with a young vampire girl. The film stars Chloë Grace Mortez as young vampire Abby, in one of the roles that made her a household name. The film isn’t nearly as graphic as earlier Hammer films but doesn’t shy away from showing blood and gore when the occasion calls for it. The film puts a twist on the classic vampire love story trope and makes it sweet as well as intense. The movie is one of the few modern-era Hammer films to have hints of the classic era in it. The film was expertly directed by Matt Reeves, who recently enjoyed success with The Batman.
9/10 The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires (1974)
If someone were to bring up a plot that mixes martial arts, vampires, and sexual exploitation, many would assume it is referring to a gag film in a Quentin Tarantino movie. The fact is, it is a very real movie and is as entertaining as it sounds. Hammer Films were always ones to experiment with their films, and The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires was one of their little experiments.
Christopher Lee had played Dracula for the studio since 1958, and he’d had enough. Their response was to team up with the Shaw Brothers to make a vampire movie so insane, audiences wouldn’t realize his absence. The plot follows Peter Cushing once again in his famous role of Van Helsing as he tries to stop a reincarnated Dracula and his vampire army. This film is the perfect definition of a cult classic. It is cheesy, nonsensical, gory, and fun. This is the perfect movie to have playing in the background during a Halloween party, and guests are sure to have a blast.
8/10 The Reptile (1966)
The Reptile was Hammer’s answer to films such as The Creature From The Black Lagoon. This creature feature follows a man who travels to discover what happened to his late brother. In a little village, he learns his brother’s death was one of several, and something inhuman is the culprit. While not a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination, The Reptile is still a spooky time.
The plot is a slow burner, keeping the titular creature unseen for most of the runtime. The makeup effects on the creature are still pretty impressive, even if a tad cheesy by today’s standards. The movie even ends with a showdown in a burning building, calling back further to the classic Universal Monster movies. This film isn’t breaking any new ground, but it is still a worthy addition to any Hammer marathon.
7/10 The Devil Rides Out (1968)
Terence Fisher is one of Hammer’s most famous directors, and many agree that this is his one of his best films. The Devil Rides Out stars Hammer mainstay Christopher Lee as he discovers his protegé has gotten caught up in a Satanic cult. The film was released during one of the first Satanic panics of the 20th century and was highly controversial. It contains heavy Satanic imagery, violence, and even a chilling appearance by the Devil himself. This movie isn’t as in-your-face as some of the others, but it is still a disturbing film that remains effective today. Christopher Lee was usually the villain in Hammer films, but here he shows he can lead the good guys as well.
6/10 The Abominable Snowman (1957)
The Abominable Snowman is one of the Hammer movies that feels closest to the classic Universal Monster movies. For starters, it is in black and white. It also doesn’t have excessive violence or sexual content. The film follows a doctor, played by Peter Cushing, as he joins an expedition to find the fabled Yeti. The movie is chilling and slow-burning, and full of atmosphere (complemented by the wonderful setting).
The movie is different from typical Hammer fare, and it works in the film’s favor. This film came out the same year as Hammer’s first Frankenstein film, which was in full color and full of gothic Hammer goodness. It is interesting to see how quickly Hammer switched gears. This film may be tame in compassion to other Hammer works, but it is still worthy of the name and is mandatory viewing by any Hammer fan.
5/10 The Plague of the Zombies (1966)
George A. Romero was responsible for creating the zombie genre as we know it with Night of the Living Dead in 1968. That doesn’t mean he didn’t have some inspirations, one of which was Plague of the Zombies. Before Romero changed the game, zombies were typically people under some sort of voodoo spell as opposed to corpses reanimated through a virus. This film bridges that gap, as it has a bit of both.
A bizarre plague seems to be killing off villagers. Upon further inspection, a local squire is practicing voodoo magic to create a plague that kills people and turns their bodies into puppets under his control. The film doesn’t have zombies rising from the grave and eating brains, but it is the step before Romero fully completed the zombie trope known today. The film is scary and intense, the perfect mixture for a bloody good Hammer movie.
4/10 The Mummy (1959)
1932’s The Mummy was the source for several remakes, the most successful being Universal’s own remake starring Brendan Fraser. The most infamous being Universal’s failed attempt at their Dark Universe. Somewhere in the middle, there is Hammer’s remake. While the title suggests a straight remake of the 1932 movie, it is closer to a remake of the later Universal titles, The Mummy’s Hand, The Mummy’s Tomb, and The Mummy’s Ghost.
The film stars Christopher Lee as the titular mummy and Peter Cushing as the protagonist. The film was directed by Terence Fisher, completing Hammer’s trifecta for success. The Hammer version is more violent than Universal’s Mummy series, but not the worst Hammer has produced. The Mummy is heavily atmospheric and is one of the best mummy movies ever made.
3/10 The Curse of the Werewolf (1961)
Unlike other Universal classics such as Dracula and Frankenstein, The Wolf Man was an original story. Because of this, Hammer couldn’t outright remake it, so instead, they produced The Curse of the Werewolf. Instead of the classic means of being bitten by a werewolf, the titular creature in this film is cursed from birth.
As with any good werewolf tale, this one is tragic and heartbreaking (aided by an incredible Oliver Reed performance). The film deals with some heavy-handed stuff, which lead to it originally being heavily censored. While certain scenes may be hard to watch, this is still a worthy and scary film in Hammer’s catalog.
2/10 The Curse of Frankenstein (1957)
It is often discussed who the real monster is: Dr. Frankenstein, or the creature he created. When looking at Hammer’s Frankenstein, the answer is clearly the doctor. The first film in Hammer’s Frankenstein series stars Peter Cushing as the titular doctor and Christopher Lee as the monster.
Unlike other interpretations, this Dr. Frankenstein is not a good person whatsoever. He will do whatever it takes to ensure his experiments are successful, even kill. This film is oozing with gothic goodness and has some of the best lab scenes in any horror film. Dr. Frankenstein becomes more blatantly evil as the series goes on, but here is just a bad person. This movie demands to be seen by anyone who claims to be a horror fan.
1/10 Horror of Dracula (1958)
When fans think Hammer, odds are the first thing that comes to mind is Christopher Lee as Dracula. Horror of Dracula is where it all began, and where Hammer proved themselves. The plot is the basic story of Dracula with a few twists. The film is filled to the brim with gothic imagery and is beautiful to look at. From graveyards to huge castles, it is all here.
Christopher Lee stars as the titular vampire while Peter Cushing plays his nemesis, Van Helsing. The film has plenty of bright red blood to satisfy even the appetite of Drac himself. This film is what Hammer is all about. If only one Hammer film is to be viewed, let it be this one. This is one of the scariest and best Dracula films of all time.
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