"Hammer House of Horror" (1980)TV series

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

13 September 1980 (UK)

Genre:

Horror

Plot:

This British anthology series, which was produced by England's leading exporters of horror films, told tales of haunted houses, demons, ghosts and other supernatural wonders.

Plot Keywords:

Anthology | Gothic | Supernatural

Cast

Denholm Elliott	...	Norman Shenley (2 episodes, 1980)
Gary Bond	...	Terence Morton (2 episodes, 1980)

Runtime:

UK:51 min (13 episodes)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:MA (DVD rating)

Filming Locations:

Wykehurst Place, Bolney, West Sussex, England, UK

Company:

Chips Productions Ltd.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The 100 Greatest Scary Moments (2003) (TV)

Cinematic jewels for the small screen...

Could you believe that after so long, the Hammer Company could come back and release a show that had as much quality content as the original Twilight Zone? For those who have not seen this, the closest that I can come to describing this gems is to compare to the 1 hour episodes that Rod Serling put out. Even that doesn't do them justice.

There are thirteen episodes in all. The cover lists Peter Cushing, Denholm Eliot, and Pierce Brosnan, but there are stand-out performances by many more in each episode. Jon Finch (Hitchcock's Frenzy) starts off as director editing his film at home when a fierce storm draws near... From the first minute of the first episode, it is apparent that this series was something special. Good direction, tight casting, and fast paced stories are the norm. This is not to say that all will interest, and some have common themes to other episodes, but all are enjoyable. Picture a standard film, and cut out a half an hour of the excess, and you've got these.

Certainly worth the investment, these episodes can be collected in one box set, which is quite well done by A+E. Werewolves, demons, witches, voodoo dolls, and for good measure a demented Nazi can all be found within. Horror fans, and those who miss good television, should take a look at Hammer. I assure you, you will not be disappointed.