“Forgotten Hollywood”- Hammer Studios to Restore Library!
Manny P. here…
Hammer Film Productions is undertaking a global restoration project of films created by the company during Hollywood’s Golden Age. U.S. partners will include 20th Century Fox, Warner Brothers, and Paramount; inernational studios… CineImage, Pinewood Studios, Anolis Entertainment, and StudioCanal are spearheading the project. This collaborative effort will allow lovers of the Horror genre to enjoy thrilling performances from Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Oliver Reed, among others, in high definition and Blu-ray.
The initial re-release in March will be Dracula, Prince of Darkness. In all, almost 30 flicks from Hammer’s collection will be eventually released throughout the UK. Other classics to be restored include The Curse of Frankenstein, The Reptile, The Mummy’s Shroud, The Devil Rides Out, The Plague of the Zombies, and Rasputin, The Mad Monk. These cinematic treasures will also add lost or cut footage. And, documentary extras are being produced by Hammer historian, Marcus Hearn… author of The Hammer Vault.
Hammer Productions Ltd was founded in 1934 by actor William Hinds, and it made a name for itself as the Britsh alternative to Universal Studios with titles such as The Plague of the Zombies, Frankenstein Created Women, and The Witches. Bela Lugosi and Paul Robeson were early stars in features created by Hammer. Producers Roger Corman, William Castle, and the creative team at American International Pictures were heavily influenced by the stylized prodcutions at the legendary gothic studio. In 1968, Hammer was awarded the Queen’s Award to Industry in recognition of their contributions to the British economy. A ceremony was held on the steps of the Castle Dracula at Pinewood Studios, during the filming of Dracula Has Risen from the Grave. Be prepared to be spooked by Hammer in hi-def !!
Until next time> “never forget”
This entry was posted on Friday, January 20th, 2012 at 12:09 am and is filed under Blog by Manny Pacheco. You can follow any comments to this post through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.
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