Terence Fisher
1904 - 1980Fisher was one of the most prominent horror directors of the second half of the 20th century. He was the first to bring gothic horror alive in full colour, and the sexual overtones and explicit horror in his films, while mild by modern standards, were unprecedented in his day. His first major gothic horror film was "The Curse of Frankenstein" (1957), which launched Hammer's long association with the genre and made British actors Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee leading horror stars of the era. He went on to film a number of adaptations of classic horror subjects, including "Dracula" (1958), "The Hound of the Baskervilles" (1959) and "The Mummy" (1959).
Given their subject matter and lurid approach, Fisher's films, though commercially successful, were largely dismissed by critics during his career. It is only in recent years that Fisher has become recognised as an auteur in his own right. His films are characterised by a blend of fairy-tale, myth and sexuality. They draw heavily on Christian themes, and there is usually a hero who defeats the powers of darkness by a combination of faith in God and reason, in contrast to other characters, who are either blindly superstitious or bound by a cold, godless rationalism.
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Hammer: The Studio That Dripped Blood
David M. Thompson
Charles Gray, Christopher Lee
A retrospective of the films of Britain's Hammer Studios, renowned for making stylish horror films in the 1950s, '60s and '70s. Included are clips from Hammer productions and interviews with actors, actresses, directors and producers who worked on these films.
Hammer: The Studio That Dripped Blood
Dracula
Terence Fisher
Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee
After Jonathan Harker attacks Dracula at his castle, the vampire travels to a nearby city, where he preys on the family of Harker's fiancée. The only one who may be able to protect them is Dr. van Helsing, Harker's friend and fellow-student of vampires, who is determined to destroy Dracula, whatever the cost.
Dracula
So Long at the Fair
Terence Fisher, Antony Darnborough
Jean Simmons, Dirk Bogarde
Vicky Barton and her brother, Johnny, take a trip to the 1896 Paris Exhibition. They both sleep in seperate rooms in a hotel. When the sister gets up the next morning, she finds her brother and his room had disappeared and no one will even acknowledge that he was ever there. Now Vicky must find out what exactly happened to her brother.
So Long at the Fair
The Curse of Frankenstein
Terence Fisher
Peter Cushing, Hazel Court
Baron Victor Frankenstein has discovered life's secret and unleashed a blood-curdling chain of events resulting from his creation: a cursed creature with a horrid face — and a tendency to kill.
The Curse of Frankenstein
The Devil Rides Out
Terence Fisher
Christopher Lee, Charles Gray
The powers of good are pitted against the forces of evil as the Duc de Richelieu wrestles with the charming but deadly Satanist, Mocata, for the soul of his friend. Mocata has the knowledge and the power to summon the forces of darkness and, as the Duc de Richelieu and his friends remain within the protected pentacle, they are subjected to ever-increasing horror until thundering hooves herald the arrival of the Angel of Death.
The Devil Rides Out
The Revenge of Frankenstein
Terence Fisher
Peter Cushing, Francis Matthews
Baron Frankenstein, working under the protective pseudonym Dr. Victor Stein, together with his assistant Dr. Kleve, transplants a dwarf's brain into another body and unleashes a deranged being.
The Revenge of Frankenstein
Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed
Terence Fisher
Peter Cushing, Veronica Carlson
Blackmailing a young couple to assist with his horrific experiments the Baron, desperate for vital medical data, abducts a man from an insane asylum. On route the abductee dies and the Baron and his assistant transplant his brain into a corpse. The creature is tormented by a trapped soul in an alien shell and, after a visit to his wife who violently rejects his monstrous form, the creature wreaks his revenge on the perpetrator of his misery: Baron Frankenstein.
Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed
The Mummy
Terence Fisher
Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee
One by one the archaeologists who discover the 4,000-year-old tomb of Princess Ananka are brutally murdered. Kharis, high priest in Egypt 40 centuries ago, has been brought to life by the power of the ancient gods and his sole purpose is to destroy those responsible for the desecration of the sacred tomb. But Isobel, wife of one of the explorers, resembles the beautiful princess, forcing the speechless and tormented monster to defy commands and abduct Isobel to an unknown fate.
The Mummy
Dracula: Prince of Darkness
Terence Fisher
Christopher Lee, Barbara Shelley
Whilst vacationing in the Carpathian Mountain, two couples stumble across the remains of Count Dracula's castle. The Count's trusted servant kills one of the men, suspending the body over the Count's ashes so that the blood drips from the corpse and saturates the blackened remains. The ritual is completed, the Count revived and his attentions focus on the dead man's wife who is to become his partner; devoted to an existence of depravity and evil.
Dracula: Prince of Darkness
The Brides of Dracula
Terence Fisher
Peter Cushing, Martita Hunt
A young teacher on her way to a position in Transylvania helps a young man escape the shackles his mother has put on him. In so doing she innocently unleashes the horrors of the undead once again on the populace, including those at her school for ladies. Luckily for some, Dr. Van Helsing is already on his way.
The Brides of Dracula
The Curse of the Werewolf
Terence Fisher
Oliver Reed, Clifford Evans
A child conceived after a demented beggar rapes a mute servant girl is raised by a wealthy but kindly bachelor gentleman and his woman servant who learn, years later, that he is a werewolf. His only chance for normalcy is to find a woman who will love him for himself, which will release him from the curse.
The Curse of the Werewolf
Frankenstein Created Woman
Terence Fisher
Peter Cushing, Susan Denberg
A deformed tormented girl drowns herself after her lover is framed for murder and guillotined. Baron Frankenstein, experimenting with the transfer of souls, places the boy's soul into her body, bringing Christina back to life. Driven by revenge, she carries out a violent retribution on those responsible for both deaths.
Frankenstein Created Woman
Robin Hood: The Movie
Ralph Smart, Terence Fisher
Richard Greene, Bernadette O'Farrell
A classic Robin Hood tale, starring Richard Greene as Robin Hood and Bernadette O'Farrell as Maid Marian. Released in 1991 by ITC, it was edited together (quite seamlessly) from episodes of the ITC 1955 TV series "The Adventures of Robin Hood".
Robin Hood: The Movie
The Gorgon
Terence Fisher
Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee
In the early 20th century a village experienced a series of inexplicable murders. All the victims were young men who had been turned to stone. The perpetrator of these deaths was a being so repulsive that she transformed the onlooker using the power of her deadly stare. Much of the time the creature took the form of a beautiful and seductive woman, but during periods of the full moon she becomes a living horror, vicious and deadly. A professor has come to investigate the deaths, bringing with him his beautiful assistant whose knowledge of the Gorgon is more intimate than anyone would ever realise.
The Gorgon