First Hammer films on Blu Ray

For the longest time Vampire Circus was only ever available on a Spanish DVD that is now out of print and for all those Hammer fans in the UK/US and elsewhere remained one of the most sought after titles. Now it appears that this film - together with two other equally rare ones (Hands of the Ripper, Twins of Evil) - just may be the first Hammer Horrors to appear on Blu Ray after Synapse acquired the rights to them.

Synapse will also again release Hammer's TV show Hammer House of Horror on regular DVD.

I believe that the Fangoria announcement about this news was the first online one, so this is what they had to say about it:

Fans of Hammer Films’ 1970s outings will rejoice that DVD outfit Synapse Films has acquired the rights to four titles from the library of the classic British horror studio. Among them are three features that have never previously been available on optical disc in the U.S.

Synapse’s Don May Jr. gave us the scoop that they’ve picked up Robert Young’s VAMPIRE CIRCUS, John Hough’s TWINS OF EVIL and Peter Sasdy’s HANDS OF THE RIPPER, along with the classic 13-episode TV series HAMMER HOUSE OF HORROR. “We have new high-definition transfers of all three features,” May tells Fango. “Supplement producer Daniel Griffith is working with us on extras, including—so far—interviews with filmmaker and Hammer fan Joe Dante and FLESH AND BLOOD: THE HAMMER HERITAGE OF HORROR writer/director Ted Newsom. Other possible interviews and extras are in the works, including theatrical trailers and TV spots. It’s very possible we will be putting out the three features on Blu-ray as well. If we do, we’ll announce both the DVD and Blu-ray releases at the same time. All 13 episodes of HAMMER HOUSE OF HORROR will be released in a DVD boxed set. The plan is to have these available in third quarter 2010.” Keep your eyes here for details as they become available.