Goodbye WORLD OF HAMMER GLAMOUR

All good things must come to an end and I have now transferred the entire old World of Hammer Glamour website over to my harddrive. It was a doodle thanks to the HTTrack Website Copier that saved me the hassle of having to store every individual page one by one.

I haven't really done anything with that website since 2007. It only cost $5.95 per month to host but over the years it added up to a ridiculous amount that I'd rather have in my pockets than in Topcities'. I also can't say that I got a lot of contacts through it lately so no point in keeping it around any further.

No idea how long the site will remain in cyberspace once my subscription has been cancelled. If you're ripping you'll miss the info, don't worry as I have already started transferring some of it over. Just check on the Hammer Glamour Site Update tag in this blog.

I will gradually transfer all the rest over as well.... or at least whatever I may still deem noteworthy.

While transferring the data I noticed a couple of items that I had even forgotten I had previously published. Correction: That I had even forgotten I ever had!

Top of the list are scans of The Munro Mystique. Prior to the current Fanclub magazine this was the first fanzine dedicated to Caroline Munro. There were at least 4 issues published in and around 1981. It was initially called Caroline Munro Newsletter. Thanks to Ken Chin from my Caroline Munro Yahoo group I got scans for most issues and had them available for readers of the website. Over the next hour or two I will now repost them on this blog. Enjoy!

Additions to the Hammer library

There was a time when books and magazines about Hammer made up a small corner of my library. Little Shoppe of Horrors was the only publication to keep the fires burning... every two years or so. And once in a blue moon we'd have a book dedicated to our favourite studio.

But times have changed. My Hammer book collection now is at least a shelf wide. And new publications keep on being announced. No sign of a draught in sight. But can the market sustain that kind of onslaught for what must still be considered something of a niche market? Or will it ultimately crash and burn like a tycoon's property empire? Does anyone really need all those books? Hell, I haven't even started reading The Unsung Heroes yet.... though I have no doubt that I am going to enjoy it once I come around to it.

For now I am going to enjoy all the attention Hammer seems to be getting over the last couple of years but I can foresee that I may possibly feel oversaturated at a point in the not too distant future and say: "Enough is enough." (Come to think of it, I have yet to order any of Hammer's recently announced series of Hammer Movie novelisations.)

And one of these days I may even write a new "proper" blog post again rather than just another trade announcement.

In the meantime I am pleased to announced that LSoH #26 has just arrived on my doorsteps. Regardless of my previous rant this magazine is always a welcome addition to my collection and it's great to see it on a regular twice-annual schedule. I have only managed a very preliminary cursory reading so far but it's the usual mixture of well researched feature articles (this time focusing on Hands of the Ripper) and additional reviews and overviews. Let's face it: Chances are you are all already more than familiar with the mag so I am preaching to the choir.

For those of you in the US, you can order it through the official website; for those of us living somewhere in the Olde Worlde Hemlock Books may be the best option and help save you on some of the postage fees.

If you still have available shelf space, mark September 27 cause that is when a new cooperation between Marcus Hearn and Titan Books will open up The Hammer Vault and present some of the companies rarities:

"This book tells the story of Hammer Films through previously unseen treasures from the company's archive. Beginning with the company's incorporation documents from 1934, and ending with promotional material from the 2011 release of The Resident, The Hammer Vault presents original correspondence, lobby cards, script pages and rare photographs alongside a commentary from the people who made some of the company's greatest films.

Highlights include:
· Letters to and from some of the company's stars
· Pages from Peter Cushing's scrapbooks
· Pages from the scrapbook of managing director Michael Carreras
· Premiere tickets
· Pre-production artwork, and poster artwork from films that were never made
· Production designs
· A map of Bray Studios
· Hammer's Queen's Award to Industry certificate
· An appendix featuring the original outline of the unmade story Kali - Devil Bride of Dracula

The result is a compelling visual history of the legendary film production company, and the greatest scrapbook of Hammer collectibles ever assembled."

New Hammer Book trailer available on YouTube

Hammer has just released a new trailer for their new series of horror novels. My understanding is that these will be printed six times a year and feature completely new titles as well as movie tie-ins and reprints of older works.

Just yesterday I have finished reading my first Graham Masterton novel, CHARNEL HOUSE, so I am more than happy to see that he will be one of the authors featured in this series. Shaun Hutson is also a name to look forward to.

The first books of that series have just been released: a movie tie-in for THE RESIDENT by Francis Cottam and Peter Curtis' THE WITCHES.

Speaking of THE RESIDENT: Prior to its cinematic release in the UK the film had already been officially made available on DVD and Blu-Ray in Germany. Hammer's WAKE WOOD will be cinematically released this Friday, followed by a DVD release next week!

Given the close proximity of these DVD releases to their cinematic releases I have opted out of seeing them in the cinemas and will instead review them here once I have the relevant DVDs.

Shane Briant's THE DREAMHEALER now available

You may recall how much I enjoyed Shane Briant's modern horror novel WORST NIGHTMARES when it first came out. You may even recall that Shane was kind enough to provide an exclusive interview for Hammer and Beyond at about the same time. Since then he has become quite active on Facebook and interacts regularly there with his fans and admirers. My kind of star.

When WORST NIGHTMARES first came out he had mentioned that a sequel was already written. It has now been made available as an eBook through Smashwords together with one of his previous novels, HITKIDS, that I have been very curious about ever since I had heard about it following my research for the interview.

In order to purchase either one of these books you will need to register with Smashwords but it's a painfree and quick process. The books are available for just $5.99 and $6.50 respectively which IMHO is pretty good value for money. Once purchased you can download them in whatever electronic format best suits your needs.

I haven't read any of the books yet but am looking forward to catching some free time over the next few days to make some headway. Only question remaining: Which one to start with?

RIP Michael Gough, 1917-2011

Over at Carfax Abbey last November, I combined my obituary of Ingrid Pitt with a birthday tribute to Michael Gough, who had then just turned 94.
Alas, now it is Gough's own turn for the solemn farewell.

Elsewhere I have called him one of the true unsung heroes of the British horror film, and it seems certain to me that we should think of him in relation to Lee and Cushing in the same sort of way that we think of Zucco or Atwill or Carradine in relation to Karloff and Lugosi. Like those men he was a reliable supporting presence in prestige horrors, a beautifully uninhibited star turn in the more cheap and cheerful varieties, and outside of the genre entirely, a talented and respected character actor.
His two Hammer Horror roles highlight this dichotomy, and stand as excellent tribute to his gifts.
In Dracula his resourceful Arthur Holmwood makes an excellent partner to Cushing's Van Helsing, his early mistrust of the eccentric vampirologist (as seen in the powerful scene in which, grief-stricken after Lucy's death, he tries to rudely dismiss him from the room) giving way to respect and friendship as he grasps the true nature of the danger to his friends and family, and joins Cushing in his crusade.
By contrast, as Lord Ambrose D'Arcy, the chop-licking villain of The Phantom of the Opera (above), he is a wonderfully malevolent presence: petty, vindictive, brutal, a sexual predator, and prepared to lie, cheat and destroy in pursuit of success. Gough comes at the role running, with his hair greased back and nostrils flaring, making the man - though a grotesque of near-Tod Slaughter proportions - nonetheless convincingly unpleasant with his propensity for drunken lechery, callous indifference to suffering and sudden explosions of rage. It is a measure of his excellence in the role that we feel cheated when deined the splashy death scene we have so long been anticipating for his character!

If you want to see him in charge of a whole show, look to his several collaborations with Herman Cohen, who used him rather as PRC used George Zucco. Like Zucco, Gough seems to love the opportunity to seize the main spotlight and really let rip, in an unforgettable gallery of mad scientists, psychopathic deviants and perverts.
Truly, he was one of the most important and cherishable figures in British horror.

(Matthew Coniam)

Look What the Postman Brought In

Announcement of two major Hammer events

First of all: Welcome to all my new followers. The blog now has 150 followers. Nice number. Of course, 200 would sound even nicer. ;-)

The Black Box Club has just announced the new event by Don Fearney. Mark your calendars: On October 15 you can meet Shane Briant (as well as the usual large range of other Hammer celebs) in person at the Cine Lumiere in London to celebrate a FRANKENSTEIN AND THE MONSTER FROM HELL reunion.

Tickets will be £30, a bit higher than usual as Don needs to fly Shane in from Australia. They can be ordered at the usual address from Donald Fearney at 25 High Hill Ferry, Bakers Hill, London, E5 9 HG (tel: 0208 8066915).

Ever since my interview with Shane I've been dying to meet him in person. He seems to be one of the nicest guys around and is now also very active on Facebook and always ready to chat with his fans. So I'll do my darndest to make it.... even though I must admit that I have a number of other travel plans this year so am not 100% certain if I can get to London this year. Let's wait and see.

If you have never been any of Don't events you're in for a treat. If you have already, then you know what to expect and will no doubt start saving up already for the trip.

Just a few days ago though I noticed that it has been ages since I last visited Paris and lo and behold the Musee d'Orsay has a Hammer festival "In the Clutches of Hammer" from March 11 - 27. Seriously doubt that I'll be there for it but am hoping that I may have some French followers who could attend and provide photos and an update. My understanding is that this is primarily an retrospective with many of their movies on show in a big screen auditorium. Not sure if there is also a separate exhibition or publication about the company.

For more info check out Hammer's Official website or go directly to the Museum's program info.