Terence Fisher
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Hammer Horror Thursdays: ‘The Gorgon’ a memorable and unique member of the Hammer canon
In the 1950’s, at the birth of the atom age, the content of horror films shifted from the supernatural horrors like Dracula and the Wolf Man, to science-based atrocities. Frankenstein’s monster, which was a patchwork of body parts given life by the mysterious power of lightning, became the Colossus of New York, a giant robot with the brain of a brilliant scientist who goes mad. The gypsy curse that turned Lon Chaney Jr.’s Larry Talbot into a Wolf Man becomes a medical experiment that transforms Michael Landon’s Tony Rivers into a Teenaged Werewolf. The monsters were no longer mythological creatures but scientifically created horrors to reflect the place science had taken in our lives. More
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Director & Actor Teams: The Overlooked & Underrated (Part 1 of 2)
Cinema is a kind of uber-art form that’s made up of a multitude of other forms of art including writing, directing, acting, drawing, design, photography and fashion. As such, film is, as all cinema aficionados know, a highly collaborative venture. One of the most consistently fascinating collaborations in cinema is that of the director and […] More
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‘The Lords of Salem’ and ‘The Devil Rides Out’ – Sordid Cinema Podcast #57
If you’ve felt a distinct lack of menace in your filmgoing lately, perhaps you should make some time for the lastest opus from divisive writer-director Rob Zombie, whose Lords of Salem looks to unite arthouse dweebs and horror mavens in glorious, disgusting matrimony. As long as we’re on the occult tip, we take a sojourn back to […] More
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‘The Devil Rides Out’ is one of Hammer’s best films
Released in the same year as Rosemary’s Baby (1968), The Devil Rides Out was one of a number of British films during the 60’s that touched upon occult matters. Unlike Polanski’s film, Fisher’s film leans more towards melodrama – but the film is so well made – it allows its melodramatic moments to transcend easily into allegory. More
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31 Days of Horror: Hammer’s influential ‘The Curse of Frankenstein’ remains a striking work
The Curse of Frankenstein Written by Jimmy Sangster Directed by Terence Fisher UK, 1957 Having enjoyed success with the sci-fi horror film The Quatermass Xperiment (1955), the Hammer studio was keen to further exploit the apparent appeal of darker content – Quatermass had notably been one of the early recipients of the ‘X’ certificate – […] More
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100 + Greatest Horror Movies (pt.4) 75-51
Throughout the month of October, Editor-in-Chief and resident Horror expert Ricky D, will be posting a list of his favorite Horror films of all time. The list will be posted in six parts. Click here to see every entry. More