Hammer Films

The Most Underrated Directors in Cinema

Quantifying success can be problematic, especially when it comes to a subjective art form such as cinema. That hasn’t stopped us from looking back through film history and examining the directors we felt have been overlooked or underestimated in terms of their importance, contributions, and artistry. In many cases, lack of commercial appeal can prevent a filmmaker from finding the critical success they deserve — especially since Hollywood measures its greatest achievements by the almighty dollar. Other directors’ films display an unheralded genius too frequently unnoticed. Here are ten underrated filmmakers for your consideration. Feel free to chime in with your own picks, below. … Read More

Vintage Unreleased Poster Treasures from 'The Hammer Vault'

Hammer Films has been making a comeback recently with a remake of the Swedish vampire tale Let the Right One In (the similarly titled Let Me In) and the upcoming Daniel Radcliffe gothic chiller, The Woman in Black. The legendary studio, however, is best known for its output during the heyday of horror in the ’60s and ’70s —with Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing the company’s two biggest titans of terror. Horror wasn’t the company’s only gig, however, as the prolific studio also explored sci-fi, noir thrillers, comedies, and war stories.

Now, Hammer rights and archive consultant Marcus Hearn has delivered an attractive new book, The Hammer Vault, that includes hundreds of rare and previously unseen posters, letters, film stills, and more that makes up the stuido’s rich legacy dating back to the 1930s. We’re sharing a collection of unreleased posters with you past the break — part of Hearn’s lavish visual scrapbook. Feast your eyes on these vintage goodies (vampy vixens, science fiction strange, cavewomen, and more), and leave us your favorite Hammer flicks below. Pick up a copy of the book over here (there’s also a limited edition version). … Read More