Some BIG news for Hammer fans!

[Mike T Guest Find all posts View Profile Close Mike T]

Well, that one we CAN be sure of, as it's coming from Optimum who have direct access to materials via what's in the vaults at Studio Canal. Don't know if this is one I'd put at high priority though as, although it IS very good Hammer, it's not really a personal favourite of mine from the studio.

I'll have another look at my Optimum DVD, one day -- problem with that one is that the soundtrack's in stereo and the balances are out of skew (dialogue drops low, you turn it up and then the music and FX track deafens you). Same with Optimum's Devil Rides Out disc. Those were funny decisions on Studio Canal's part; should've just either licenced Anchor Bay's 5.1 remixes, or gone the original soundtracks...which I'm guessing were monaural, maybe?

I just have waaaaay too many Hammer films on DVD. But none I haven't watched on disc (in other words, revisited from numerous previous viewings)! Funny that...the Hammers always get priority when they arrive. Guess that'll make Hands of the Ripper the next major watch of the coming couple of days...

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

It's not a personal favorite of mine either, but I still wouldn't mind getting a nice HD copy of it. I don't see it getting a US Blu-ray release any time soon.

[Mike T Guest Find all posts View Profile Close Mike T]

I don't know, I must be getting old or all this online movie geekdom is getting tired? I'd never buy something, that I wasn't that fond of to begin with, just because there's now a HD version where there wasn't before. I just don't see the value in having a HD edition of something that wasn't all that to begin with. Call me crazy, but that's the way I think...

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

Well, I don't have it on DVD so if the BD were a good price, I like it enough that I would buy it. Simple as that. I just think there are much better Hammer films out there, but I do still enjoy this one.

[Mike T Guest Find all posts View Profile Close Mike T]

Ahhh...being that you have most films known to man on home video, I just assumed you already might've had it on DVD. But don't let me sway you on my line of thinking -- has just been the way I've been leaning over the last year or more. If the film would benefit from HD = BD, if it wouldn't be all that or I'm not convinced enough or already have it in SD and wasn't thrilled = DVD, and if it personally looks like utter shit to me = no dice. I think I'm just losing that whole OCD fan-nutbag thing and coming back down to earth...

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

I suffer from occasional OCD fan nutbag syndrome myself, but not normally when it comes to Hammer stuff. I own a fair bit of their stuff, but don't feel the need to own the one's I'm not interested and even went so far as to sell off a few I didn't enjoy. I've seen this one, enjoyed it, but yeah, never bought it. I saw it via Netflix ages ago and the US DVD was alreadey OOP and expensive by that point, I just never bothered with the import.

[Mike T Guest Find all posts View Profile Close Mike T]

I suffer from occasional OCD fan nutbag syndrome myself...

Let's just clarify: I have in the past and have been know too as well. But with the boy growing up, and health issues and shit, I just find I'm not as "there" as I used to be. But as I said, that's just me. I do think it'll be interesting to see what else is on the Hammer BD plate in future though -- some of the old faves might turn up eventually. Maybe before I shuffle off this mortal coil, even...

[Mike T Guest Find all posts View Profile Close Mike T]

In other good news, Icon Home Entertainment will be re-releasing some of the Hammer films previously put out by (the defunct) DD Video in the UK.

First batch on September 12th include...

The Abominable Snowman
Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter
Quatermass boxset (The Quatermass Experiment/Quatermass 2/Quatermass & the Pit)
X the Unknown

...I'm guessing that these will largely be the same/similar to the previous DDV releases, only better authored (as Icon are good like that). Amazon UK doesn't give much more than that... ;)

Hooray! I can now start picking up some of the Hammers I missed first time around!

[Mike T Guest Find all posts View Profile Close Mike T]

Well...Vampire Lovers BD? HD 1080p/24 and 1.85...and region free. That is all... ;)

[Mike T Guest Find all posts View Profile Close Mike T]

There you go: here's the original News post updated and revised with correct info...

Vampire Lovers Blu-ray in Oz

...plus a little apology to Shock I felt was necessary in light of things said without having all the details at hand prior. ;)

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

Good stuff. Looking forward to this one.

[Mike T Guest Find all posts View Profile Close Mike T]

And, a little bit of self-contained Hammer news from the UK:

What the world...needs now...is...

...as that's just stuff I pulled from Amazon UK today, I figure I can't get in trouble with anyone this time. Curse you, Mr. Jane! Now I want to buy them ALL!!!

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

If Icon were smart (or contractually able, which they're probably not) they'd do them on Blu-ray as well and forget to region code them. Those may not be A-listers like the Dracula movies, but I bet they'd do well.

[Mike T Guest Find all posts View Profile Close Mike T]

So do I (think they'd do well, that is)! Hammer and rights in the UK is almost as hodge-podge for the company as it is in the US. Warner have some, Icon have some, Studio Canal have others, Network/Granada have a handful...and I think, from memory, there's a few tied up in legal disputes at present. I'm guessing that, per the Icon stuff, the rights have reverted back to them now the licences for the long-dead DDVideo titles have expired; which hopefully means a couple of other rare Brit-horrors might also be re-released.

In the middle of the whole Icon thing is this: they've announced Quatermass & The Pit as part of their boxset, but Optimum have also announced a BD. This could be leaning towards the Icon version in their "Quatermass Collection" being the original tele-version that preceded the feature film. Fingers crossed, as I've never seen the TV version. I'm also guessing, without BDs announced, that they maybe only have access to SD masters for the titles they have (and being that they're doing them as budget releases I don't think cost vs. profit to strike new HD masters would be viable). The big plus is that the Icon editons should be better authored and pressed than the old DD versions.

I know Hammer announced on their official site that Satanic Rites of Dracula would finally see UK DVD release this year, but it's been over six months since that was stated and still nothing (I want an anamorphic disc of that one, dammit!). It seems to be a real mess with licences and rights in Britain for home video. Oh yeah, and BFI I believe now have the original Dracula (1958), as Hammer Tweeted a couple of months back "Dracula HD 1080p!" and then said no more.

Gotta dash! It's down to ten degrees celsius and I feel my blood starting to congeal...

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

A BFI Blu-ray of the 58 film would be amazing. I hadn't heard that before.