DVD Spotlight
HAMMER HORROR
By Kim Newman

Peter Cushing in a covert moment from Terence Fisher's masterful FRANKENSTEIN MUST BE DESTROYED.


The flood of backlist Hammer horror onto DVD continues with three late 1960s entries in the studio’s flagship series whose rights ended up in the Warners vaults. In contrast to releases from specialty outfits, the discs are bereft of ex- tras (though all have alternate French soundtracks, optional subtitles in three languages and the origi- nal trailers) and come in despised snapper cases (albeit with wonderful painted box art derived from those much-prized 1960s French film posters). Those frustrated by the search for a “com-


plete” DVD of FRANKENSTEIN AND THE MON- STER FROM HELL [see VW 105:59, subsequent letter columns] will be delighted to learn FRAN- KENSTEIN MUST BE DESTROYED contains the rape sequence omitted from US theatrical prints and TASTE THE BLOOD OF DRACULA includes the snippets of brothel decadence likewise trimmed from the previous Warner Home Video VHS release. The anamorphic transfers are mostly


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beautiful: the reds of Dracula’s cape lining and the special formula Hammer blood are perfect, as are pastel art direction features, the sugges- tively healthy pink of the leading ladies’ complex- ions and that day-for-night misty blue which


DRACULA HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE


1968, Warner Home Video DD-2.0/MA/16:9/LB/ST/CC, $19.97, 92m 5s, DVD-1


FRANKENSTEIN MUST BE DESTROYED 1969, Warner Home Video


DD-2.0/MA/16:9/LB/ST/CC, $19.97, 100m 38s, DVD-1 TASTE THE BLOOD OF DRACULA 1969, Warner Home Video


DD-2.0/MA/16:9/LB/ST/CC, $19.97, 95m 15s, DVD-1

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