Many contemporary horror filmmakers will claim to be inspired by the slasher classics of the ’80s. Freddy, Jason and Michael all have some influence on many modern horror movies. What about filmmakers predating the slasher craze? Their inspiration was the classic Universal Monster movies. While still highly influential today, horror filmmakers of the 50s, 60s, and 70s probably grew up when these classic chillers first appeared on the big screen.
These influences were key to the rise of British film studio Hammer. Hammer tried to take these classic horror movies and apply an exploitative style to them. These movies prided themselves on bright red blood, free sexual content, and more importantly, fear. The Hammer movies were so impressive that the word Hammer is often used to describe a subgenre rather than a studio. For those horror hounds looking to take a bite out of these classic movies, here are ten of the best the studio has to offer.
10/10 Let Me In (2010)
When most people think of Hammer, they think of the 60s and 70s, and for good reason. The studio was then at its peak and finally stopped making films around 2000. In 2007 they finally started again. Most of these modern films are not discussed so fondly, except for one. That is Let me in from 2010, a remake of the Swedish film from 2008 Let the right one in.
The film revolves around a bullied boy who falls in love with a young vampire girl. In the film, Chloë Grace Mortez plays the young vampire Abby, in one of the roles that made her a household name. The film isn’t nearly as graphic as previous Hammer films, but doesn’t shy away from showing blood and gore when the occasion calls for it. The film takes a twist on the classic vampire love story and makes it both sweet and intense. The movie is one of the few Hammer movies from the modern era with hints of the classic era. The film was expertly directed by Matt Reeves, who recently had huge success with: the batter.
9/10 The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires (1974)
If someone were to come up with a plot combining martial arts, vampires and sexual exploitation, many would assume it refers to a gag movie within a Quentin Tarantino movie. The fact is, it is a very real movie and is as entertaining as it sounds. Hammer Films were always the ones experimenting with their films, and The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires was one of their little experiments.
Christopher Lee had played Dracula for the studio since 1958 and he had had enough. Their response was to team up with the Shaw Brothers to create a vampire movie so insane that audiences wouldn’t realize his absence. The plot follows Peter Cushing again in his famous role of Van Helsing as he tries to stop a reincarnated Dracula and his vampire army. This film is the perfect definition of a cult classic. It’s cheesy, nonsensical, gory and fun. This is the perfect movie to play in the background at a Halloween party, and the guests are sure to enjoy it.
8/10 The Reptile (1966)
the reptile was Hammer’s answer to movies like The creature from the black lagoon. This orphans film follows a man who travels to discover what happened to his deceased brother. In a small village, he learns that his brother’s death was one of many, and that something inhuman is the culprit. While it is by no means a masterpiece, the reptile is still a creepy time.
The plot is a slow burner, leaving the titular creature unseen for most of the runtime. The makeup effects on the creature are still quite impressive, even if a tad cheesy by today’s standards. The film even ends with a showdown in a burning building, which harks back further to the classic Universal Monster movies. This film isn’t groundbreaking, but it’s still a worthy addition to any Hammer marathon.
7/10 The Devil Rides Out (1968)
Terence Fisher is one of Hammer’s most famous directors, and many agree that this is one of his best films. The devil rides out Hammer’s protagonist, Christopher Lee, discovers that his protégé has become entangled in a satanic cult. The film was released during one of the first satanic panic attacks of the 20th century and was highly controversial. It contains heavy satanic imagery, violence and even a horrifying appearance of the devil himself. This movie isn’t as in-your-face as some of the others, but it’s still a disturbing movie that’s still effective today. Christopher Lee was usually the bad guy in Hammer movies, but here he shows he can lead the good guys too.
6/10 The Abominable Snowman (1957)
The abominable Snowman is one of the Hammer movies closest to the Classic Universal Monster Movies. For starters, it’s in black and white. It also does not contain excessive violence or sexual content. The film follows a doctor, played by Peter Cushing, as he joins an expedition to find the legendary Yeti. The film is chilling and slow burning, and full of atmosphere (complemented by the beautiful setting).
The movie is different from the typical Hammer fare and it works in the movie’s favor. This movie came out the same year as Hammer’s first Frankenstein movie, which was in color and full of gothic Hammer goodness. It’s interesting to see how quickly Hammer changed gears. This movie may be tame with compassion for other Hammer works, but it’s still worthy of the name and should be viewed by any Hammer fan.
5/10 The Plague of the Zombies (1966)
George A. Romero was responsible for creating the zombie genre as we know it Night of the Living Dead in 1968. That doesn’t mean he didn’t have any inspiration, including: Plague of the Zombies. Before Romero changed the game, zombies were mostly humans under some sort of voodoo spell, as opposed to corpses reanimated by a virus. This film bridges that gap, as it has a bit of both.
A bizarre plague seems to kill the villagers. Upon closer inspection, a local squire practices voodoo magic to create a plague that kills people and turns their bodies into dolls under his control. The movie doesn’t have zombies rising from the grave and eating brains, but it’s the step before Romero fully completed the zombie trope we know today. The movie is scary and intense, the perfect mix for a damn good Hammer movie.
4/10 The Mummy (1959)
1932’s the mummy was the source for several remakes, the most successful of which was Universal’s own remake starring Brendan Fraser. The most infamous are Universal’s failed attempt at their Dark Universe. Somewhere in the middle there is the remake of Hammer. While the title suggests a direct remake of the 1932 film, it is more like a remake of the later Universal titles, Mama’s hand, Mama’s grave, and The Ghost of the Mummy.
The film stars Christopher Lee as the titular mummy and Peter Cushing as the main character. The film was directed by Terence Fisher and completed Hammer’s trifecta for success. The Hammer version is more violent than Universal mom series, but not the worst Hammer has produced. the mummy is heavily atmospheric and is one of the best mummy movies ever made.
3/10 The Curse of the Werewolf (1961)
Unlike other Universal classics like Dracula and Frankenstein, The Wolfman was an original story. This prevented Hammer from making it from scratch, so instead they produced The Curse of the Werewolf. Instead of the classic way of being bitten by a werewolf, the titular creature in this movie is cursed from birth.
As with any good werewolf story, this one is tragic and heartbreaking (aided by an incredible Oliver Reed performance). The film is about some heavy-handed stuff, which caused it to be heavily censored originally. While certain scenes may be hard to watch, this is still a worthy and scary movie in Hammer’s catalog.
2/10 The Curse of Frankenstein (1957)
There is often talk about who the real monster is: Dr. Frankenstein, or the creature he created. If you look at Hammer’s Frankenstein, the answer is clearly the doctor. The first movie at Hammer’s Frankenstein series stars Peter Cushing as the titular doctor and Christopher Lee as the monster.
Contrary to other interpretations, this Dr. Frankenstein is not a good person at all. He will do everything in his power to ensure that his experiments succeed, even kill. Dripping with gothic goodness, this movie has some of the best lab scenes in any horror movie. dr. Frankenstein gets more blatant as the series progresses, but here’s just one bad person. This movie should be seen by anyone who claims to be a horror fan.
1/10 Horror of Dracula (1958)
When fans think of Hammer, the first chance that comes to mind is Christopher Lee as Dracula. Horror of Dracula is where it all started, and where Hammer proved himself. The plot is the basic story of Dracula with a few twists. The film is filled to the brim with gothic imagery and is beautiful to watch. From cemeteries to huge castles, it’s all here.
Christopher Lee stars as the titular vampire while Peter Cushing plays his nemesis, Van Helsing. The film has plenty of bright red blood to satisfy even Drac’s own appetite. This movie is what Hammer is all about. If there’s only one Hammer movie to watch, let it be this one. This is one of the scariest and best Dracula movies of all time.