Hammer: Heroes, Legends and Monsters (2024)

 

To commemorate the 90th anniversary of Hammer Films, and following its big screen premiere at London's Cineworld in Leicester Square, HAMMER: HEROES, LEGENDS AND MONSTERS, a brand new documentary about one of the world's most famous film production companies, will be screened on Sky Arts, Freeview Channel 36 and Now on October 31st 2024.

Narrated by Charles Dance (a good choice), there won't be anything here that Hammer obsessives don't already know, but nevertheless, this is a well-presented history of Hammer Films with lots of interviews that include Hammer cast regulars Martine Beswick, Caroline Munro, and Madeline Smith. In a change from many documentaries Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing, while mentioned, get less discussion time here to allow for profiles and anecdotes on more of the behind the scenes artists like Terence Fisher, Brian Clemens,  James Bernard, Jimmy Sangster, Anthony Hinds and Michael Carreras, the latter two to some extent via interview footage from previous BBC documentaries.

It's also great to see acknowledged Hammer experts Jonathan Rigby, Wayne Kinsey and David Pirie giving their thoughts, while the presence of Sarah Appleton will be a reminder to some of us that her late father (and another eminent author on British genre subjects), Denis Meikle, is sadly missing from this lineup of genre luminaries. Meanwhile, John Carpenter, John Landis, Joe Dante and Tim Burton (but no Martin Scorsese although I expect he was asked) are the directors who get to pay tribute to the studio. 

Quibbles? Well, the TV series Hammer House of Horror is only mentioned in passing, and Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense doesn't rate a mention at all. These may not have represented the pinnacle of Hammer production quality but they are important, not least because many of the people watching this will still be able to remember them. If there was a limited running time perhaps some of the stuff about the very early days could have been cut to make way for it. There's a very odd (and misjudged) bit of AI at the end that has justifiably put many people's backs up. All I can suggest is that you close your eyes when the tarot dealer takes off their hood

All in all, though, it's rather a delight to see HAMMER: HEROES, LEGENDS AND MONSTERS finding a place on a major TV broadcaster's schedule, not just because of its content but because it suggests that Hammer is very much a going concern and still in the public eye after all these years. It's a lovely way for fans old and new to spend just over 90 minutes.

HAMMER: HEROES, LEGENDS and MONSTERS will premiere on Sky Arts on Thursday 31st October 2024