Men of Sherwood Forest (1954)

"Terrific Stuff for Fans"

Hammer continues its invaluable series of extras-packed 4K restoration releases with this three disc set devoted to the studio's first colour film. As an essential  bonus we also get the hour long 1969 WOLFSHEAD which was subsequently released in UK cinemas as a support feature in 1973.

MEN OF SHERWOOD FOREST stars Don Taylor (Hammer's best Robin Hood, suggests David Huckvale in his commentary) in this tale of a plan to rescue Richard the Lionheart (Patrick Holt) from a prison in Germany. Unfortunately Robin ends up captured as well and the Merry Men have to rescue him. If you're a fan of classic British cinema and television of the period you'll find plenty of familiar faces here including Reginald Beckwith (NIGHT OF THE DEMON) as Friar Tuck, Ballard Berkely (Fawlty Towers) as Walter, and Leonard Sachs (The Good Old Days and KONGA) as the Sheriff of Nottingham. Hammer's 4K restoration is so vivid the colours almost pop out of the screen, and pretty much the same can be said for the other movie to grace this release

WOLFSHEAD is probably better known than MEN OF SHERWOOD FOREST because of its star David Warbeck and director John Hough. However if you've only ever seen available online transfers (or the VHS tape) be prepared to give your eyes a treat as we get an utterly gorgeous restoration of this Hammer piece from 1969. Other familiar faces in the cast include Roy Evans (the first face we see), Kathleen Byron (BLACK NARCISSUS), Ciaran Madden (THE BEAST MUST DIE) and Dan Meaden (THE CREEPING FLESH). 

Hammer's three disc set consists of one UHD and two Blu-rays. Everything is on the UHD, with the same content reproduced on Blu-ray disc one for MEN OF SHERWOOD FOREST and its associated extras, and disc two for WOLFSHEAD.

David Huckvale provides the commentary track for MEN OF SHERWOOD FOREST, which is enthusiastic, meticulously presented and highly informative, while Tim Worthington does the same for WOLFSHEAD. Other extras for MEN OF SHERWOOD FOREST include Neil Brand discussing Doreen Carwithen's score to MEN (23 minutes), Neil Sinyard talking about the film and its director, Val Guest (20 minutes), and Keith M Johnston and Melanie Williams discussing colour in British film (29 minutes). Swashbuckler is a delightful 31 minute discussion of the genre spent in the company of experts Barry Forshaw, Allan Bryce, Richard Holliss and Bruce G Hallenbeck. For WOLFSHEAD you also get the original VHS version if you fancy comparing, as well as a 27 minute excerpt from the 2007 BEHP interview with John Hough. 

Finally, the set comes with the usual luxury packaging and other extras associated with all the Hammer releases, including a book with new essays, posters and a slipcase to keep it all in (see below). This really is the way to do this sort of thing, and by concentrating on more obscure films as well as their famous classics, Hammer are providing an invaluable service in documenting the lesser-known side of British popular cinema of the period. Terrific stuff for fans of Robin Hood movies and British cinema in general.

Hammer's 4K Restoration of MEN OF SHERWOOD FOREST is out in a limited edition three disc set (one UHD and two Blu-rays) with all the trimmings on Monday 17th November 2025

Expresso Bongo (1959)

"Expresso Bonkers"

One of the daftest titles in British movie history (although personally I think Robert Hartford-Davis’ GONKS GO BEAT gets the No.1 spot - come on BFI, let’s see a Blu-ray of that one!) gets a cracking new whistles-and-bells Blu-ray and DVD release courtesy of the BFI.

  Sleazy, opportunistic Johnny Jackson (Laurence Harvey) is an agent without a client, despite his pretty stripper girlfriend Maisie (Sylvia Syms) wishing he would launch her on a more respectable singing career. Jackson discovers teenager Bert Rudge (Cliff! Richard) singing in a bar. Bert is only really interested in playing the bongos, but rechristened Bongo Herbert (let’s face it - you can’t complain about a movie with a title like that that features both bongo playing and a character with the name Bongo) Jackson soon has Bert singing his way up the hit parade. Of course, it all ends in tears with Bert ruthlessly exploited by Jackson, who dumps his client at the end of the film in favour of more profitable pastures.

A biting satire of the music industry, EXPRESSO BONGO was originally a stage show written by Wolf Mankowitz and Julian More (who wrote the screenplay for INCENSE FOR THE DAMNED), with Mankowitz writing the screen version. Certainly the dialogue crackles and it’s pretty quick fire, too, expertly delivered by Laurence Harvey and the supporting cast.

EXPRESSO BONGO is also rather a strange film. In fact I’d go so far as to say I’ve never seen anything quite like it. It veers between being very serious and being just plain bizarre. People break into song (there are quite a few musical numbers) but in terms of being an actual musical it’s more reminiscent of the weirdness of something like Menahem Golan’s THE APPLE. But as Cliff Richard movies go it’s nowhere near the light and jolly fluffiness of Peter Yates’ SUMMER HOLIDAY (1961) or Sidney J Furie’s THE YOUNG ONES (1961) and feels like a much more serious endeavour. 

EXPRESSO BONGO was obviously a big influence on Julian Temple’s (vastly inferior) ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS (1985) but don’t let that put you off. It’s really rather special, and truly deserves the appellation ‘cult film’ (and not many do). As well as the above to enjoy / marvel at, there are guest turns by popular British character actors Burt Kwouk, Patrick Cargill (as ‘A Psychiatrist’), Kenneth Griffith (as the chap who pushes the strippers on stage in this one), Susan Hampshire (doing a fantastic upper class twit of the year before the term was invented), Esma Cannon as a cleaning lady and screenwriter Wolf Mankowitz himself as a sandwich man displaying his own name.

The BFI’s DVD and Blu-ray gives us the uncut 111 minute version, and on the Blu-ray you also get an edited 1962 reissue version (106 minutes) with a Val Guest and Yolanda Donlan commentary track. On the DVD you just get the alternate scenes that were included in the 1962 version. There’s also a couple of short films - YOUTH CLUB from 1954 and THE SQUARE by Michael Winner from 1957, as well as trailers and a booklet containing essays on the film.

Apparently EXPRESSO BONGO has acquired something of a bad reputation over the years. I have to say I thought it was creative, original, well made, superbly written and acted, and an unexpected treat. It also made me sad that we don’t see such a degree of creativity in British movies nowadays. Now I’m off to buy some bongos so I can play along the next time I watch this. 

The BFI are releasing Val Guest's EXPRESSO BONGO (oh I do love typing that title) on dual format Blu-ray and DVD on 25th April 2016. Extremely groovy. 

The Day the Earth Caught Fire (1961)

One of the best British science fiction films ever made gets a sparkling Blu-ray transfer on a disc packed with extras in this new release from the BFI.

Bomb tests by the USA and Russia tilt the earth off its orbital axis, altering the climate and causing worldwide disasters. As the situation continues to worsen, it becomes apparent that it is not just the angle of orbit that has been affected, but that the earth is heading towards the sun. A desperate attempt to correct the situation leads to a climax that is both poignant and affecting.

THE DAY THE EARTH CAUGHT FIRE was directed by Val Guest (who also produced and co-wrote the script with Wolf Mankowitz), and he uses the same kind of style of here as he did in Hammer's classic THE QUATERMASS EXPERIMENT, relying on location shooting and encouraging a gritty acting style that all helps to convey the idea that what you are watching is really happening. There's also some effective use of archival World War II footage that must have been all the more effective in 1961 a scant 16 years after that particular conflict had officially ended.

As Kim Newman notes in one of the new extras on the disc, while the post-apocalypse movie has become a genre all its own, it's somewhat rarer to come across a film that shows the rapid and realistic deterioration of society from absolutely normality to absolute chaos. That this happens in real London locations, with only minimal use of special effects model work and some decent matte paintings, gives it a sense of immediacy that is still surprisingly effective considering the film is now over fifty years old. 

         Guest is, on the whole, well served by his actors as well. Edward Judd does a fine job in the lead as science fiction's very own Angry Young Man. He's not exactly likeable but at heart this is an angry film, and his irascible attitude helps immensely in setting the tone. He's cushioned by pretty Janet Munro on one side and fatherly Leo Mckern on the other, but at no time do we feel they are there to reassure us - indeed, the tone of this entire film is of monumental disquiet, unrest, and disenchantment with Those Who Rule Us. The prime minister's broadcast to the nation has to be one of the most cynical moments in post war cinema of this era, and scientists do not come off much better. Probably the saddest thing about THE DAY THE EARTH CAUGHT FIRE is that nowadays it would be almost impossible to believe in journalists working on a popular modern newspaper (in this case the Daily Express) as heroes pursuing the truth at all costs.

The BFI's Blu-ray transfer of THE DAY THE EARTH CAUGHT FIRE is superb. The sepia tinting at the beginning and end has been retained, and only in a few scenes is there suggestion of some speckling or blurring. There are plenty of extras, including a new 34 minute documentary, Hot Off the Press, featuring Kim Newman, Marcus Hearne, John Oliver and Jo Botting talking about the movie. You also get an audio commentary with Val Guest & Ted Newsom, a short interview with Leo McKern from 2001, a short audio appreciation by Graham Hobbs, and the usual trailers, TV spots and still galleries. Three short nuclear films from the BFI archive are included (Operation Hurricane, The H-bomb, The Hole in the Ground) and Edward Judd's public safety film Think Bike from 1978. Exclusive to the Blu-ray edition is an hour long Guardian Lecture in which David Meeker talks to Val Guest about his career. Those hoping for some gossip from the latter half of Guest's career will be disappointed as the talk concentrates mainly on his earlier work and twenty minutes in his wife Yolande Dolan takes a seat to contribute as well. It's still a nice extra to have and it's a shame the talk doesn't last longer.

THE DAY THE EARTH CAUGHT FIRE is a great science fiction film. It's also a great British film. The BFI have done it extremely proud in this new edition and it deserves nothing less. An essential addition to any film library.

The BFI are releasing Val Guest's THE DAY THE EARTH CAUGHT FIRE on Region B Blu-ray and Region 2 DVD on 17th November 2014