- Paperback: 440 pages
- Publisher: Scarecrow Press; New edition edition (31 July 2001)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0810841894
- ISBN-13: 978-0810841895
- Product Dimensions: 21.4 x 13.6 x 2.4 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,951,926 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
A History of Horrors
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Product Description
Review
Meikle provides fascinating glimpses not only into the Carrerases, James the father and Michael the son, but also the various producers, script writers and, to a lesser extent, the directors... -- Paul Legget Scarlet: The Film Magazine Important for a number of reasons...Enough history here to recommend the book to Hammer fans and fantasy film enthusiasts alike. Scarlet: The Film Magazine
--This text refers to an alternate
Paperback
edition.
Product Description
Most critics, historians and filmmakers agree that no single entity has had more influence over the horror genre than Hammer Film Productions, a small independent British film company. This volume traces the life and spirit of the "House of Hammer" from its fledgling days of the late 1940s, through its successes of the 1950s and 1960s, to its decline in the 1970s. Through the eyes of many of the studio's key players, and through the works of film critics and historians, the text paints a picture of the rise and fall of a film empire.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Only worth a library rental,
By
This review is from: A History of Horrors: The Rise and Fall of the House of Hammer (Paperback)
I've read quite a few articles by Denis Meikle, published in the excellent fanzine THE LITTLE SHOPPE OF HORRORS, about Hammer films and found them interesting, so I was really looking forward to his history of the company.
Sadly the book is a huge disappointment, not telling me anything I didn't already know about the history of the company and the personalities involved. He does write well, but the main problem is his opinion of the films: he's openly contemptuous of most of Hammer's output-only the early FRANKENSTEIN's and DRACULA's come in for praise-and I really cannot take seriously anyone who dismisses QUATERMASS AND THE PIT out of hand. The definitive books on Hammer Films remain the volumes written by Wayne Kinsey-now scandalously out of print.
1 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Success...,
By
This review is from: A History of Horrors: The Rise and Fall of the House of Hammer (Paperback)
This was for my daughter who is studying theatrical and media make-up. She was absolutely thrilled when her brother presented it as a Christmas gift.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.7 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews) 12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Eye-opening, to the point of ruining the magic,
By Mike - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: A History of Horrors: The Rise and Fall of the House of Hammer (Scarecrow Filmmakers Series) (Hardcover)
The good news is that for more-than-casual Hammer horror fans, this is a meticulously researched studio history, written from the business perspective, that goes far deeper than the usual rehashes found in horror encyclopedias and video guides. Meikle does a great job of putting the British film industry into a larger 1950s and '60s context, and sheds the light on Hammer's spotty U.S. distribution history for those of us who grew up on this side of the pond as frustrated young monster magazine readers wondering why the movies in our monster magazines (especially in the later years) never came to theaters or only played grindhouses and drive-ins.The bad news is that the author is so down on Hammer's output in general that you wonder how he ever mustered the enthusiasm to tackle the topic in the first place. It's one thing to flail the usual whipping posts (he calls "Scars of Dracula" "irredeemably tacky"). But the harsh tone extends to even the usually acknowledged classics, such as "The Mummy" and "Curse of Frankenstein." Maybe Meikle feels it goes without saying that Hammer often captured lighting in a bottle in spite of its own scripts and budgets that today wouldn't even measure up to first-run syndication TV such as "Hercules." You appreciate the clear-eyed approach, but Anchor Bay seems to have a better attitude with its "even the cheesy stuff has its charms" approach to the background materials on its DVD releases. If anything, a Hammer fan goes away from the book feeling it's a miracle these films came out as good as they were, after the author unveils the cynicism and/or studio heads' lack of faith in the source material that U.S. fans always took for granted with our "The British do this stuff best" assumptions.
5.0 out of 5 stars
I love Hammer Movies,
By Sasha "Watch for me by moonlight" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: A History of Horrors: The Rise and Fall of the House of Hammer (Hardcover)
The history of Hammer Studios is full of ups and downs and when it ends it is so softly and it breaks the heart . If your a fan of Hammer movies read it . I read it some years ago when it first came out .
I have such fond memories of Hammer Horror films . And with dvds I own many . The history of that incredible company and the people who created the movies is apart of film history . And Hammer Studios is Back ! Let Me In . Is the new Hammer film . You can now call Hammer the studio that wouldn't die . 1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Film studies collections with a special focus on British film will find it a fine addition,
By Midwest Book Review - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: A History of Horrors: The Rise and Fall of the House of Hammer (Scarecrow Filmmakers Series) (Paperback)
Denis Meikle is a film critic and graphic designer turned author, and here provides a fine biography of some of the best-known British fantasy and horror films. College-level film studies collection will find this documentary a vivid survey of the changing British film industry, with chapters considering both major productions and industry trends. Film studies collections with a special focus on British film will find it a fine addition.
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