Jimmy Sangster truly started from the bottom and worked his way up at Hammer. When he arrived at the studio in 1949 to work as a production assistant at the small production company that focused on thrillers. He rose up to production manager before someone at the studio approached him to write the script that eventually became X The Unknown. Sangster was not one of those guys with dozens of scripts he was pitching to the company. He took the challenge and immediately found himself helping change the studio when wrote the scripts for The Curse of Frankenstein, The Horror of Dracula, The Mummy and more that made Hammer the hot name in the horror genre. Eventually he was given the chance to direct three films for Hammer that starred Ralph Bates. Lust For A Vampire comes out from Scream Factory at the end of July. His other two offerings, The Horror of Frankenstein and
The Horror of Frankenstein (August 20) is a rebooting of the Frankenstein franchise that had starred Peter Cushing for five installments. Now Bates would play the Baron von Frankenstein in a movie that had a bit of humor to it. As his monster, Bates stitches together David Prowse before he’d go onto fame as Darth Vader in Star Wars. Fear In the Night (August 27) is a thriller with Judy Geeson (To Sir With Love) being stalked by a man with a fake hand. Her husband (Ralph Bates) works at a boarding school run by a proper headmaster. (The Curse of Frankenstein‘s Peter Cushing). She does have a friend in the headmaster’s wife (Dynasty’s Joan Collins). But there’s no safety with the stalker around. Both films feature audio commentary from Sangster which is great since he passed away in 2011. Here’s the information from Scream Factory on the two releases:
Horror of Frankenstein
The dead shall rise again!
“Horror Of Frankenstein remains a solid, often surprising film that is perfect for horror fans who can appreciate a few sly laughs being mixed in with the usual chills.” – AllMovie.com
Young Victor Frankenstein returns from medical school with a depraved taste for beautiful women and fiendish experiments. When he runs out of fresh body parts for his research, he turns to murder to complete his gruesome creation. Now, his monster (David Prowse, the Star Wars films) has unleashed its own horrifying killing spree. The true horrors of Dr. Frankenstein have only just begun …
Bonus Features
Presented In Two Aspect Ratios – 1.66:1 And 1.85:1
NEW Audio Commentary By Film Historian Bruce G. Hallenbeck
NEW Interview With Assistant Director Nicholas Granby
NEW Veronica Carlson: A Portrait Of Hammer – An Interview With The Actress
NEW Jimmy Sangster: An Exclusive Interview – An Interview With The Producer/Director
Gallows Humor: Inside The Horror Of Frankenstein
Audio Commentary With Producer/Director Jimmy Sangster And Hammer Films Historian Marcus Hearn
Frankenstein, Dracula, And Me: A Conversation With Veronica Carlson
Theatrical Trailer
Still Gallery
Fear In the Night
“Cushing and Bates [are] great in their roles, as [is] Collins … a solid, well-produced film that anyone, fans of the genre or not, will enjoy” – The Telltale Mind
Recovering from a recent nervous breakdown, a young woman (Judy Geeson, Hammerhead) moves with her new husband (Ralph Bates, Horror Of Frankenstein) to a rural boarding school where she meets the peculiar headmaster (horror film icon Peter Cushing) and his lusty wife (Joan Collins, Empire Of The Ants). When the fragile newlywed is repeatedly stalked and assaulted by a one-armed man, her terror escalates to a frenzy of madness and murder … or does it? If she can survive one night of fear, then the morning promises an even more shocking surprise!
Bonus Features
Presented In Two Aspect Ratios – 1.66:1 And 1.85:1
NEW Audio Commentary With Film Historian Troy Howarth
Audio Commentary With Co-writer/Producer/Director Jimmy Sangster And Hammer Film Historian Marcus Hearn
Vintage Interview With Co-writer/Producer/Director Jimmy Sangster
End Of Term: Inside FEAR IN THE NIGHT
Theatrical Trailer
Still Gallery
