Over the last few months a number of Hammer films have been released by labels such as Indicator – Powerhouse Films and Studiocanal. So I’ll be reviewing all of these recent releases and letting you know just how well they have been restored. The film I’m looking at today is from Indicator’s Hammer boxset titled Hammer Volume One: Fear Warning, so without further ado here’s my The Gorgon Blu-ray Review.
- The Gorgon (1964)
- UK Rating 12
- Released By Indicator (Powerhouse Films)
- Blu-ray Released: 30 October 2017 (Part of the Hammer Volume One: Fear Warning boxset)
Plot
Set in a small rural village of Vandorf, Germany in the year 1910, several locals have been murdered causing them to turn to stone. Dr. Namaroff (Peter Cushing) the local doctor seems to know way more than he is letting on.
Style / Direction
If you love Hammer films then The Gorgon is in the style of their heyday when they turned out classics such as Dracula. The Gorgon oozes Hammer style right from the first minute, the pacing is perfect starting with a couple of murders right at the start of the film and then ramping up the suspense as to who or what is responsible. Put simply this film is well directed and that should come as no surprise when I tell you Terence Fisher is the director. He directed other Hammer classics such as The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), Dracula (1958), The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959) and The Mummy (1959).
Music / Audio Effects
The music is by James Bernard who has provided many of Hammer’s best scores and The Gorgon is no exception. It has a haunting quality like in the Dracula films.
Acting / Characters
You kind of know that if a film has Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee in it you are probably going to enjoy it even if it’s just for their performances. This film sees Lee play the good guy whilst Cushing whilst certainly not the villain is a man struggling between the woman he loves and the stark realisation that he has the power to intervene and prevent the murders occurring in the small village but refuses to do so.
Barbara Shelley plays Carla Hoffman a woman torn between two men but also a woman with a secret even she is unaware of. This means she has to put in a good performance or the film wouldn’t really work, fortunately she does indeed turn in an excellent acting feat.
Conclusion: The Gorgon (1964) Film Review
The Gorgon is Hammer at its best, it has their two biggest star actors with Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee backed up by the likes of Barbara Shelley and Patrick Troughton. I consider The Gorgon a must see for any horror fan.
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Conclusion: The Gorgon Blu-ray Review
Powerhouse films have put out yet another terrific Blu-ray release in terms of both picture quality and extras. The picture is sharp and clean with absolutely no marks to found anywhere while the colours look perfect.
On to the extras and its yet another excellent set from Powerhouse Films with a host of new interviews providing valuable insight into the production and reception that the film received following release. These extras are a must for Hammer horror fans.
Extras
- Audio Commentary with Daughters of Darkness’ Samm Deighan & Kat Ellinger
- Heart of Stone: Inside The Gorgon (2017) (14 mins)
- Hammer’s Women: Barbara Shelley (2017) (10 mins)
- Appreciation by Matthew Holness (2017) (15 mins)
- Original Trailer
- Promotional Material (Lobby cards)
- Comic-Strip Adaptation
- Limited Edition 36 Page Booklet
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Popcorn Cinema Rating: The Gorgon (1964)
MOVIE RATING: MUST SEE
BLU-RAY RATING: EXCELLENT
POPCORN CINEMA: RECOMMENDED
The Gorgon (1964) Trailer
For those of you yet to see the film I’ll leave you with a little taster…
Clip may not be representative of the blu-ray version
- Blu-ray Awards 2017
- Hammer House of Horror The Complete Series releases on Blu-ray
- Indicator to release Hammer Films Blu-ray Boxset Volume One
That’s The Gorgon blu-ray review, if you have any thoughts on this film you can leave them in the comment section below:
Summary: The Gorgon (1964) Blu-ray Review
Movie title: The Gorgon (1964)
Duration: 83 mins
Director(s): Terence Fisher
Actor(s): Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Richard Pasco, Barbara Shelley, Michael Goodliffe
Genre: Horror
- Movie Rating
- Blu-ray Picture Rating
- Extras
Summary
Quite simply Hammer doing what they do best, Hammer Horror! The Blu-ray version looks magnificent.
