Theme: Anglo-Horror

The Anglo-horror cycle refers to a body of horror (and sometimes science-fiction) films that were produced in England between the late 1950s and late 1970s – the cycle gained strength around 1957 and had tapered off by 1980.

Although there were earlier works that can be classified as Anglo-horror, the cycle was ignited by Hammer Films whose remakes of the classics with The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) and Dracula/The Horror of Dracula (1958) proved huge international successes. These made stars out of Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing and gave director Terence Fisher a cult following.

Hammer Films produced a string of Frankenstein and Dracula sequels, remade several other classic horror films with variable success along several other vampire films, in particular a trilogy of lesbian vampire films. They also dipped their toes into other themes such as the Psycho-Thriller, the prehistoric film and some science-fiction works, including the trilogy of Quatermass films.

A number of other companies quickly followed Hammer’s footsteps, in particular Amicus with their own body of horror and SF films, in particular their series of horror Anthologies. Other smaller companies like Lippert, Tigon and Tyburn made offerings too.

The Anglo-horror films centred around a regular body of actors including Lee, Cushing, Michael Gough, Donald Pleasance, Ralph Bates, Michael Ripper, Barbara Shelley, Veronica Carlson, Caroline Munro and even a number of faces that subsequently became famous like Oliver Reed, Raquel Welch, David Warner and Donald Sutherland, along a regular interchangeable body of directors, writers, producers, art directors, musicians and cinematographers.

Most of the earlier Hammer films took place in lush 19th Century period surroundings, although many subsequent films moved to contemporary surroundings. They were the first major horror films in colour and they were regarded as shocking in the day. Into the 1970s with the freeing up of censorship standards, nudity and some awkward pandering to youth elements begin to enter.

The Anglo-horror cycle died away around 1980 apart from some occasional stragglers. Hammer made their last theatrical film in 1979 and that was it apart from some ventures into tv, while Amicus closed up shop around the same time. The problem was largely difficulty in attaining distribution deals in the US, stars (notedly Christopher Lee) wanting to branch out of genre typecasting. Audience tastes changed with The Exorcist (1973) dominating the horror scene of the 1970s against which Hammer’s values seemed staid.

Hammer Films was revived in 2010, although it is now nothing more than a brand name used for a series of films made by international filmmakers of no common linkage, as opposed to the originals, which were a body of films made by a small body of creative talents under one roof.