The Encyclopedia of Hammer Films
Published by Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, 2019. 589 pages.
By Chris Fellner
Being a die-hard fan of all things Hammer Films, I’m always ecstatic to learn of another book on one of my favorite studios coming out. Now before we get into the blood and guts of this release, we need to cover the obvious… the price. Retailing at $145 (though Amazon has it listed for just under $100), while this is a good size hardcover edition, at 589 pages, that is still a hefty price tag. Though with the recent release of Howard Maxford’s Hammer Complete, published by McFarland, it is impossible not to compare the two. Maxford’s book is 984 pages, a bit larger in size and has much smaller type, and retails at $95. What this means is you get just what the title says… Hammer Complete! So the cost alone would make the decision even easier if you only had to pick one volume.
Because of the huge scope of the film studio, it is difficult to cover everything and everyone, which is where Fellner’s book falls short. There were more than a few names missing having their own entries, such as John Carson, who appeared in three different Hammer titles and one appearance in one of their television series. Other notables excluded were talents such as Richard Wordsworth or George Woodbridge. These actors usually never played the main characters but were one of the many reasons these films stood out. Being wonderful character actors in the background, they filled out a scene as if it was a brilliant painting. Even Guy Rolfe, who played the title character in Mr. Sardonicus for William Castle, starred in The Stranglers of Bombay, does not have his own mention. But again, it is going to be a difficult task to include every single thing that has to do with Hammer. Except, Maxford’s book sort of does that. Continue reading
Carol Lynley is another one of those actors that didn’t make a ton of appearances in the horror genre, but when she did, she was always memorable. I think my first memory of her was playing Darren McGavin’s girlfriend in The Night Stalker movie. She made other horror titles like Beware! The Blob (1972), the remake of The Cat and the Canary (1978), and even showing up in Howling VI: The Freaks (1991). Years later, I would discover her in the much sought after The Shuttered Room (1967) as well as Bunny Lake is Missing (1965). She passed away on Sept. 3rd from a heart attack. 
You can’t be a horror fan and not know who Tom Savini is. It really is simple as that. Growing on horror in the late ’70s and early ’80s, Savini was simply a god to us fans. We knew that if he worked on a movie, it was going to be worth going to see, on that fact alone. And he never disappointed. Just look at this filmography from that time. Friday the 13th, The Burning, Maniac, Prowler, and the list goes on and on. Over the years, fans idolized Savini because he even though he was a master in the special makeup effects world, he was also just like us… a fan.
La-La Land Records is releasing Harry Manfredini’s score for Friday the 13th Part 6: Jason Lives! This score was previously released in the Friday the 13th Box set, but now you can order it by itself. Not only does Manfredini bring back his famous score back to life but this time he is accompanied by the largest orchestra he had to work yet for this film series! Mastered by James Nelson, the release contains liner notes by writer Brian Satterwhite and art design by Dan Goldwasser.
