The Art of Hammer: The Official Poster Collection From the Archive of Hammer Films
The Art of Hammer: The Official Poster Collection From the Archive of Hammer Films
By Marcus Hearn. Hammer Horror Posters Coffee Table Book Review
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The late Philip Arthur Larkin is widely regarded as one of the great English poets of the 20th century. But even he couldn't think of any better words than "tit and fang" to sum up Hammer Films.
And a picture is worth a thousand words, isn't it? In that case, you'd better break out the calculators, computers, and Napier's Bones — because there are a helluva lot of pictures in The Art of Hammer: The Official Poster Collection.
Pre-Photoshop, pre-3D online posters, pre- practically you name the modern contrivance, these simple yet bold graphic (take that any way you like) designs are still attention-getters. While the studio formed in the 1930s, it wasn't until mid-century that its gothic side slid from the shadows and catapulted their flicks to the top of every horror fan's must-see list. The eye-catching, and quite frankly, lurid posters were like one-dimensional carnival barkers, using any means necessary to get the audience to purchase and ticket and see the show.
Going decade by decade over Hammer's goriest glory days, the book begins in the 1950s with its noir titles such as Blackout and The Dark Light. Then the pages become monstrous with the mugs of Frankenstein (The Curse of Frankenstein), Dracula (The Horror of Dracula), and evil aliens (Enemy From Space).
The 60s ushered in wilder times — and even more outrageous poster art, along with some really hilarious taglines (Night Creatures screams, "Their oath, TERROR! Their cry, BLOOD! Their goal, DEATH!"). Apparently in the mid-60s, the studio was even giving out prizes (the promo poster for Rasputin says, "Disguise yourself from the forces of evil! Get your Rasputin beard FREE as you enter the theatre! Given to Guys and Gals alike!").
By the 1970s, as the studio slipped into decline, so too did the quality of their poster art. Yet it's always interesting to see them, especially since author Marcus Hearn amassed the imagery from a wide variety of sources (many come from his own collection of rarities) and several countries (Britain of course, plus America [where many titles were changed], Germany, Japan, etc.).
While the majority of Hammer Films were thrillers, they did throw out the rare comedy and the occasional propaganda exploitation flick. These posters are included, rounding out the volume quite handsomely. The text is kept to a minimum, allowing the artwork to take center stage.
This is the second book to come from Titan and Hearn within a year (approximately… I remember Hammer Glamour was on my wish list to Santa last December) and it's well worth adding to the library. Beautifully presented and with the nice price (under $20 online), how can you resist? (Sorry, Rasputin Beard not included.)
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Reviewed by Staci Layne Wilson
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