From Deseret News archives:
Horrors! Scary Hammer films on DVD
"Icons of Horror Collection: Hammer Films" (Columbia, 1960-64, two discs, color and b/w, $24.96). England's Hammer studio specialized in horror and tried to shock audiences of the late '50s and early '60s by upping the ante for blood and sex often in garish color. But, as you might expect, it's all quite tame by today's standards. This set also boasts the presence of Hammer veterans Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing.
• "The Gorgon" (1964) Staid Peter Cushing and fiery Christopher Lee (playing older) square off in this terrific thriller about mythical Medusa coming to life and terrorizing a small village anyone who looks into her eyes turns to stone. Cushing, a doctor who runs an asylum, is complicit in covering up the killings; Lee is a professor who barges in halfway through the film to bring the mystery to light. Both stars are in especially good form. (DVD debut)
• "The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb" (1964) This tale of an unearthed Egyptian mummy that kills those who have desecrated his tomb is a typically colorful Hammer production, but the script could have used more work. Capable cast helps. (Home-video debut)
• "The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll" (1960) This over-the-top adaptation of "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" with the twist that Hyde is the handsome one is the weakest of this collection, undone by the silly performance of Paul Massie as the good doctor and his alter ego. Christopher Lee steals the show as the scalawag lover of Jekyll's wife. Look for Oliver Reed in a bit part. (DVD debut)
Extras: widescreen, trailers
"The Alice Faye Collection, Volume 2" (Fox, 1939-1944, five discs, b/w and color, $49.98). One of the great things about box sets of specific musical stars is that so many other great talents are also on hand often people whose film legacy has been neglected or ignored.
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