{"id":38845,"title":"Hammer House of Horror","description":"Are you ready to explore the sinister secrets lurking within the walls of Hammer House of Horror? \ud83c\udfda\ufe0f Brace yourself for a spine-chilling journey through 13 standalone episodes that redefine fear. From haunted houses to vengeful spirits, this iconic British TV series delivers a gripping cocktail of suspense, dread, and the supernatural. \ud83d\udcfa","content":"

\"51iq5vcsbudepwfpxtmfgte1wor8wsjt8gkn1ikyeqsllyqm.png.png?w=1140&v=2\"Recovering from \u2018man flu\u2019 (the<\/em>\u00a0worst type of flu) earlier in the week, I resolved \u2013 after two days sloth \u2013 not to waste any more time and, instead, take stock of my life.\u00a0<\/p>

But it turns out that taking stock of your life does very little to pass the time. And so, I decided, after much deliberation, that a better course for me was the route of moaning practically unceasingly and watching poor-quality television from the 1980s.<\/p>

Due in part to my inability to track down the episode of\u00a0Neighbours<\/em><\/a>\u00a0where Paul Robinson has a nervous breakdown, I decided to focus my (not substantial) energies on the output of the\u00a0Hammer House\u00a0<\/a>instead.<\/p>

As all British people know, Hammer is a name synonymous with horror. If you\u2019re of a certain age (and mentality) then your childhood was almost certainly defined by Friday nights watching the likes of\u00a0Peter Cushing\u00a0<\/a>doing battle with evil forces \u2013 usually in the form of his mate\u00a0Christopher Lee<\/a>\u00a0brutalising a middle European village. (This was in the days before British stag parties did it.) And, if your cup wasn\u2019t already brimming over, occasionally the likes of\u00a0Dennis Waterman<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0Anthony Ainley<\/a>\u00a0would blunder onto\u00a0set\u00a0in a velvet jerkin and pair of fawn slacks, ready to do some mild romping before being hastily despatched.<\/p>

The \u201860s and \u201870s were golden times for Hammer, they produced big-budget, big-screen, British filmmaking at its camp and beautiful best. (Even Dennis Waterman did a good turn!)<\/p>

However, the vogue for such things as good production values and historical settings seemed to\u00a0die off in the late 1970s, probably due to the rise in popularity of cheap video\u00a0slasher films<\/a>. The swishing of velvet capes and fangy mugging at the sun, so beloved by Hammer fans, was suddenly replaced by tracking shots and people in isolated American camp-sites being bludgeoned by the contents of an electrician\u2019s toolbox. For shame!<\/p>

At Hammer House, the folks didn\u2019t know quite what to do with themselves. In 1979, they made a \u2018safe\u2019 remake of Hitchcock\u2019s\u00a0The Lady Vanishes<\/em> <\/a>with a cast of American actors \u2013 including\u00a0Cybil Shepherd\u00a0<\/a>and\u00a0Elliot Gould<\/a>. It was a sensational flop.<\/p>

One thing was clear, Hammer Films had lost its way\u2026<\/p>

However, by the early eighties, they had cleverly re-invented themselves, making the move from the big screen to the small screen and bringing their brand of ghoulish storytelling to ITV. For thirteen Sunday nights in\u00a0my childhood,\u00a0Hammer House of Horror\u00a0<\/a>was on the telly\u2026<\/p>

\"hvtngt9rdn8iupv9mxgqlsksnnm9tegtxnolxrtdtfuzbqft.png.png?w=1140&v=2\"Perhaps the most famous episode of the television series is\u00a0The House that Bled to Death<\/em><\/a>, if for no better reason than it has a cracking title. <\/p>

Spoiler: the house\u00a0doesn\u2019t<\/em>\u00a0bleed to death. <\/p>

What\u00a0does<\/em>\u00a0happen is that\u00a0Nicholas Ball\u00a0<\/a>(TV\u2019s loveable\u00a0Hazell<\/em><\/a>) buys a new semi, where \u2013 unknown to him \u2013 a murder has taken place previously. As a result, he is beset by odd occurrences, including the murder weapon being re-gifted to his daughter at her birthday party, a severed hand appearing and body-popping on the hall lino, blood pouring down the bedroom walls and, most ominously of all, that bloke that used to play\u00a0Ted Hills<\/a>\u00a0in\u00a0Eastenders<\/em><\/a>\u00a0turning up and wanting a cup of tea.<\/p>

\"4p6vh6tffady4diluirqycl6dktfh0mi4jo6oq5howanne2z.jpg.jpg?w=1140&v=2\"My favourite episode is\u00a0Visitor from the Grave<\/em><\/a>,\u00a0<\/em>but, that said,\u00a0there are very few slouches in the series\u2026<\/p>

Some highlights include:<\/p>

\"qcu5msvfrtals0bvhsacwbg0xbqgam6pcd9gbc5d1mrhojfz.jpg.jpg?w=1140&v=2\"In\u00a0Growing Pains<\/em><\/a>,<\/em>\u00a0a toy rabbit gets cut up at the dinner table and half a pound of chopped liver\u00a0falls out of it.<\/p>

\"qdj70tsohwjattpldzkkxzv5lpin41gbicojuhfatauxtnxh.jpeg.jpeg?w=1140&v=2\"In\u00a0The Two Faces of Evil<\/em><\/a>, a couple of holidaymakers are terrorised by a man in a yellow Sou\u2019wester\u2026<\/p>

\"0u85vtkodab5rg20krnykm3e6jwfj0alalsmt5bsbj3ucqrm.jpg.jpg?w=1140&v=2\"In\u00a0Rude Awakening<\/em><\/a>, it\u2019s clear from the offing that the production team have come in seriously under time and was, as a result, forced to improvise\u00a0in order to\u00a0pad the episode out. <\/p>

As a result, we are treated to a montage of slow-motion clips from the rest of the episode (including a heavy reliance on\u00a0Denholm Elliot<\/a>\u00a0in a red telephone box) in a baffling pre-credit sequence. That\u2019s the way to do it!\u00a0<\/p>

\"dtpsffh6smqjoyuluqcppckzqnk7cazqwqlgbwrcqvr7q1ym.jpg.jpg?w=1140&v=2\"In\u00a0Children of the Full Moon<\/em><\/a>,\u00a0Dynasty<\/em><\/a>\u2019s\u00a0Christopher Cazenove<\/a>\u00a0runs up to\u00a0Diana Dors<\/a>\u00a0shouting that he\u2019s just seen a man in the woods turning into a wolf! <\/p>

Dors explains that \u2018It\u2019s probably just a stag!\u201d\u00a0Oddly enough, he completely acquiesces\u2026 <\/p>

It turns out townsfolk often do make this rookie error.<\/p>

\"s2g2vgqmlqprdslrigwvmq6akxa07l9igxpp0q6szxevoznp.jpg.jpg?w=1140&v=2\"Tony Valentine<\/a>\u00a0rocks up in\u00a0Carpathian Eagle<\/em><\/a>. (As does a very young and very embarrassed-looking\u00a0Pierce Brosnan<\/a>.)\u00a0<\/p>

In this episode, a murderess spends most of her time sitting alone in pubs and bars, waiting for men to pick her up so that she can kill them. (Pierce, however, pulls her down the park \u2013 he\u2019s old school). <\/p>

Fair\u2019s fair, this femme fatal does top some serious \u2018players\u2019 too. I think the middle-aged man with the bottle of\u00a0Mouton Cadet\u00a0<\/a>and the outsized rubber feet at the end of his bed, gives a pretty good account of himself\u2026\u00a0<\/p>

\"8nucqswl1ronwuso1rjzgkijc6kzlk67uhj0alpzmvs8tnee.jpg.jpg?w=1140&v=2\"But\u00a0Visitor from the Grave<\/em><\/a>\u00a0is simply genius \u2013 mainly because it combines a wealth of quality British talent.\u00a0Manimal<\/em><\/a>\u2019s\u00a0Simon MacCorkindale<\/a>\u00a0takes the lead. We know this because he spends most of the time indulging in the actorly pursuits of shouting, flexing (in a pair of excessively tight trousers) and flaring his nostrils. He\u2019s trying to convince his American (read: highly-strung) missus that she\u2019s going crazy, so he can have it away with her cash.<\/p>

The plan is a brilliant one.\u00a0Stanley Lebor<\/a>\u00a0(that\u2019s right, it\u2019s Howard from\u00a0Ever Decreasing Circles<\/em><\/a>) turns up at their isolated farmhouse in the middle of the night and sets about attacking her! (Howard never did this!) Not unreasonably, she picks up a nearby shotgun and shoots his face off.<\/p>

\"dqxdcww7towqrqsixmhzzv9vawrlcaifbwsa1hec4q5ynsdf.jpg.jpg?w=1140&v=2\"\u2018Corkie\u2019 MacCorkindale comes home and, amid some impressively manful thrusting, cleans up the mess and buries the body in the garden. However, for the rest of the episode, Howard keeps turning up to haunt the wife \u2013 in the street, in a car, even dressed as a waiter at a rubbish party (who then turns and legs it with a tray of\u00a0vol-au-vents<\/a>!) <\/p>

For these good reasons, the wife surmises that he isn\u2019t\u00a0actually<\/em>\u00a0dead after all. And, so, MacCorkindale is forced to go back to the garden and dig his body up to prove that he is. Unfortunately, he chooses the exact moment that a policeman \u2013 in the form of\u00a0Blake 7<\/em><\/a>\u2019s\u00a0Gareth Thomas<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 has decided to call\u00a0at\u00a0the house.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>

After telling the copper that everything\u2019s fine (by explaining that his wife\u2019s gibbering is perfectly normal\u00a0\u2013 women, eh!) the policeman drives off satisfied, and MacCorkindale \u2013 ever the sensitive soul \u2013 grabs his wife\u2019s hand and drags her to the garden \u2013 where Howard is lying in a shallow grave with maggots crawling all over his face.<\/p>

\"rw1x30mucrxc0zyfsk0uwwwovxl7xbsx40s4isquazv1xqqu.jpg.jpg?w=1140&v=2\"MacCorkindale\u2019s wife now realises that she is seeing ghosts, and although, he doesn\u2019t believe in such \u2018poppycock\u2019 himself,\u00a0Corkie arranges for her to see an Indian mystic that he knows about. Mind you, it\u2019s going to cost her.\u00a0Apparently\u00a0the mystic lives in India and will only visit her if she says she\u2019ll finance a church in the UK. (This must be how\u00a0Derek Acorah<\/a>\u00a0paid for his dental treatment.) She readily agrees.<\/p>

The mystic, called \u2018Gupta\u2019, arrives at their house, dressed in dark glasses and an outsized turban, and sets about doing Indian mystic-type things (i.e. he holds a\u00a0s\u00e9ance<\/a>). There\u2019s no messing about \u2013 and, within seconds, a projection of Howard\u2019s angry face appears in the middle of the table\u2026<\/p>

\"3eu0biyu0ewgzx5jstc83hrqgrkvfbfuq3jythu4dg0wmqjt.jpg.jpg?w=1140&v=2\"Despite the wife trying to make amends with Howard\u2019s giant face, there\u2019s just no consoling him, and he tells her that he will carry on haunting her \u2013 forever!<\/p>

In a state of disarray, she runs from the room and kills herself.<\/p>

Back in the living room, minutes later, Gupta pulls off his turban and dark glasses to reveal that he isn\u2019t Indian after all. (A-ha!\u00a0That\u2019s<\/em>\u00a0why he was doing that Welsh accent!) Shockingly, it\u2019s Gareth Thomas again!<\/p>

With the lady of the house\u2019s body not even cold, the cynical plot is uncovered and MacCorkindale, Howard, and Gareth Thomas sit around drinking booze and counting out the money that the wife had supplied for Gupta\u2019s church. (No explanation is given as to how Howard managed to project his face into the middle of the room, but there you go\u2026)<\/p>

Suddenly, in that way that weak plot devices often assert themselves, as the lads are laughing it up and Gareth is regaling everyone with his faultless Welsh accent again (just in case you hadn\u2019t worked out\u00a0he<\/em>\u00a0was Gupta, despite having just watched him take the costume off), the \u2018real\u2019 ghost of the wife rears up in the middle of the room and laughs wickedly at them\u2026<\/p>

You see, people, this is British storytelling at its best. Don\u2019t take stock, kick back with a cup of hot\u00a0Bovril<\/a>\u00a0and enjoy\u2026<\/p>","urlTitle":"hammer-house-of-horror","url":"\/blog\/hammer-house-of-horror\/","editListUrl":"\/my-blogs","editUrl":"\/my-blogs\/edit\/hammer-house-of-horror\/","fullUrl":"https:\/\/abovethelore.co.uk\/blog\/hammer-house-of-horror\/","featured":false,"published":true,"showOnSitemap":true,"hidden":false,"visibility":null,"createdAt":1713965452,"updatedAt":1713972309,"publishedAt":1713972308,"lastReadAt":null,"division":{"id":330023,"name":"Above The Lore"},"tags":[{"id":3281,"code":"h-a-m-m-e-r","name":"HAMMER","url":"\/blog\/tagged\/h-a-m-m-e-r\/"}],"metaImage":{"original":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/ss56ikeuxh6e3coubapkkgoedfgfuff7ohagirkg3oajfeg7.png","thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/ss56ikeuxh6e3coubapkkgoedfgfuff7ohagirkg3oajfeg7.png.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/ss56ikeuxh6e3coubapkkgoedfgfuff7ohagirkg3oajfeg7.png.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"metaTitle":"Hammer House of Horror | Blog","metaDescription":"Ready to explore Hammer House of Horror? Brace yourself for a spine-chilling journey through 13 standalone episodes that redefine fear.","keyPhraseCampaignId":null,"series":[],"similarReads":[{"id":56077,"title":"Why Folk Horror Is Trending Again (And Why It Matters)","url":"\/blog\/the-quiet-persistence-of-folklore-and-why-weve-started-wearing-it\/","urlTitle":"the-quiet-persistence-of-folklore-and-why-weve-started-wearing-it","division":330023,"description":"It usually begins, as these things do, with something faintly unsettling. Not frightening, exactly. Not in the way modern horror insists upon being frightening\u2014with noise, with urgency, with a kind of theatrical desperation. Instead, it lingers quietly, much like the enduring pull of British folklore, where ancient stories, symbols, and myths continue to shape modern culture. This exploration of folklore clothing and the rise of the folklore t-shirt UK trend delves into the subtle power of folk horror aesthetics, occult-inspired design, and gothic graphic tees rooted in history and myth. Discover how folk horror t-shirts, British folklore symbols, and independent UK clothing brands are redefining fashion through storytelling, atmosphere, and meaning.","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/qi7bnqju3tbppzzopwutvv1r1uwokr2viokt0otjkrgtzbcy.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/qi7bnqju3tbppzzopwutvv1r1uwokr2viokt0otjkrgtzbcy.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0},{"id":36421,"title":"Hullo, world!","url":"\/blog\/hullo-world\/","urlTitle":"hullo-world","division":330023,"description":"Welcome to our tee shop. Let\u2019s hope it\u2019s your cup of tea. A -t-shirt company for fans of folklore, horror, and magic.","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/oz03j1i0bpn2lol6icliaiilytvhu63xwi1wgukezptpu0bc.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/oz03j1i0bpn2lol6icliaiilytvhu63xwi1wgukezptpu0bc.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0},{"id":56078,"title":"Horror T-Shirts UK | Why We Wear What Frightens Us","url":"\/blog\/horror-t-shirts-uk-why-we-wear-what-frightens-us\/","urlTitle":"horror-t-shirts-uk-why-we-wear-what-frightens-us","division":330023,"description":"Explore horror t-shirts UK inspired by folk horror, folklore and occult design. Discover meaningful, atmospheric clothing from independent brands.","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/gh5cdtyu8qnodvjmz4t14khwrlkmqx4at0oqpvevv0kw6z8r.png.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/gh5cdtyu8qnodvjmz4t14khwrlkmqx4at0oqpvevv0kw6z8r.png.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0}],"labels":[]}