Hammer House of Horror - The Complete Set
Witches. Deadly nightmares. Werewolves. Dagger-wielding authors. Body-snatching hitchhikers. For American horror buffs, this collection is something of a holy grail: the complete rarely seen 1980 anthology series produced by England's famed Hammer Studios, the masters of their gothic domain. Hammer aficionados will want to start with "The Silent Scream," which stars studio icon Peter Cushing in a terrifying story of captivity and comeuppance.  Veteran character actor Denholm Elliott stars as an unhappily married real estate agent in the grips of a recurring nightmare in "Rude Awakening." As for rising stars, that's Pierce Brosnan in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo as Last Victim in "Carpathian Eagle," a story about a homicidal author who beds her victims. MoreNight GallerythanTwilight Zone, this series recalls Hammer's gory--I mean, glory--days as the premier producer of elegantly disreputable horror films that were a cross between Masterpiece Theatre and Herschell Gordon Lewis. There's nothing campy in this baker's dozen of episodes--just blood, dread, and fears (and a little nudity).--Donald Liebenson