CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN, THE

The creature created by man and forgotten by nature!

In 1957, Hammer Films carved out their own place in cinema history by revisiting a classic horror tale, Mary Shelley's FRANKENSTEIN and bringing the fabled story into a modern era with a new take on the material. With a highly original screenplay by Jimmy Sangster, splendid direction from Terence Fisher, and stellar performances by Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN became an instant classic, and began Hammer's reign as the leading producer of horror films for many years to come.

Warner Bros. had the honor of being the film's original distributor, and the relationship between Hammer Films and WB became a vital partnership between the two companies.

Nearly 70 years later, Hammer Films and the Warner Archive Collection have proudly joined together to bring forth THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN in an all-new fully restored 4K HDR presentation (with three different aspect ratios) and an impressive array of new bonus features, as well as legacy pieces, that will allow fans to immerse themselves in the history of THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN and HAMMER FILMS as never before.

Special Features and Technical Specs:

• THREE-DISC (TWO 4K BLU-RAYS/BLU-RAY) COMBO PACK RELEASE
• NEW 4K RESTORATION OF THREE VERSIONS OF THE FILM:
• U.S. Theatrical version in 1.85:1 ratio
• UK Theatrical version in 1.66:1 ratio
• UK Theatrical Version in 1.37:1 with side mattes-Open Matte
• HDR PRESENTATION OF THE FILM
• NEW DOLBY ATMOS AUDIO TRACK, plus additional options
• NEW Commentary with author and critic Kim Newman, horror anthologist and writer Stephen Jones and Barry Forshaw, author of British Gothic Cinema.
• NEW Commentary with Heidi Honeycutt, writer, filmmaker and film programmer, and cult movie expert Toby Roan.
• Archival commentary with Hammer experts Marcus Hearn and Jonathan Rigby.
• Archival commentary with writer/producer Dr. Steve Haberman and filmmaker and film historian Constantine Nasr.
• TITLE TBC: Phil Leakey's Creature make-up is the stuff of legend and an inspiration to generations of budding make-up artists. Igor Studios' Lou Elsey and Academy Award-winning Dave Elsey recreate Leakey's iconic make-up on actor James Swanton alongside comments from Phil himself courtesy of a previously unheard audio interview and a newly-recorded interview with Phil's son Peter.
• TITLE TBC: Wardrobe Mistress Molly Arbuthnot's contributions to Hammer's gothics are often overlooked but cannot be underestimated. Professor Melanie Bell and the BFI's Jo Botting discuss Molly and her work alongside contributions from actor Melvyn Hayes, who was costumed by Molly at Bray for his role as young Victor;
• TITLE TBC: Jimmy Sangster rose through the production ranks at Hammer to become one of their key creatives and an influence on many who followed. Writer/actor Mark Gatiss, writer/publisher Dick Klemensen, author Stephen Laws, screenwriter/novelist Stephen Gallagher, screenwriter/producer David Pirie and writer/publisher Wayne Kinsey discuss the man and the lasting impact of his work; A previously unheard audio interview with cinematographer Jack Asher gives a personal insight into one of his best-known works.
• Beside the Seaside: Actor Madeline Smith visits Peter Cushing's beloved hometown of Whitstable in the company of Hammer expert Wayne Kinsey, to learn more about the man behind the actor.
• A Gothic History of Frankenstein: Scriptwriter and novelist Stephen Volk discusses Shelley's original novel, its adaptation to cinema and the legacy of Hammer's genre-defining 1957 film.
• Restoration featurette: A look behind-the-scenes at how the new 4K restoration of The Curse of Frankenstein was made. Frankenstein Reborn:
• Archival featurette that looks at the making of this iconic film with actor Melvyn Hayes, Hammer experts Denis Meikle and Jonathan Rigby and James Bernard's biographer David Huckvale. Also includes archive footage of Michael Carreras and Jimmy Sangster. Life With Sir: Archive featurette that gives a gentle and heartwarming portrait of Peter Cushing by Joyce Broughton, his secretary and friend.
• The Resurrection Men: Archive featurette where Little Shoppe of Horrors magazine's Dick Klemensen explains the revolutionary nature of The Curse of Frankenstein and how it gave birth to a new type of horror.
• Hideous Progeny: Archive featurette where Christopher Frayling discusses the transgressive nature of the English gothic literary tradition and its monstrous offspring, gothic cinema.
• Torrents of Light: Archive featurette where cinematographer David J. Miller examines Jack Asher's artistry as a lighting cameraman on the Hammer gothics.
• Diabolus in Musica: Archive featurette where composer Christopher Drake reflects on the skill and talent of James Bernard and his ongoing influence as the sound of Hammer Horror.
• Alternative Eyeball Scene: Included uncut in the main feature, this alternative version of the eyeball scene shows how it was edited to appease the censors.
• Promotional materials: Trailer materials were compiled (and restored where possible) as part of the 4K restoration process of the main feature.
• Also featured is one of the 8mm cutdown versions of the film that were commercially available in the 1960s
• mage Gallery: An image gallery, including behind-the-scenes shots, alongside tracks from James Bernard's iconic score.
• Optional English SDH, French, German, Italian, and Spanish subtitles