This Hammer box-set from the 1980 TV series provides a fitting homage and legacy to arguably the greatest contributors of horror on the big and small screen. The 13 stories cover everything from evil doppelgangers to Satanists; witches; ghosts; 'voodoo dolls'; werewolves; cannibals and more besides (no vampires though, something of a departure for Hammer!) They are imaginatively written and well acted with great performances from fine actors such as Peter Cushing and Diana Dors.It is from a time when horror was about more than hi-tech gory special effects and torture sequences thrown together to make a 'body' of work and although this Hammer box-set is of its time it is a brilliant collection that has also stood the test of time. I like a lot of modern day horror as well as the old Universal horrors, horrors from the 70's etc but you will never purchase a more diverse and enjoyable collection of horror shorts in one collection as this one.Well done Hammer, I truly salute you, you are sorely missed.

i recall watching this as a kid and when it came out on DVD, i was amazed at how much of this i remember. not really as good as the hammer films of the old days, but worth a watch if ur a fan of the hammer genre. my fav stories where 'the silent scream' with peter cushing & brian cox, 'charlie boy' and 'children of the full moon' with diana dors. the funniest story was 'the carpathian eagle' where suzanne danielle played the killer. the scene where she's in the singles cocktail bar, sitting at the bar exposing her leg and drinking her cocktail, while wearing a blonde wig, white dress. was hysterical..all that was missing was a big sign saying 'MURDERER' above her head, it was so obvious. this episode also had a young pierce brosnan as 'final victim'

These 13 episodes are very much a mixed bag. I'll just list the ones that are bad, the ones that are OK and the ones that are excellent.Bad: Rude Awakening, Children of the Full Moon, Carpathian Eagle, Visitor from the Grave.OK: Witching Time, 13th Reunion, Growing Pains, House That Bled to DeathExcellent: Charlie Boy, Silent Scream, Guardian of the Abyss, Two Faces of Evil and Mask of Satan.All in all, I wasn't too impressed by these short 1 hour episodes. Even the best ones had some bad acting and long, drawn-out scenes. Also, none were really scary or bloody like the Hammer films of the 1960s and 70s. Still, they're worth seeing--especially for horror fans. At least try to see "Silent Scream"--it stars the late, great Peter Cushing and has a very spooky ending.

Could you believe that after so long, the Hammer Company could come back and release a show that had as much quality content as the original Twilight Zone? For those who have not seen this, the closest that I can come to describing this gems is to compare to the 1 hour episodes that Rod Serling put out. Even that doesn't do them justice.There are thirteen episodes in all. The cover lists Peter Cushing, Denholm Eliot, and Pierce Brosnan, but there are stand-out performances by many more in each episode. Jon Finch (Hitchcock's Frenzy) starts off as director editing his film at home when a fierce storm draws near... From the first minute of the first episode, it is apparent that this series was something special. Good direction, tight casting, and fast paced stories are the norm. This is not to say that all will interest, and some have common themes to other episodes, but all are enjoyable. Picture a standard film, and cut out a half an hour of the excess, and you've got these. Certainly worth the investment, these episodes can be collected in one box set, which is quite well done by A+E. Werewolves, demons, witches, voodoo dolls, and for good measure a demented Nazi can all be found within. Horror fans, and those who miss good television, should take a look at Hammer. I assure you, you will not be disappointed.