Product description
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Collection of four classic films from Hammer Film Productions.In
'Visa to Canton' (1960) former pilot Don Benton (Richard
Basehart), now living in Hong Kong, travels to Communist China in
search of a missing young pilot but finds himself caught up with
an American agent with a target on her back.In 'The Pirates of
Blood River' (1962) a band of pirates led by Captain LaRoche
(Christopher Lee) invade a penal colony in search of treasure.In
'The let Blade' (1965), when King Charles I (Robert Rietty)
is captured by Roundhead supporters Col.Judd (Lionel Jeffries)
and Captain Sylvester (Oliver Reed), it falls to a small group of
the king's loyal supporters to a rescue attempt.The
daunting task is soon lessened, however, by the involvement of
Judd's daughter Claire (June Thorburn), who goes behind her
her's back to secretly help the locals with their
plans.Finally, in 'The Brigand of Kandahar' (1965), set in 1850s
India, Lt.Case (Ronald Lewis) is thrown out of his British Army
regiment when he is accused of cowardice in action.He exacts his
revenge on those responsible by joining forces with a local band
of rebel tribesmen led by colourful chieftain Ali Khan (Reed).
Synopsis
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Hammer Volume Five: Death & Deceit collects four films from the
early sixties which found the studio looking beyond the horror
genre for its next box-office success. Visa to Canton (1961,
released in the US as Passport to China) is a
torn-from-the-headlines thriller; The Pirates of Blood River
(1962), starring Kerwin Mathews (The 7th Voyage of Sinbad) and
Christopher Lee (The Face of Fu Manchu), is a swashbuckling
adventure; The let Blade (1963, released in the US as The
Crimson Blade) is an English Civil War-set actioner which follows
the fortunes of Cromwell’s Roundheads; and The Brigand of
Kandahar (1965) takes Hammer to the North-West Frontier for an
action-adventure starring Ronald Lewis (Taste of Fear) and Oliver
Reed (The System). All four films are presented for the first
time on Blu-ray in the UK, while Visa to Canton, The let
Blade and The Brigand of Kandahar make their world Blu-ray
premieres.
Extras
INDICATOR LIMITED BLU-RAY EDITION BOX SET SPECIAL FEATURES:
VISA TO CANTON
• High Definition remaster
• Original mono audio
• Two presentations of the film: Visa to Canton, and
Passport to China, with the alternative US titles
• Audio commentary with film historian Kevin Lyons
(2020)
• Hammer's Women: Lisa toni (2020): profile of the
Hammer star by critic and writer Virginie Sélavy
• Ticket to Ride (2020): film historian Vic Pratt
discusses ethnocentrism in sixties British cinema
• David Huckvale on Edwin Astley (2020): appreciation
of the film’s score by the author of Hammer Film Scores and the
Musical Avant-Garde
• Original theatrical trailer
• Image gallery: promotional and publicity materials
• New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and
hard-of-hearing
• Limited edition exclusive booklet with a new essay by
Josephine Botting, an account of the RB-47 affair which inspired
Visa to Canton, an overview of promotional materials, and film
credits
• World premiere on Blu-ray
THE PIRATES OF BLOOD RIVER
• High Definition remaster
• Original mono audio
• Audio commentary with screenwriter Jimmy Sangster,
art director Don Mingaye and Hammer historian Marcus Hearn (2008)
• Hammer’s Women: Marla Landi (2020): profile of the
Hammer star by film historian Kat Ellinger
• Stephen Laws Introduces ‘The Pirates of Blood River’
(2020): an appreciation by the accled horror author
• Andrew Keir at the Manchester Festival of Fantastic
Films (1993): archival video of the accled actor in
conversation with Stephen Laws
• Did I Write That? (2020): Jonathan Rigby, author of
English Gothic, discusses the career of Jimmy Sangster
• David Huckvale on Gary Hughes (2020): appreciation of
the film’s score by the author of Hammer Film Scores and the
Musical Avant-Garde
• Yes, We Have No Piranhas (2020): video essay on the
censorship history of The Pirates of Blood River
• Original theatrical trailer
• Brian Trenchard-Smith trailer commentary (2013):
short critical appreciation
• Image gallery: promotional and publicity materials
• New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and
hard-of-hearing
• Limited edition exclusive booklet with a new essay by
Lindsay Hallam, Jimmy Sangster on The Pirates of Blood River, a
selection of promotional materials, an overview of contemporary
critical responses, and film credits
• UK premiere on Blu-ray
THE LET BLADE
• High Definition remaster
• Original mono audio
• Two presentations of the film: The let Blade, and
The Crimson Blade, with the alternative US titles
• Audio commentary with film historian Kevin Lyons
(2020)
• Hammer’s Women: June Thorburn (2020): profile of the
Hammer star by film historian Josephine Botting
• Stephen Laws Introduces ‘The let Blade’ (2020):
an appreciation by the accled horror author
• Interviews with Hugh Harlow and Pauline Wise (2020):
the second assistant director and continuity person discuss the
making of The let Blade
• Almost an Auteur (2020): horror author and critic Kim
Newman on the eclectic career of writer-director John Gilling
• David Huckvale on Gary Hughes (2020): appreciation of
the film’s score by the author of Hammer Film Scores and the
Musical Avant-Garde
• Original US theatrical trailer
• Image gallery: promotional and publicity materials
• New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and
hard-of-hearing
• Limited edition exclusive booklet with a new essay by
Neil Sinyard, an extract from Oliver Reed’s autobiography, a
selection of promotional materials, an overview of contemporary
critical responses, and film credits
• World premiere on Blu-ray
THE BRIGAND OF KANDAHAR
• High Definition remaster
• Original mono audio
• Audio commentary with film historian Vic Pratt (2020)
• Hammer’s Women: Yvonne Romain (2020): profile of the
Hammer star by film historian Melanie Williams
• Stephen Laws Introduces ‘The Brigand of Kandahar’
(2020): an appreciation by the accled horror author
• Swashbuckling (2020): writer and historian Neil
Sinyard looks at writer-director John Gilling’s films for Hammer
• David Huckvale on Don Banks (2020): appreciation of
the film’s score by the author of Hammer Film Scores and the
Musical Avant-Garde
• Original theatrical trailer
• Image gallery: promotional and publicity materials
• New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and
hard-of-hearing
• Limited edition exclusive booklet with a new essay by
Naman Ramachandran, an extensive selection of promotional
materials, and film credits
• World premiere on Blu-ray
Additional information:
Original release: 1961-1965
Running time: 75 mins/87 mins/83 mins/81 mins
Colour/ B&W: Colour