January 5, 2011 One of the best coffee table horror books of the past several years is easily Marcus Hearn's "The Art of Hammer: The Official Poster Collection From the Archive of Hammer Films." It's simly a must have for fans of Hammer or '60s and '70s horror.



Hearn is the same guy responsible for the incredible coffee table book, "Hammer Glamour," all about the women of Hammer films -- sort of like a "Bond Girls" book all about the girls of Hammer films.

This one is better, simply because it captures the gorgeous, sometimes cheesy posters that graced international theater lobbies during the rise and eventual fall of the most important British horror film studio.



The most striking may be the non-English posters which are sometimes edgier and more artistic than the English-language ones.



The book is so comprehensive it even features Hammer's non-horror titles, such as the rare "Call Him Mr. Shatter" from 1974, during the final years of the studio.



Ultimatley, the book serves as the best visual history of the studio that marked the height of British horror filmmaking -- all photos with captions. If you're looking for a history of the studio, Hearn also wrote "The Hammer Story" a few years back.



Talk about this story on ESplatter's Message Board

Gotta scoop? Drop a line to Lucius Gore, editor


<< Back