VISA TO CANTON (Michael Carreras, 1961)
THE PIRATES OF BLOOD RIVER (John Gilling, 1962)
THE SCARLET BLADE (John Gilling, 1963)
THE BRIGAND OF KANDAHAR (John Gilling, 1965)
Release date: 30 March 2020
Limited Edition Blu-ray Box Set (UK and World premieres on Blu-ray)
Hammer Volume Five: Death & Deceit collects four films from the early sixties which found Hammer Films 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 spy 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 Scarlet 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 Scarlet Blade and The Brigand of Kandahar make their world Blu-ray premieres. This collection is strictly limited to 6,000 numbered units.
INDICATOR LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY BOX SET SPECIAL FEATURES:
VISA TO CANTON
High Definition remaster
Original mono audio
Two presentations of the film: Visa to Canton, with the original UK title sequence, and Passport to China, with the alternative US titles
New audio commentary with Kevin Lyons, editor of The Encyclopedia of Fantastic Films and Television
Hammer’s Women: Lisa Gastoni (2020, 15 mins): profile of the Visa to Canton star by critic and writer Virginie Sélavy
Ticket to Ride (2020, 18 mins): film historian Vic Pratt explores the film’s themes, characteristics and production history
Bond Before Bond (2020, 15 mins): appreciation of Edwin Astley’s score by David Huckvale, author of Hammer Film Scores and the Musical Avant-Garde
Original UK theatrical trailer
Image gallery: promotional and publicity materials
New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
Limited edition exclusive 36-page booklet with a new essay by Josephine Botting, an account of the RB-47 affair which mirrored events in Visa to Canton’s storyline, selected excerpts from the original Hammer publicity manual, 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, 12 mins): profile of The Pirates of Blood River actor by writer and film historian Kat Ellinger
Stephen Laws Introduces ‘The Pirates of Blood River’ (2020, 12 mins): appreciation by the acclaimed horror author
Andrew Keir at the Manchester Festival of Fantastic Films (1993, 21 mins): archival video recording of the acclaimed actor in conversation with Stephen Laws
Did I Write That? (2020, 43 mins): Jonathan Rigby, author of English Gothic, provides a personal account of the career of screenwriter Jimmy Sangster
Motifs of the Cheerful Heart (2020, 9 mins): appreciation of Gary Hughes’ score by David Huckvale, author of Hammer Film Scores and the Musical Avant-Garde
Yes, We Have No Piranhas (2020, 11 mins): video essay on the censorship history of The Pirates of Blood River
Original theatrical trailer
Brian Trenchard-Smith trailer commentary (2013, 3 mins): short critical appreciation
Image gallery: promotional and publicity materials
New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
Limited edition exclusive 36-page 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 SCARLET BLADE
High Definition remaster
Original mono audio
Two presentations of the film: The Scarlet Blade, with the original UK title sequence, and The Crimson Blade, with the alternative US titles
New audio commentary with Kevin Lyons, editor of The Encyclopedia of Fantastic Films and Television
Hammer’s Women: June Thorburn (2020, 19 mins): profile of The Scarlet Blade actor by film historian Josephine Botting
Stephen Laws Introduces ‘The Scarlet Blade’ (2020, 7 mins): appreciation by the acclaimed horror author
Doing Battle (2020, 8 mins): second assistant director Hugh Harlow and continuity supervisor Pauline Wise discuss the challenges of making the film
Almost an Auteur (2020, 28 mins): horror author and critic Kim Newman looks at the career of director John Gilling and considers the films he made for Hammer
Appropriately Military (2020, 12 mins): appreciation of Gary Hughes’ score by David Huckvale, 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 36-page booklet with a new essay by Neil Sinyard, Jeff Billington on the 1960s film career of Oliver Reed, a selection of extracts from the Hammer publicity manual, 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, 8 mins): profile of The Brigand of Kandahar actor by film historian Melanie Williams
Stephen Laws Introduces ‘The Brigand of Kandahar’ (2020, 9 mins): appreciation by the acclaimed horror author
Adventures in Filmmaking (2020, 20 mins): writer and historian Neil Sinyard examines the career and reputation of writer-director John Gilling
Afghan Ostinati (2020, 13 mins): appreciation of Don Banks’ score by David Huckvale, 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 36-page booklet with a new essay by Naman Ramachandran, an extensive selection of items from the original Hammer publicity manual and pressbooks, and film credits
World premiere on Blu-ray
