Features – Page 3

June 21, 2023June 21, 2023

Stallone, Willis, Lundgren and Jones are ready for you this July on LEGEND

An unstoppable Stallone, a bad-cop Bruce Willis, and classics from the beginning of genre cinema marks a memorable month of premieres on LEGEND, highlighted by the UK TV premieres of the star-filled action thrillers A CERTAIN JUSTICE, starring Dolph Lundgren and Vinnie Jones, and THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME starring Tom Berenger and Bruce Dern.

Fans of American rapper 50 Cent can tune in to see him star in two films – crime thriller GUN, co-starring Val Kilmer and ESCAPE PLAN 3, the final instalment in the Escape Plan franchise, which also stars Sylvester Stallone. Both are Channel premieres. There is also a Channel premiere for action thriller FIRST KILL, which stars Bruce Willis and Hayden Christensen.

Plus, this month’s popular THE VINTAGE VAULT strand celebrates the great days of the movies, spanning the thirties and forties, with four classic Channel premieres: THE GHOUL (1933) starring the great Boris Karloff, SON OF FRANKENSTEIN (1939), starring Bela Lugosi, THE INVISIBLE MAN RETURNS (1940), starring Vincent Price, and THE MUMMY’S TOMB (1942), starring Lon Chaney Jr.

Here’s the full info:

We start on the 1st with a thrilling channel premiere, GUN. Put a gun in the hands of a man and it becomes good or evil, depending on whose finger is on the trigger. Starring 50 Cent and Val Kilmer, the movie tells the action-packed story of how men on both sides of the law cross that barrier and turn basic metals into weapons of wealth, justice, revenge and power. The Vintage Vault on the 2nd contains the monochrome masterpiece THE GHOUL (1933). Egyptologist and Professor Henry Morlant (Boris Karloff) thinks an ancient jewel will give him powers of rejuvenation if it is offered up to the god Anubis. But when Morlant dies, his assistant Laing (Ernest Thesiger) steals the jewel. While a gaggle of interlopers, including a fake vicar (Ralph Richardson), descend on the professor’s manor to steal the jewel for themselves, Morlant returns from the dead to punish everyone who has betrayed him. This is followed by another classic from Universal, THE INVISIBLE MAN. Claude Rains plays a mysterious doctor who discovers a serum that makes him invisible. Covered by bandages and dark glasses, Rains arrives at a small English village and attempts to hide his amazing discovery. But the same drug that renders him invisible slowly drives him to commit acts of unspeakable terror. Based on H.G. Wells’ classic novel and directed by the master of macabre James Whale, it fuelled a host of sequels, but also features some special effects that are still imitated today.

ESCAPE PLAN 3 on the 8th brings the celebrated franchise to an action-packed conclusion. After security expert Ray Breslin (Stallone) is hired to rescue the kidnapped daughter of a Hong Kong tech mogul from a formidable Latvian prison, Breslin’s girlfriend (Jaime King) is also captured. Now he and his team, including Trent DeRosa (Dave Bautista) and Curtis (50 Cent) must pull off a deadly rescue mission to confront their sadistic foe and save the hostages before time runs out. We’re back in the Vintage Vault on the 9th and first up we meet the SON OF FRANKENSTEIN where, in this second follow-up to the horror film classic, Boris Karloff gives his final performance as Frankenstein’s monster. In this instalment, Basil Rathbone plays the son of Dr. Frankenstein, who inherits not only his father’s home, but also his inert project in the basement. Horror film legend Bela Lugosi gives a commanding performance as Ygor, the monster’s malevolent and haggard caretaker. THE MUMMY’S HAND follows and concerns two broke archeologists, Steve Banning (Dick Foran) and Babe Jenson (Wallace Ford), who along with magician Solvani the Great (Cecil Kellaway) and his daughter, Mara (Peggy Moran), head to Egypt to uncover the legendary sarcophagus of Princess Ananka. Not only is the tomb cursed, but it also has its own guard- an eternal mummy named Kharis! When expedition members start dying at the mummy’s hand, it’ll take wits and courage to survive the undying horror uncovered under the sands.

On the 15th we bring you the UK TV premiere of A CERTAIN JUSTICE. After returning home from a tour of duty overseas, John (Dolph Lundgren) finds himself struggling with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. What little peace he has built around him is shattered when he rescues a local prostitute from a group of violent Aryan Brotherhood pimps. Hell-bent on payback, the gang’s leader orders the brutal slaying of John’s family. It is time for John to unleash the full extent of the unrelenting rage and grief within him. THE INVISIBLE MAN RETURNSis the first movie showing in the Vintage Vault on the 16th. Wrongly accused of murdering his brother, Geoffrey Radcliffe (Vincent Price) is found guilty and sentenced to die. But when sympathetic Dr. Griffin (John Sutton) injects him with a serum that renders him invisible, Radcliffe is able to escape and search for the real culprit. With Inspector Sampson (Cecil Kellaway) of Scotland Yard hot on his trail, Radcliffe begins to suspect that a recent hire in his family’s mining company might have the answers he seeks. A classic team-up to beat them all follows, FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLFMAN..Two of the silver screen’s most fearsome creatures battle it out when the Wolfman seeks to end his life and looks to the notorious Dr. Frankenstein for help. Featuring the original Wolfman, Lon Chaney, Jr. and Bela Lugosi (“Dracula”) as Frankenstein’s monster.

FIRST KILL on the 22nd is a channel premiere that will have you on the edge of your seat. In an attempt to reconnect with his son, Wall Street broker Will (Hayden Christensen) takes his family on a hunting trip to the cabin where he grew up. The trip takes a deadly turn when they witness the murder of a robber. After becoming entangled in a bank heist gone bad, which results in his son being kidnapped, Will is forced to help the kidnappers evade the police chief (Bruce Willis) and recover the stolen loot in exchange for his son’s life. We’re back in the Vintage Vault on the 23rd and start by entering THE MUMMY’S TOMB. Kharis (Lon Chaney Jr.) is back in this sequel to The Mummy’s Hand. Although assumed to have been killed by Stephen Banning (Dick Foran) in the previous film, Andoheb (George Zucco) has miraculously survived and is now, with the help of Kharis. planning a terrible revenge on both Banning and his entire family. Sci-Fi thrills follow in IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE. John Putnam (Richard Carlson), an amateur astronomer, is looking at the skies with his fiancee, schoolteacher Ellen Fields (Barbara Rush), when they see what looks like a huge meteor crash into the desert. As events unfold, various townspeople start to disappear, including Ellen, to be replaced by alien “duplicates.” As the townspeople become aware of the danger, the likelihood of bloodshed becomes apparent.

Another UK TV premiere for you on the 29th, we dare you to play THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME. A father and son are shipwrecked on a remote island where they are caught up in a trophy hunt held by its mysterious owner, a merciless man who uses the land as an elite hunting preserve for stalking the most dangerous game of all: human. Stars Tom Berenger, Judd Nelson, Bruce Dern, Casper Van Dien. Our final Vintage Vault double is on the 29th and starts with REVENGE OF THE CREATURE. Two oceanographers (John Bromfield and Robert B. Williams) capture the creature and put him on display. Here the hapless Gill-Man is taught a few words of English by compassionate ichthyologists, John Agar and Lori Nelson. Eventually, however, the creature reverts to type, kills one of his captors and goes on a rampage, managing to abduct the heroine and carry her off. Intense underwater photography and practical effects make “The Revenge of the Creature” a horror classic. We stay in the water for the next movie, THE PHANTOM FROM 10,000 LEAGUES. When a post-mortem finds that a murdered fisherman was exposed to unusual amounts of radiation, Dr. Ted Stevens (Kent Taylor) decides to investigate. Out looking for clues, he meets a young beauty named Lois (Cathy Downs), whose father runs a local marine biology lab. Ted discovers that the elder King’s secret experiments with atomic energy have resulted in the creation of a murderous aquatic beast, and he must act fast to prevent more needless deaths.

June 20, 2023June 20, 2023

Kim Newman checks out the treats we have in the Vintage Vault this July

This month’s celebrated Vintage Vault selections on LEGEND are all examples of early franchise horror from the great days of the movies, spanning the thirties and forties.

It was in 1931 that the horror film really came together as a film genre at Universal Pictures, when Tod Browning directed Bela Lugosi as a suavely purring vampire Count in Dracula and James Whale put Boris Karloff in flat head and big boots as the Monster in Frankenstein. After that great one-two, not only was the horror film a viable commercial and artistic property, but the studios began to see the genre as what a later film industry would call a franchise – indeed, an interlocking series of franchises which would eventually prove the template for so much 2020s blockbuster cinema. The first assembly line horror picture might have been The Mummy (1932), a rewrite of Dracula tailored for the star of Frankenstein, adding Egyptian curses and bandaged baddies to the canon of classic monster themes.

Here’s the rundown of LEGEND‘s July premieres…

The Ghoul (1933) – Channel Premiere, Sunday July 2, 9pm.

‘What was the idea of bandaging his hand like that?’

I canna say. He had many a queer fancy.’

Dying Egyptologist Professor Morlant (Boris Karloff) insists he be buried with a valuable jewel taped to his hand, so he can revive in the tomb and perform a ritual he believes will give him eternal life. Various parties scheme to get hold of the jewel. Having become a horror star in Hollywood, Boris Karloff returned in triumph to Britain for the first time in decades to take the leading role – reminiscent of his just-completed turn in The Mummy – in this homegrown stab at taking back some of the gothic action from the upstart Americans. A hollow-eyed Karloff expires in bed surrounded by grasping Dickensian grotesques like the club-footed butler (Ernest Thesiger) and an untrustworthy lawyer (Cedric Hardwicke), who then compete to get hold of his fortune. In the climax, Karloff revives in the tomb and lumbers zombie-like as he tries to offer up the sacred scarab to a statue of Anubis. The plot is a combination of proven properties like The Cat and the Canary (heirs and schemers gather in an isolated house to get hold of treasure) and The Moonstone (knife-wielding foreigners out to reclaim the jewel stolen from their ancient culture) and has as much silly comedy, like the spinster who is overly-impressed by an Egyptian on the strength of having seen Rudolf Valentino in The Sheik too many times, as it does proper creepy stuff. A young Ralph Richardson enjoys his screen debut as an unctuous curate who turns out to be another crook who has set enough gunpowder under Karloff’s tomb to allow for an explosive finale.

Son of Frankenstein (1939) – Channel Premiere, Sunday July 9, 9pm

‘What’s going on at Castle Frankenstein? The whole village is alarmed with anxiety!’

‘My men report nothing but quiet.’

‘Quiet? There’s nothing so ominous as quiet.’

Universal discontinued horror production in 1936, reacting to a ban on such films from our old friends at the British Board of Film Censors. However a successful 1938 double-bill reissue of Dracula and Frankenstein convinced the studio there was still commercial life in their monsters. Son of Frankenstein – originally planned to be shot in colour, until make-up tests revealed a less-than-impressive greenish monster – was the super production mounted to demonstrate the continued viability of the genre. Directed not by eccentric visionary James Whale but by solid professional Rowland V. Lee, Son began the second wave of monster films – and is in its own way as deliciously strange and experimental as Whale’s Frankenstein films. With a big horror name cast and Jack Otterson’s stylised production design, it is an A feature, the last of the series to be aimed primarily at an adult audience. Invoking Whale’s black wit, Lee gets fine, hysterical work from top-billed Basil Rathbone as Baron Wolf von Frankenstein, who plays perfectly off Bela Lugosi’s whiskery, sly, broken-necked Ygor and Lionel Atwill’s clipped, one-armed, monocle-polishing Inspector Krogh. Karloff’s Monster is upstaged, reduced to a mute thug, while the plot involves a string of revenge killings which makes the film feel like a precursor to the body count slasher films of the 1980s.

The Invisible Man Returns (1940) – Channel Premiere, Sunday July 16, 9pm

‘Between you and me sir I’ll have to see him before I believe he’s invisible.’

Having made sequels to Frankenstein, Dracula and The Mummy, Universal sought to add another fiend to their franchise roster by going back to James Whale’s The Invisible Man (1933) – based on H.G. Wells’ novel – and came up with a new spin on the story to showcase the remarkable effects work of John P. Fulton. With Karloff and Lugosi getting on a bit and the original Invisible Man Claude Rains moved on to A pictures, the studio introduced a possible new horror star in velvet-voiced Vincent Price, who purrs maniacally from behind bandages or as a disembodied voice. Here, Frank Griffin (John Sutton), the brother of Rains’ character, helps out a pal, Geoffrey Radcliffe (Price), who has been accused of a murder he didn’t commit. Unseen sleuth Radcliffe sets out to determine which above-suspicion character actor is the real killer. It’s the only invisible man movie in which the see-though megalomaniac is involved in a boardroom battle to get control of his family’s Yorkshire coal mine.

The Mummy’s Tomb (1942) – Channel Premiere, Sunday July 23, 9pm

‘Whether you can believe it or not, the facts are here and we’ve got to face them. A creature that’s been alive for over 3,000 years is in this town.’

The Mummy’s Hand (1940) isn’t a sequel to The Mummy (1932), but a reboot – using images, footage, plot elements and make-up design from the original haunted romance for an action-adventure film which replaced actor Karloff with stuntman Tom Tyler under the bandages. Universal then decided Lon Chaney Jr, a horror star on the strength of The Wolf Man, would play all their monster roles in succession – he returned as the Wolf Man and had stabs at the Frankenstein Monster and Dracula, but also did three curse quickies as Kharis, the limping mummy. In this brisk follow-up to The Mummy’s Hand, Kharis is transported to America by a turban-wearing Turhan Bey, the latest High Priest of Oogedy-Boogedy, and gets vengeance on the survivors of the previous film (Dick Foran, Wallace Ford) – an early instance of the Scream habit of offing legacy characters – before shambling away to menace a new generation of tomb-defilers and lech after the latest nifty number in a smart 1940s nightgown (Elyse Knox).

May 23, 2023May 23, 2023

You want suspense and action? Well, Legend has both and much more this June

Female avengers, waring brothers and a coffin-bound Ryan Reynolds spearheads and dangerously heart-racing May line-up on LEGEND, highlighted by the UK TV premieres of Howard J. Ford’s award-winning child-abduction horror drama NEVER LET GO, revenge Western ANY BULLET WILL DO, action thriller ACTS OF VENGEANCE, starring Antonio Banderas and British action-adventure war film MERCENARIES.

Plus, there are Channel premieres for English-language Spanish survival thriller BURIED, starring Ryan Reynolds, and INTERVIEW WITH A HIT MAN, starring Luke Goss as a deadly hitman with a secret past.

THE VINTAGE VAULT continues to chill Sunday nights with its popular classic genre double-bills, which, this month, include the channel premieres of Robert Young’s erotic masterpiece VAMPIRE CIRCUS and THE UNCANNY, a gruesome, blood-curdling collection of horror short stories, starring Peter Cushing, Ray Milland, Joan Greenwood, Susan Penhaligon and Donald Pleasence.

Here’s the LEGEND LOWDOWN for June:

We kick-off with the UK TV premiere of ANY BULLET WILL DO. During the great American Civil War, two brothers find themselves on opposing sides. Ten years later, Hollis Ransom, now a ruthless head hunter, sets out on a bloody path through Montana and Wyoming, fighting outlaws, evading Indians, and finally meeting his brother in an epic battle that will seal both men’s fates once and for all. Moving to the 3rd and another UK TV premiere, Howard Ford’s NEVER LET GO. Lisa Brennan (Angela Dixon), a single mother on vacation in a foreign land, takes the law into her own hands when her child is abducted. Trusting no one, and stopping at nothing, she weaves her way through the murky backstreets and barren landscapes in an epic journey to find her daughter against incredible odds.

THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD on the 4th is part of THE VINTAGE VAULT. Adapted by Psycho author Robert Bloch from his own short stories, this Amicus horror anthology is set in an English country home where. Inspector Holloway (John Bennett) is called on to investigate the bloody deaths of four tenants. Directed by Peter Duffell, this superior anthology stars Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Denholm Elliott, Ingrid Pitt and Jon Pertwee. The as part of the same strand don’t miss BLOOD ON SATAN’S CLAW. When a mysterious corpse is accidentally dug in a small town, a group of local teens starts acting very strangely. The adolescents, led by a girl named Angel (Linda Hayden), are convinced the corpse was once possessed. They start to act out a series of demonic rituals, with devastating consequences. This 17th century British supernatural horror film is directed by Piers Haggard and stars Patrick Wymark, Linda Hayden, and Barry Andrews.

Another UK TV Premiere comes to Legend on the 10th, ACTS OF VENGEANCE. Action speaks louder than words when a fast-talking criminal lawyer, Frank Valera (Antonio Banderas) takes a vow of silence – transforming his body and his mind to embark on a quest to avenge the murder of his wife and daughter. We’re back in THE VINTAGE VAULT on the 11th where we have a tickert booked for VAMPIRE CIRCUS. A circus arrives at a Serbian village to perform a show for the local inhabitants. Many of them believe that the plague that has gripped their village is the result of a curse inflicted on them years before by Count Mitterhouse, a vampire. Unbeknown to them, the leader of the circus is the Count’s cousin intent on reviving his relative and having his revenge. Keep hold of those tickets for after we’ve been to the circus we’re taking a trip on the DEATH LINE. Set on the London Underground, this moody shocker features brilliant horror icon Donald Pleasance in the lead role as a cockney copper. Hammer Horror star Christopher Lee also shows up in a small cameo. Directed by Gary Sherman this is one of Guillermo del Toro’s all-time favourites.

How about yet another UK TV premiere? On the 15th we meet the MERCENARIES. When the Serbian Prime Minister is assassinated, an elite special ops team, led by ex-British S.A.S serviceman turned mercenary Andy Marlow (Robert Fucilla) is called in to pull Europe back from the brink of war. Also stars Billy Zane. More action on the 17th as we conduct an INTERVIEW WITH A HITMAN. Ater his final mission goes wrong, an elite hitman known as Viktor (Luke Goss), travels to London in an attempt to erase his past, and being a new life. But he encounters a deadly threat and is forced to confront buried secrets.

BEWARE MY BRETHREN on the 18th kicks off another VINTAGE VAULT double. Led by a sinister minister (Patrick Magee), zealous religious sect The Brethren have taken control of widow Birdy Wemys, sending her unstable son, Kenny, into a descent of madness and murder. No woman is safe when Kenny’s religious mania overpowers him and leads to a rampage of carnage and chaos. This gritty story of lust, murder and terror, now a favourite cult horror, is directed by Robert Hartford-Davies. Following on from this we’ve an appointment at HORROR HOSPITAL. Jason Jones (Robin Askwith), a disillusioned songwriter, checks into Brittlehouse Manor, a ‘health resort’ where people are supposedly cured of all their hang-ups. It is run by the sinister Dr Storm (Michael Gough). who performs lobotomies on his young patients, and it isn’t long before Jones realises that his life is in danger.

A claustrophobic contemporary hit on the 24th, take a deep breath for BURIED. Imagine waking up in the dark and realising that you’ve been buried alive with nothing but a lighter, a mobile phone and only 90 minutes of oxygen left. Ryan Reynolds delivers a compelling performance as everyman, Paul Conroy who has to that his fears, frustrations and dark emotion in order to remain focused on staying alive. Our final VINATGE VAULT on the 25th is a multi-story masterpiece, THE UNCANNY Author Wilbur Gray (Peter Cushing), who is convinced that cats are conspiring to replace the human race as masters of the earth, narrates three bizarre tales of feline terror. This blood-curdling collection of horror short stories also stars Ray Milland, Joan Greenwood, Susan Penhaligon and Donald Pleasence. Then it’s Hammer time with TO THE DEVIL A DAUGHTER. Henry Beddows (Denholm Elliott) asks occult novelist John Verney (Richard Widmark) to protect his young daughter, Catherine (Natasha Kinski), who, although in the sanctuary of the Order of the Children of the Lord. has attracted the attention of ex-communicated priest Father Michael Rayner (Christopher Lee), who wants Catherine to become the incarnation of one of the crowned princes of Hell, Astaroth. Pitted against black magic, ancient rituals and a clan of Satanists, Verney battles to save the young girl from a diabolical fate.

April 25, 2023April 25, 2023

Legend reveals slate of horror, sci-fi and action premieres for May

Sociopathic drivers, haunted soldiers and a vengeful Nicholas Cage, spearhead an action-packed May line-up on LEGEND, highlighted by the UK TV premieres of Western psychological thriller WAR ON THE RANGE and compelling suspense actioner VENGEANCE, starring Nicholas Cage.

Plus, there are Channel premieres for HIDDEN AGENDA, starring a gun-toting, high-kicking Dolph Lundgren, suicide mission drama LAST PASSENGER, starring Dougray Scott, high-octane crime thriller PAYDIRT, starring Val Kilmer and Luke Goss and John Frankenheimer’s gripping, highly-acclaimed YEAR OF THE GUN, starring Sharon Stone.

THE VINTAGE VAULT continues to haunt Sunday nights with its popular classic genre double-bills, which, this month, include cult favourites WITCHFINDER GENERAL, THE DEVIL RIDES OUT and LUST FOR A VAMPIRE.

The weekends are further enhanced by the continuation of the ever-popular original series of sci-fi anthology classics, THE TWILIGHT ZONE.

We kick off on the 4th with a UK TV premiere, saddle up for WAR ON THE RANGE. In post-Civil War Texas, two neighbouring families are grieving tragic losses while they struggle to survive. The cattle-ranching McCluskeys have lost both a son and their entire herd to the war. The Rileys, mourning the loss of wife and mother Mary to illness, eke out a living trapping animals and selling their pelts. When Wade returns from fighting for the Confederacy, he discovers that the McCluskey family have been stealing animals from his family’s traps. He decides to take matters into his own hands, sparking yet another tragic and senseless war. This rural drama stars James Badge Dale and William Forsythe. High-octane action on the 6th with Dolph Lundgren HIDDEN AGENDA. Former government agent Jason Price (Lundgren) is now a hit man for top government agencies. His high-tech operation never makes a wrong move. But when a mysterious competitor known as The Cleaner infiltrates his system and begins a killing spree, Jason finds himself caught in a frightening spiral where no one can be trusted.

The Vintage Vault on the 7th starts off with a Hammer classic, THE WITCHES. Following a horrifying experience with the occult in Africa, a schoolteacher (Joan Fontaine) moves to a small English village, only to discover that a mysterious magic resides there as well. Directed by Cyril Frankel and co-starring Alec McCowen this production, was adapted from the 1960 novel The Devil’s Own. This is followed by one of the most celebrated British horror movies ever, WITCHFINDER GENERAL. Set during the English Civil-War, Matthew Hopkins (Vincent Price), tours the Eastern counties instigating witch-hunts and extracting ‘confessions’ under torture. When a young woman, Sara (Hilary Dwyer), is raped by Hopkins and her priest father murdered, Sara’s lover, Richard Marshall (Ian Ogilvy), vows revenge. The last and best film of director Michael Reeves’ tragically brief career, Witchfinder General has received broad critical admiration.

Moving onto the 13th as Dougray Scott stars in LAST PASSENGER. Lewis Shaler (Scott) is an overworked doctor and devoted single dad heading home with his young son Max on the last train from London. He strikes up a promising relationship with Sarah (Kara Tointon), but events take a dark turn when Lewis discovers the guard has mysteriously vanished and the brakes have been sabotaged. THE CURSE OF THE CRIMSON ALTER kicks off The Vintage Vault on the 14th. Mark Eden, in search of his brother, stumbles upon a coven led by the civilized-looking Christopher Lee who is enacting the revenge of his witch ancestor (Barbara Steele burned in the 17th century. Also starring Boris Karloff as a local witchcraft expert. this adaptation from Lovecraft’s Dream in the Witch House was shot in the allegedly haunted house of W S Gilbert and is the only time Lee, Karloff and Steele appear in the same film. It is also the last British film that Karloff made. This is followed by another classic, THE BLOOD BEAST TERROR. A 19th-century entomologist’s daughter undergoes a metamorphosis into a giant death’s head moth which needs human blood to survive. Her father creates a giant moth to keep her company, but only succeeds in unleashing more blood-sucking terror. Meanwhile, a police inspector (played by Peter Cushing) tries to find the key to the series of gruesome murders.

A hard-hitting drama has its UK TV premiere on the 19th, VENGEANCE. An adaptation of the Joyce Carol Oates novella Rape: A Love Story. Nicholas Cage plays John Dromoor, a police officer investigating a case involving the gang rape of single mother Teena Maguire, which occurred in front of her 12-year-old daughter Bethie. After the attackers get off scot-free, John attempts to get justice by any means necessary. PAYDIRT is showing on the following evening where criminal gang leader Damien Brooks (Luke Goss) is recently out on parole. He reconnects with his old crew to find the cash they stole and buried as a result of a DEA bust. However, they are being monitored by Sheriff Tucker (Val Kilmer), a retired officer who knows that Damien and the gang are still up to no good.

A Hammer double on the 21st starting with THE DEVIL RIDES OUT. The powers of good are pitted against the forces of evil as the Duc de Richelieu (Christopher Lee) wrestles with the deadly Satanist, Mocata (Charles Gray) for the soul of his friend, who has become deeply involved in a satanic society run by Mocata. Furthermore, De Richleau’s daughter is kidnapped by the cult and put up for sacrifice to the Angel of Death. Sex-swapping scares follows, DR. JEKYLL AND SISTER HYDE. Young Doctor Jekyll pursues his search for a drug to prolong life. He tries his potion on himself and to his horror finds it changes him into a young and beautiful woman. So Sister Hyde is born, who stalks the dark alleys of Whitechapel for young, innocent, female victims, ensuring continuation of the bloodstained research. With each transformation Sister Hyde becomes the more dominant personality, determined to eventually suppress the ineffectual Dr Jekyll forever.

YEAR OF THE GUN on the 27th concerns American novelist David Raybourne (Andrew McCarthy) who accidentally becomes entangled in the Red Brigade’s terrorist plan to kidnap Italian Premier Aldo Moro during a research trip to Rome. As the terrorists attempt to kill David, he and his photojournalist friend (Sharon Stone) must struggle to stay alive. Our final Vintage Vault visit on the 28th is another Hammer double starting with SCARS OF DRACULA. Count Dracula, (Christopher Lee), once again spreads his evil from his mountaintop castle. When libertine Paul Carlson disappears one night, his more sober brother Simon and his girlfriend trace him to the area, discovering a terrified populace. Thrown out of the inn, they make their way, like Paul before them, towards the sinister castle and its undead host. This sequel to “Taste the Blood of Dracula” (1968), also stars Dennis Waterman, Jenny Hanley, Patrick Troughton, and Michael Gwynn. Another blood-sucker follows, LUST FOR A VAMPIRE. The enigmatic Carmilla (Yutte Stensgaard) enrols as a student in an exclusive girls’ finishing school and proceeds to wreak havoc among pupils and teachers alike. Among those who fall victim to her striking and sensual beauty is the school’s new English teacher Giles Barton (Ralph Bates), who at first refuses to credit the ugly rumours about her true vampiristic nature. But, following the death of a colleague, and as the toll among the girls mounts, Barto he is reluctantly forced to face the truth…

March 22, 2023March 24, 2023

Vintage Vault leads the way on Legend this April

THE VINTAGE VAULT continues to brighten up Sunday nights with its popular classic horror double-bills, including the Channel premiere of cult sci-fi comedy mystery THE TERRORNAUTS, starring Simon Oates, Charles Hawtrey and Patricia Hayes. You can also journey into the history of 60s genre cinema with Jack The Ripper thriller A STUDY IN TERROR (1965), psycho horror BLACK TORMENT (1964), DR TERROR’S HOUSE OF HORRORS (1965), starring Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing, THE PLAGUE OF THE ZOMBIES (1966), Hammer’s sole foray into the Zombie genre, THE REPTILE (1966). Another Hammer mid-’60s shift away from the traditional staples of Dracula and Frankenstein, THE SORCERERS (1967), the debut feature of cult-director Michael Reeves, Terence Fisher’s DRACULA: PRINCE OF DARKNESS (1966), FRANKENSTEIN CREATED WOMAN (1967), the fourth of Hammer’s Frankenstein series starring Peter Cushing and eco sci-fi chiller NIGHT OF THE BIG HEAT (1967).

April’s entertaining slate of premieres is spearheaded by the UK premieres of action thrillers EVERY LAST ONE OF THEM, starring Richard Dreyfuss, and MONEY PLANE, starring Kelsey Grammer and Denise Richards. Plus, there are Channel premieres for air highjack thriller EXECUTIVE COMMAND, starring Bryan Cranston, high-octane crime adventure AN EYE FOR AN EYE (1981), starring Chuck Norris and Christopher Lee, and tense detective thriller STANDOFF, starring Laurence Fishburne and Thomas Jane.

Let’s start on the 1st and the channel premiere of EXECUTIVE COMMAND. A group of terrorists steal a deadly toxin and then hijack a plane that has the vice president on board. But the only man who can stop them is Dr Rick Harding (Michael Didikof), the toxin’s inventor. In a race against time, can Harding be found and can he stop the terrorists? Co-stars Bryan Cranston. The Vintage Vault on the 2nd has double you need to stay in for starting with A STUDY IN TERROR. In this Sherlock Holmes tale, Arthur Conan Doyle’s legendary 19th-century British sleuth is on the trail of Jack the Ripper. The trail takes Holmes (John Neville) from the lowest rungs of society all the way to the peak of the aristocracy, discovering blackmail and family insanity everywhere he goes. Also features Judi Dench, Barbara Windsor and Robert Morely. This classic is followed by THE BLACK TORMENT. When Sir Richard (John Turner) returns to his manor with his new wife. he hears rumours that he had already secretly returned and had committed several murders. Has he lost his mind, or is something dark afoot? Also stars Heather Sears and Patrick Troughton.

Moving onto the 7th and a classic, action-packed thriller for you, AN EYE FOR AN EYE. Sean Kane (Chuck Norris) is forced to resign from the San Francisco Police Department’s Narcotics Division when he goes berserk after his partner is murdered. He decides to fight alone and follows a trail of drug traffickers into unexpected high places. Also stars Christopher Lee. The Vintage Vault double on the 9th starts with the anthology DR TERROR’S HOUSE OF HORRORS. Just as a train departs, a mysterious stranger, Dr Shreck, enters the carriage with his pack of tarot cards to tell the fortunes of five fellow passengers. The cards predict that every one of them will suffer a terrible death, but will fate deal them the same hand. Stars Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. A Hammer classic is resurrected straight after, THE PLAGUE OF THE ZOMBIES. Directed by John Gilling, this is Hammer’s sole foray into the Zombie genre and attracted the scrutiny of the British Board of Film Censors, who expressed concerns over the scene where a lumbering corpse (Jacqueline Pearce) is decapitated with a spade. The support feature to Dracula Prince of Darkness may have been a B movie with no star names, but it is widely regarded to be a superior film.

EVERY LAST ONE OF THEM on the 14th concerns a desperate to find his missing daughter, Jake Hunter (Paul Sloan), tracks her last known whereabouts to a small desert town. As Jake uncovers the truth about his daughter’s whereabouts the answers become terrifyingly clear and he goes on a merciless quest for revenge. Also stars Richard Dreyfuss. Action-packed thrills on the 15th, STANDOFF. When Isabelle (Ella Ballentine), a young girl with a knack for photography, sees something she shouldn’t, an assassin (Laurence Fishburne) follows her to a lone farmhouse, inhabited by grieving Carter Green (Thomas Jane). Unable, and unwilling to hand the girl over, Carter vows to protect her from the ruthless hitman. The Vintage Vault on the 16th starts with a Hammer classic, THE REPTILE. Harry and Valerie inherit the Cornwall home of Harry’s brother, who died under mysterious circumstances. The couple’s neighbour, the hostile Dr. Franklin (Noel Willman), had been investigating a secret tribe of snake-people on his last trip to Borneo, and they had reacted to his intrusion by making Anna, his daughter, one of them. As a result, she turns into a hideous cobra-woman every winter. This is followed by another British chiller, THE SORCERERS. A scientist and his wife possess a device that enables them to impose, through telepathy, their fantasies on people and allows them to experience sensations felt by their subjects. They take control of a teenager and have him live out what they associate with contemporary youth: violence and sex. This disturbing and powerful film is the debut feature of cult-director Michael Reeves and stars Boris Karloff, Catherine Lacey and Ian Ogilvy.

A UK TV premiere on the 22nd, Kelsey Grammer stars in MONEY PLANE. A professional thief with $40 million in debt and his family’s life on the line must commit one final heist – rob a futuristic airborne casino filled with the world’s most dangerous criminals. More Hammer goodness in The Vintage Vault on the 23rd starting with DRACULA: PRINCE OF DARKNESS. Christopher Lee stars in this chilling tale of four English tourists who become stranded in the Carpathian mountains. When a driverless coach appears and takes them to a sinister castle, can they survive the night? Directed by Terence Fisher and also starring Andrew Keir and Barbara Shelley. This is followed bytThe fourth and one of the best of Hammer’s Frankenstein series, FRANKENSTEIN CREATED WOMAN. Frankenstein (Peter Cushing) once again experimenting with human bodies. This time he transplants the soul of an executed young man into the disfigured body of the young man’s female lover, Christina, who had committed suicide. But the revenge impulse of her male soul takes over and she seeks out those who brought about her/his unjust execution.

A nerve-shredding thriller will be waiting for you on the 29th, NARROW MARGIN. Robert Caulfield (Gene Hackman), the DA of Los Angeles, has been protecting Carol Hunnicut, a prime witness in a murder case. But he was careless and they are forced to hide on a train going to Vancouver. But the mafia killers are on board. As the train speeds around the Rocky Mountains, how will they escape the trained hit men? The final Vintage Vault double for April starts with a rarely seen classic, THE TERRORNAUTS. Joe Burke heads a radio telescope project at a British observatory, hoping to pick up signs of life from another planet; thus far, the team has reported no positive results. But just when the project is about to be cancelled, Burke discovers a faint signal the same mysterious signal that intrigued and haunted him as a child and decides to respond. Doomwatch star Simon Oates takes the lead role in this cult ’60s sci-fi gem, adapted from visionary author Murray Leinster’s novel ‘The Wailing Asteroid’. Also features typically comedic turns from Patricia Hayes and Charles Hawtrey. Things start to awrm up after this as we experience NIGHT OF THE BIG HEAT. A freak heat wave sends the temperatures soaring on a remote island. Dr Stone (Peter Cushing) and Callum (Patrick Allen) try to uncover the mysterious reason for the sudden change in climate. But the arrival of Callum’s former mistress (Jane Merrow) forces the atmosphere to boiling point and it falls to Godfrey Hanson (Christopher Lee) to discover that the rising heat is the start of an invasion of merciless aliens…

February 25, 2023February 25, 2023

The Vintage Vault delivers a Circus of Horror in March!

THE VINTAGE VAULT continues to haunt Sunday nights with its popular classic genre double-bills, headed up this month by the Channel premiere of Sidney Hayers’ notorious British cult classic, CIRCUS OF HORRORS.

Here’s what the VINTAGE VAULT has lined-up for March:

March the 5th brings sci-fi shudders to your screens starting with THE MONOLITH MONSTERS. A meteor crashes in the desert, leaving behind huge black chunks. While being analysed in a science lab, the crystalline stones are accidentally drenched with water and begin to grow to gargantuan dimensions. A sudden rainstorm further exacerbates the situation, causing the monoliths to grow to hitherto unimagined heights. Can the world be saved by the saline solution which the scientists are hurriedly developing in the lab? This is followed by an invisible enemy in FIEND WITHOUT A FACE. A scientist’s thoughts materialize as an army of invisible brain-shaped monsters (complete with spinal-cord tails!) who terrorize an American military base in this nightmarish chiller. This independently made British black-and-white cult classic was directed by Arthur Crabtree and stars Marshall Thompson, Kynaston Reeves, Michael Balfour, and Kim Parker.

The following Sunday will have you grabbing your crucifix as Hammer’s DRACULA is first on. On a search for his missing friend, Jonathan Harker (John Van Eyssen), vampire hunter Dr. Van Helsing (Peter Cushing) is led to Count Dracula’s (Christopher Lee) castle, where he finds an undead Harker in Dracula’s crypt and discovers that the count’s next target is Harker’s ailing fiancee, Lucy Holmwood (Carol Marsh). With the help of her brother, Arthur (Michael Gough), Van Helsing is determined to protect Lucy and put an end to Count Dracula’s parasitic reign of terror. We follow this with a drive-in classic, THE BLOB. Two teenagers, Steve (Steven McQueen) and his best girl, Jane (Aneta Corseaut), notice a shooting star fall to earth, destroying an elderly man and growing to a terrifying size. The blob continues to grow, killing many, until the teenagers, with the aid, of policeman Dave (Earl Rowe) discover a way to stop it.

More classic chills from Hammer on the 19th, this time we have the horror all wrapped-up in THE MUMMY. In 1895 Egypt, a team of British archaeologists led by John Banning, opens the tomb of Princess Ananka, despite warnings of a death curse which will fall upon any desecrators. Three years later in England, a vengeful Egyptian man arrives and unleashes the living mummy Kharis on the men. This superior Hammer Films production reunites the director, Terence Fisher, with stars Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. After this you get a chance to meet the FIRST MAN INTO SPACE. Brash U.S. Navy test pilot, Lieutenant Dan Prescott, hungry for fame, rockets himself beyond Earth’s atmosphere on test flight Y-13, only to become encrusted with cosmic dust and return to earth as a blood-drinking monster. Directed by Robert Day, it stars Marshall Thompson, Marla Landi, Bill Edwards, and Robert Ayres.

The Channel Premiere of CIRCUS OF HORRORS kicks of our final VINTAGE VAULT for March. A deranged plastic surgeon (Anton Diffring) takes over a traveling circus, then transforms horribly disfigured young women into ravishing beauties and coerces them to perform in his three-ring extravaganza. But when the re-sculpted lovelies try to escape, they begin to meet with sudden and horrific accidents. “The Grisliest Show on Earth” is about to begin. Donald Pleasence and Yvonne Monlaur co-star in this notorious 1960 British cult classic from director Sidney Hayers. Our final movie for the month is a true classic, 13 GHOSTS. When occultist Dr Plato Zorba leaves a huge ramshackle house to his nephew Cyrus and his impoverished family, they are shocked to find the house is haunted. Their new residence comes complete with Doctor Zorba’s housekeeper, Elaine Zacharides, plus a fortune in buried treasure and twelve horrifying ghosts. However, there is someone in the house who is also looking for the money and is willing to kill for it…This infectious supernatural horror is directed by William Castle and stars Charles Herbert, Jo Morrow, Rosemary DeCamp, Martin Milner and Donald Woods.

February 21, 2023February 21, 2023

Urban drama, murderous soldiers and ruthless avengers provide a menacing and mesmerising March line-up on LEGEND

Urban drama, murderous soldiers and ruthless avengers provide a menacing and mesmerising March line-up on LEGEND, headed up by the Channel premiere of Ralph Nelson’s controversial, anti-racist masterpiece SOLDIER BLUE. There are also UK TV premieres for twisty who-dunnit WESTERN WORLD and MEMORIAL DAY, Samuel Fischer’s painfully emotional war drama.

Plus, there are Channel premieres for Brit cult action thriller FEAR IS THE KEY, based on the novel of the same title by Alistair MacLean, HE WHO DARES, an explosive terrorism thriller, directed by Paul Tanter and tough crime drama FIGHTING BACK, starring Tom Skerritt.

The weekends are further enhanced by the continuation of the Channel premiere of the ever-popular original series of sci-fi anthology classics, THE TWILIGHT ZONE.

We start the month with the UK TV premiere of WESTERN WORLD on the 2nd from Lana Read. When US Marshall Moses White is called to the town of Dogwood Pass to track down a ruthless killer, he runs into a lot more than he bargained for. A corrupt mayor and an unhinged sheriff stand in the way of justice and Moses might just have to shoot his way out. In Western World it’s kill or be killed. Then on the 4th discover FEAR IS THE KEY. John Talbot’s wife, child and brother were traveling as passengers in a cargo plane carrying priceless gemstones when it was shot down. Years later Talbot (Barry Newman), a ruthless, stop-at-nothing man who is in trouble with the police, is captured by a vicious crook who tells him his only chance of survival is to use his expertise in helping to recover a treasure which lies four hundred feet beneath the sea.

Hard-hitting urban drama on the 11th, the Channel Premier of HE WHO DARES. The SAS, Britain’s elite Special Forces unit, take on an utterly ruthless terrorist cell who have kidnapped the Prime Minister’s daughter. Cue insane car chases, intense hand to hand combat, and ferocious gun battles. Stars Simon Phillips and Tom Benedict Knight. Directed by Lewis Teague, FIGHTING BACK on the 17th stars Tom Skerritt as an Italian-American deli owner who organises a People’s Neighbourhood Patrol along paramilitary lines, and mounts a violent campaign to restore the local park to his kids.

One of the most infamous movies of the 70s comes to LEGEND on the 18th, SOLDIER BLUE. The movie follows the adventures of Honus (Peter Strauss) and Cresta (Candice Bergman), the only remaining survivors of a Cheyenne Indian attack, as they journey across the unforgiving wilderness of the old west in search of refuge. It’s a journey that reaches a tragic climax as they bare witness to the relentlessly brutal and cold-blooded slaughter of the Cheyenne tribe. Ralph Nelson’s brutal Western still remains one of the most poignant yet horrific dramatisations of America’s dark history. We end the month as we started, with a UK TV Premiere, MEMORIAL DAY. Bud has spent years putting the horrors of his time as a U.S. soldier in WWII behind him. But when 13-year-old Kyle Vogel discovers his grandfather’s long hidden footlocker he is forced to confront the horrors of his past and the epic battles that scarred him during WWII, but also into Kyle’s future, and his traumatic tour of duty in modern day Iraq. This moving war drama stars James Cromwell and Jonathan Bennett.

January 29, 2023January 29, 2023

The Vintage Vault will open once more in February.

THE VINTAGE VAULT continues to light up Sunday nights with its popular classic genre double-bills so here’s what we have planned for you:

On Sunday the 5th we begin with IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE. John Putnam (Richard Carlson), an amateur astronomer, is looking at the skies with his fiancee, schoolteacher Ellen Fields (Barbara Rush), when they see what looks like a huge meteor crash into the desert. As events unfold, various townspeople start to disappear, including Ellen, to be replaced by alien ‘duplicates’. As the townspeople become aware of the danger, the likelihood of bloodshed becomes apparent. Based on a story by Ray Bradbury. This is followed by a sequel which will have you cowering with fear, REVENGE OF THE CREATURE. Two oceanographers (John Bromfield and Robert B. Williams) capture the creature and put him on display. Here the hapless Gill-Man is taught a few words of English by compassionate ichthyologists, John Agar and Lori Nelson. Eventually, however, the creature reverts to type, kills one of his captors and goes on a rampage, managing to abduct the heroine and carry her off. Intense underwater photography and practical effects make this a horror classic.

A Channel Premiere starts the double on the 12th, THE PHANTOM FROM 10,000 FEET. When a postmortem finds that a murdered fisherman was exposed to unusual amounts of radiation, Dr. Ted Stevens (Kent Taylor) decides to investigate. He meets Lois (Cathy Downs), whose father, Professor King (Michael Whalen), runs a local marine biology lab. Ted discovers that the Professor’s secret experiments with atomic energy have resulted in the creation of a murderous aquatic beast, and he must act fast to prevent more needless deaths.

A truly classic creature feature follows, IT CAME FROM BENEATH THE SEA. While on a routine mission, Cmdr. Pete Mathews (Kenneth Tobey) runs into trouble when his submarine is nearly sunk by an unknown creature, which is identified as a giant octopus from the nether reaches of Mindanao Deep. The beast has been awakened by nearby nuclear testing and now, radioactive and monstrously huge, the rampaging leviathan is heading toward the North American Pacific Coast.

Terror from above starts the Vintage Vault on the 19th, EARTH VS THE FLYING SAUCERS. UFOs from a doomed star system invade Earth with plans of world conquest. Surrender is not an option so the human race must fight to the bitter end. This classic has stunning effects by the legendary Ray Harryhausen. Then we go underground for our next movie, THE MOLE PEOPLE. John Bentley (John Agar), leads a Middle Eastern expedition in search of a lost tribe of Sumerians. He and his cohorts follow a tunnel deep below the surface of the earth, eventually coming across a tyrannical tribe of albino Sumerians, who use the semi-human Mole People as slaves. Aware of the danger the scientists pose, the subterranean High Priest wants them eliminated.

Our final double of the month is on the 26th with the cult classic THE GIANT CLAW. When a strange flying object is spotted, it is believed to be a UFO. However, it turns out to be an extraterrestrial bird made of anti-matter which leaves a trail of death and destruction in its wake. We end with a monochrome masterpiece from Hammer, THE ABOMINABLE SNOWMAN. An adaptation of a drama by Nigel Kneale, creator of the Quatermass series, this horror fantasy stars Peter Cushing as scientist John Rollason, who, ignoring his wife’s objections, joins an expedition lead by brash American Tom Friend (Forrest Tucker). They are searching for the legendary yeti in the high Himalayas – a quest with deadly consequences

January 19, 2023January 19, 2023

John Cusack, Morgan Freeman and Sean Connery are just some of the stars joining LEGEND in February

Dangerous outlaws, crazed serial killers and murderous aquatic beasts haunt a fearsome February line-up on LEGEND, headed up by the UK TV premiere of JESSE JAMES THE UNSTOPPABLE OUTLAW, a thrilling Western in which the famous cowboy takes on the deadliest ride of his life.

Plus, there are Channel premieres for serial killer thriller THE FACTORY, starring John Cusack, BRAKE, a dark action drama starring Stephen Dorff and the 1975 Brit crime thriller RANSOM, starring Sean Connery and Ian McShane.

There are further Channel premieres for the psychological horror thriller MINDSCAPE, starring Mark Strong and Brian Cox and JOHNNY HANDSOME, Walter Hill’s gritty 1989 American neo-noir crime thriller, starring Mickey Rourke, Ellen Barkin, Forest Whitaker and Morgan Freeman.

February also sees the continuation of the Channel premiere of the ever-popular original series of sci-fi anthology classics, THE TWILIGHT ZONE each weekend at 8.30pm.

So, let’s start on the 4th with the channel premiere of THE FACTORY. An obsessed detective, Mike Fletcher (John Cusack), is on the trail of a serial killer prowling the streets of Buffalo, N.Y. but when his teenage daughter disappears, he drops any professional restraint to get the killer. Directed by Morgan O’Neill. BREAK on the 9th concerns Special agent Jeremy Reins (Stephen Dorff) wakes up in total darkness, confused and disorientated. The only light comes from the blood-red digital numbers ticking away above his head. Jeremy quickly realizes he’s in trouble He’s trapped in the trunk of a moving car. As his captors reveal their motives, Jeremy realises he won’t be set free until he discloses classified Government information he has sworn to protect… If you like classic drama then RANSOM on the 11th is the movie for you. Attempting to secure the release of political prisoners, a terrorist group, led by the fierce Ray Petrie (Ian McShane), takes over a British plane. Tough Scandinavian operative Nils Tahlvik (Sean Connery) is sent in to deal with the armed men and free the aircraft’s passengers. Unfortunately for Tahlvik, the terrorists prove to be quite formidable.

We head back in time on the 16th for JESSE JAMES THE UNSTOPPABLE OUTLAW. Jesse James (Paul Clayton) is possibly the most famous, and dangerous, outlaw in the history of the Wild West. Renowned for his audacious robberies, he has always been advised to stay away from the infamous Black Train. But going against all the advice, Jesse will take on the most dangerous robbery of his career as he takes on the mysterious and dangerous Black Train. Brain-bending sci-fi on the 18th in MINDSCAPE. A detective (Mark Strong), who has the ability to enter people’s memories, takes on the case of a troubled teenage girl. However, he needs to determine whether she is a sociopath capable of murder, or a victim of trauma.

Urban drama on the 25th in the acclaimed movie JOHNNY HANDSOME. Johnny, a disfigured petty criminal (Micky O’Rourke) is given plastic surgery in prison. and, unrecognisable as his former self. Doctors hope Johnny’s new look will help him to reform, but he is bent on settling the score with the gang who killed his only friend and left him to carry the can for their last heist.

December 30, 2022December 30, 2022

Vintage Vault in January has plenty of chills for you to enjoy

The Legend Vintage Vault in January has double-bills packed with tension, thrills and good old-fashioned scares. Here’s what we have lined-up for you:

New Year’s Day has the first showing of THE ASPHYX at 9pm. Utilising an experimental photographic device, a scientist (Robert Stephens) captures what appears to be the image of the Asphyx-the ancient Greek spirit of the dead. With the help of his adopted son (Robert Powell), he discovers a way to harness the Asphyx and gain immortality, unleashing dreadful consequences. Blending elements of Gothic horror with the more contemporary ingredients of steampunk, The Asphyx has emerged from obscurity to become a cult favourite of the sci-fi/fantasy genre. This is followed at 10.45pm by the Hammer classic TWINS OF EVIL . After being orphaned, two beautiful identical twins move from Vienna to the village of Karnstein. There they are to live with their Uncle, a fanatical Puritan (Peter Cushing). Nearby, the Count of the village is performing a sacrificial rite which raises his ancestor, the vampire Countess. He turns his attention to the twins. One of them is destined to fall under the castle’s spell, but which one?

On the 8th we start off at 9pm with a stroll down the corridors of a mental asylum where your mind will not believe what your eyes in TALES THAT WITNESS MADNESS. In the tradition of Tales from the Crypt and Creepshow, this anthology of pulp horror stories is helmed by horror master Freddie Francis and the legendary cast includes Donal Pleasance, Joan Collins, Kim Novak, Jack Hawkins and Suzi Kendall. The channel premiere of HORROR HOSPITAL follows at 10.50pm. Jason Jones, a disillusioned songwriter (played by Robin Askwith) decides a change of pace is needed and checks into Brittlehouse Manor, a ‘health resort’ where young people are supposedly cured of all their hang-ups. It is run by the sinister Dr Storm (Michael Gough) a crippled, demented genius who performs lobotomies on his young patients. It isn’t long before Jones realises that his life is in danger, and with the help of Strom’s assistant (Skip Martin), he tries to escape…

A TV classic starts of the double-bill on the 15th, DOOMWATCH. Dr Del Shaw (Ian Bannen), part of the government’s investigative environmental organisation Doomwatch, travels to the island of Balfe to examine the potentially adverse effects of a recent oil spill. The villagers are all suspicious of Shaw, especially the menfolk, who seem to have transformed into near-Neanderthals. After teaming up with a local teacher, Shaw discovers that the transformation of the men is due to a disease called acromegaly. Hammer’s final horror of the 1970s is at 10.50pm, TO THE DEVIL A DAUGHTER. Henry Beddows (Denholm Elliott) asks occult novelist John Verney (Richard Widmark) to protect his 18-year-old daughter, Catherine (Natasha Kinski). She has attracted the attention of ex-communicated priest Father Michael Rayner (Christopher Lee), who wants Catherine to become the incarnation of one of the crowned princes of Hell, Astaroth. Pitted against black magic, ancient rituals and a clan of Satanists, Verney battles to save the young girl from a diabolical fate.

A pair of monochrome masterpieces are waiting for you on the 22nd starting at 9pm with THE INVISIBLE MAN. Claude Rains plays a mysterious doctor who discovers a serum that makes him invisible. Covered by bandages and dark glasses, Rains arrives at a small English village and attempts to hide his amazing discovery. But the same drug that renders him invisible slowly drives him to commit acts of unspeakable terror. Based on H.G. Wells’ classic novel and directed by the master of macabre James Whale, The Invisible Man not only fuelled a host of sequels, but also features some special effects that are still imitated today. The celebrated sequel, BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN follows at 10.25pm. Once again James Whale is in the director’s chair as we discover Mary Shelley’s monster alive and well and forcing the good baron to create a mate. Horror film icon Boris Karloff reprises his role as Dr Frankenstein’s fabled creation and Elsa Lanchester co-stars as his monstrous lady love.

We’ve another pair from of Universal classics on the 29th, the first being THE MUMMY’S HAND. Two broke archaeologists, Steve Banning (Dick Foran) and Babe Jenson (Wallace Ford), head to Egypt to uncover the legendary sarcophagus of Princess Ananka. Not only is the tomb cursed, it has its own guard – an eternal mummy named Kharis! When expedition members start dying at the mummy’s hand, it’ll take wits and courage to survive the undying horror uncovered under the sands. FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLFMAN at 10.20pm is our final movie from the Vintage Vault. Two of the silver screen’s most fearsome creatures battle it out when the Wolfman (Lon Chaney Jr. reprising his role) seeking to end his curse, looks to the notorious Dr Frankenstein for a cure. However, his mission pus him on a collision course with Frankenstein’s monster, played by Bela Lugosi. Directed by Roy William Hill, this was the first of a series called “monster rallies” combining characters from several film series.