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Vintage British science fiction horror abounds as more early Hammer classics make it onto DVD - at last!

X The Unknown and The Abominable Snowman

Following the release of Hammer classics The Quatermass Xperiment and Quatermass II, DD Video is issuing two more Hammer science fiction greats on video and DVD.

X The Unknown was only the second of Hammer's horror productions, but contained some of the most grisly and disturbing special effects seen in any of the company's films. As the film opens, mysterious events surround the sudden appearance of a gaping fissure in Scotland: soldiers on manoeuvres nearby develop a debilitating sickness and a small boy is later engulfed by an eerie ‘presence’.

In a further horrific turn of events, the child subsequently dies of first-degree radiation burns, similar to those that killed one of the soldiers.

Cthulu Mythos

Shades of H.P Lovecraft’s Cthulu Mythos stories – and the likes of William Hope Hodgson’s The House on the Borderland abound as the mysterious fissure begins to exert a malevolent influence on the surrounding countryside.

As the plot unfolds it transpires that mankind is at the mercy of a seemingly unstoppable organism that may have emerged from the chasm – an unknown entity that melts the flesh of all those in its path!

Atomic energy specialist Dr Adam Royston (played by Dean Jagger) and his colleague McGill (played by Leo McKern) are brought in to investigate the deadly phenomenon, which they trace to the depths of the mystery fissure. As the death toll rises, Royston devises a daring plan to snare the creature in a lethal radioactive trap...

The Second release, The Abominable Snowman, sees adventurer - and gun-runner - Tom Friend (played by Forrest Tucker) embarking on an expedition to Nepal in search of the fabled creature known as the Yeti, otherwise known as Abominable Snowman! He is joined on his expedition by botanist John Rollason (a first-rate performance, as ever from the face of so many Hammer horror films – as well as the movie incarnation of Doctor Who - Peter Cushing). Rollason’s scientific curiosity soon finds him at odds with Tucker's clear aim to capture and commercially exploit one of the creatures.

Misfortune

Misfortune dogs the expedition as it travels deeper into the Himalayan range, where trapper Ed Shelley (played by Robert Brown) succeeds in killing one of the giant animals. As the party's numbers rapidly dwindle, the ruthless Friend decides to use Shelley as bait in an effort to trap a live Yeti. The hunters soon become the hunted as a series of disturbing events lead Rollason to suspect that they are dealing with creatures of awesome intelligence.

Nigel Kneale's compelling screenplay for The Abominable Snowman was adapted from his own earlier 1955 BBC production of The Creature (which saw Cushing originate the role he returns to here, alongside Stanley Baker as Tom Friend).

The film was directed by Val Guest, who had already brought the first two instalments of Kneale's Quatermass saga to the big screen. Both feature films come with a wealth of bonus features on DVD and are taken from the original uncut British theatrical prints and are presented here in their original screen ratios.

This DVD release of The Abominable Snowman features audio commentaries by both Nigel Kneale and Val Guest, a filmed interview with Val Guest and a documentary on the considerable contribution Peter Cushing made to the legacy of the Hammer studios. In the same fashion, X The Unknown features an audio commentary and on-screen interview with writer Jimmy Sangster. Both DVDs include a 24-page booklet featuring rare stills and further information about the film.
Two more classic Hammer horror films will follow from DD: Frankenstein and The Monster From Hell and Captain Kronos, Vampire Hunter.

X The Unknown, The Abominable Snowman, The Quatermass Xperiment and Quatermass II are available from all video and DVD retailers as well as directly from DD.

More information available in DVD / Home Video