Sony’s ICONS OF SUSPENSE sets the highwater mark for releases in their ICONS series so far. This is the third in the series after ICONS OF ADVENTURE and ICONS OF HORROR to feature releases from England’s Hammer Films. Two other sets, ICONS OF SCIENCE FICTION, feature Japanese movies from Toho Studios and low budget offerings from producer Sam Katzman. There is also an ICONS OF HORROR set featuring Boris Karloff. All three Hammer releases have featured lesser known fare although Columbia Pictures (now part of Sony) released more Hammer offerings than any other major American studio. What makes this set especially appealing is that none of these films have appeared on DVD before and they are presented uncut and in their original aspect ratio which is key to at least two of the films (NEVER TAKE CANDY FROM A STRANGER, THESE ARE THE DAMNED) which feature stunning black and white cinematography. Unlike the previous two ICON releases, you get 6 movies with this set instead of 4.
All of the films were made and released between 1958 and 1963 after Hammer had made it big with their Gothic horror films. They also made a number of so called “psychological thrillers” in the vein of PSYCHO although some were made before it. Disk 1 has STOP ME BEFORE I KILL which dates from 1958 and shows the dark side of psychiatry. CASH ON DEMAND, from 1961, features a taut script and one of Peter Cushing’s best non-horror performances. Disk 2 has THE SNORKEL (1958) and MANIAC (1963), about a perfect crime and a twisted killer, are the least of the set but still worthwhile. Disk 3 is worth the whole package for it contains beautiful uncut versions of two 1960 classics NEVER TAKE CANDY FROM A STRANGER about pedophilia and THESE ARE THE DAMNED, a multi-layerd offering from Joseph Losey (THE SERVANT). If you enjoy quality cinema on a meager budget then check out what the Hammer team did with these 6 titles. CASH ON DEMAND and Disk 3 are so good, I could watch them over and over again.
The Capsule Critic 