Search - The Abominable Snowman on DVD

NOT genuine Anchor Bay

Ford Prefect | 05/22/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"The three star rating here isn't for the film, which is one of Hammer's finest early films. It's for the DVD. Read the description carefully and be advised - This is NOT a DVD, but a DVD-R. I don't know who makes it, but despite what Amazon says, and what the case liner says, it most certainly ISN'T Anchor Bay, who apparently no longer have the rights to distribute the Hammer films. The genuine Anchor Bay copy is on Amazon too, at the usual ridiculous astronomical scalper prices - $516.76 REALLY! This DVD-R, with the usual blurry copy of the cover sheet, and a generic label on the disk, is almost certainly an illegal copy.

Having said that however, it's also apparently copied from the genuine disk, as it looks virtually identical. The picture isn't quite as good as the real one (which I have), but it's not bad. A bit darker and less sharp, but by no means bad. About what you'd expect from a copy of the original. Everything is exactly the same, and all the extras are there - the commentary etc., so if you don't feel like selling your house to get a genuine copy, which is rather hard to get now, this is an OK choice. Just know what you're getting.

As for the film itself - As I said, it's one of Hammer's best of the first wave, having been made the same year as Curse of Frankenstein. Not exactly horror, nor quite science fiction, but somewhere in between. With a literate script by Nigel Kneale from his own BBC teleplay version, (which also starred Cushing, but with Stanley Baker instead of Forrest Tucker as Tom Friend, and which like so many other BBC productions of the time, sadly no longer exists,) the film has good pacing and the usual fine performance from Cushing, and from Tucker as well. Filmed in Hammerscope (2.35:1) I believe it was their first really widescreen film, the other early horrors being shot 1.66:1. And it was (wisely I believe) shot in black and white, which adds to the eerie atmoshpere of the setting, on the snowy Himalayan peaks. Avoiding showing the creature outright adds an air of mystery, and the film treats it's subject matter with respect. It is probably the only film about the Yeti which is any good, not that there are that many. It's definetely worth owning. I'd give the film four stars, the DVD-R three."

The Abominable Snowman

Max Sun | 01/08/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The Abominable Snowman proves that you don't need a mega budget to produce an excellent movie. The treatment of the subject matter, the Yeti, is surprising. Not surprising that the great Nigel Kneale would create an intelligent story. The acting is superb. Peter Cushing became a fixture and headliner in Hammer movies about this time. This dvd has a nice special feature on Cushing. By all accounts, it was wonderful to be a part of the Hammer Family. The sets depicting the Himalayas are very atmospheric. The location footage, shot in the French Pyrenees, is also excellent. The director is the very talented Val Guest. Can't say enough about how delightfully surprised I was concerning the depiction of the Yeti. Who the Yeti were, why they were living in the awesomely foreboding Himalayas, their intelligence(and superintelligence), and their protection by the lama. The ending is haunting. Engrossing film. The Abominable Snowman is a triumph of the Horror/Sci-Fi Genre!
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Ice Screams!!

Robin Simmons | 09/28/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

""THE ABOMINABLE SNOWMAN"This is an unexpectedly involving movie with a great look.Forrest Tucker is greedy Tom Friend looking for a new side show attraction in this pristine black and white widescreen transfer of a gripping, thoughtful, artistic Hammer Films classic from the 1950s. Tucker, aided by Peter Cushing's sensitive scientist Dr. Rollason, set off into the Himalayas to find the legendary eponymous creature in a surprisingly intelligent adventure. Vast, lonely mountain vistas and a large, finely detailed monastery make a believable setting in which the hunters ponder life, their dilemma and the great yeti - who apparently has the ability to play mind games until the hunters become the hunted! The sound design, including the hair-raising, echoing, whale-like moans of the yeti and the oriental music score add considerably to the authentic atmosphere. In the entertaining bonus audio track, Droll director Val Guest and writer Nigel Kneale make reference to the similar adventures of millionaire Tom Slick as a source of inspiration. When it's all over, you will long remember the sad, wise eyes of the snow beast and will have no doubts about who the real monsters are. This is the best of the sub genre of bigfoot/abominable snowman films. And yes, there are others. (DVD from Anchor Bay Entertainment, no regional code restrictions, not rated, 88 minutes)"

The Call of the Wild.

Robert S. Clay Jr. | St. Louis, MO., USA | 04/24/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Before Frankenstein cursed, before Dracula horrified, Hammer Studios found the Abominable Snowman. This is an intelligent sci-fi/horror flick that poses probing questions of man vs. nature. The austere tone of the film is enhanced by the bleak B&W photography, and captures the grim atmosphere of remote Tibet. Peter Cushing and Forrest Tucker disagree over what to do with the creature, even before capture. Tucker is American Tom Friend, and his interest is strictly commercial. Cushing is John Rollason, a dedicated scientist. Rollason is more interested in solving the scientific conundrum than gaining a profitable circus attraction. As their expedition reaches distant heights and snowy peaks, strange cries in the night presage tragedy. The script takes an unusual perspective as it suggests that the yeti are not missing-link predators, but intelligent, superior beings. Questions of man's relevance vs. nature's inevitability rank this film well above the more common sci-fi/horror schlock of pseudo-science and cheesy special effects. Soul-searching aside, goosefelsh rises when the men realize that killing one yeti caused a chorus of plaintive wailing across the mountains. Whatever they are, they are communicating with each other, and they are coming this way. Darkness and howling winds add to the eerie atmosphere as the expedition succumbs to madness and death. Ironically, the yeti are passive, and standby as the feeble men self-destruct. The director suggests terror without overt display. You may feel compelled to quickly turn and see what lurks behind you. The film ends on an enigmatic note. This movie is fine for collectors of classic horror flicks, and for the ranks of HammerHeads assembled. ;-)"