![Hammer](https://cdn3.whatculture.com/images/2013/11/hammer.jpg)
Whenever one thinks of British horror films, one's mind usually flits to Hammer Horror films. Hammer is practically synonymous with the British horror movie - the classic Gothic tales of Vampires, Frankenstein and Mummies. The studio was most prolific between the 1950s and the 1970s, and thanks to distribution deals with big companies like Warner Bros, their films were watched by a very large worldwide audience. Hammer horror tends to be very tasteful. It does tackle things like madness, incest, child murder - but it does it in a classy, inoffensive way. The films are loaded with a morbid atmosphere and they are beautifully filmed - making great use of colour. The company produced classic horror film after horror film - usually starring Christopher Lee and/or Peter Cushing - two excellent horror stalwarts. Unfortunately in the late 70s, the horror film market became saturated and Hammer ceased productions in the 1980s. However the company was revived in the noughties by Dutch media tycoon John de Mol and new CEO Simon Oakes. Recent films produced by Hammer include: The Resident (2011) and The Woman in Black (2012). Notable Hammer successes are The Mummy, Dracula, Frankenstein - and all of these films generated a lucrative franchise each. But Hammer produced a heck of a lot of films and there are all sorts of odds and sods out there that maybe did not generate the excitement of the bigger titles but deserve our attention. These little nuggets of cinematic gold from Hammer are very quirky, often very scary and also on occasion, ahead of their time. It is time to get acquainted with underrated Hammer and admire the brilliance of these shimmering little gems. If you have your own favourite Hammer film, please tell us about it below.