CLARET | AN UNOFFICIAL HAMMER MAGAZINE #1 & #2

TITLE - CLARET | AN UNOFFICAL HAMMER MAGAZINE 

GENRE - BRITISH CINEMA/HAMMER HORROR FILMS 

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN - UNITED KINGDOM 

ISSUE NUMBERS - #1 & #2

76 PAGES 

PRICE - £7.50 each 

BOTH ISSUES AVAILABLE NOW FROM - https://claretzine.com/

"Claret" is a relative newcomer to the 'zine scene, and a welcome one, taking as its subject everyone's favourite '60s and '70s British horror movie studio, Hammer Films.

Tapping a nostalgic vein (you're welcome), everyone of a certain age can remember their first time watching a Hammer film, and there is a very good chance that it was late on a Saturday night with a dodged bedtime a distant memory. It is also likely that the film in question was one of the nine movies examined in issue 1 of Claret, namely a Dracula tale starring that legend of the screen, Christopher Lee. The nine Dracula/vampire films made by Hammer between 1958 and 1974 are assessed by writers who are clearly fans, and there are also supporting articles about various vampire myths and tropes. All articles are written with a healthy dose of irreverence as well as intelligence, and the failures as well as the successes of these movies are looked at equally. 

Issue 2, entitled "Devil Women" and with Ingrid Pitt herself in full Vampire Lovers mode, takes a welcome serious look at the ladies of Hammer who were very often the selling points of the movies, fair of face and heaving of bosom. But they weren't always the landlord's (played by Michael Ripper, natch) nubile daughter; they were often much deadlier than the male in surprisingly progressive films such as "Countess Dracula", "The Vampire Lovers", "She" and "Twins of Evil". This issue has pieces by both male and female writers. 

Articles are generally about 3-4 pages long. To avoid copyright infringement and no doubt to keep costs down, the zines contain no photographs, relying instead on excellent original drawings of actors and scenes from the films. The glorious covers are an indication of the quality to expect. This accentuates the DIY aspect of zines and the publication is all the better for it. Each issue comes with a postcard and bookmark with artwork matching the covers, and there are also very funny fake ads at the back of the magazine. An open invitation for submissions for issue 3 informs the reader that the subject next time will be Hammer's mad scientists, and their often unsuccessful experiments. The issues are perfect bound and display the same high production values of many zines that are currently available; if you read publications like "Black Dog" and "Hellborezine" you'll know what to expect from the size and quality of "Claret". 

This is a fanzine made with skill, by fans who know and love the subject. Meticulously researched, honest and unbiased, "Claret" is highly recommended for Hammer fans (that's basically everybody) and deserves support. 

CINEMA OF THE '70s | ISSUE 5 | TWO VARIANT COVERS

 

TITLE - CINEMA OF THE '70s | ISSUE 5

EDITED BY - DAWN & JONATHON DABELL 

GENRE - BRITISH CINEMA/1970s

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN - UNITED KINGDOM 

100 PAGES 

TWO VARIANT COVERS WITH IDENTICAL CONTENT, FEATURING OLIVER REED AND VANESSA REDGRAVE IN "THE DEVILS", ARE AVAILABLE NOW FROM AMAZON, ALONG WITH THE PREVIOUS ISSUES. 

Issue 5 of “Cinema of the “70s” is the first I’ve picked up and I’m very glad I took a punt. The magazine has a pleasing, DIY “zine” feel and is full of very intelligent and interesting articles, with highlights including an excellent piece on one of my favourite ‘70s films, the somewhat forgotten medical thriller “Coma” (in fact it was this article that prompted me to buy the mag), Ken Russell’s groundbreaking ‘70s output (including the brutal classic “The Devils”, the stars of which, Oliver Reed & Vanessa Redgrave, adorn this issue’s two full colour variant covers) and on the gritty and violent (even more so than the TV series) big-screen Sweeney films.

There are also several equally good articles on lesser-known ‘70s movies like “The Late Show”, “Punishment Park” and “Red Sun”. There is plenty of screenshots, publicity and original lobby cards even though it’s a small-scale publication. There is also some stunning original artwork depicting “The Devils”, caricatures and obituaries.

Definitely a labour of love, the magazine is perfect for film aficionados and fans of 1970s cinema. It’s not as glossy as a mainstream movie magazine, but it is honest, packed with content and very well put together; the writing team’s love of movies shines through to produce a varied, multi-genre celebration of a glorious and important decade in film. The quality of the writing means the magazine is more than the sum of its parts. Now I’m going to buy the rest of the issues!

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BEDABBLED! #6

TITLE - BEDABBLED! #6

EDITED BY - MARTIN JONES 

GENRE - BRITISH CINEMA/CULT FILMS 

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN - UNITED KINGDOM 

57 PAGES

AVAILABLE NOW FROM AMAZON 

Bedabbled! is an independent movie ‘zine examining British horror and cult cinema; right up my alley. The magazine is slim, but never mind that, feel the quality.

Each issue has an overarching theme with issue #6, subtitled “The Room Inside Your Head”, being a study of “inner spaces”, both physical and mental. The first article is a deep-dive into the themes of decadence and duplicity in the films “Performance” and “The Servant” by Rik Rawling. The piece is thought-provoking and vivid, a dense and stimulating read in two parts that demands close attention.

Next up is a brief yet evocative piece on “The Innocents” by Martin Jones written in the style of the poetry of Emily Dickinson’s poetry - an analysis of the film through its images, as fragile and haunting as the movie itself. This article has made me look at one of my favourite films in a totally different way.

Sarah Morgan examines the 1967 curio “Our Mother’s House”, touching on general themes of children in films, usually either angels or little devils, and how the kids in this film are often both. Morgan provides a lot of interesting behind the scenes information and having seen the film a long time ago, this article has made me want to watch it again. Sarah Morgan also covers Hammer Films oddity “Demons of the Mind”. This is another excellent and well-researched article on a criminally underrated film.

“What Became of Jack and Jill?” is succinctly analysed by Adam Parker-Edmondston who makes a little-known movie sound like a must-watch; no mean feat. I’m back on familiar ground with Matthew Callingham’s fun piece on Amicus’ portmanteau classic “The House That Dripped Blood”. There are also a couple of supporting articles on “Twinky” and “Erotic Inferno”; not films I’m familiar with but it’s good that lesser-known films are being reappraised, and I am tempted to seek them out.

Overall, Bedabbled! is a very well-written and competently produced publication, with intelligent articles by writers who really know their subject. The issue’s evocative cover by Derek Gray sets the tone and features, I believe, a recreation of a scene from “The Innocents”, tying-in with the article, featuring a candle-bearing lady ascending a creepy staircase, who may even be Emily Dickinson herself. All the articles are thematically very closely linked which is a good thing, and the magazine is illustrated throughout with original stills, all monochrome, but of an acceptable quality and welcome in an unofficial publication. On the strength of this issue, I will keep buying Bedabbled! and I can happily recommend it to enthusiasts of British horror and cult films as one of the best ‘zines of its kind currently available.

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