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During the early sixties, alongside its more famous Gothic horrors, Hammer also produced series of suspense thrillers inspired by the success (and plotlines) of Henri -Georges Clouzot's Les Diaboliques and Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho.
The first of these was the classic Taste of Fear, written and produced by the prolific Jimmy Sangster. Set on the French Riviera, it concerns a wheelchair-bound heiress plagued by visions of her dead father, and stars American actress Susan Strasberg alongside (by now) Hammer regulars Christopher Lee and Ronald Lewis. The film proved to be a huge success for Hammer, its twisted plot with a tortured heroine becoming a template for their thrillers which followed into the 1970s.
- High Definition remaster
- Original mono audio
- Two feature presentations: Taste of Fear, with the rarely seen original UK title sequence, and Scream of Fear, with the alternative US titles
- Audio commentary with Kevin Lyons, editor of The Encyclopedia of Fantastic Film and Television
- Body Horror: Inside 'Taste of Fear' (2019, 20 mins): Alan Barnes, Kevin Lyons and Jonathan Rigby explore aspects of the film's production
- Hammer's Women: Ann Todd (2019, 12 mins): profile of the Taste of Fear actor by Melanie Williams, author of Female Stars of British Cinema: The Women in Question
- The BFI Southbank Interview with Jimmy Sangster (2008, 68 mins): archival audio recording of the celebrated filmmaker and screenwriter in conversation with Marcus Hearn at London's National Film Theatre
- The BEHP Video interview with Jimmy Sangster (2008, 117 mins): archival video recording, made as part of the British Entertainment History Project, featuring Sangster in conversation with Jonathan Rigby
- The BEHP Interview with Douglas Slocombe, Part Two: From Hammer to Spielberg (1988, 82 mins): archival audio recording featuring the renowned cinematographer in conversation with Sidney Cole
- Fear Makers (2019, 9 mins): camera operator Desmond Davis and assistant sound editor John Crome recall the making of the film
- Anxiety and Terror (2019, 25 mins): appreciation of Clifton Parker's score by David Huckvale, author of Hammer Films' Psychological Thrillers, 1950–1972
- Super 8 version of Scream of Fear (20 mins): original cut-down home cinema presentation
- Original US Scream of Fear theatrical trailer
- Sam Hamm trailer commentary (2013, 2 mins): short critical appreciation
- Image gallery: promotional and publicity materials
- New and improved subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
- Powerhouse Films
- 82 mins approx
- Seth Holt
- 12
- Susan Strasberg
- Ronald Lewis
- Ann Todd
- Christopher Lee
- English SDH
- 1961
- English
- 1
- B
- Powerhouse Films
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4 instalments of £2.49 with clearpay Learn more
Delivery & Returns
During the early sixties, alongside its more famous Gothic horrors, Hammer also produced series of suspense thrillers inspired by the success (and plotlines) of Henri -Georges Clouzot's Les Diaboliques and Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho.
The first of these was the classic Taste of Fear, written and produced by the prolific Jimmy Sangster. Set on the French Riviera, it concerns a wheelchair-bound heiress plagued by visions of her dead father, and stars American actress Susan Strasberg alongside (by now) Hammer regulars Christopher Lee and Ronald Lewis. The film proved to be a huge success for Hammer, its twisted plot with a tortured heroine becoming a template for their thrillers which followed into the 1970s.
- High Definition remaster
- Original mono audio
- Two feature presentations: Taste of Fear, with the rarely seen original UK title sequence, and Scream of Fear, with the alternative US titles
- Audio commentary with Kevin Lyons, editor of The Encyclopedia of Fantastic Film and Television
- Body Horror: Inside 'Taste of Fear' (2019, 20 mins): Alan Barnes, Kevin Lyons and Jonathan Rigby explore aspects of the film's production
- Hammer's Women: Ann Todd (2019, 12 mins): profile of the Taste of Fear actor by Melanie Williams, author of Female Stars of British Cinema: The Women in Question
- The BFI Southbank Interview with Jimmy Sangster (2008, 68 mins): archival audio recording of the celebrated filmmaker and screenwriter in conversation with Marcus Hearn at London's National Film Theatre
- The BEHP Video interview with Jimmy Sangster (2008, 117 mins): archival video recording, made as part of the British Entertainment History Project, featuring Sangster in conversation with Jonathan Rigby
- The BEHP Interview with Douglas Slocombe, Part Two: From Hammer to Spielberg (1988, 82 mins): archival audio recording featuring the renowned cinematographer in conversation with Sidney Cole
- Fear Makers (2019, 9 mins): camera operator Desmond Davis and assistant sound editor John Crome recall the making of the film
- Anxiety and Terror (2019, 25 mins): appreciation of Clifton Parker's score by David Huckvale, author of Hammer Films' Psychological Thrillers, 1950–1972
- Super 8 version of Scream of Fear (20 mins): original cut-down home cinema presentation
- Original US Scream of Fear theatrical trailer
- Sam Hamm trailer commentary (2013, 2 mins): short critical appreciation
- Image gallery: promotional and publicity materials
- New and improved subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
- Powerhouse Films
- 82 mins approx
- Seth Holt
- 12
- Susan Strasberg
- Ronald Lewis
- Ann Todd
- Christopher Lee
- English SDH
- 1961
- English
- 1
- B
- Powerhouse Films
Customer Reviews
Top Customer Reviews
Customer reviews are independent and do not represent the views of Zavvi.
One of Hammer Horror’s Most Satisfying Films
If you like Psycho (1960) or What Lies Beneath (2000), or anything similar to either of those two films, then you’re likely to enjoy Taste of Fear. This is an atypical film by Hammer Productions. Once you’ve seen it, the temptation may be to go back and watch it again because it seems like it was produced by someone else…yet it wasn’t. Even Sir Christopher Lee, who co-stars in this film, described it as being probably Hammer’s best film. You’d never think that the South of France could be such a sinister place until you watch this film… Rest assured, whilst parts of it border on horror, it is largely a psychological thriller and a fantastic one at that. Don’t double think it: just get it! It doesn’t disappoint!
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