Directors like Tim Burton have cited the classic British horror movies produced by Hammer Films as huge influences on their work. Burton even used Hammer Films regular Christopher Lee in multiple movies, including his most direct tribute to British horror, Sleepy Hollow. Now after a long period of hibernation, Hammer Films is back! They produced this year's superb Let Me In, they are working on The Woman in Black, starring the grown-up Daniel Radcliffe, and now they've released the trailer for Wake Wood, their first original horror film since 1976. Get ready for Pagan rituals and people getting sucked into the ground.
The film concerns a couple that seeks help from their Pagan neighbors to resurrect their dead daughter. Based on this trailer, it doesn't look like this plan goes so well.
In contrast to Let Me In, Wake Wood looks much more like a throwback to the old school Hammer films of yesteryear that had lower budgets and a more exploitation film clichés. Okay, actually it looks so much like a throwback to those low-budget days that I'm still a bit surprised this is getting a theatrical release, though Blood Disgusting says that Dark Sky will roll it out in Spring 2011. Although, that terrible font at the end might make the trailer look worse than it actually is.
On the other hand, the creepy-cult-ritual plot the film employs is vastly underutilized these days. And I'm personally intrigued by the shot-on-VHS look of the film, which at least looks more authentic than the digital film scratches Robert Rodriguez used over HD video in Planet Terror. In fact, if you do a comparison with the trailers to Hammer's classic Dracula movies (below), this film looks a bit like they just woke up Rip-Van-Winkle style from a 40-year nap and made a movie like nothing had changed. Well, save for the cell phone...and that ridiculous font.
Verdict: If this truly comes out in theaters, sold.
[Via Empire]