LONDON.- This Halloween Idea Generation opens the crypt doors to launch London’s most frightening festival – the Hammer House of Horror Festival.

The Hammer House of Horror Festival brings together a terrifying program of film screenings, ghost tours, readings, and an exhibition featuring never-seen-before artwork from their classic and upcoming films, rare and original posters and behind the scenes photos from Britain’s most successful film company Hammer.

The Hammer Horror Festival will be event you’ll want to get your teeth stuck into as the exhibition, forming the back bone of the festival, unearths images from Hammers classic subjects and genres including Hammer Horror, Frankenstein, Dracula, The Living Dead, Thrillers, Science Fiction and Hammer Glamour. There’ll also be an exclusive chance for Hammer fans to catch the first glimpse of artwork from yet to be released Hammer film Let Me In (2010).

Images and posters dug up from the archives of the most famous and successful independent British film company, Hammer will be displayed at the Idea Generation Gallery celebrating the horror, drama, suspense and glamour of the seminal films which propelled Hammer to cult status.

The exhibition will offer an exclusive look at previously unseen photos, prints and artworks from an array of classic Hammer films, behind the scenes photos of stars including Christopher Lee, Ursula Andress, Oliver Reed, Raquel Welch, Peter Cushing & Bette Davis and an exclusive look at artwork from upcoming Hammer releases.

The exhibition will give an insight into Hammer’s incredible legacy with posters and prints from The Brides of Dracula (1960), The Phantom of the Opera (1961) and Hammer House of Horror (1980) displayed alongside terrifying images from The Curse of Frankenstein (1956) and original posters from The Horror of Frankenstein (1970).

Fans will be invited to look if they dare at the spine tingling images from classic pictures The Mummy (1959), Dracula (1957) and The Abominable Snowman (1957). The exhibition will also provide an exclusive look at Hammer’s renowned erotic period, featuring artwork from films such as Lust for a Vampire (1970), The Vampire Lovers (1970) and Slave Girls (1966).

Titan Books will also be launching their latest release, Hammer Glamour, at the exhibition. The book features rare and previously unpublished photographs from Hammer’s archive and private collections worldwide. Featuring new interviews, Hammer Glamour celebrates Hammer’s female stars including Ingrid Pitt, Martine Beswick, Caroline Munro, Barbara Shelley, Joanna Lumley, Nastassja Kinski, and Raquel Welch.

Katy Wild, Editorial Director of Titan Books said: “Hammer is an enduring brand, much beloved for the classic movies that everyone knows, but also now associated with brand new exciting quality film-making.

”We are proud to be associated with this exhibition which celebrates the Hammer heritage and ties in with the publication of our book Hammer Glamour, a fabulous tribute to the beautiful women who featured in Hammer movies over the years, written by Hammer authority, Marcus Hearn.”

Marcus Hearn, Hammer Horror historian said of the exhibition: “The Hammer Horror genre has not long been fifty years old and what better way to show off its rich heritage than with an exhibition during Halloween. Most of the items on the show either haven’t been seen since the respected films were released, if ever, so it will be great to be able to finally share them with the public.”

The Exhibition at Idea Generation Gallery will include:
…
• Hammer Horror original posters: Populating our towering 30ft main exhibition wall.

• Behind the scenes: An exclusive look at previously unseen photos of the Hammer Stars Including: Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Ursula Andress, Bette Davis, Oliver Reed and Raquel Welch, alongside original artwork.

• Erotica: Featuring an exclusive look at the photos taken during Hammer’s erotic period featuring artwork from films such as Lust for a Vampire.

• Plus Idea Generations Shop of Horror.

• An exhibition poster commissioned in the style of Hammer.

• Titan Books’ Hammer Glamour (Marcus Hearn) and The Hammer Story (Marcus Hearn & Alan Barnes)”Previously unavailable limited edition prints for sale.

• T – shirts, designed by Johnny Blue Eyes, for sale.

• Hammer books, posters, DVD’s for sale.

• Film screenings – To celebrate the release of Hammer’s new film The Wake Wood, out in October, a selection of classic films from the Hammer collection will be screened at and around Shoreditch.

• Artwork from Titan Books – Art work from Marcus Hearn’s new release, Hammer Glamour.