FOUR SIDED TRIANGLE On 4K/Blu-ray From Hammer

 

In my last blog post I focused on writing about FOUR SIDED TRIANGLE, the movie. Now I'll be going through the features and extras included on Hammer's 4K/Blu-ray release of the film. 

The two discs (a 4K and a Blu-ray) come in a slipcase with striking cover artwork by Thomas Walker (see above). Both discs contain the film and all the extras. 

I don't have a 4K player, but the Blu-ray presentation of the movie showcases a very sharp black & white picture (in the proper 1.37:1 aspect ratio), and the sound is very impressive. There is a choice between a 5.1 audio mix and the original mono, and in both options the sound of the various gadgets and gizmos in the main characters' laboratory come off clear and distinct.  

The extras on the discs include three featurettes, running about a half-hour each. "I Am Not Ashamed" has Lucy Bolton going into detail on the sad and short life of Barbara Payton. "In The Sticks Sci-Fi!" is made up of a conversation between William Fowler and Vic Pratt (in the back room of a pub, no less), who discuss how FOUR SIDED TRIANGLE fits into the sub-genre known as "Home Counties Horror"--terror or science-fiction stories set in small villages located deep in the heart of the English countryside. "Things to Come" has Neil Sinyard talking about FST and mentioning how it has connections to the likes of METROPOLIS, THE MAN IN THE WHITE SUIT and VERTIGO. All three programs are worth viewing and provide plenty of analysis and detail about the main feature. There's also a 15 minute stills gallery, backed by selections from Malcolm Arnold's score for the film, and trailer elements. 

Two brand new audio commentaries are included. One has Melanie Williams and Thirza Wakefield. It's the type of talk in which the participants react to what is happening onscreen. The second commentary features Hammer experts Jonathan Rigby and Kevin Lyons, and it is a much better-paced and more informative discussion, as the duo cover all the aspects of the production, with emphasis on the novel upon which the movie was based. 

The release also comes with a 116-page booklet, titled "The Hammer Sci-Files". The volume contains a mini-history of the making of FOUR SIDED TRIANGLE by Hammer historian Bruce Hallenbeck. Gavin Collinson provides an article that looks into the creation myth and how it has affected FST and various other movies over the years. There's also a 1990s interview with Hammer camera operator Len Harris, who worked on FST. A major portion of the booklet is taken up with an examination of the attempts at remaking FOUR SIDED TRIANGLE in the late 20th Century, with reproductions of select script pages from a couple of early draft screenplays. (I have to mention that what one reads from these scripts isn't all that exciting.) 

The best part of the booklet is Neil Sinyard's analysis of the original FOUR SIDED TRIANGLE novel, written by William F. Temple, and how it differs from the film. Sinyard reveals that the novel had an intriguing twist ending that the movie would have been much better off including. The booklet is heavily illustrated with stills and behind-the-scenes shots from FST. 

Finally, this release comes with reproductions of the movie's press book and ad campaign, along with a 16 x 20 double-sided poster. (Notice both versions of the poster art state that a viewer will see "the supernatural...the dead return to life", although nothing of the sort is in the actual film.) 

This is a magnificent package that Hammer has put together. I'm well aware that FOUR SIDED TRIANGLE isn't the best, or the most well-known Hammer film, but one must remember that due to the company's numerous co-production deals, the home video rights to most of their popular features are tied up with other studios. (Most of the more famous Hammers have already had special edition releases, some multiple times.) 

This is the second major 4K/Blu-ray release under the current Hammer banner. The first was CAPTAIN KRONOS, which I haven't gotten yet...mainly due to the fact that there's so much in it, I wouldn't have time to get to everything! I've bought CAPTAIN KRONOS multiple times on home video, but this is the first time I've gotten FOUR SIDED TRIANGLE. 

The nest 4K/Blu-ray release on Hammer's schedule is SHATTER, a very mediocre mid-70s attempt at a martial arts/action film. With all due respect to the folks running Hammer now, I'm going to skip that one. I do have to point out that the current Hammer team is a lot more internet savvy, and more creative promotion-wise than the people that used to run the company. They appear to have an aggressive plan to reach out and get the attention of the fans, and these extras-laden 4K/Blu-ray releases are a sure way of doing that. It appears that Hammer fanatics will have all sorts of goodies coming up in the future to spend even more of their money on.