Comments on: Hammer Time! Pirates of Blood River (1962)

by: Mike

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 06:08:57 +0000

Cheers Michael, and agreed. My review at The Devil Ship Pirates is now up, and I copped out. I just couldn’t pick a winner. As you say, though, I enjoyed them both immensely. Certain recent overblown pirate epics might have learned a thing or two from these flicks, maybe?

by: Michael Kendall

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 15:36:45 +0000

A Har me hearties! This be a fine Pirate Adventure.

I’m not sure which of the two Pirate Hammers are better either Mike, however I reckon Devil Ship wins out in the acting stakes and I prefer Chris Lee sans silly French accent. Ripper has a bizarre tan in Devil Ship too so I’m leaning towards that one. But then I remember the blind folded tavern fight and the gory pirahna death scenes and I come a cropper. Let’s settle on a tie! They’re both great, hugely enjoyable films.

by: John Hodson

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 22:47:50 +0000

Bit-rate, shipmate… these films look as good as I’ve seen them, whether on video or broadcast; ‘The Pirates of Blood River’ is a tad softer than ‘Devil-Ship Pirates’, but they both look pretty fine to me - at less than £3 per film, including commentaries and some throw away extras (I’d have preferred more Hammer oriented features, but the ‘Captain Kidd’ episode is a hoot), you won’t find me complaining even at some minor penny-pinching.

They’ll do. Sez I.

by: Mike

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 22:23:05 +0000

Thanks John and, er, gaarr. I’ve got The Devil Ship Pirates on at the moment and just can’t decide between them which is better. Devil has a ship and Barry Warren; Blood River has a far more exhilerating climax and Ripper’s character rocks. In both however, Lee is brilliantly nasty. My abiding memory of Devil is his repeated promise to personally cut out people’s tongues *shudders*

Rick - is this to do with keeping costs down? Icons was a pretty cheap set, which I guess has to do with confining everything to two discs. Some of the extras are somewhat superfluous, mind - why an episode of Captain Kidd and The Merry Mutineers appear is anyone’s guess. Quite enjoyed the latter, though.

by: Rick Curzon

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 22:07:19 +0000

Much as I love this set, and have been waiting with bated breath, there is too much on each disc, alas. The bitrates are cowering down in the 3-5 range, and the images (although decent enough) are too soft with uch fine detail lost. We could have done with four discs instead of two (and each being duel layered to maximise the bitrates). A good set, but it could have been sharper.

by: John Hodson

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 18:04:26 +0000

Yaaar indeed. This is another cracking Hammer set isn’t it, with transfers easily on a par with those found in the excellent Universal R1 box. And as you say, everyone (who matters) is on top form - it’s a damn pity we didn’t see more of Cap’n LaRoche.

Let’s form a Michael Ripper Appreciation Scciety; one of those A-list ‘B’ players who is worth watching in most anything.