Greasepaint and Gore: The Hammer Monsters of Phil Leakey (2004)

The Birth of Special Makeup Effects occurred at Hammer Films in the mid-1950's. Make-up wizard Phil Leakey was the first artist ever to be given on-screen credit for"Special Makeup Effects". Using unusual chemicals and materials, Leakey strived to create greater realism in his fantastic effects and in so doing engineered the transition from science fiction to full colour, gory, gothic horror. In this lively documentary, Phil takes us back to the Brat Studio years, and explains how the effects were achieved for Stolen Face, The Quatermass Xperiment, Quatermass 2, X The Unknown, The Curse Of Frankenstein, and Dracula. "Hammer had no laboratories or ovens or anything to cook rubber prosthetics with. I had to take them home and do it. I used to ring up my wife and say: don't cook anything tonight dear I'll need the oven to bake a rubber head." Phil Leakey Through interviews and makeup demonstrations, this great documentary provides a valuable and unique insight into the success and importance of what the world now calls Hammer Horror.