Rating: 
Summary: A gamble well worth it.
Review: Every good dvd collector once in a while takes a gamble on a movie they've never seen. In this case I did and was extremely happy with the results. Peter Cushing stars in what I believe to be one of Hammer's more grand movies, with a superbly sinister and dramatic storyline. Dr.John Rollason (Cushing)joins a stubborn group of expeditionists on a quest to search for the Yeti. Rollason is one of Cushing's more sympathetic roles (more of the Van Helsing, less of the early Frankenstein), a botanist who leaves his wife at a buddist temple as he goes off to explore the Himalayas for the abominable snowman. Unfortunate is it, then, that he is accompanied by a group of morons with the "bull in a china shop" approach to myths and legends.. I mean, haven't they seen King Kong for crying out loud? maybe not. As you can guess, things get a bit pear shaped (it would'nt be much of a movie if not) and the viewer is subjected to a storyline which keeps you glued to the screen as things get ever more desperate for the seemingly doomed exploration team. Boasting few effects, the film deliveres an astoundingly eerie feel. Even at the point when they capture one of the creatures you are not given the full view of it, which keeps the mystery element alive right up until the climax of the movie. The picture quality is quite exceptional for a film of it's age and the soundtrack, although mono, is quite crisp and clear throughout. In short, if you don't like old movies, why are you reading this? but for avid Cushing fans it's a must.
Rating: 
Summary: One of my fave old movies
Review: I am an old movie buff and this one ranks right up at the top of my list of favorites. It is funny how your perception changes over the years. I remember this movie scaring the bejesus out of me as a child. Now, I appreciate the quality of the film making and am really awed by the fact that this film was made prior to all the special effects technology. The acting had to be superb during the 50s because the effects were so limited. This movie definitely delivers the solid acting. It pulls your emotions into the story and has you loving, hating, and wanting to throttle the various characters.I love the psychological tension. You do not have to see the yeti to be afraid. You sense he is always lurking just outside the camera's view. I prefer that to special effects wizardry in creating monsters. I much prefer the psychological tension to the visual scare. This movie is well worth the cost of the DVD. Order your copy today and refresh your appreciation for the old movies that pre-date special effects wizardry.
Rating:
Summary: A Small Gem (Anyway, A Semi-Precious Stone)
Review: I enjoyed this film thoroughly, finding it well done in all respects, intelligent, and entertaining. My attention was held from first to last. I must say, however, that its chills-and-thrills quotient is anything but bountiful. I also found the nature of the Yetis very hard to accept. Yes, this movie could have been better, but I liked it very much and do indeed recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Very Good DVD transfer of the movie.
Review: I have not purchased many DVDs from Anchor Bay Entertainment, but the few I have, have been very good. The DVD of the Abomitable Snowman is a good clear film with excellient widescreen picture and sound quality. A somewhat mixed package with the DVD extras. The audio commentery by Director Val Guest and screen writer Nigel Kneale is informative, but the short documentery film on Hammer Films and the many ones that Peter Cushing made is pretty average with little revealed information.
Never the less, this DVD does show the movie in widescreen and should be enjoyed for the thought provoking story it has.
Rating:
Summary: Very Good DVD transfer of the movie.
Review: I have not purchased many DVDs from Anchor Bay Entertainment, but the few I have, have been very good. The DVD of the Abomitable Snowman is a good clear film with excellient widescreen picture and sound quality. A somewhat mixed package with the DVD extras. The audio commentery by Director Val Guest and screen writer Nigel Kneale is informative, but the short documentery film on Hammer Films and the many ones that Peter Cushing made is pretty average with little revealed information.
Never the less, this DVD does show the movie in widescreen and should be enjoyed for the thought provoking story it has.
Rating:
Summary: A Yeti theater of the mind
Review: I recall seeing this movie as a youngster. The scenery left me with a sense of the cold, vast desolation of the high mountains, be they Himalayas or Pyrenees. Growing up in a musical family, the oriental tones of the sound track lent a memorable air of mystery to the story. But the real hook for me was the haunting wail of the Yeti's speech. In hindsight it reminds me of whale song, so foreign in its reality and seeming intelligible to the human ear. It's almost like hearing a foreign language dialog for the first time, not knowing the words' meaning but reading so much from the intonation. To me the creatures' melancholy wailing gave a sense of their trying to understand, perhaps cope with the human intrusion. I found it interesting how the creatures seemed to mete out their own justice, playing to the character flaws of the of Tucker and his partner in leading them to their fates. In the end, despite suffering a loss and perhaps out of regret for the accidental death of the injured intruder, or maybe through understanding Cushing's curiosity or even compassion for his misguided motives leaving him helpless in the mountains, the Yeti rescue Cushing, leaving him to be found by his wife and colleague. This merciful act did much to reinforce the alleged humanity of the creatures while once more highlighting the hubris of man and his science, a common theme of '50 sci-fi movies. Finally, the reason I believe this was a movie of the mind is exactly because megabuck special effects weren't the story. The acting protrayed human frailties that often lead to tragic consequencies. The music, setting, and minimal special effects played to the human imagination by tapping into the subconscious dread with which man often faces the unknown. The special effects didn't tell me the story. The movie's cinematic devices pulled me into the story. For these reasons I was thrilled by The Abominable Snowman of the Himalayas as a child and still enjoy it today. Five stars for good story-telling!
Rating:
Summary: Superb on all counts!
Review: Kneale's script, Guest's direction and the talents of the key players combine to create a sense of wonder and mystery that is often attempted, but rarely brought to the screen as successfully and as forcefully as this. We don't know till the end what "may lie in the high valleys", but we are artfully exposed to every philosophy concerning the desire of man to see, as head porter Qusang says, "What man must not see". The head Lhama (Arnold Marle) feels this knowledge should be left alone to run its own course, Rolleson (Cushing
) wishes to study it for the advancement of mankind, the American adventurers (Forrest Tucker and Robert Brown) want to exploit it for personal gain, Rolleson's wife advocates a healthy fear of it and the impressionable McNee is driven to madness in an attempt to understand it; something for everyone. Add an evocative score and this one amounts to nothing less than cinamatic genious. Don't miss it!!
Rating:
Summary: Early Hammer Horror Gem
Review: Made at the end of the Yeti speculationof the 50's, this early Hammer release is a deceptively well made thriller. Theplot is sound, the photography,art direction and music create tremendousatmosphere and the acting is uniformallyfine (Cushing in particular). Recommended for those who enjoyed "Curse of the Demon", "Horror Hotel" and "The Haunting"- great black and white chills.
Rating:
Summary: One of Peter Cushing's Best Movies.
Review: Made on a fair budget and filmed in the Alps. Forest Tucker and Peter Cushing star in this story about the Yeti and a science expedition to discover them. However the other members of the team only want to capture the creatures for profit, dead or alive. Cushing however plays the lone scientist who belives that the Yeti are gentle and only want to be left alone. Filmed in black and while, the movie maintains a moody atmosphere throughout the whole story and we do not actually see the Yeti until the very end of the picture. The film is also full of philosophy about the debate of science and wither Mankind is better off not knowing about certain things in nature. Let some mysteries and legends stay at that.
Rating:
Summary: The Gentle Snowmen of the Himalayas
Review: One of my all time favourite movies,ever. The performances of Cushing and Tucker are superb and very believable,and the subject offers Hammer at the time(1957) to approach this topic with a more gentler feel,than most of their subjects of the time I.E Frankenstein & Quatermass. On the whole this is a very thought provoking and beautiful film,which now thanks to Anchor Bay has an excellent crisp widescreen print. Nigel Kneale who does commentary on this edition as well as director Val Guest must be very pleased with the outcome of this edition,even if they can't agree to differ over the first 2 Quatermass stories,then at least they can agree over this amazing collaberation being one of their finest. Also a re-make of a long lost TV show (The Creature 1956),and a BBC production this is definately one to own,so do yourself a favour buy it, then sit back with the lights out and enjoy the truelly haunting story of 'The Abominable Snowman'.
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