Hammer Films

[Finch]

The next Hammer is Break In The Circle, 1955.

Break in the Circle makes its debut on physical media in 4K for the very first time!

Hollywood heavyweight Forrest Tucker stars as a low-level smuggler playing for high stakes in this slick Eurocrime espionage thriller from acclaimed Hammer director Val Guest. Set against the atmospheric backdrops of Hamburg and Cornwall, Break in the Circle co-stars Eva Bartok as a determined undercover agent and Marius Goring as a millionaire harbouring a dark secret.

A fascinating outlier in the Hammer library, this stylish crime thriller has been painstakingly restored in 4K from the original film negatives for the highest quality viewing experience possible.

Though Hammer is best known for horror, Break in the Circle represents the studio’s sole full-blooded Eurocrime espionage thriller – released at the same time as The Quatermass Xperiment - it gives a glimpse into what the studios output might have looked like, had it not been for the boxoffice success of its horror output. This makes Break In the Circle an essential discovery for collectors, noir enthusiasts and Hammer completists alike.

A must-have for fans of classic crime cinema, espionage thrillers, and Hammer’s lesser-known gems.

3-disc 4K UHD & Blu-ray Limited Collector’s Edition

Discover three distinct versions of the film alongside a wealth of brand-new extras and archival material:

Three versions of Break in the Circle:
As-filmed version
UK cinema widescreen version
Black-and-white re-edited US cinema version
Presented across one UHD and two Blu-rays, with content duplicated across both formats
Subtitles in English, French, Italian, Spanish and German across every version of the film
Special Features

Eurocrime – a new feature exploring Hammer’s unique contribution to European crime thrillers, with Sergio Angelini, Laura Mayne and Barry Forshaw
Hammer in Hamburg – then-and-now comparison of the film’s German locations
Hammer in Cornwall – then-and-now comparison of the film’s UK locations
Brand-new commentary with film historian Richard Holliss and author/screenwriter Gavin Collinson
Brand-new commentary with film critic Adrian Martin
Gallery of stills and publicity material, accompanied by selections from Doreen Carwithen’s score
Collector’s Booklet

Featuring new writing and archival material, including:

Wayne Kinsey on the making of this fast-paced thriller
Miriam Balanescu on Forrest Tucker’s small-but-significant British film output
Wayne Kinsey on the use of Oakley Court in Hammer productions
Neil Sinyard comparing the original novel with the finished film
Sarah Morgan profiling Eva Bartok
Archive interview with director Val Guest

Technical Features
Language 5.1 / Mono / English
Number of discs 3 (1 x UHD, 2 x Blu-ray)
Region ABC
Certification PG
Run time 92 minutes
Subtitles English/French/Italian/Spanish/German
Actors Forrest Tucker, Eva Bartok, Marius Goring, Guy Middleton, Eric Pohlmann, Arnold Marlé, Fred Johnson, David King-Wood
Produced By Michael Carreras, Mickey Delamar
Written By Val Guest
Directed By Val Guest
Release Date 1955
Studio Hammer Films Production Ltd.

[What A Disgrace]

I would be willing to dump this film into the oblivion of my memory but it has an Adrian Martin commentary. I can't help but be a little curious.