The Criminal Acts of Tod Slaughter: Eight BloodandThunder Entertainments

MARIA MARTEN, OR THE MURDER IN THE RED BARN (Milton Rosmer, 1935)SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET (George King, 1936)THE CRIMES OF STEPHEN HAWKE (George King, 1936)IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO MEND (David MacDonald, 1937)THE TICKET OF LEAVE MAN (George King, 1937)SEXTON BLAKE AND THE HOODED TERROR (George King, 1938)THE FACE AT THE WINDOW (George King, 1939)CRIMES AT THE DARK HOUSE (David MacDonald, 1940)The terrifying talents of Newcastle’s Norman Carter ‘Tod’ Slaughter – the first true icon of British horror cinema – are showcased in this long-overdue box set. Featuring the eight films which ‘Europe’s Horror Man’ made in collaboration with British producer-director George King (Tomorrow We Live), this comprehensive collection also includes a number of rare shorts and newsreel items.Unlike his contemporaries, such as Boris Karloff and Charles Laughton, Tod Slaughter never left his native shores. Instead, he chose to make his mark in Britain by transferring his most sensational theatrical performances to the screen. Portraying every kind of cruel and cunning criminal – from petty thief to mass murderer – he became the first great villain of British horror, at a time before the Grand Guignol of Hammer Films began to take hold, without once donning monster make-up.Criminally overlooked by film historians, and only previously seen in compromised versions, these fascinating films have been newly restored using original film materials preserved at the BFI National Archive, and are accompanied by an array of essential contextualising extras, including archival short films and radio plays presented with optional soundtracks by British music legends Current 93, newly recorded commentaries, critical appreciations and personal recollections, and a 120-page book. Strictly limited to 6,000 individually numbered units for the UK and US.