With the latest batch of rather lovely looking dual format Hammer Films restorations from Studiocanal just around the corner (more on that here), Lion's Gate appear to have joined the party with the upcoming Blu-ray release of the film that first made Hammer's name as a horror studio, the 1957 The Curse of Frankenstein, featuring a new restoration of the film and a bucket-load of interesting looking extra features. The film has been fully restored in high definition for the first time in its original Academy Ratio of 1.37:1. Available on 3 disc Double Play, it will include 1 Blu-ray and 2 DVDs full of brand new content. Featuring new documentaries and bonus extras and including the infamous 'eye ball scene' which was originally banned but has now been fully restored.

Baron Victor Frankenstein was the archetypal aristocrat, well-read, cultured and arrogant. Beyond the sophisticated veneer existed a cruel, utterly unscrupulous man, obsessed with ambition. Determined to realise his greatest dream to create life, he had assembled a creature from organs gathered from various unwilling donors. The creature is successful brought to life but the instability of the brain, damaged during surgery, causes uncontrollable violent spasms that result in indiscriminate murder... and it is the Baron to whom the blame is laid with fatal consequences.

The Curse of Frankenstein was Hammer's first colour horror film, and the first of their Frankenstein series. Its worldwide success led to several sequels, and the studio's new versions of Dracula (1958) and The Mummy (1959) and established Hammer Horror as a distinctive brand of Gothic cinema. The film was directed by Terence Fisher and starred Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee in two of their most iconic roles.

The Curse of Frankenstein will be released on UK double-play (Blu-ray and DVD) by Lion's Gate Home Entertainment UK on 15th October 2012 at the RRP of £22.99.

The contents of the packager are as follows.

Blu-ray:

• HD Main Feature – never before released Academy ratio 1.37:1 (83 mins – DTS Master Audio 2.0)
• HD The Curse of Frankenstein (1.66:1 version) – Alternate Aspect Ratio (83 mins – DTS Master Audio 2.0)
• New audio commentary with Marcus Hearn & Jonathan Rigby
• Frankenstein Reborn: The Making of a Hammer Classic – new & exclusive documentary
• Life With Sir – new & exclusive Peter Cushing documentary
• Four Sided Triangle – bonus feature film (80 mins)
• Tales of Frankenstein – Bonus TV pilot (25 mins)
• The Tale of Tales of Frankenstein – new & exclusive Ted Newsom documentary
• World Of Hammer: The Curse of Frankenstein (25 mins)
• Stills show

DVD #1

• HD Main Feature – never before released Academy ratio 1.37:1 (83 mins – DTS Master Audio 2.0)
• HD The Curse of Frankenstein (1.66:1 version) – Alternate Aspect Ratio (83 mins – DTS Master Audio 2.0)
• New audio commentary with Marcus Hearn & Jonathan Rigby

DVD #2

• Frankenstein Reborn: The Making of a Hammer Classic – new & exclusive documentary
• Life With Sir – new & exclusive Peter Cushing documentary
• Four Sided Triangle – bonus feature film (80 mins)
• Tales of Frankenstein – Bonus TV pilot (25 mins)
• The Tale of Tales of Frankenstein – new & exclusive Ted Newsom documentary
• World Of Hammer: The Curse of Frankenstein (25 mins)
• Stills show
• Original shoting script (PDF)
• All-new PDF booklet The Creator's Spark: Hammer's Frankenstein Begins with text by Hammer archivist Robert J. E. Simpson.