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Call Him Mr. Shatter

Catalog Number
90035
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Shatter (1976)

Additional Information

Additional Information
MR. Shatter isn't crushproof, but cross him and he'll put you in a box!


Mr. Shatter (Stuart Whitman) is an international assassin, hired to bump off a top government official. He is compelled to fend off a host of Oriental kung-fu and karate experts. Peter Cushing and Anton Diffring make brief appearances. The film -- shot simultaneously with Legend of the Seven Golden Vampires, which also co-starred Peter Cushing -- was something of an experiment for the ailing Hammer studios in the mid-'70s, shortly before they expired, attempting to mix an Oriental style with their own distinctly British brand of filmmaking. In most markets, Call Him Mr. Shatter was released simply as Shatter.

Shatter also known as Call Him Mr Shatter and They Call Him Mr Shatter is a 1974 British-Hong Kong action film starring Stuart Whitman, Lung Ti, Lily Li, Anton Diffring and Peter Cushing in his last film for Hammer Studios. It was the second and final international co-production between Hammer Studios of England and Shaw Brothers Studio of Hong Kong. The film was shot entirely on location in Hong Kong and was first released in 1974 in UK.

The film was begun by Monte Hellman who was replaced either for shooting "incomprehensible rushes" or being behind schedule. Michael Carreras took over direction and brought in a new cinematographer. Carreras complained "In my opinion, the action scenes lack excitement, the dialogue scenes are dull and Hong Kong looks like a slum. I just don't know how to salvage it"[1] The experience made Carreras vow to never direct or produce a film again. A new score was added when the original Shaw Brothers score horrified music director Philip Martell who thought it "absoutely appalling"[2]
Plans to turn Shatter into a television series starring Stuart Whitman were shelved when Avco-Embassy didn't pick up the US release of the film until 1976

This was a Hammer Production that only saw spotty U.S. release, usually double featured with DIAMONDS. It was an incoherent mess as seen in this brief Variety review from January 1976:

. They will probably never see (nor hear) another film like it. Call Him Mr. Shatter Sloppy program meller. (HONG KONG - COLOR) Avco Embassy Pictures release of a Hammer Films production. Produced by Michael Carreras, Vee King Shaw. Directed by Carreras. Screenplay, Don Houghton; camera (uncredited color), Brian Probyn, John Wilcox, Roy
Published Date: January 14th, 1976


Release Date: March 1976

Distrib: Avco Embassy





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