WHAT WERE YOUR FIRST AND EARLIEST PURCHASES OR FINDS??

OVER AT THE FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE THIS POST is gaining a fair bit of attention! REMEMBER WHEN??? 😉 Here's a great question from follower Dan Barrett which he posted to us a few days ago! Here Dan's QUESTION: What are your earliest Peter Cushing discoveries? One childhood memory I have is of heading into my local Woolworths and finding this absolute gem in a bargain bin of vhs tapes: The Uncanny. Despite the 18 rating and being substantially under age, I managed to buy it unchallenged. I think I watched it, practically, until I wore the tape out. Cushing is brilliant as the terrified and fidgety eccentric author Wilbur Gray and there's a cracking performance from the wonderful Joan Greenwood. Wilfred Josephs' score is brilliant too (he composed music for The Prisoner and, although his theme tune was rejected in favour of Ron Grainer's, lots of his quirky score is used throughout the series). The Uncanny kicked off my love of Peter Cushing and portmanteau horror movies. IF YOU would like to join in the chat, just click that BLUE LINK at the top of this text!

 

ABOVE A FACEBOOK UPDATE ON OUR LAST PCASUK COMPETITION! We will be posting a FULL REVIEW along with SCREEN CAPS on the TWO SECIOND SIGHT FILMS AMICUS BLU RAYS featured here as prizes, ASYLUM and THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD' VERY SOON!

CLICK AND PLACE YOUR ORDER DIRECT! WHILE STOCKS LAST! 

RARE AND UNPUBLISHED PHOTOGRAPHS : PCAS ALBUM : AT HOME WITH PETER CUSHING : PART ONE

ON SEEING these rare and unpublished photographs for the first time, it isn't obvious who the man in the pics actually could be. A neat and trim moustache, the absence of a hair piece and several pounds of body weight along with clothing that wasn't the usual attire familiar to the thousands of cinema goers, who had watched him on the big screen and tv over the past three decades. 1971 was a year that changed Peter Cushing's life forever. The loss of his wife, Helen in February after many years of fighting her illness, set Cushing on a path of work, that would have psychically and emotionally exhausted many others.

THE GRIEF AND LOSS effected everything in Cushing's life, except as he saw, his one distraction away from the loneliness and pain. Work. These unpublished stills were taken in December 1971, as part of a Radio Times magazine feature, promoting a BBC radio programme Peter had recorded earlier on July 27th -29th July 1971 at his home in Whitstable. The programme 'Nature Spectacular' focused on the wildlife and birds of which Peter was very familiar and loved around his beach front home. I am sure you have seen the many watercolour's and sketches that Peter produced over the years, here on PCASUK. He was a lover of nature. The photo session produced quite a few unique captures of Peter, that we will be sharing over the next three weeks. . . 

THIS LOOK INTO Peter's home study, gives us a peep into the things that surrounded his day, the photo portrate of his late wife, the paperwork, the delicate bird figures he made and his desk, which I am very proud to be sat at, while writing this. Just a few weeks before these photographs were taken, Cushing had began his journey, in 'keeping busy' in March until April, he returned in his first film just weeks after Helen passed, Hammer films 'Twins of Evil', September he filmed his award winning performance as Arthur Grimsdyke in Amicus films, 'Tales from the Crypt' at Shepperton studios, work on Hammer's Dracula AD 1972' as Van Helsing with Christopher Lee as the Count, kept him busy from September 27th until November 5th along with several radio appearances from September 30th until early November. He brought the year to an end, with shooting Hammer films, 'Fear In The Night' with Ralph Bates and Judy Geeson' .... hence the little moustache, of his character headmaster, Michael Carmichael. Cushing was allergic to spirit gum that would hold on a false tash, so he grew his facial hair when roles required it! A busy time, indeed.

HOT TOYS DOOKU MODEL AND THE TWO SIDES OF CHRISTOPHER LEE

TWO SIDES CHRISTOPHER LEE. Here are two very interesting photographs, I thought you would like to see and share here today maybe? One is a publicity still taken by the stills photographer during the making of Hammer films, 'Dracula Has Risen From The Grave' at Pinewood Studios, sometime between April 22nd 1968 and June 4th 1968. It's a rarely seen pic, on set of the roof tops, with nice peeps from the studio lighting! You know how I LOVE seeing the lamps and lighting in stills 😃 It's blazing RED for sure! The second is a mysterious and very different photograph of Lee by Tom How with artwork by Connie Jones and copyrighted to Constantina. What do you make of this? I guess everyone will have their own thoughts and take on the subject matter and the artwork . . and I would LOVE to hear it, so please JOIN US over at THE FACEBOOK PCAS FACEBOOK FAN PAGE! 😃 Please feel free to comment and share! 😉Marcus

NEWS: HOT TOYS Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones – 1/6th scale Count Dooku Collectable Figure. With many thanks to Graham Alexander Holden, we can give you the latest on this quite stunning figure from HOT TOYS!

TODAY HOT TOYS presents the final product of Count Dooku in 1/6th scale collectible figure from Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones. The highly detailed figure is crafted based on the appearance of Count Dooku in the movie, features a newly developed head sculpt with striking likeness, a meticulously tailored costume with Dooku’s beautifully designed cape, a LED light-up lightsaber, a number of interchangeable hands, a pair of Force Lighting effect parts that are attachable to hands, a hologram projector and several hologram figures including Death Star, Jango Fett, B1 Battle Droid and Darth Sidious. If YOU have placed an order or even received your figure, or have a delivery date...please let us know. So, what's you opinion of this figure???

SCREAM FACTORY ANNOUNCES RELEASE OF 'SNOWMAN' BLU RAY FOR NOVEMBER!

NEWS: EARLIER TODAY at the San Diego Comic Con panel, SCREAM FACTORY announced the release of 20+ film titles that they are releasing this year. Peter Cushing's / Hammer film 'THE ABOMINABLE SNOWMAN' (1957) is one of those titles. No details of extras or features. The title is set for a NOVEMBER release this year. Hammer fans in the US can also cheer the release of Ralph Bates's 'DR JEKYLL AND SISTER HYDE' (1971) – Directed by Roy Ward Baker (The Vampire Lovers) it has an expected release date of Dec 2019. INTERESTED??? - Marcus

BACK IN 2013, Hammer films announced their plans to REMAKE the film! Here is our PCAS review of the 1957 film and a cool gallery too! CLICK HERE!

FOR THOSE OF YOU who have been around here for a while and visit the FACEBOOK PCAS FAN PAGE MAYBE you remember this TUESDAY TOUGHY? If so, swing over to the FACEBOOK PCAS PAGE and SHARE the answer 😀😊😉  

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAME DIANA RIGG TODAY!

''WOMAN OF MY AGE ARE STILL ATTRACTIVE. Men of my age are not' ... so said, this amazing icon of entertainment last year. And you know, Dame Enid Diana Elizabeth Rigg, DBE...does have point! Many actors from her era have either left us, or look like an unmade bed! We all know the Cushing Connection here, Mrs Peel in the Brit 1960's TV series, The Avengers, where PC played the very dashing Paul Beresford, a smooth operator, pushing all the buttons as romantic interest for Rigg's all action Mrs Peel and a finger on the button of death that commanded his deadly Cybernaut!

DIANA RIGG'S CAREER also features the splendid 'Theatre of Blood' with Vincent Price. She also worked with Christopher Lee in the Avengers tv series.in 'Never, Never Say Die' in 1967. Currently starring in the international hit tv series, Game of Thrones, Rigg is in no hurry to retire, and I think like Mrs Peel, she'll be 'socking it to us' for a while yet Happy Birthday Diana Rigg, born today in 1938.

ABOVE AN INTERESTING look on the chemistry of Cushing's BEREFORD and Rigg's MRS PEEL, in the 'Return of the Cybernauts' episode, HERE with GALLERY: RIGHT HERE!

ABOVE OUR FULL PCASUK REVIEW with GALLERY on the 'RETURN OF THE CYBERNAUTS' episode starring Peter Cushing when it FIRST appeared on DVD! CLICK HERE!

THE BARON BELLES! DING DONG! PICK YOUR FAVORITE!

#FrankensteinFriday! HERE IS A LITTLE something we did a long while ago...and is worth repeating with a new banner of pics at the FACEBOOK PCAS FAN PAGE.  In ALL the Peter Cushing Hammer Frankenstein movies, there HAD to be an actress who co starred. Back in the day, box office mattered more than gender equality and producer dictated that no matter if the supportive reason was the acting, star status, eye candy or two other sexist outstanding assets, the actress had to be IN. Whatever your reasons maybe, I would love to know WHO is your YOUR favorite Frankenstein actress who appeared in a Cushing Hammer Frankenstein film . . . phew!

A REMINDER OUR 'FRANKENSTEIN CREATED WOMAN' IS STILL LIVE AND YOU ARE WELCOME TO ENTER WITH YOU ENTRY AT THE FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE!

ABOVE I HAVE PROVIDED images, dedicated letters from A to F and the titles of the films. Feel free to give is your reasons and also a grading from A to F should you wish! Have a Fab #FrankensteinFriday, and hope you have fun 😉 - Marcus

JUST ONE MORE WEEK LEFT OF OUR PCASUK #FRANKENSTEINFRIDAY MONTH!

HUGS FROM DRACULA AND THE GANG SMILED ON . . .

REQUESTED: HERE'S A PHOTOGRAPH I posted a little while ago on here and at the Facebook PCASUK Fan Page, requested now for a repost by Mandy K, Cheryl T and others . .who missed it!  This has to be the most tactile and affectionate photograph, I have ever seen of Lee with an actress . . off studio camera and on set! 

AS I HAVE always said on the subject of Lee feelings on appearing on both 'Satanic Rites of Dracula' and 'Dracula AD 1972'. Lee may not have professionally liked the idea of the films and their plots, but I don't think he sulked or pouted around the set . .  as some would have you believe. And I think, this pic is a fair indication, that what director Alan Gibson said on making both films, that everyone got on, it was relaxed and they had fun! Let's face it, it's not everyone who can say they got a hug from Christopher Lee...!

DIRECTOR HOUGH CREATES A HAMMER LIKE NO OTHER WITH TERROR TWINS!

BACK IN THE EARLY 1970's mankind made some very interesting and surprising break throughs, technical and domestic... In 1972, interactive games with vastly more primitive graphics only existed in laboratories, until the invention of PONG! Remember that? 1970 brought pocket calculators to students, engineers, and scientists the world over! 1971 brought us something that was huge in terms of its impact, the Intel 4004 Microprocessor! 1973 gave us the first cell phone, the XEROX ALTO, also TCP, Ethernet and fibre optics!

ALL THIS . . but for some reason Hammer films just couldn't NAIL a new and entertaining idea, that worked on the big screen. My opinion, but something I never understood! But that was until... John Hough's 'Twins of Evil' which cast not only Peter Cushing in a new spin on the Vampire Killer, but also someone who wasn't even trying to copy or replace Christopher Lee as a the head and evil 'toothful-one', Damien Thomas made a great Count Karnstein. Denis Price added some casting clout briefly and two sweet, though not innocent Maltese actresses / models Mary and Madeleine Collinson shapely slipped into the shoes of the title twins with ease. It was director John Hough, who brought the whole lot together in a very refreshing way. With Tudor Gates twist on some Sheridan Le Fanu influences, Harry Robertson's outstanding music score and Dick Bush and his beautiful cinematography, Hammer had an original tale that looked great, sounded wonderful and still impresses.