Thursday, 31 October 2019

NOW LIVE: WIN WARNER BROTHERS 'FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE' BLU RAY : PCAS HALLOWEEN 019 COMPETITION


PETER CUSHING APPRECIATION SOCIETY HALLOWEEN 019 COMPETITION

THE COMPETITION!
IT'S THAT TIME AGAIN and as usual, it's another PCAS competition, and a chance to bag yourself a Peter Cushing goody! Are you UP FOR IT? If so, if YOU are ready...here we go . . 😀


THE PRIZE!
THIS YEAR, thanks to the very generous team at Warner Brothers, we have A PAIR of fabulous remastered BLU RAYS to give away. No doubt you have seen our features on their superb and very recent release of Amicus Films 1974 'FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE' . . the last of the portmanteau Amicus films series to finally get to Blu Ray.. and what an amazing job they have made of the release! TWO very lucky contenders have the chance of winning a copy.
The blu rays are REGION FREE.



ABOUT THE BLU RAY:
'From Beyond the Grave', boost quite an amazing cast including Peter Cushing, David Warner, Ian Bannen, Donald Pleasence, Lesley-Anne Down, Diana Dors, Margaret Leighton. Sadly, it was last of the Amicus multiple -story films when produced in 1974. Directed by horror director Kevin Connor, produced by Milton Subotsky and based on stories by R. Chetwynd-Hayes, it is held together by what first appears to be simple frame work story Four customers purchase (or take) items from Temptations Limited, an antiques shop whose motto is "Offers You Cannot Resist". But, a nasty fate awaits those who try to cheat the shop's proprietor . . . Peter Cushing. 



 

 
HOW DO YOU ENTER?
All you have to do is ANSWER the Competition Question CORRECTLY and send your answer in a message to us, using the Facebook MESSAGE / Contact Button. You'll find it at the top of this page, on the RIGHT, under our main ID Banner. PLEASE do not send your answer on the thread or the comments thread under this post. Any entries / answers posted there will be deleted and the made void. This competition, like ALL PCAS Competitions is open to EVERYONE, who ever you are are, where ever you are !



THE QUESTION!

The title sequence and the trailer for 'FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE' features a quite famous, actual cemetery. WHAT IS THE NAME OF THAT CEMETERY.

PICK ONE OF THE FOLLOWING ANSWERS:
A: THE DEAD CENTER OF LONDON
B: MILTONMAX CEMETERY
C: STOKERVILLE CEMETERY
D: HIGHGATE CEMETERY
F: HIGH PITCH CEMETERY

WHEN YOU HAVE CHOSEN YOUR ANSWER, PLEASE SEND IT TO US VIA OUR EMAIL ADDRESS: THEBLACKBOXCLUB@GMAIL.COM
 
WHEN IS TIME UP?
This Competition CLOSES on SATURDAY NOVEMBER 9TH at MIDNIGHT.
 


HOW WE PICK THE WINNERS!
All correct answers, will printed onto separate notes of paper, will be placed in a large top hat and the first two drawn from the hat will be declared the WINNERS! Both winners will be notified via facebook and names announced on our PCAS Facebook Fan Page on Sunday November 10th by mid day GMT.
 
CAN'T WAIT? WANT IT NOW?
YOU can purchase YOUR copy, direct from the Warner Brothers archive Store here: HERE!


WE ARE GRATEFUL TO OUR SPONSOR . .
Again many THANKS to Warner Brothers, in again supporting another PCAS Competition!
 

HAVE A SAFE AND FABULOUS HALLOWEEN!
GOOD LUCK EVERYONE ðŸ˜€


Wednesday, 30 October 2019

HAMMER FILMS : THE COMPANY WHO CHEATED DEATH : THE LODGE TRAILER


'While Hammer is looking at remakes too, some ownership is complex, though the characters are in the public domain: Frankenstein’s monster, mummies, #Dracula, #mobsters, psychopaths, and even cave girls . .'


HERE THEY COME AGAIN! For many, any film released now with the HAMMER name, can not possibly be 'A Hammer Film' . . as the set up, as they see it, has all but changed, except 'THE' name. But, a careful look at the history and style of #Hammerfilms over the decades changed a great deal from 1938 until their slow death in the late 70's This feature written by Mark Beech, can be seen HERE was published in FORBES just a few days ago. 




 'THE MAN WHO COULD CHEAT DEATH' A PAST HAMMER FILM CLASSIC. REVIEW AND GALLERY


STILLS GALLERY FEATURE AND MORE! JUST PRESS LINK!


BOTH BOX OFFICE WINNERS! REVIEW AND RARE STILLS GALLERY. 
JUST PRESS LINK.


ANOTHER HAMMER FILMS CLASSIC FRANKENSTEIN : 'FRANKENSTEIN MUST BE DESTROYED' JUST CLICK THE LINK!

WHATEVER YOU MAKE of it, they mean business . . and I mean the business of '#lolly, #cash and #dosh' BUT then so did Hammer films CEO Sir James Carreras .. back in their hey day!... 😊Have your say, please over at the Facebook PCAS UK Fan Page! I am all ears 😉


THE 1959 HAMMER FILM 'THE MUMMY'! RARE STILLS AND FEATURE. JUST CLICK LINK

HERE ARE SOME EXTRACTS form the Forbes feature . . 

'While Hammer is looking at remakes too, some ownership is complex, though the characters are in the public domain: The #Frankenstein monster, mummies, #Dracula, mobsters, psychopaths, and even cave girls. Hammer is also extending the brand with a publishing imprint with Random House, a streaming platform and social-media presence.'



'Horror films made worldwide currently gross as much as $1 billion annually. Last year such movies had a 7.5% market share and took some $900 million, according to The Numbers.com. The chief executive of Hammer, Simon Oakes, is optimistic that the company is in a unique position to capture a significant market share.'


'Oakes had worked for John Malone’s Liberty Global for many years and was looking at different film channel ideas. #Horror was an obvious area, and Oakes loved Hammer: “I realised it was one of the very rare brands in the media industry which is in the vernacular: You refer to a thing as ‘like a Hammer film.’ It has global potential like no other.” In 2007 he helped resuscitate the company with private-equity money, taking control of the library, archive, brand and name.


'The comeback breakthrough was Hammer’s first feature-length ghost story, #TheWomanInBlack, in 2012:“It was synchronicity, because it’s a famous novel and play. Jane Goldman came on board to write the screenplay. I took a big risk by casting #DanielRadcliffe, who was finishing the Potter series. It proved lucky. Our key demographic is 16 to 30 years old. It became the most successful British horror film of all time.”

'Hammer's latest is #TheLodge which had its world premiere at the #SundanceFilmFestival in January. It is now scheduled to be released in February 2020 by Neon.'

BEHIND THE SCENES ON CLASSIC HAMMER VAMPIRE FILM ALMOST 50 THIS MONTH PLUS PHOTO CONTACT SHEETS!

 

THIS MONTH 'OCTOBER 2019' marks the 49th anniversary of a Peter Cushing Hammer film, that kind of shook up the 'adult' content of his future 'horror films', for Hammer. 'The Vampire Lovers' is a neat short clip of raw footage, unedited and very entertaining, from a BBC film programme that featured the making of the film in 1970. This was shared here quite a long time ago, so certainly worth a re-airing today! Peter is seen very relaxed, having a giggle about an actor he spotted on the train, who was quite the character... and liked... a glass, or two.. or three. Director Roy Ward Baker, ever the pro, arranges shots, lighting and motivation . . there is a charming shot of Ingrid Pitt too, in this her first leading role and third film. You can't help but notice the huge difference between Cushing's character voice and authority .. and that of the softest, sweetest gentleman, chatting while having his hair stylds by the lovely Pearl Tipaldi, the production hair-dresser. Enjoy!


'THE VAMPIRE LOVERS' was released in the UK on October 4th 1970, making a star of it's lead, #IngridPitt. For the future, she would always be known as a #ScreamQueen, playing a vampire in her next film for Amicus, 'The House That Dripped Blood' and 'vampire with a twist' in Hammer's #CountessDracula' also in 1971. The film did well at the box office. Cushing was almost supporting with actors Douglas Wilmer and George Cole along with love interests of Jon Finch and #MadelineSmith and #KateOMara, pulling together a script based on Sheridan Le Fanu's classic vampire tale, 'Carmilla'.


THE CENSOR LAWS lost their grip, man in macs queued in the rain to see botts and bosom's compete with #blood and #fangs . . there was no turning back after this one. It provided a much needed zap to the now, slightly predictable Hammer presentations . . #vampires for Hammer would never be the same again. So it's Happy Birthday The Vampire Lovers Where does #TheVampiresLovers sit on your TOP TEN of Cushing #Hammerfilms ðŸ˜® ..


INCLUDED in this photo selection, I have reposted SIX rare contact / proof sheets of stills from the film, that were posted a while ago. Some really like and collect these, and have told me you missed them when first posted, so here they are again, for your pleasure!










Monday, 28 October 2019

FIRST LOOK TRAILER FOR BBC 'DRACULA' PLUS HALLOWEEN 019 AT PCASUK!

FIRST TRAILER released today from the BBC supporting their eagerly anticipated new version of the classic Bram Stoker horror 'Dracula'. This series has been developed by #MarkGatiss and #StevenMoffat, the team behind the BBC series #Sherlock. Much of the filming for this three part series took place at Orava Castle in Slovakia and ... the iconic Bray Studios in England, home to #Hammerfilms and the location of many of #PeterCushing's and #ChristopherLee's classic Dracula and #Frankenstein films in the 50's and 60's.

PRODUCER #MarkGattiss has recently said, : “It’s seriously delightful that our new Dracula is being shot at #BrayStudios – the former home of Hammer Films! This wonderfully atmospheric and legendary studio gave birth to so many famous monsters and stars – most memorably Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. As we watch #Transylvania once again rise on the sound stages of Bray, it’s amazing to be able to say that Count Dracula has finally come home.” The cast includes Claes Bang as #Dracula . . John Heffernan, Dolly Wells, Mark Gatiss...and #DoctorWho, #Space1999 and Bond girl, #CatherineSchell. The series will be shown on the BBC first in the UK and on Netflix outside of the UK. It’s not yet been revealed when it will be screened on #BBC1 – however the festive period looks a fair bet. It's an interesting trailer.. what do you think?


THIS YEAR 019, we are going to mark our Halloween on Thursday Oct 31st, with a celebration of Peter Cushing's portrayal of THE fearless vampire hunter VAN HELSING! Some great pics, some very rare and never seen before archive photographs from the files of Hammer films, set designer Bernard Robinson, from Hammer's Dracula, Brides of Dracula, chat, facts and banners . . and if the support is there... TWO PCAS Competitions! 24 hours of a grand nod to one of Peter Cushing's most popular characters, who appeared in FIVE Hammer classic Horror movies! It will be fun. Come on IN or Miss Out! 😉 - Marcus

FRIENDS : CUSHING TALKS LEE AND LEE TALKS CUSHING : AWARDS AND PRAISE FOR PC


PETER CUSHING was a such a humble guy, when he received awards, praise and such, he still seriously thought about, IF he did actually deserved such recognition!. Even his appearance on #ThisIsYourLife, they broke with convention and gave him the heads up. But he did receive several awards over the years, quite a few career changing ones in the 50's... more nods and acknowledgments in the later.. His award for his performance in #TalesfromtheCrypt was very well deserved . . as were the others. BUT do you think there were performances that slipped by, that should have been awarded? Over at the FACEBOOK PCAS FAN PAGE we are asking, are there roles that you have watched, where you think, THAT should have been given more recognition and maybe a well deserved award?? I would love to read your suggestions . . no matter what role you think worthy 🤔😊 - Marcus






ABOVE AND BELOW : The thoughts of Christopher Lee on his good friend, Peter Cushing and Peter Cushing's thoughts on Christopher Lee. . .