#WATCHWITHCUSHING!
'Is it wrong to love THE Rogue One? Well, here's a confession, I am
very fond of this film and have a lot of respect for what Industrial
Light and Magic and Guy Henry achieved in the finished film. We've posted a feature about this today at the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE . .. For
those not up to speed with what happened four years ago...here we go! In
the 2016 anthology film '#RogueOne',
archive footage and a digital scan of Cushing's life mask made for the
1984 film Top Secret! were used to create a 3D CGI mask which was
augmented and mapped to actor Guy
Henry's face. Henry had studied Cushing's mannerisms many years
previously for the lead role in British TV show 'Young Sherlock', but
insisted on a screen test as he was not comfortable that his vocal
imitation was accurate, stating he sounded more like "Peter O'Toole than
#PeterCushing".
THE ILM team searched through hours of footage to find suitable
material of Cushing to build from, footage from 'A New Hope' was lit
very differently to the lighting used in 'Rogue One' and had to be
digitally changed. The more they manipulated the lighting to match the
other actors in the scenes the less like Cushing the character model
looked, which meant creating a balancing act between "a digital figure"
and "one who looked precisely like Cushing". The owners of Cushing's
estate were heavily involved with the creation and had input right down
to "small, subtle adjustments".
ABOVE: THE PCASUK STORY ON APRIL FOOL'S DAY!
THE RESULT, which has been called "one
of the most complex and costly CGI re-creations ever", received a mixed
response. Recently, Derpfakes who is quite the dab hand at creating some
quite stunning CGI creations and sharing them for critiques on YouTube.
Here for your analysis, is his tweaking and nudging, of the ILM job on
Tarkin's appearance in 'Rogue One' (2016) ... There are some interesting
chances... for some I am sure, there will be little difference. Later,
if you like me have always thought the ideas and concepts of 'Star Wars'
were very original and new, join us later 😉 - Marcus
NEWS: No fixed details yet, but #INDICATOR are currently working on what will be the very first release of Amicus films, 'I MONSTER' (1971) starring #ChristopherLee, #PeterCushing and Mike Raven. This is one that has been a very long time coming and most welcome.
PART ONE of the behind the scenes PCASUK RARE STILLS Gallery, is RIGHT HERE!
ABOVE: The USA cinema trailer for Amicus films, 'I, MONSTER' starring Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. A film with a production story, that sometimes is even more dramatic than the film!
THERE ARE NO details on extras, region or stats, but I LOVE that case and poster image design 😊😉
OVER AT THEFACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE, we are asking everyone to choose ONE film from the careers of Peter CushingVincent Price and Christopher Lee that they would choose to be REPROCESSED for a release in 3D! There have been many, interesting answers. DO feel free to join in!
TODAY ALSO MARKS THE birthday of actress CAROL MARSH. who had quite a complicated career, that started with the highly respected movie,
'Brighton Rock' in 1948 with a young Richard Attenburough . . which landed her in
her one and only role with #PeterCushing, in 'DRACULA' / 'HORROR OF DRACULA' as LUCY in 1958. Various roles in drama and comedy flicks
followed, including the role of ALICE in another much loved version of
ALICE IN WONDERLAND in 1949. It's for Hammer's first DRACULA though that
she is most remembered...but her career was hardly a quiet one.. HAPPY
BIRTHDAY CAROL
#CHRISTOPHERLEE
Saturday! Lee as Mr Blake in Amicus films, 'I Monster' . . . a Amicus Stephen Weeks film that has been sadly MISSED by most! A film you
would purchase if it was remastered and on blu ray?? Peter Cushing and
Christopher Lee's stuntman Eddie Powell pull off quite the fight, in the
climax of the film!
PART ONE OF THIS EXTENDED AND EXCLUSIVE FEATURE AND
THERE IS A WHOLE TWO PARTfeature and PCAS gallery of RARE images from AMICUS FILMS 'I MONSTER' elsewhere on thius website. MANY of the photographs have never been seen before and along with the on set snaps, it gives a interesting peek on the making of the film and Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee working together...and enjoying it too! It is a great pity that director Stephen Weeks did not get the opportunity to work with them again together. THOUGH it wasn't for the lack of trying! Read about Stephen in our interview and GALLERY right HERE!
PART TWO is a gallery of ON SET and BEHIND THE SCENES look during the making of Christopher Lee's and Peter Cushing's 'I MONSTER' HERE!
IS 'I MONSTER' ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE CUSHING FILMS OR MAYBE YOU HAVE NEVER SEEN IT? COME SHARE YOUR OPINION AND THOUGHTS ON ONE THE LESSER TALKED ABOUT AMICUS FILMS AT THE FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE! COME AND JOIN A FOLLOWING OF OVER 33 THOUSAND FANS OF THE PAGE! JUST CLICK : HERE!!
#CHRISTOPHERLEE SATURDAY! BY THE BEGINNING of 1969, Peter Cushing no longer owned a London home, when he he was working and filming at a studio close to London, Pinewood, Shepperton or Elstree, but far from the home where he and his wife, Helen lived in Whitstable in Kent, he would stay at Brown's Hotel in Mayfair, in the city centre. . . 'My favourite hotel in London!' . .and this accommodation would be included in his fee for appearing in the film. For the contract of the Amicus film, I MONSTER, he did not want to be away from Helen in the evenings so he travelled on the 'milk-train' from Whitstable at 6am and returned back to his home at 10pm at night. It was a busy time . . .
I MONSTER, was based on the classic Robert Louis Stevenson's Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, was filmed from October 10th 1970, directed by 22 year old director Stephen Weeks. Christopher Lee starred in the dual role. But Amicus films angle on the story, was quite different for those that had been released in the past. Some believe producer Milton Subotsky, was ducking copyright restrictions, as MGM owned the rights to the title of the the story . . and so, the lead characters names, Jekyll and Hyde. And so, in I Monster, the good doctor and his alter ego, Mr Hyde carried different names, Doctor Marlowe and Mr Blake. Others believe, Subotsky had heard that his competition Hammer films, were in the process of shooting their own production of the tale. Though I guessing if this was true, he had no idea of the secret spin that it's director Roy Ward Baker and the producers, also had in the wings, to give their release a new and refreshing angle and adapted title! Although Subotsky changed the names of the doctor and his frightening flip identity, most of Stevenson's other characters remained the same, as in the novel. Back in 1983, when PCASUK carried out a video interview with Milton at his home, he was asked why he changed the main characters names, his answer was, 'I thought it would be fun to try!'
SUBOTSKY ALSO WAS DETERMINED to make in film in 3D. Again, when he became an honorary member of PCASUK in 1983, and gave us access and several interviews, the subject matter of how he always wanted to make a 3D film, often came up. He thought a 3D version of Alice in Wonderland in a feature film would make an amazing release... and a feature about the London, Lord Mayor Show, would also be ideal! Sadly, he never got the chance, nor did we or he ever bring up the subject matter of the failed and impossible attempt to shot 'I Monster' in 3D too! Subotsky, before he entered the world of making successful fantasy movies, spent time producing a series of shorts, based on the 'School Boy Scientist' market. Subotsky LOVED science and had been aware a simple and cost effective way of a shooting film in 3D since he too, was a school boy. The process required constant lateral movement within the frame, making conventional film shooting methods and rules of thumb impossible.
AFTER A WHILE, the process was abandoned by director Stephen Weeks, and the fact that many of the sets had been built, the opposite way to what was needed, to achieve the pans and movements in the correct directions, made movement and continuity impossible or jarring too. The finished release still contains several interminable tracking shots clumsily cut together with static close ups. Despite the technical problems, Christopher Lee gives an excellent central performance.
CUSHING LOVED THE PERIOD FURNISHINGS, and wore some of his own Edwardian styled clothes for the film, which were specially tailored for him by theatrical costumiers Montague Burton's- and as a result seems completely at home in this era. His is even able to reprise the 'eye up to the magnifying glass trick as he compares the identical signatures of Marlowe and Blake.
DESPITE WHAT SOME SEE as tedious pacing, and the occasional wandering camera the film does have several startling scenes and quite unique turns from both Lee and Cushing. A nightmare sequence features a distorted, faceless Doctor Marlowe; there is a spectacular chase through the massive turbines of an Edwardian water works! Also the monstrously ugly Blake's pathetic encounter with a small child in a park. Make up artist, Harry Frampton creates an amazingly Blake / Hyde whose appearance with every arrival becomes more frightening and a true monster, in every way!
CATCH UP with our I MONSTER RARE IMAGE GALLERY PART ONE : HERE!
IS I MONSTER ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE CUSHING FILMS OR MAYBE YOU HAVE NEVER SEEN IT? COME SHARE YOUR OPINION AND THOUGHTS ON ONE THE LESSER TALKED ABOUT AMICUS FILMS AT THE FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE! COME AND JOIN A FOLLOWING OF OVER 33 THOUSAND FANS OF THE PAGE! JUST CLICK : HERE!!
