RICHARD E GRANT THE INSPIRATION FOR GENERAL PRYDE AND A SELECTION OF CHOICE BLU RAY AND DVD CASES

A VERY POPULAR POST AT the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE! right now. I wonder if any of you missed this message from actor Richard E Grant last year too? How wonderful for Peter Cushing to still be inspiring others, '..in his moment of triumph' 😉 The 'HEAD in the BOX' here is the amazing bust figure of Cushing's Tarkin, by Californian based sculptor Jordu Schell. It still stands as an amazing work of art!

AT THE FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE TODAY, I asked our friends and followers, how many of them have a collection of #PeterCushing DVD's or Blu Rays. The answers of YES or No, came flooding, which paved the way for our next post today, 'Can You Tell Us YOUR favourite TOP THREE covers to your Cushing Blu Rays, DVD's or even VHS or BETA  releases'. Everyone was asked to maybe send in selfies of the covers, so everyone could enjoy and identify their choices too! It's a post that is slowly growing, right now. The choices have been interesting, with everything from the Final Cut blu ray 'Captain Clegg and the dvd 'The Abominable Snowman' to the Second Sight twin release of 'The House That Dripped Blood' and  'Asylum' limited editions to covers featured on the front of lesser known European releases! This is how the feature was kick-started . . .

"I KNOW MOST OF YOU out there have told me today, you are the proud owners of several gems of #PeterCushing dvd's, #blurays and even #VHS films. Some of you have just started collecting, others have been adding 'case by case' to that series of sagging shelves or book cases for decades. . ." 

WELL, THIS ISN'T ABOUT the quality of the film INSIDE, this is all about and focusing on that little extra value you expect these days, when you purchase the release. The COVER DESIGN! It's no longer enough for distributors to just slap a 30 - 50 year old #cinema poster on the front of the case. We want something that looks amazing! So, from your private collection, be it blu ray, dvd or indeed VHS or Beta box, show us your THREE favourite Cushing film cases designs. It's your choices, for whatever reason, but I would love to know why you made those choices? 😊Take a #selfie or pic or even use ads or promo posts of the cases covers, it's your choice. #JUSTTHREE!"
 

ABOVE : A SECTION FROM THE FEATURE ON THE FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE 'I do not know the other cases of releases. I am guessing both are collections and compilations. Someone did send me scans of the sleeves though a while ago now. I do like the gamble of lesser known distributors releases though. They take more risks with their case sleeve designs, usually working with limited resource visuals. The one on the far left looks like they didn't have the resource to check what they had to work with, so flipped the lovely colour photograph of Peter. A habit some of the tabloid UK newspapers and magazines still have a annoying knack of doing, based on the weird rule of things looking into the spine of the pages!! So buttons on coats along with breast pockets, facial moles and hair partings are the wrong way around!' 

FINALLY ABOVE! I'll throw this one in, just because it's quite rare that a vintage #PeterCushing film gets the whole 'triple treat-treament' : blu ray extras, restoration and #STEELBOOK package with #GrahamHumphries artwork cover! This was the work of Screenbound Films in #2016, who very generously donated TWO of these beauties for me to offer up as prizes in a promotional PCASUK #competition. I cried and waved goodbye, when they were packed and dropped into the sack at the post office, for our two very lucky winners!

TWO AMAZING CUSHING IMAGES PLUS FLESH AND THE FIENDS COMING BLU RAY VIA KINO

A POST I SHARED TODAY at the which became very popular with almost a THOUSAND LIKES, is this colour photograph of Peter Cushing, in his home at Whitstable in 1974. Until today, it was very rarely seen . .  thanks to your shares at the 'fan page' now everyone has the pleasure of seeing it!

I LOVE IT WHEN friends and followers, send in artwork of PC. This one was sent by George T, of the very talented artist Colin J Fenwick . . posted on New Years Eve I believe, Colin wanted to share it at midnight I guess, though explained the pattern on Cushing neck tie took him hours longer! Many identified the character captured in the artwork portrate, as Peter Cushing as Doctor Know, from the 1959 film ''THE FLESH AND THE FIENDS' a not so well know film or role of Cushing's, and has been quite a find, if when fans have managed to source a good dvd. THANKFULLY, KINO have NEW 2K REMASTERS OF BOTH CUTS OF THE FILM and have set a release for this early this year, which will be quite the treat, I am sure! As soon as I have any details, I will of course, let you know!  can get to see it.- Marcus

STEVE CREATED FRANKENSTEIN : ACTOR EDWARD JUDD 'ISLAND OF TERROR' REMEMBERED

STARTING NEXT WEEK we will be returning and rebooting our popular daily themed posts on here our facebook fan page and the official PCASUK website. We'll be dusting off each of the seven themed days with some new additions too! Wednesday will now be offering an opportunity not only for collectors to share images of their Cushing collectable and goodies but, also we are inviting any of you who display at deviant art or otherwise, to share examples of your creations and art work here too 🙂 We are happy to provide links to your galleries and watermark items should you wish 🙂 Here is a sample 🙂 Portrait artist Steve Lilly, shared this with us today and I thought you would love to see his artwork for yourselves! This is a cracking portrait of Peter Cushing as Baron Frankenstein, from maybe one of your favourites too... 'Frankenstein Created Woman' ? Steve has a web presence with many superb examples of his work there too!

HERE IS A LINK to see more of his talent for yourselves! Thank you Steve for sharing! CLICK HERE FOR STEVE LILLY'S WEBSITE AND GALLERY!

REMEMBERING EDWARD JUDD today, who was born on this day 4th October 1932. Judd achieved his biggest successes with a series of science fiction films 'The Day The Earth Caught Fire' (1961) ,'First Men In The Moon' (1964) and co-starring with Peter Cushing in 'Island Of Terror' (1966) fighting the silicates…..

FULL REVIEW ON 'THE DAY THE EARTH CAUGHT FIRE WITH GALLERY:  CLICK HERE!

FULL REVIEW AND GALLERY OF 'ISLAND OF TERROR' JUST CLICK HERE! 

FULL REVIEW AND STILLS GALLERY: CLICK HERE!

COMPETITION: WIN FOUR COPIES! LIMITED EDITION AMICUS BLU RAY 'ASYLUM'

HERE WE GO EVERYONE! Many thanks to Second Sight Films for their sponsoring of this and our last AMICUS CUSHING COMPETITION!... Asylum is one of my all time favorite Amicus / Peter Cushing films, and I think this release is going to go quite crackers and sell out very quickly on its release day 29th July2019. You CAN PREORDER NOW RIGHT HERE! THIS COMPETITION is now LIVE at the FACEBOOK PCAS FAN PAGE. IF you feel like giving yourself a go!? The last PCAS competition to win FOUR COPIES of SECOND SIGHT FILMS LIMITED EDITION OF ' 'THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD' was very popular and already it looks like THIS comp will make and hit some new numbers for our entries again!

THE SECOND SIGHT FILMS release not only presents us with a very neat and much improved print of the film, which stars some of the best of not only past Amicus casts but a neat crew in 'post production' and behind the camera too. The film has a pretty tight story and each of the four tales of terror skip along, just pausing for breath under Peter Tanner's editing. Tanner has a very good understanding of the pace needed for Brit Fantasy and strange stories, having edited some of the best of the TV series 'The Avengers' in nine episodes during 65 and 66. Tanner worked a few Amicus films and was in demand until 1998, sadly passing at the grand age of 88 in 2002. 



CAMERA OPERATOR NEIL BINNEY, who made a very firm mark of quality on several of Amicus films rival, Hammer films over the years, makes everything appear in the set design of the titled 'Asylum' building, look every inch clinical, but not-quite-in-the-world-of-the-real! Roy Ashton, provides his skilled eye and hand on the make up of everything from quite nasty scars to 'what is trying to break out of that manikin?'  plus Douglas Gamley -  The City Of The Dead (61) , The Road to Hong Kong (62),  A Shot In The Dark (63) The Land Thar Time Forgot (74)- and moves the scrapes, thuds and off time clanks of Elisabeth Lutyens. Gamley thankfully was yet to discover the art of naff 'The Beats Must Die' score and sets a terrific and powerful kick off bringing in his arrangement of Mussorgsky's 'Night On Bald Mountain' and pieces of his own making, to make a film that not only looks frightening but also rips a score, that gets the toes a curling! So much to watch and hear. Along with this we have a VERY nice assortment of goodies in the EXTRA FEATURES department . .  

ABOVE: JUST LIKE AMICUS, the art and timing of the 'good build-up' in how we set the scene, ready for the lauch of this the SECOND AMICUS PCAS and SECOND SIGHT FILMS competition, was about to go live on facebook, shortly . . 

OUR PART FIVE of the FILMS OF PETER CUSHING which includes ASYLUM complete with rare stills gallery : HERE! 

THE EXTRA VALUE OF EXTRAS!

Audio Commentary with Director Roy Ward Baker and Camera Operator Neil Binney
 

Two’s a Company: 1972 On-set BBC report featuring interviews with Producer Milton Subotsky, Director Roy Ward Baker, Actors Charlotte Rampling, James Villiers, Megs Jenkins, Art Director Tony Curtis and Production Manager Teresa Bolland Screenwriter David J. Schow on Writer Robert Bloch Fiona Subotsky Remembers Milton Subotsky
 

Inside The Fear Factory: Featurette with Directors Roy Ward Baker, Freddie Francis and Producer Max J. Rosenberg
 

Theatrical Trailer
Reversible sleeve featuring new artwork by Graham Humphreys and original artwork
Limited Edition Contents

Rigid Slipcase Featuring New Artwork by Graham Humphreys
40 page booklet with new essays by Allan Bryce, Jon Towlson and Kat Ellinger
Reversible poster featuring new and original artwork 

DID YOU MISS our FIRST AMICUS BLU RAY competition? IF SO, grab your opportunity to catch this one, at the FACEBOOK FAN PAGE of the Peter Cushing Appreciation Society : RIGHT HERE!

ASYLUM AND THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD LIMITED RELEASE ON FIRST TIME BLU RAY IN UK

NEWS: Announced today, is the news of the arrival of TWO Amicus Peter Cushing films being released as limited editions next month on blu ray  SECOND SIGHT FILMS  in the UK for the FIRST TIME on the 29th of JULY 2019! Both THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD and ASYLUM contain very neat menu of bonus extras, some new additions, some passed over from previous releases. but BOTH have exceptional cases artwork by my good mate, Graham Humphreys, plus both have supplement 40 page booklets on the movies too! Here is the run down on what each release is offering as a pretty neat package . . we'll be sharing a review on this release, the print and the contents very soon, so keep your eyes peeled. Meanwhile, you can place YOUR PRE ORDER HERE! 

THE AMICUS LIMITED EDITIONS of ASYLUM and THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD : THE CONTENTS and BONUS FEATURES are as follows:

ASYLUM Limited Edition Contents • Rigid Slipcase Featuring New Artwork by Graham Humphreys • 40 page booklet with new essays by Allan Bryce, Jon Towlson and Kat Ellinger Special Features • Audio Commentary with Director Roy Ward Baker and Camera Operator Neil Binney • ‘Two’s a Company’: 1972 On-set BBC report featuring interviews with Producer Milton Subotsky, Director Roy Ward Baker, Actors Charlotte Rampling, James Villiers, Megs Jenkins, Art Director Tony Curtis and Production Manager Teresa Bolland • Screenwriter David J. Schow on Writer Robert Bloch • Fiona Subotsky Remembers Milton Subotsky • Inside The Fear Factory Featurette with Directors Roy Ward Baker, Freddie Francis and Producer Max J. Rosenberg • Theatrical Trailer

THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD Limited Edition Contents • Rigid Slipcase Featuring New Artwork by Graham Humphreys • 40 page soft cover book with new essays by Allan Bryce, Jon Towlson and Kat Ellinger Special Features • Audio Commentary with Director Peter Duffell and Author Jonathan Rigby • Audio Commentary with Film Historian and Author Troy Howarth • Interview with Second Assistant Director Mike Higgins • A Rated Horror Film - Vintage featurette featuring interviews with Director Peter Duffell and Actors Geoffrey Bayldon, Ingrid Pitt and Chloe Franks • Theatrical Trailers • Amicus Radio Spots • Stills Gallery

THE STORY BEHIND Peter Cushing and his WAXWORKS in THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD HERE!

YOU CAN FIND OUT MORE AND READ UP ON BOTH ASYLUM and THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD in our PCASUK features, complete with galleries and rare images! HERE and HERE!

TUESDAY TOUGHY : SECOND QUESTION CLOSER TO SIGNED LEE PRIZE : COLLECTING CUSHING WITH CAMERON JONES

THE PCASUK COMPETITION: Here is Question Number TWO of five in our ' . . win a rare and smashing signed and framed photograph of Christopher as Dracula from Dracula AD 1972!' Competition 🙂 NO answers posted in the message box below please. Another three question to come, after which you can send in all FIVE of your answers to us, as your entry 😉 Good Luck! Question THREE tomorrow 🙂

ABOVE, BETTER LATE THAN NEVER, our CHRISTOPHER LEE 'FIVE QUESTIONS' AUTOGRAPH COMPETITION and the NEWS OF HAMMER FILMS 1958 DRACULA COMING TO BLU RAY, thanks to WARNER BROTHERS, kind of too over the shedule and space, yesterday! However, here we are, just for this week, moving the TUESDAY TOUGHY to TODAY, Wednesday! Kills the title theme, but there you go! So, BRRRRR!? What do you think? Very few of you, guessed the ANSWER to last weeks, CUSHING TUESDAY TOUGHY. It was a tricky one, but the photograph had been included in several features AND a competition! So, no takers. 

HOWEVER, if this weeks' has you, chewing your pencil or keeping you UP at night! No fear, the ANSWER will be here Friday. I mean. WHO IS THAT scuffy looking bird holding onto Mr C? What could be the film? In the meantime, if you would like to chat and throw your ideas, into the pot, WHY NOT pop along to the Facebook PCASUK FAN PAGE and join in the chatter OR even throw your ANSWER into the pot on the thread! 

COLLECTING CUSHING WITH CAMERON JONES: COLUMBUS , OHIO. 'I began collecting about 15 years ago I started with vintage Hammer film posters. I have been a fan of Peter’s since I was a teenager! says Cameron Jones a Peter Cushing fan and collector. Cameron's collection proves a point that, it really isn't about the size of a collection, it's really about the impressive quality of the items.  Like many of the collections I have had the pleasure of seeing, there is always a library of dvd's or blu rays. Cameron's library doesn't just have recently released titles, but also the attraction older releases appeal too. 'The first Peter Cushing film I bought on dvd was an old public domain copy of ‘Horror Express’. I recently got the new Blu-Ray releases of ‘Dracula A.D. 1972’ and ‘The Satanic Rites of Dracula’ The next film I‘ve been eyeing is ‘Island of Terror’ a great little film'

'A great little film'.... one of Cameron's favorites, 'ISLAND OF TERROR' (1966) 

'I GREW UP watching old horror movies. I remember seeing this man who was just so magnetic.. whether he was fighting monsters or creating them it didn’t matter I was always mesmerized by him. Seeing him in a movie meant ‘this was a good one’. Now as an adult my love and respect for Peter Cushing has only grown. He has such range as an actor..he was a natural.'

CLASSIC  Van Helisng with Peter Cushing and David Peel

 in 'The Brides of Dracula' ( 1960) included in Cameron's library!

 

CHRISTOPHER LEE in the Spanish  shocker, 'Horror Express' (1972)

ONE OF THE IMPRESSIVE THINGS about Cameron's collection is, I like that he is a collector, who is bringing together the things that , HE likes. Items, movies and art work that appeal to his love of Peter Cushing. Some of these items are displayed, really tastefully in a spot lit class cabinet. ' My glass display case I got it from IKEA a couple years ago! I think the item in my collection which was the hardest to get was my Titan Van Helsing figurine. It’s pretty rare and hard to find!' Some of you may remember, when Titan released the Cushing Van Helsing figure. It was a limited edition, expensive and everyone serious collector, wanted one gracing their display cabinets! 'My Van Helsing artwork was made for a Kickstarter called ‘Face Cards: Vampires’ a set of trading cards featuring famous Vampires from film and television. The Artist is Byron Winton he decided towards the end of the campaign to add a few famous vampire slayers to the card set. I told him he just HAD to include Peter Cushing’s Van Helsing...and he got put it. I was lucky enough to acquire the original artwork used to make the trading card. It’s Peter as we see him in ‘Brides of Dracula’ 

I ASKED CAMERON if among all the films and tv shows that Peter Cushing appeared in, that Cameron had seen, was there a performance he wasn't so keen on. 'I don’t believe he ever put in a bad performance. Peter brought a touch of class to every film he was in...he is in my opinion the greatest horror actor of all time.' Cameron's collection is still growing, with regular purchases of newly remastered Cushing movies, and if he adds another eye popping gem to that glass display case... he's promised to let us know! I can't wait! 😊