THE ARTIST WHO CAPTURED THE BEAUTY IN THE HORROR: BASIL GOGOS IS DEAD.

Very sad to hear of the passing of legendary artist, BASIL GOGOS today. . . I first became aware of his incredible work on the Famous Monsters of Filmland covers... and this one in particular, of Peter Cushing. He leaves behind an enormous body of work, which fans and the lovers of his art will appreciate for many years to come . . .Do you have a favorite Gogo piece... ?

MANY MOONS AGO . .. . I spotted the cover of a certain magazine, on a  magazine rack, the kind you  see at airport news and book stores at airports, in our local newspaper vendors, in a teenie-tiny village, in the South of England.  It was my sixth birthday, and my grandma was taking  holding my hand, making her daily trip , to by her newspaper. I was invited along, because being my special day,  I could pick some sweets / candy from the large glass jars, that stood on shelves, behind the counter. I settled on half a pound of loose Jelly Babies, and while my Gran and shop keeper chatted and he was  weighing them,  looking around, I spotted the strangest cover of a magazine. 

I didn't really know what the magazine was about, although I judging by that word 'MONSTERS' in white, and that amazing character on the front, which I guessed, was maybe the Phantom of the Opera ...I knew my monsters from watching the late night movies at my Grandma's . . . I wanted it SO BADLY. But my birthday treat was being poured from the weighing scales scooped sliver bowl, into brown paper bags. I'd blown it! If only I had seen the magazine before my sweet tooth had led me to the Jelly Babies . . . In hindsight, I didn't really need the sweets, because I had the sweetest, kindest Grandma in the world. I left the store holding my Grandma's hand with my right hand, and two bags of Jelly Babies in my left..... but under my arm, were was that magazine, with that amazing art on the cover. From that day on, things would never be the same. . . - Marcus

UPDATE: BASIL GOGOS NEW YORK TIMES OBITUARY

IF YOU LIKE what you see here at our website, you'll  love our daily themed posts at our PCAS FACEBOOK FAN PAGE.  Just click that blue LINK and click LIKE when you get there, and help us . . Keep The Memory Alive!. The Peter Cushing Appreciation Society website, facebook fan page and youtube channel are managed, edited and written by Marcus Brooks, PCAS coordinator since 1979. PCAS is based in the UK and USA  

#THROWBACKTHURSDAY: JONNY GILLARD DRACULA : PETER CUSHING PHANTOM!

#THROWBACKTHURSDAY: REALLY BEAUTIFUL work by JONNY GILLARD. You think? A sample of cinematic DRACULA, down the years. Schreck, Lugosi, Lee and Oldman. Who would you COUNT as the actor with the edge on the Prince of Darkness? As you will will probably know, I don't usually do this but, these prints are for sale and you can contact Jonny : HERE!

#THROWBACKTHURSDAY! PETER CUSHING WOULD HAVE been the first to admit, he couldn't hold a note without dropping and smashing it! But, PHANTOM? He would probably not have entertained the idea, and studios like Hammer Films saw his roles in a different way, but Redway and Booth, his agents might have gambled it...they weren't strangers to certain rogue casting, over the years. Gulp! But Cushing as The Phantom..! What do you think? I came across this surreal artwork a few days ago, I don't know the artist..shout if it IS yours, please. I will credit you or take it down, whichever floats your boat . . 

I PERSONALLY THINK, Cushing had the sensitivity for the role . . . we forget he played in MANY love stories on stage, tv and cinema before Hammer arrived... Seriously though . . . Peter Cushing as The Phantom?

IF YOU LIKE what you see here at our website, you'll  love our daily themed posts at our PCAS FACEBOOK FAN PAGE.  Just click that blue LINK and click LIKE when you get there, and help us . . Keep The Memory Alive!. The Peter Cushing Appreciation Society website, facebook fan page and youtube channel are managed, edited and written by Marcus Brooks, PCAS coordinator since 1979. PCAS is based in the UK and USA 

AVENGERS NEVER SAY DIE: ISLAND OF THE BURNING DAMNED CONCEPT ARTWORK

#CHRISTOPHERLEESATURDAY! I have been asked for YOUR opinion please.... which of the designs do you PREFER. The original US Vintage cinema poster design on the left OR the NEW concept artwork on the right? Please don't be shy in sharing your opinions on the style and artwork and maybe the reasons for your choice. Thank You! It's #CHRISTOPHERLEESATURDAY Today and there's some goodies on baddies coming up during the day!

#CHRISTOPHERLEESATURDAY: Christopher Lee like Peter Cushing and many other top actors at the time guested on the classic TV Show The Avengers. Lee made two appearances on the show, first in the Emma Peel era episode 'Never, Never Say Die' And the second being from the Tara King era called 'The Interrogators' which was directed by Oscar-nominated Ealing Studios veteran Charles Crichton. Lee plays Colonel Mannering who is running a special interrogation course, established to determine the degree to which agents can withstand interrogation. Except that everyone who passes the course soon learns that all of their contacts have been murdered. And then, Tara is called in for a run through the course as well. Its a fun episode with Lee delivering a great performance as Mannering

IF YOU LIKE what you see here at our website, you'll  love our daily themed posts at our PCAS FACEBOOK FAN PAGE.  Just click that blue LINK and click LIKE when you get there, and help us . . Keep The Memory Alive!. The Peter Cushing Appreciation Society website, facebook fan page and youtube channel are managed, edited and written by Marcus Brooks, PCAS coordinator since 1979. PCAS is based in the UK and USA. 

#MONSTERMONDAY: THE MAKING OF THE HOUSE OF LONG SHADOWS PART TWO

MICHAEL ARMSTRONG'S disappointment at the cuts in the final cut of The House Of The Long Shadows was matched by the reaction of the stars of the film. Vincent Price, in particular, was so upset that his role had been reduced by the cuts- especially in the music room scene- that he denounced the film openly and refused to aid in it's promotion or have anything more to do with the film. 

Michael Armstrong recalls: ' I got a call from Cannon just before the film was due to open in the UK, telling me about Vinnie's reaction and asking me if I could try and change his mind. Apparently, he had refused to speak to anyone at the Cannon offices. He was staying in London at the time, because his wife Coral Brown was at that time receiving specialist treatment for cancer here. I called him and tried to persuade him to talk to Cannon, but he was adamant. He was so angry and so very upset because he'd loved doing the film and thought it was some of his best comedy work and then to see so much of his performance cut...but what could I say?'

Armstrong, continued 'I was totally in agreement with him and, as I pointed out- the cuts to his dialogue were equally the cuts to my dialogue. We were on the phone over an hour and a half. By the end, we were commiserating with each other. He never did speak to anyone at Cannon, although he and I continued to stay in touch right up to his death.'

ABOVE: PETER CUSHING PROMOTES THE HOUSE OF THE LONG SHADOWS ON THE UK BBC BREAKFAST TIME PROGRAMME 1983. CLIP QUALITY FLUCTUATES BUT IT'S WORTH IT!

HOUSE OF THE LONG SHADOWS opened in London in 1983 at the Carlton Cinema in the Haymarket to mixed reviews and a disastrous box office. Cannon's decision to sell the film as a straightforward horror film had only resulted in confusing both the critics and the audiences who, without having the benefit of knowing beforehand that it was meant to be a tongue-in-cheek lampoon of Gothic melodrama, mistook all the wit and pastiche jokes as an attempt at the real thing. Those critics, however, who did realise the films intent, raved- in particular over the screenplay and the stars. Similarly the film went on to win prizes for best film, best screenplay and best actors (jointly for the four stars) at Avoriaz, Sitges, Paris and other genre festivals around the world.

DISMAYED AT THE London box office results, Armstrong persuaded Cannon to let him experiment with a different approach for the regions in the UK and sell the film as the comedy it was, rather than the horror film that it wasn't. To test this the East Anglia release was launched with a specially organised gala night audience in Stowmarket being issued with souvenir programmes quoting those reviews recognising the film as a comedy. The result was a packed house loving the film, laughing and applauding throughout. As Armstrong points out, 'It was exactly the same audience reaction we'd seen at Avoriaz and in Paris where it had won the audience prize for Best Film at the Paris Film Festival'.

 THE BRITISH QUAD CINEMA POSTER FOR 'HOUSE 

OF THE LONG SHADOWS' WAS SCALED DOWN FOR THE

CANNON VIDEO RELEASE

DESPITE THIS EVIDENCE of the audience reaction, it was too late to change anything. Cannon's original marketing plan remained and the film continued to fail at the UK box office. With a far more tongue-in-cheek marketing campaign the film fared better upon it's American and international release, once more mainly garnering good reviews. Its excellent entry into the video market, however, was cut short by the collapse of Cannon. as part of the company's product sell off, the film was included in a package required by MGM and along with so much of the Cannon product was lost in the archives.

ARMSTRONG SAW THE PROBLEM, 'The problem with parody is that unless you know what is being parodied, you miss the joke and I think that's where certain people missed out on the film. It's a pity because The House Of The Long Shadows is so full of jokes for the movie buff- almost every single line of the dialogue has a reference point to some movie or another - I defy anyone to get them all in a single screening. Apart from the movie references, though, The House Of The Long Shadows exits on several levels, which is why it really needs more than one viewing to appreciate it fully. It was also made with a great love for the film it so affectionately lampoons and as a swan song to the horror careers of the four. Just take a look at their dialogue to see what I mean. I firmly believe when it does finally emerge on DVD, it will finally be recognised, not only as one of Pete Walker's best and most complex films, but as a fitting tribute and elegy to a bygone era'

BUT IT DIDN'T STOP THERE . . 'The House Of The Long Shadows' until 2013 was still in limbo, regarding a legitimate release. Maybe Peter Cushing Centenary was an opportunity too good to miss? Whatever it was, the powers that be, finally gave us what we had been waiting for. 'The House of the Long Shadows' arrived in not only ONE blu ray package, but quite a few! The region FREE blu ray was followed by a German blu ray, then Spanish...and many more there after. The news is good, seems someone turned on the lights at the home of the Grisbanes, and now, the once foggy, under-lit scenes are presented, just as they should have been, when we spent our hard earned cash for groggy dvd copies. The picture quality is great, audio too! The Horror Channel has screened the movie several times over the past five years too! Seems, just like Roderick in the story, if WAIT long enough...you'll get what you want!

HOW WE REPORTED ON THE US REGION BLU RAY RELEASE

PART ONE

PART ONE OF THE MAKING OF THE HOUSE OF LONG SHADOWS 
CAN BE FOUND :  HERE!

NEWS: THE PROFESSOR : FAMILIAR FACE IN ISSUE FOUR!

THOSE OF YOU FOLLOWING the excellent story unfolding in the Italian comic #THE PROFESSOR, will be very pleased hear that ISSUE FOUR is now AVAILABLE! The team of Corbetta, Martigi, De Carlo, Giorgiani have come up with a terrific story, with a Cushing-ques character at the centre of the tale. Imaginative and very creative artwork, brings the action to life, in a synopsis where you are never sure, where it will take the reader next! The arrival of a new character in the story, looks strangely familiar, it's all part of this unique tale that has some lovely nods to Cushing Hammer and fantasy work. If you haven't got your hands on a copy yet, it's easy to get one. here is a link to #THEPROFESSOR facebook page . . . 

THE THREE PAST ISSUES OF 'THE PROFESSOR' COMIC

IF YOU LIKE what you see here at our website, you'll  love our daily themed posts at our PCAS FACEBOOK FAN PAGE.  Just click that blue LINK and click LIKE when you get there, and help us reach our 30K following total for Peter Cushing BIRTHDAY on MAY 26th 2017 AND Help Keep The Memory Alive!