LOST IN THE FOG! MOMENT OF TERROR MONDAY : PETER CUSHING

#MOMENTOFTERROR MONDAY! ONE OUR MOST POPULAR uploads on our PCAS YOU TUBE CHANNEL is any uploads from the Peter Cushing Tyburn film 'THE GHOUL' considering how unpopular the film appears to have been for so many years, I find it typical of how FACEBOOK works and well this website and YOUTUBE works. So often, over the many years of managing the PCAS FACEBOOK FAN PAGE, an often vague and really quite unsupported opinion was posted by a member of the public AGAINST a certain Hammer film or indeed CUSHING film. Within a few hours, that opinion would influence so many other posts and comments, that if challenged would go very quiet. Happily, the once negative Facebook tide about this film slowly started to change direction too in the last two years, before we parted ways with Facebook last month.

PERSONALLY, I'VE FOUND if you look down the 92 films in Peter Cushing's filmography, and look for roles the like of Dr Lawrence in THE GHOUL you won't find many. . . Cushing played many evil characters, whose reputation was either formed by other appearances in past productions like Frankenstein. The likes of roles like Sir John Rowan in 'Corruption' and Dr Nararoff in 'The Gorgon' too . . were motivated by the progress of medicine. The Ghoul's Dr Lawrence is different. In this scene, where we first meet Lawrence, we see a man who is cautious, with good reason, and helpful . . with intentions. What makes his performance so interesting and entertaining also is, for the first time, Cushing also brought in emotional factors from his own personal life. It presents us with a much more credible character. Crushed by grief and driven by a most horrendous secret. 

WHAT HELPS here too is, every cast member is very good too. John Hurt's Tom Rawling's is every females nightmare. Creepy, lusty and dangerous. The despite Rawling's totally unattractive and frightening drive, the fatal physical horror and terror will be cranked up and is really yet to come. Here in this five minute clip . . we see the traps set, the lies shared and what appears to be the charity of a new friend... become many moments of terror . . .

#FRANKENSTEINFRIDAY: HUMAN MUNCHIES AT HAMMER

#FRANKENSTEINFRIDAY: Hammer films first step into their Frankenstein franchise was The Curse of Frankenstein in 1957. This was quickly followed, after it's huge commercial success by The Revenge of Frankenstein the following year. As with Curse, it's success is no small part because of Cushing's stellar return and performance, as the Baron who cheated death. But for me, there has always been more than one act of cheating in this particular return. . . . 

FRANCIS MATTHEWS is terrific and believable as the good doctor's assistant, Hans. Eunice Gayson as Margret, struggles but does well with what she has been given by scriptwriter Jimmy Sangster, who had an annoying habit of giving his female characters a one dimensional, very shallow filed to plough, when it came to any of his written women. And the supporting cast were top too. I love Michael Gwynn's work, but not in this one. This is not because he was weak, like with Gayson's lot. No, Gwynn was working with a very weak concept...a man who turns Cannibal! Sangster went on record as saying, he did struggle with coming up with an angle, a 'thing' ..part of what that latest Frankenstein abomination did, that was above murder and creating chaos. This creation should repulse and make audiences shriek with terror once again. He thought long and hard, and eventually came up with, cannibalism. Well, I don't buy it. I never have, never will. 

YOU CAN FIND OUT MORE ON THE REVENGE OF FRANKENSTEIN PLUS EYE OUR LOVELY GALLERY OF RARE PICS AT OUR FEATURE : HERE! 

THE WHOLE PREMISE that supports the reason why poor ol Karl has the human munchies, in the framework of this Gothic horror, sticks out as desperate, ill conceived, heavy handed and over the top. I would have been quite happy with another round of, just murder, unhappy monster and leave it at that. The Hammer Frankenstein's were most entertaining when they focused on 'The Baron'.. how bad, how manipulative, cruel and relentless HE could be. It's interesting that the most popular and financially successful films of the series, Curse and Destroyed, had Baron Frankenstein at the center of the story. On the whole, I think the Frankenstein audience went to see Peter Cushing, and were quite informed about how they liked their Gothic horror menu served up...intelligent, imaginative and with some class and taste. To me, if you throw cannibalism into the recipe, it's just too rich, one spice too many. Cannibalism...In other words, just doesn't taste that good... 😉 What do you think? Agree? disagree? - Marcus

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