Showing posts with label dave prowse. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dave prowse. Show all posts

Wednesday 30 April 2014

THE SHANE BRIANT 'FRANKENSTEIN AND THE MONSTER FROM HELL' Q AND A': YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED!


The WINNING entries and questions...and the best of, from our 'Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell: Shane Briant Q and A! Congratulations to our lucky winners and many thinks to everyone who entered, to Shane for taking part, Hammer films, and everyone at Fetch!

Part two of our Shane Briant 'Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell' Q and A will be a THE HORROR CHANNEL facebook page shortly :)

You can now order your copy of the UNCUT, three disc blu ray / dvd of 'Frankenstein and the monster from Hell' starring Peter Cushing, Shane Briant, Madeline Smith and Dave Prowse... just by clicking this link! (http://amzn.to/1i51bHI) We will be posting a review of this UK release at this blog later today at the blog!

Sunday 27 April 2014

MONSTER FROM HELL' BLU RAYS COMPETITION WINNERS COMING UP!


'Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell' UNCUT blu ray is OUT tomorrow, Monday 28th April 2014! TODAY we'll be announcing the winners names to our Blu Ray and Lobby Card Competition at 2PM GMT. Are You a WINNER?




Friday 25 April 2014

DAVE PROWSE: MY TOP FIVE FILMS : FRANKENSTEIN AND THE MONSTER FROM HELL BLU RAY


A great feature in today's METRO newspaper on Dave Prowse and his TOP FIVE FILMS, with a nice tie in to the release of Hammer films, 'Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell' blu ray / dvd which you can pre order now ready for it's release on MONDAY at the link below!

ORDER YOUR COPY  HERE

Wednesday 16 April 2014

FRANKENSTEIN AND THE MONSTER FROM HELL BLU RAY WEEK : STARTS NEXT WEEK


NEXT WEEK: To celebrate the release of the Hammer films classic ‘Frankenstein And The Monster From Hell’ -starring Peter Cushing and Shane Briant- coming to 2-disc DVD & single-disc UNCUT Blu-ray for the first ever time in the UK on 28th April 2014, here at the PCASUK blog and PCASUK Facebook Fan Page we are marking the occasion in style! Join us for Competitions, Prizes, Win Copies of the Blu Ray...and MUCH more besides.

Thursday 6 March 2014

ICON ENTERTAINMENT: FRANKENSTEIN AND THE MONSTER FROM HELL : UK BLU RAY RELEASE APRIL 2014


PETER CUSHING NEWS: Icon Entertainment PRESS RELEASE : 'FRANKENSTEIN AND THE MONSTER FROM HELL' UK BLU RAY RELEASE FOR APRIL:  Icon Home Entertainment has announced its 28th April 2014 release of the Hammer horror classic Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell. With a host of extras, a 3-disc dual format package and an HD transfer, this looks set to be one of the definitive releases of this British horror movie.

PRESS RELEASE:
Starring the inimitable Peter Cushing, the last of Hammer's acclaimed series of Frankenstein films, Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell is the final feature film directed by the legendary Terence Fisher.

Convicted of bodysnatching and using the body parts of his ill-gotten cadavers for research, Dr. Simon Helder is sentenced to five years in an insane asylum. On arrival, he recognises the penitentiary's resident surgeon as none other than the infamous Baron Victor Frankenstein, who has been hiding out there and continuing his research into the reanimation of corpses under the pseudonym of Dr. Carl Victor. Recognising Helder's surgical skills, Frankenstein enlists the young doctor as his assistant under the pretext of their tending to the medical needs of their fellow inmates. But the reality of the situation is far more sinister. Frankenstein is already well on his way to creating a new living creature assembled from the vital organs of murdered criminals and madmen.

A perfect, unusually gory and beautifully gothic swan song for Hammer's incarnation of Mary Shelley's two accursed creations, Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell features yet another (his sixth) standout performance by the brilliant Peter Cushing as the mad baron and is also notable for the pre-Star Wars pairing of the actors who would four years later reunite to play two of the most iconic villains in the cinematic galaxy – Darth Vader (David Prowse) and Grand Moff Tarkin (Cushing).

 Extra features include:

Taking Over The Asylum: The Making Of Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell.
Charming Evil: Terence Fisher at Hammer.
 
Audio commentary by Shane Briant and Madeline Smith, moderated by Marcus Hearn.
Animated stills gallery.

Monday 24 June 2013

REVIEW AND GALLERY: 'FRANKENSTEIN AND THE MONSTER FROM HELL' THE BARON IN BEDLAM


Simon Helder (Shane Briant) is arrested on charges of sorcery when it is discovered that he is following in the foosteps of the infamous Baron Frankenstein.  Upon being confined to a lunatic asylum, Helder is shocked to find that the doctor in charge is none other than Frankenstein (Peter Cushing) himself…


Although The Curse of Frankenstein was the film that put Hammer Studios and actors Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee “on the map,” as it were, as a series it never quite matched their Dracula franchise in terms of popularity.  Hindsight has demonstrated, however, that the Frankenstein series was far more consistent in quality.  Even so, while Warner Brothers reportedly balked at backing a Christopher Lee-less Dracula (Taste the Blood of Dracula, 1969, had been designed to showcase Ralph Bates as a possible replacement for the vocally dissatisfied veteran), Hammer faced no such opposition when they decided to reboot the Frankenstein series with a younger Baron.  As such, Peter Cushing sat out on Horror of Frankenstein (1970), with none other than Bates taking over the role. The film was was a flop, and Hammer decided to go back to basics with their next entry. The film was a flop, and Hammer decided to go back to basics with their entry.


Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell would mark Hammer’s last true Gothic of the era, their last Frankenstein film to date, and Terence Fisher’s swansong as a director.  It is, in many respects, the end of an era.


The screenplay by Anthony Hinds (written under his usual nom de plume of John Elder) would also mark his final feature length script produced by the company, and it has been remarked upon that it bears some similarities to Jimmy Sangster’s screenplay for The Revenge of Frankenstein (1958).  A definite air of déjà vu does hang over the proceedings, but the film never seems stale or half hearted; if anything, it’s something of an elegy for a period of filmmaking that was inevitably drawing to a close.  Hinds and Fisher bring the film up to date by indulging in a number of memorably gory set pieces, but in every other respect it’s very much apiece with the classical style of Hammer horror.  The film doesn’t aim for the experimental, elliptical style of storytelling one will find in the films Christopher Wicking was writing for Hammer during this period, for example (including Demons of the Mind and Blood from the Mummy’s Tomb, 1971), not does it seek to amp up the “sleaze” quotient by tossing in some gratuitous nudity or lesbian lovemaking.


Some critics have attempted to argue that there is a specific continuity from entry to entry in the series, but close examination of the films doesn’t lend much credence to this.  Despite my admitted belief in the auteur theory, which places tremendous emphasis on the role of the director in the filmmaking process, the auteur of this particular series is not so much Terence Fisher as it is the various screenwriters.  Jimmy Sangster wrote both Curse and Revenge, and the two films link together clearly and coherently.  When Anthony Hinds took over screenwriting duties with Evil of Frankenstein and Frankenstein Created Woman, he essentially ignored everything that had come before and offered a kinder, gentler slant to the character.  Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed, written by Bert Batt, most certainly was not consistent with Hinds’ conception – but it did link into the ruthless character devised by Sangster.


With Monster from Hell, Hinds resumed screenwriting chores – and sure enough, the story links into his earlier efforts far more comfortably than it does to the film that immediately preceded it.  (I am divorcing Horror of Frankenstein from this equation, as it was ultimately a tongue in cheek retread of Curse, and it remains an anomaly in the franchise.)  Thus, Evil of Frankenstein ends with the Baron fighting for his life in a fiery conflagration.  Created Woman establishes that his hands are burned.  And Monster from Hell refers back to the character having burned his hands in a fire, thus rendering him useless when it comes to performing intricate surgery.  The Baron’s disposition is also far more mellow and cheerful than the black hearted sadist and black mailer of Must Be Destroyed, though by this stage in the saga it’s quite apparent that Frankenstein is as insane as the patients he is treating at the asylum.


It's unlikely that anybody associated with the film knew that it represented "the end of the line," so to speak.  Chances are, if the film had been a big hit at the box office, Hammer would have put more Frankenstein films in the pipeline.  Indeed, around this time, Italian writer/director Dario Argento even approached the studio with a pre-packaged Frankenstein film of his own - albeit one quite disconnected from their saga, detailing the Baron's attempts to create a super human being in Nazi Germany, with Timothy Dalton attached to play the lead.  This failed to come to fruition, however, as Monster from Hell demonstrated yet again that what Hammer was offering the public simply wasn't in step with the times.  The film's attempts to appease current audience trends towards more graphic violence and gore put off some of the more traditional (ie., genteel) fans, while simultaneously failing to reel in new converts.  Even so, there is a definite sense of finality and melancholy that runs throughout the film.  Whether this was evident when the film was first released, or if it merely seems to be the case in hindsight is open to speculation.  Regardless, if Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed is the "angry" nihilistic entry in the franchise, then Monster from Hell is very much its elegy.


For his final directorial outing, Fisher was blessed with a superb ensemble.  Cushing is immaculate as usual as the Baron, tossing off lines in a distracted manner befitting the character's descent into madness.  Shane Briant is a fine addition to the franchise, evolving from wide eyed pupil to appalled antagonist.  Madeline Smith isn't given much to do as the mute assistant, Sarah, but she brings a delicate, doll like quality to the role.  David Prowse, previously cast as the monster in Horror of Frankenstein, does a nice job under the circumstances - he evokes ample sympathy, but the overdone makeup design is much too over the top to be taken seriously (I understand that the unwitting "donor" of the body was something of a "Neolithic throwback," but really?).




John Stratton steals many scenes as the lecherous director of the asylum, and familiar character faces like Patrick Troughton, Peter Madden and Bernard Lee (who must have really needed the cash - he has but one scene, with no dialogue) add flavor throughout.  Fisher handles the film with his customary economy and skill, adopting an almost detached, documentary-like quality to the various surgery setpieces.  James Bernard is also on hand to contribute a good score, one of his last ever for the studio.


Ultimately, Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell deserves much more respect than it typically receives.  Many a film franchise has been known to go out on a sour note (Castle of Fu Manchu, anyone?), but Monster from Hell proves to be a happy exception.  It is in many respects one of the best films in the series; if you haven't seen it lately, do yourself a favor and take another look.  It's worth it.

Wednesday 29 May 2013

BRITISH FILM INSTITUTE SCREENS FRANKENSTEIN AND THE MONSTER FROM HELL MAY 29TH 2013


When Dr Simon Helder is committed to an asylum after being caught experimenting on stolen cadavers, he finds himself in the company of fellow re-animator Baron Frankenstein, who is physician there. The two join forces to continue their research but Helder gradually realises that a fine line separates the inmates from those apparently in charge. This was Terence Fisher’s last film and the final instalment in Hammer’s exploration of the Frankenstein story. Here, Peter Cushing’s Baron reaches his most degenerate, his gaunt yet distinguished appearance giving little inkling of the menace just beneath the surface. 

"To mark the centenary of Cushing’s birth, we are showing Hammer’s new high-definition restoration of his final portrayal of the character that brought him international fame: Baron Frankenstein. We are delighted to welcome Madeline Smith, the film’s co-star, and Joyce Broughton, Cushing’s secretary for 35 years and actor Dave Prowse and host Jonathan Rigby for an extended introduction.. They will also  be promoting the centenary edition of Peter Cushing: The Complete Memoirs, for which Joyce has written the foreword."




Saturday 11 May 2013

STAR WARS: PETER CUSHING SMOKING TARKIN : THE DISAPEARING CIGARETTE REAPPEARS!


Do you remember the Star Wars behind scenes photograph that we posted for the first time a few months ago, featuring Peter, Mark Hamill and Dave Prowse? The one that looked as if '..someone, somewhere in the cut and paste shop had deliberately painted out the cigarette that Peter was holding in his gloved left hand? Well, we managed to find an original of the photograph...and guess what?

Tuesday 26 March 2013

NEWS: BFI CELEBRATES PETER CUSHING CENTENARY WITH A MONSTER FROM HELL!

When Dr Simon Helder is committed to an asylum after being caught experimenting on stolen cadavers, he finds himself in the company of fellow re-animator Baron Frankenstein, who is physician there. The two join forces to continue their research but Helder gradually realises that a fine line separates the inmates from those apparently in charge. This was Terence Fisher’s last film and the final instalment in Hammer’s exploration of the Frankenstein story. 


Here, Peter Cushing’s Baron reaches his most degenerate, his gaunt yet distinguished appearance giving little inkling of the menace just beneath the surface. To mark the centenary of Cushing’s birth, we are showing Hammer’s new high-definition restoration of his final portrayal of the character that brought him international fame: Baron Frankenstein. We are delighted to welcome Madeline Smith, the film’s co-star, and Joyce Broughton, Cushing’s secretary for 35 years, to introduce the screening. They will be promoting the centenary edition of Peter Cushing: The Complete Memoirs, for which Joyce has written the foreword. Event: May 29, 2013 6:30 PM Tickets on sale:09-04-2013 11:30 AM 


The BFI is creating a monster this year. GOTHIC is a celebration of the dark heart of film, with a major season at BFI Southbank and across the UK from October to January 2014. To find out more, visit bfi.org.uk/gothic

 

Wednesday 2 January 2013

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