TODAY'S #WATCHWITHCUSHING #FACEBOOKWATCHPARTY feature is the 1973 Amicus film, ''AND NOW, THE SCREAMING STARTS!' CLICK the blue link and JOIN and ENJOY the party, which will be LIVE from 10.00pm GMT today!
IT WAS THE ONLY time when Hammer films, main competitor, Amicus, stepped
into the same domain and era . . gothic and ghost story. Producers
Subotsky and Rosenberg knew the way to save money that would easily be
one of their main money pits, was keep the sets and locations,
contemporary. Hammer were very good at recycling their sets and props,
wizard set designer Bernard Robinson found a way to present what was an
impressive studio lot structure as Caste Dracula one day . . and
as a 1910 boat harbour in down town Hong Kong in the next! Amicus based
their films in simple close contemporary settings. So close that, the
seating was often still warm from the cast and crew who had commissioned
and worked on that set. In the green room the coffee in the pot, was
also still warm! Amicus were, cheap. Cheap as chips in fact.
SYNOPSIS!
'This creepy, atmospheric horror film from England's Amicus Productions
dispenses with much of the tongue-in-cheek presentation of their popular
'70s horror anthologies (such as Asylum and Dr. Terror's House of
Horrors) in favor of a more adult-oriented approach. The story begins in
the 18th century, as a young stable hand tries to prevent nobleman
Fengriffen (Herbert Lom) from raping a young servant girl -- who happens
to be the stable hand's wife -- and for this transgression has his hand
lopped off. Flash forward to the present, where Fengriffen's ancestor
(Ian Ogilvy) and his wife (Stephanie Beacham), now living on the
ancestral estate, are haunted by the servant's vengeful spirit, as well
as the severed hand itself, which roams the gloomy corridors of the
mansion.'
DIRECTOR FREDDIE FRANCIS often went on record stating he didn't know
which was more lacking foundations or structure, the sets or the
scripts! But, somehow, it more often than not, worked.. and worked very
well. 'AND NOW, THE SCREAMINGS STARTS!'' released in 1973, directed by Roy
ward Baker and starring Peter Cushing, Stephanie Beacham and Ian Ogily
looks better then than your average Amicus film. all the exteriors were
shot on location at . . Hammer's 'Brides of Dracula' and many others. .
Oakley Court in Windsor, interiors at Shepperton studios, where for
one time, they actually built their OWN set. Much camera time is spent
mind you, showing it off!
I VERY MUCH LIKE this film, I love the Amicus
'wandering hand' featured in at least three other of their films, it
worked for its keep! I love Peter's hair too, which was also made to
earn it's rental turning up in two other Cushing projects, 'Frankenstein
and the Monster from Hell', 'Orson Wells Great Mysteries' . . I have no
idea why or how Cushing managed to get Subotsky to pay for it... and
again on the subject of wonga, the screen time of the top-billed stars
Peter Cushing, Herbert Lom and Patrick Magee does not exceed 28, 11 and
five minutes, respectively. Subotsky was a master tailor and certainly
cut the cloth, even though sometimes he 'passed on the buttons' . .
HAPPY ST GEORGE'S DAY! Saint George is the patron saint of England noted and
celebrated with legendary stories of his slaying a dragon and saving a
distressed maiden.... Peter Cushing loved history, collected books, made
model knights, created 'little wars' gaming props, pageantry figures,
reproducing the flags and anything connected with connections or
reference this era. He adored this whole time
period, with chivalry, knights and medieval castles. He loved appearing
in films set in these times too and always very much looked the part!
Peter made reference to St George when he was awarded with his 'Order Of
the British Empire' medal (OBE) back in 1989. Many at the time, thought
he deserved more, Christopher Lee made a point of saying, 'It was too
little, too late', he too should have been awarded a knighthood!' Maybe?
But for Peter Cushing it was one of his most proudest moments. ..
Footnote:
The whole process of the awards and honours takes years . . it often
starts with an OBE and travels up, if you have been very active in
charity work and / or good deeds. Lee was right, it was too late, but
Peter's humbleness could sometimes be his undoing, he often challenged
such ideas as 'too much fuss'. You have to be 'officially suggested' for
such honours, and it always surprises me, who in fact kick started
Peter's OBE application. Not a close friend, a well connected
individual, business person or perosn in 'the know'.... it was Ian
Scoones, special effects guy for Hammer films, worked on Dr Who, Blake's
Seven and many many others films and tv shows uncredited . . living in
French at the time. Back in the late 50's /1960's Peter had helped get
him a job at Bray studios, he was a young lad and learnt his skills at
trade with Les Bowie, who managed the SFX company who delivered most of
the FX's for Hammer and other British companies. Ian stuck at it and
pushed for the application and without him, Peter would not have been
awarded anything . .
TO MANY IAN SCOONES is a name that would be associated with film and
television special effects, working with the LES BOWIE Special Effects
team and at the BBC. TV shows like the Hammer House of Horror show, Dr
Who. Films like 1984, Thunderbirds working for Hammer films Bray
studios, many films in which Peter Cushing appeared like, Frankenstein
Created Woman, She, Night Creatures. Ian graduated from the Medway
College of Art in 1960 and finding himself without employment, made
some inquiries to Peter Cushing, who he had been a fan of, since he was
a child. Cushing, in turn after meeting Ian, was instrumental in
helping him gain employment with Les Bowie . . and the rest as they say,
is history.
IT WAS SOMETHING THAT IAN NEVER FORGOT, that had Peter not
helped him on his way, he may never have got a foot in the door, let
alone employment, in such a competitive area. It was Ian's idea to
sponsor the application, for Peter to be award an OBE, an 'Order of the
British Empire' Medal, awarded by the Queen and government of the day,
for services to the entertainment industry . . . Here for the first time
on this page, is the actual letter that Ian received from the Prime
Minister's office, telling him, that Peter Cushing was to be award the
OBE . . . quite an achievement! Peter Cushing was extremely surprised
and very humbled to receive the news of his award and Ian Scoones made
all that possible! From 1994, Ian lived in retirement, first in Spain,
then in Bulgaria, where he died on January 20th 2010, aged of 69.
TRIVIA: St George is also mentioned in Bram Stoker's novel, Dracula ' In
the first chapter, the ill-fated Jonathan Harker is on his way to Count
Dracula’s home, and has arrived in Romania on a very auspicious day.
“Do you know what day it is?” asks the landlady at Bistritz. “It is the
eve of St George’s Day. Tonight, when the clock strikes midnight, all
evil things in the world will have full sway.” Needless to say, things didn't really get much better for Jonathan, from there onwards! 😄 Happy St George's Day! Please Stay
Safe Everyone! - Marcus
