PETER CUSHING as the brief but interesting WAZIR AL WAZARA in ARABIAN ADVENTURE in 1979. Often see as another AMICUS film, the film was in fact produced in April 1978 EMI Films announced they would make the film as part of a series of films they wanted to produce with the newly formed Orion Pictures. Granted both the partnership of the Amicus Kevin Francis and John Dark were on board, and both Christopher Lee and Cushing were starring and almost, guest starring, but Amicus it aint. The budget was much more than what Dark and Connor ever had to tackle their Land that Time Forgot, At The Earth's Core or Warlords of Atlantis, but it wasn't as successful. The promo strap line of 'Star Wars with Magic Carpets!' promised much, but fell well short of anything close to the new benchmark of children and family entertainment on the big screen.
WHEN CUSHING does finally arrive, his appearance as the cell trapped Wuzara, it is a bit of shock. Sporting what looks like 15 years over growth on the handle-bar moustache he wore as Dr Naramrov in Hammer films, The Gorgon, his character is dusty, grubby and broken. Cushing gave the role, however short, his full attention and commitment and the facial hair he grew and wore, for the role of Commissioner Potts in the truly weird and way off, A Touch Of The Sun with Oliver Reed, remained. Work on TOUCH on location in Zamiba had only wrapped two weeks, so what little of Cushing's face we could see was, certainly sun kissed for the Arabian climate!
THE REASON WHY this film is being included in our usual COMIC TURNS and MAGAZINE themed WEDNESDAY, is because the press office for the movie managed to pull two quite interesting stunts in the drive for publicity. ONE was the fabulous FULL COLOUR photo that graced the cover of an EARLY issue of blood splat and gore effects screamarama, that is now FANGORIA magazine. Granted this was only issue three, and the magazine would soon being making off in a completely different direction, but brownie points to the press office. SECOND was the wave of alternative cinema and press design posters that were drawn up and produced on the release of the film. One poster carried a selection of COMIC STRIP panels on a full colour cinema quad poster. Rarely does this kind of artwork feature on a cinema poster, but the well intended move to capture the attention of the target audience kiddies, was still much more impressed and still dizzy from the hi tech visuals, of 'A GALAXY FAR FAR AWAY'. Magic carpets were for this crowd, were seen as thread bare and dated. It would be a long time far far in the distance, before those impressive visuals would stop tinting any fantasy adventure on the big screen. . .
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