LIVE! ANOTHER TWO CHRISTMAS COMPETITIONS : YOUR XMAS CHANCE TO BAG GREAT PRIZES HERE!

PCASUK #CHRISTMAS #COMPETITION 2#! HERE IS YOUR CHANCE to bag a copy of SECOND SIGHTS FILMS excellent BLU RAY release of the 1972 Cushing / Amicus Classic '#ASYLUM'. We gave away quite a few of these as FAB prizes a few weeks ago, thanks again to SECOND SIGHT! If you missed out, here is another chance! 

THIS COMPETITION, is now LIVE HERE at the Facebook PCAS Fan Page and  like ALL our competitions is open to anyone, everyone, wherever you are 😊 Have fun, biut you can ONLY ENTER at our Facebook Fan Page. Good Luck and many thanks to SECOND SIGHT FILMS for their support with this and our other competitions this week 😉 

SECOND SIGHT FILMS WILL RELEASE this BLU RAY on January 6th 2020, and you can place YOUR ORDER for your copy, right now at their website, RIGHTHERE!

THIS COMPETITION ENDS and CLOSES on Wednesday 1st January 2020 MIDNIGHT GMT. WINNING ENTRY REVEALED Thursday 2nd January 2020!
MERRY CHRISTMAS and GOOD LUCK!! - Marcus

YOU CAN READ OUR PCAS review of the Second Sight Films BLU RAY release, RIGHT HERE!

HERE AS PROMISED... here is the 4th PCAS #Christmas Competition, LIVE RIGHT NOW HERE at the Facebook PCAS Fan Page! You can ONLY ENTER at our Facebbok Fan Page!There are a few more to come, up until New Years Day. Good luck with this one too! Please read the details on the #Competition Banner..

CHECK OUT OUR PCASUK REVIEW of Second sights Films BLU RAY release of THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD' for yourself! RIGHT HERE!

IF YOU want to order your own copy of Second Sight Films blu ray of Amicus films, 'The House That Dripped Blood' starring #PeterCushing, #ChristopherLee, #JonPertwee, #IngridPitt and many others... it's released on January 6th 2020, and you can place your order directly at their site HERE!

MANY THANKS to the team at #SecondSightFilms for sponsoring our competitions . . . i Hope you are all having a Smashing Festival holiday 😉 Good Luck! - Marcus

BEHIND THE SCENES AND ON SET : I MONSTER CHRISTOPHER LEE SATURDAY : GALLERY TWO!

#CHRISTOPHERLEE SATURDAY! BY THE BEGINNING of 1969, Peter Cushing no longer owned a London home, when he he was working and filming at a studio close to London, Pinewood, Shepperton or Elstree, but far from the home where he and his wife, Helen lived in Whitstable in Kent, he would stay at Brown's Hotel in Mayfair, in the city centre. . .  'My favourite hotel in London!' . .and this accommodation would be included in his fee for appearing in the film. For the contract of the Amicus film, I MONSTER, he did not want to be away from Helen in the evenings so he travelled on the 'milk-train' from Whitstable at 6am and returned back to his home at 10pm at night. It was a busy time . . .

I MONSTER, was based on the classic Robert Louis Stevenson's Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, was filmed from October 10th 1970, directed by 22 year old director Stephen Weeks. Christopher Lee starred in the dual role. But Amicus films angle on the story, was quite different for those that had been released in the past. Some believe producer Milton Subotsky, was ducking copyright restrictions, as MGM owned the rights to the title of the the story . .  and so, the lead characters names, Jekyll and Hyde. And so, in I Monster, the good doctor and his alter ego, Mr Hyde carried different names, Doctor Marlowe and Mr Blake. Others believe, Subotsky had heard that his competition Hammer films, were in the process of shooting their own production of the tale. Though I guessing if this was true, he had no idea of the secret spin that it's director Roy Ward Baker and the producers, also had in the wings, to give their release a new and refreshing angle and adapted title! Although Subotsky changed the names of the doctor and his frightening flip identity, most of Stevenson's other characters remained the same, as in the novel. Back in 1983, when PCASUK carried out a video interview with Milton at his home, he was asked why he changed the main characters names, his answer was, 'I thought it would be fun to try!'

SUBOTSKY ALSO WAS DETERMINED to make in film in 3D. Again, when he became an honorary member of PCASUK in 1983, and gave us access and several interviews, the subject matter of how he always wanted to make a 3D film, often came up. He thought a 3D version of Alice in Wonderland in a feature film would make an amazing release... and a feature about the London, Lord Mayor Show, would also be ideal! Sadly, he never got the chance, nor did we or he ever bring up the subject matter of the failed and impossible attempt to shot 'I Monster' in 3D too! Subotsky, before he entered the world of making successful fantasy movies, spent time producing a series of shorts, based on the 'School Boy Scientist' market. Subotsky LOVED science and had been aware a simple and cost effective way of a shooting film in 3D since he too, was a school boy. The process required constant lateral movement within the frame, making conventional film shooting methods and rules of thumb impossible. 

AFTER A WHILE, the process was abandoned by director Stephen Weeks, and the fact that many of the sets had been built, the opposite way to what was needed, to achieve the pans and movements in the correct directions, made movement and continuity impossible or jarring too. The finished release still contains several interminable tracking shots clumsily cut together with static close ups. Despite the technical problems, Christopher Lee gives an excellent central performance.

CUSHING LOVED THE PERIOD FURNISHINGS, and wore some of his own Edwardian styled clothes for the film, which were specially tailored for him by theatrical costumiers Montague Burton's- and as a result seems completely at home in this era. His is even able to reprise the 'eye up to the magnifying glass trick as he compares the identical signatures of Marlowe and Blake. 

DESPITE WHAT SOME SEE as tedious pacing, and the occasional wandering camera the film does have several startling scenes and quite unique turns from both Lee and Cushing. A nightmare sequence features a distorted, faceless Doctor Marlowe; there is a spectacular chase through the massive turbines of an Edwardian water works! Also the monstrously ugly Blake's pathetic encounter with a small child in a park. Make up artist, Harry Frampton creates an amazingly Blake / Hyde whose appearance with every arrival becomes more frightening and a true monster, in every way!

CATCH UP with our I MONSTER RARE IMAGE GALLERY PART ONE : HERE!

IS I MONSTER ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE CUSHING FILMS OR MAYBE YOU HAVE NEVER SEEN IT? COME SHARE YOUR OPINION AND THOUGHTS ON ONE THE LESSER TALKED ABOUT AMICUS FILMS AT THE FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE! COME AND JOIN A FOLLOWING OF OVER 33 THOUSAND FANS OF THE PAGE! JUST CLICK : HERE!!

IT'S FRIDAY THE 13TH : HERE'S WISHING YOU GOOD LUCK!

SUPERSTITIOUS? WELL here's a post and THREE GUYS who would SCARE AWAY any BAD LUCK! Hope you are having a GOOD DAY TODAY! - Marcus

YOU'LL FIND EVEN MORE rare photographs and comments from lovers of Peter Cushing's work at our Peter Cushing Appreciation Society FACEBOOK FAN PAGE, which is JUST A CLICK away! Come join over 33 thousand other fans and followers. JUST CLICK HERE and then CLICK LIKE THERE! 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AND REMEMBERING HAMMER DRACULA FIRST BRIDE!

REMEMBERING Today we remember Valerie Gaunt. VALERIE'S short career on the big screen featured only in two films, and they were along side Peter Cushing. Just two roles, but they left a lasting impact, that would outlast many longer career! Her playing of Justine in 'The Curse of Frankenstein' (1957) and her performance in Hammer films,1958 'Dracula' hold a special place for lovers of fantasy cinema. Born Valerie Shelia Gaunt, on the 9th July 1932 in Stratford-on-Avon, Warwickshire, England, following an interest in amateur theatre, after leaving school embarked on a career as a model, before auditioning for Hammer and landing her first professional role in 1957. Gaunt married her husband Gerald Alfred Reddington on May 17th, 1958.

OUR PCAS Femme Fatale feature on the life and career of Valerie Gaunt at our website! My apologies for the video clips that no longer work. This is the result of a particular cretin out there who sabotaged our very successful PCAS YOUTUBE channel.. real monsters DO exist! Another PCAS YOUTUBE channel has been created and is being updated, so all clips will be repaired and updated on our features and reviews eventually, Marcus. JUST click HERE! 

IF YOU ENJOY what you see here and would like MORE why not join our Peter Cushing Appreciation Society FACEBOOK FAN PAGE. UPDATED most days with a following of over 33 thousand followers! Just CLICK HERE  and CLICK LIKE there! 

VALUE OF AD DRACULA CINEMA POSTER EXPECTED TO BRING IN FRIGHTENING BIDS!

NEWS: Are you a COLLECTOR? Have any original stills from Hammer or Cushing films? Maybe a cinema poster or two? IF you have a mint copy of Hammer films DRACULA AD 1972 UK quad poster . . you might be sitting on a little mint! According to the press release on the London Odeon BFI IMAX FILM and MEMORABILIA AUCTION taking place on JUNE 28th this year, one of their lots is this very poster and they are expecting the hammer (!!) to go down on at least, EIGHT THOUSAND POUNDS for the lucky bidder who wins it. PCAS also actually owns an original item of this poster too. It was purchased from cinema poster and stills trader Greg Edwards back in 1980. I actually bought the poster for the collection as part of a double purchase deal... a quad of THE BRIDES of DRACULA cost £40...but the DRACULA AD one cost.... £18!!!!

FOR MANY YEARS the AD 1972 memorabilia had very little value, along with the Satanic Rites of Dracula, but times have changed. A quad featuring bot AD and the 1970 film TROG has been sold many times for anywhere from £100 to £300 UK pounds..but it's RARE you get to see the poster from then film's original release. SO...do YOU own any Cushing / Lee / Hammer posters and have you ever purchased an expensive Cushing memorabilia item??

READ the SOURCE NEW item on this : HERE!

 

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 all lovers of Peter Cushing's work AND Help Keep The Memory Alive!

FREE CONTACT SHEETS 'THE VAMPIRE LOVERS' FOR CUSHING'S FEMME FATALES!

#CUSHINGFEMMEFATALESFRIDAY! This week, we present a gallery dedicated to one, who has proven to be larger than life itself, even in death . . INGRID PITT. In just over a week it would have been her birthday and the tenth anniversary of her all too soon passing . . . I have a few photographs to share here today, and whole gallery here at the website, some new and some favorite pics, of the only actress to have been friends with not only Peter..but also Helen, his late wife too . .To start the ball rolling... to mark Ingrid's inclusion in the FRIDAY FEMME FATALE GALLERY, I am giving away below, SIX rare hi res CONTACT SHEETS of rare photographs taken during the making of Hammer films 'The Vampire Lovers', for free! Join us on our NEXT #CUSHINGSFEMMEFATALES! POST TODAY, in just a few hours hours - Marcus

 

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  . .