#HAMMERFILMSATURDAY : It's the weekend, it's Saturday...and only GOOD things should happen,
weekends...like treats. Like this wonderful montage using John Cacavas
(Airport 1975, Kojak, Horror Express) music and a skillful edited from
CNN Ironhandz . .. It's Glitter meets the Gothic in Hammer films 1973,
The Satanic Rites of Dracula starring Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing.
together as the Count and the Hunter, for one last time. The older I
get, the more I really DO love this films and Dracula AD 1972. too
There's a VERY DARK LATTE at the Cavern Coffee Bar, that this will be
released on BLU RAY before the end of the year! (2017)
#FRANKENSTEINFRIDAY: Here's a rare piece of footage of both Peter Cushing and his wife, Helen. The occasion was the Chronicle TV Awards at the Dorchester Hotel London, in 1956. Peter Cushing was presented with the BEST TELEVISION ACTOR AWARD. This was the fourth Best Actor Award that Cushing won in as many years. This evening was just months away from Cushing working for #HAMMERFILMS for the very first time., and his casting in 'The Curse of Frankenstein' , would change his career, forever . .
THE FOOTAGE shows Peter and his wife, arriving at the Dorchester and meeting Sir Robert Fraser of ITA (The Independent Television Authority). This is the first time, this footage has been available for fans to share . . .
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#GETTHECUSHIONITSCUSHING : One day, in another life, wearing another hat, I was in London, on the Thames embankment, yes the one where we see Cushing's Van Helsing pause for taking a breath in Dracula AD 1972. I was taking a large group of my students, on a field trip visit to MOMI, the Museum of the Moving Image. This was my first trip there. But, I had been told by many others, that it would be very worth-while and full of useful resources to film students. PLUS, some close friends who knew me and my hobbies very well, hinted that somewhere inside, was a little 'something', that I would really appreciate! How could resist? After getting 30 students through the box office, producing mutiple-prebooked tickets, each student was dispatched with worksheets and tasks, to keep the 'little darlings' busy for the best part of an afternoon, leaving me free to wander my way through the exhibits, interactions and displays. It was a vast building, and the museum was split into each 'Cinema Through A Decade' at a time. You walked into each decade area, through the door of a facade of a cinema of that era. In the early 1900's exhibit, you entered through a large opening in a tent, that represented, the traveling cinemas of the time.
I MADE MY WAY INTOthe early 'glasshouse studios' of France, and the hand cranked cameras of the 1920's, until I walked through the box office and frontage of a London cinema of the 1930's. After twenty minutes, I came upon the 'something' my friends, had hinted about. Inside a glass case, was the actual Boris Karloff, lighting double dummy. Now looking a little tatty, but the genuine article. It was an impressive thing to see. I thought about my friends, and how they would have come upon it, when they visited, and how they probably all gave each other 'the nod', and chorused, 'Wow, you know who would like this! Ha!'. And, I did. It was certainly worth the price of the admission alone. I stood looking at it, for about twenty minutes, and made my way through the 1940's section. It was then I heard music in the distance. Faintly, just above the clashing voices, narrations and music from the other exhibits. It was a snare drum, and strings... 'diddle, diddle, dum. Diddle, diddle dum, ..dum..dum, dum, dum, dum, dum, DAH, DAH...! I knew that rhythm! But, it couldn't be? I turned on my heals and rushed across the hallway, towards a corner ahead, around where, I thought that music was coming from. I turned the corner, and stopped in my tracks! Before me, I saw the huge facade of an Odeon 1950's cinema building, and outside the doors stood a very smart conseiage, above him and above the huge ODEON sign, a cinema screen, and on it . . . .
THE LAST THREE MINUTES OF HAMMER FILMS 1959, DRACULA! At that time, like many, I had seen the scene unfold hundreds of times on my TV, but NEVER had I seen it, on a cinema screen! I stood, peering up at the screen. Cushing running down the large refractory table, jumping at the curtains, Christopher Lee's scream and gasp of horror..and my gulp of emotion. I am not ashamed to admit it, I was profoundly moved. For me, it's probably the most iconic of all the scenes, from any and all the Hammer films. As a ten year old, I listened to it's soundtrack, on my battered reel to reel tape recorder, which was given to me by my uncle, because I wouldn't let up nagging him, until he gave it to me! Then, I transferred that recording onto an audio cassette. This was before the age of video, so a selection of images from the scene in a US magazine, would be poured over, while listening to the cassette! Then, VHS.
DRACULA'S TUMBLE-WEED OF DEAD HAIR, drifted across the marble floor, as I looked to my right and left, I was surprised to see, a small crowd had gathered around me, all quietly watching the scene too. The titles were now moving up the screen. I sighed, and still looking up at the screen, took two steps back, before turning and almost colliding with a tall, thin face man, who had also been watching the scene up there too. 'Good, wasn't it?' he said smiling. Startled, I stepped back, catching my balance, I looked up one more time at the screen. 'Yes!' I said. 'It was VERY good' I watched the picture fade to black. 'Are you are a fan? A fan of.. Peter Cushing?' I turned to catch his answer. But he was gone!
'Van Helsing pursues Dracula through the castle, accompanied by James Bernard's insistent chase theme. Dracula catches Van Helsing and tries to throttle him, Van Helsing tricks Dracula by playing dead. Then, in the nick of time, he leaps up. The vampire and the vampire hunter stand off like tigers. Then Van Helsing makes his final move. . . .
'As Dracula decays, Van Helsing's haunted expression conveys a mixture of exhaustion, revulsion, sadness and relief. Cushing later explained his own feelings about that shot : 'I was reading a review of the film, from a critic who said, '...at the end of Dracula, there is a look of sadness on Van Helsing's face. He has suddenly achieved his life's quest, and now what is he going to do? I can tell you that I didn't have that in my mind at all, when we were shooting the film. I stood there and run my hand through my hair and look down out of exhaustion. But the critic was absolutely right. Something in me was communicating that to the audience, and the audience fills in the rest!'
At the end of August, it’s gonna be one year since my trip to England. For
almost a week, I had the opportunity to be in contact with a culture that
has fascinated me throughout life. Accepting Marcus's (Brooks) invitation, I've come
back to PCASUK, to talk about my passion for cinema and literature,
relive some moments of my trip and finally talk about my plans for the
future.
Since I can remember, I have a great passion for cinema. But it was at the age of ten, while watching a silent film in black and white that I began to look at films with different eyes. Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, 1920 caught my attention from the first scene until the very end. The play of light and shadows, classical music playing in the background, psychedelic sets, focus on the characters' look, the precision of the movements ... It was a set of details that connected two totally different generations. Although I was separated from that film by almost a century, it aroused the desire to know more about classic films. In a few months, I had already watched all the section of silent films of the video store.
Peter Cushing appeared by chance in my life when I was 12 years old. One of my hobbies at the time (and still is) was going to the video rental stores. Among several films I picked up Madhouse, 1974. After having watched the Dr Phibes’ films and feeling completely amazed by Vincent Price, I was in a true saga in search of all films in which he was the protagonist. But in Madhouse I came across with another actor who would become, like Vincent Price, one of my biggest inspirations. The end, far from being obvious, in which Peter had an iconic participation, made me want to know more about him. The next week I was immersed in Hammer’s adaptations of Frankenstein and Dracula.
As the years passed by, my interest for cinema increased more and more. I used to watched everything. I often say that I am a person of phases: when I come across with a certain genre, actor or director with which I identify myself, I watch everything of him. Documentaries, silent films, terror, Mafia, Alice's in Many Lands and so on. They all exert some level of influence on me, some more, some less. But terror will always be my favorite genre, both in film as in literature.
After all, I have chosen a completely unrelated career from the movie business: Economics and International Relations, which are the courses that I currently study in Sao Paulo. Despite my career choice, I can not see my future without doing something related to cinema in some point of my life. Be a short film, a documentary, or even a video for YouTube. Somehow, I want and I have plans to do something behind or maybe in front of the cameras: writing, directing or acting. Last year, I had the opportunity to do a theoretical course on cinema’s history. It was six wonderful months of classes ministered by Inacio Araujo, who showed us a more critical and methodological view of the film industry, pointing out established directors and key films for any cinephile.
Since 2015, I have been involved in an academic project, in which I study the relationship between Philosophy and British Gothic Literature of the 19th century, to be more specific: the relationship between the works of Francis Bacon and novels such as Frankenstein and Doctor Jekyll and Mr Hyde. In this study I could relate two fields that apparently did not make any sense.
I was charmed and I felt madly in love with England. I visited a golf course and also a croquet one (believe me: golf courses are extremely rare and inaccessible in Brazil), I walked through a cold, almost desert of shinglebeach (the opposite of what we see here), where the sun was still shining bright at 7PM (the sunset here happens much earlier than in Europe). I tried the famous delicacy Fish & Chips, which approved at first. Walking through Whitstable was like a tour next to Peter. Despite not having had the opportunity to meet him, I could see him in every corner of the city: his ocean-front home, the restaurant that bears his name, Geoff Laurens Antiques, the museum filled with items from his personal collection, and the population as a whole, always willing to share an actor's memory.
In London I came across old houses, which I only see in historical cities of Brazil. There, on the other hand, it seems that the Victorian air still remains.I went to a casino for the first time and visited the acclaimed Whitehaven Mansions, the Poirot’s building (which I refuse to call Florin Court) and passed by Scotland Yard. Not forgetting the classical tourist sights.
I also broke the stereotype that British people are cold and distant, finding, on the other hand, polite and nice people, always willing to help, very thoughtful and patient.
Funny situations were also part of the script: it did not take long to realize that the delicious ice cream brand Kibon, in England is called Wall's; pass the subway card (Oyster Card) both to enter and to leave was a real surprise, because in Brazil whether you spend two hours or two minutes on the underground you will always pay the same amount. Finally it is worth remembering to any unsuspecting tourist that trains have a little button to open the doors!
FINAL WORDS
Finally, I would like to thank Marcus for the opportunity to return to PCASUK and share my experience with thousands of Peter’s fans around the world. I hope that both my history and my trip to Whitstable have brought good memories of our dear Master of Horror.
Alice Lopes, 20 anos, São Paulo, Brasil
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A DOUBLE#toocooltuesdayTARKIN POST! First a great panoramic behind the scenes shot from STAR
WARS (1977) featuring Cushing as Tarkin and Darth Vader...an interesting
point here... IF there is any truth in the rumour that the makers of the
#starwars film, #rogueone
released this Christmas, are looking for UNUSED footage of Peter to use
in the film...WELL...here is a WHOLE UNUSED SCENE! This scene, which I
am sure all you #starwars fans recognise...was dropped from the edited
release that made it to cinema's worldwide in 1977, lots of shots of
Peter there I am sure AND he has his BOOTS on!
PLUS BELOW...the genuine hem of the trousers (USA PANTS) that Peter wore as Grand Moff Tarkin, in the same film, #STARWARS in 1977... made by BERMANS and NathansCostumiers..take note Angels... that's BERMANS and Nathans!
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HERE IN THE UK, we don't have a 'Hollywood Walk of Fame'... and until
quite recently we only had the Blue Plaques acknowledging, buildings or
places of connections to the entertainment industry, though not
exclusively. But in the Elstree / Borehamwood area, these great
interpretation boards have sprung up, commemorating people and places
connected with Elstree studios! Here are THREE which might interest
you, Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee and Hammer films... I think they are
quite special and help remind us of people and places now gone...in the
places 'they once were'!
If something interesting comes my way, I love to be able to share with you! Such is the case of these rarely seen candid photographs of Christopher Lee and character actor, Michael Ripper. The little I have leaned about this occasion, has come from the owner of these photographs, James Murray.
By chance, James saw a pic I had posted on the facebook account, of both Christopher Lee and Michael Ripper, at what I thought was their Fanex Convention appearance... Thankfully, James spotted the photograph and the error and kindly wrote to me, explaining that he was working 'on the door' that day, and remembered it well. It was a book signing, attended by Christopher Lee, signing copies of his book, 'Tall, Dark and Gruesome' the Midnight Marquee edition. Being an admirer of Christopher Lee, he brought along his camera and posed for a pic...and managed to capture Michael too!
Michael Ripper, it turns out, found out about Christopher Lee appearing at the signing, and dropped in to see his old friend! Giving everyone the wonderful opportunity to see these two icons, together again, relaxed, chatting about old times.
I am very fortunate that many of you out there send in photographs, cuttings and all-sorts Cushing related material, and for that I am very grateful. It's not always credited or accompanied with any details. So, my hunch... incorrect as it happened, lead to meeting James and obtaining some great photographs, courtesy of Mr Murray! Thank you!
ABOVE: Michael Ripper and Christopher Lee at the FANEX Convention in 1999.
NEWS: A post at the ODEON ENTERTAINMENT FACEBOOK PAGE has revealed that the company behind the stunning remastered blu ray and dvd release of Peter Cushing's NIGHT OF THE BIG HEAT and Cushing's other 1960's 'island in peril' film, ISLAND OF TERROR...both directed by Hammer films, Terence Fisher....are preparing a HD MASTER for a planned blu ray release of Peter Cushing's 1986 last theatrically released film, 'BIGGLES: ADVENTURES IN TIME'.
Alan Byron revealed, 'Spent a long day down at Deluxe Post Production yesterday on some projects that are in the pipeline for HD restoration. Biggles - An Adventure in Time is now looking unbelievably superb!'
So, it looks as though Peter Cushing's last film is about to get the remastering treatment it deserves, with a first time release on blu ray! We can't wait and will keep you posted of any developments!
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