HAPPY HALLOWEEN : IT'S TRICK OR TREAT WITH A DOUBLE BILL OF CUSHING LEGENDS!

#TOOCOOLTUESDAY! AND SO, HERE WE are again! Seems like only a year since the last one!!! HA! I am a SUCKER for Halloween, and this year, it's my first time celebrating it in the US. It's different. Let's just say, the front of the house looks like a Hammer House of Horror playground for Wednesday Addams, and I have spent most of this morning, filling little trick or treat orange ghosty bags, with sweets (candy) Monster stickers and rubber spiders! They tell me to expect . . .  upwards of 50 visitors to the front door, wearing various monster, ghosts and ghoulies. Nothing new there then! I'm prepared! How about you? PLEASE share any pics here of your GET ups, GET Together's and GET downs ...decent please...the vicar and Aunty Mary is watching tonight 😉 

After the fuss DIES down, I'll be kicking back with some phantom punch, and watching our #PCAS HALLOWEEN DOUBLE BILL of Peter Cushing movies, which you too can watch here at #PCAS #Facebook, the #PCAS #Youtube Channel and the #PCAS website... See BELOW . .. Laters. Stay SAFE and HAVE FUN! -Marcus

DRAGGED FROM THE PCASUK YOUTUBE CHANNEL screaming and howling, here's a tasty little 1975 offering from TYBURN FILMS starring Peter Cushing, David Rintoul, Ron Moody and Lynn Dalby, LEGEND OF THE WEREWOLF . . . sure to chill your blood and have you screaming for more . . . .

AND IF IT'S MORE YOU WANT . . . a lethal dose of a VAMPIRE LEGEND from the FAR EAST, this just might be just enough, to send you off to bed, knowing all is well, while Cushing's Van Helsing will forever be around, to fight DRACULA and his Skipping and Hoping Vampire zombies, well that and the KUNG FU Clan. . ENJOY and a HAPPY HALLOWEEN! Til NEXT YEAR....

 

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  . . 

THE TEN THINGS I NOW LOVE ABOUT . . . THE BLOOD BEAST TERROR! CALLUM MCKELVIE FESSES UP!

THIS HALLOWEEN I’ve decided to give what many would consider a real ‘horror’ a second chance. Few films are as openly lambasted within the Cushing-Canon as The Blood Beast Terror, Peter himself even went as far as to label it his worst….ever. Only the fledgling Tigon productions second Horror film, after the remarkable The Sorcerers from 1967 the debut of director Michael Reeves, The Blood Beast Terror seems something like a step backwards. Whereas The Sorcerers concerned contemporary social and youth movements, Blood Beast is a period piece, featuring a dogged Victorian policeman hunting down a fearsome monster created by a mad-scientist.

It’s pretty trope-filled stuff. Not only that, but The Blood Beast Terror is directed by veteran director Vernon Sewell, who at this stage was reaching the twilight of his career. When viewed in this light and compared to the other films Tigon was putting out (Witchfinder General, Blood On Satan's Claw even lesser films such as The Beast in the Cellar show slightly more inventiveness) it’s easy to see why Blood Beast Terror gets the wrap it gets. Also….it’s pretty bad in places. However with that said, I for one DON’T think its Cushing’s worse and so compiled here is a little list of ten things I like about The Blood Beast Terror.

1: It’s pure Victorian pulp . . .
So if The Curse of Frankenstein and Dracula / Horror of Dracula are adaptations of classics of Gothic literature, then Blood Beast is the closest thing the 60’s brit-horror boom got to bringing a cheap, lurid penny dreadful, that’s been lost to time to the screen. Ok so its trope filled. Ok so the character stereotypes are out-dated and over used, but who doesn’t love a mad scientist, sinister butler and femme-fatale monster? The film utilises a number of gothic horror tropes but revels in them, whilst certainly not new or exciting, it’s a fun little escape into that lurid Gothic world . .

2: It knows what it’s doing and has fun with it . . .
Building on point one, the film apparently has fun with these tropes. In one memorable sequence there is an amateur dramatic performance of a horror play, spoofing some Frankenstein films. Now I’m not saying the film is in anyway being Meta in a particularly clever way, but it seems somewhat self-referential, a slight wink and joke to an audience that are watching a film based on the more lurid aspects of penny-dreadfuls and the Grande Guignol

3: Robert Flemying . . .
So it’s pretty well documented now that the part of Doctor Mallinger was to be played by legendary horror actor, Basil Rathbone. Needless to say the idea of Rathbone matching wits with Cushing is certainly an appealing one but sadly shortly before shooting began, Rathbone was taken ill and died suddenly. Needing a replacement fast, Tony Tenser, the legend behind Tigon films remembered the actor Robert Flemying who had appeared in a film he had distributed, 1962’s The Horrible Dr Hitchcock. Now it’s easy to get caught up in what could have been, which is unfair as it takes away from what is actually a powerful performance. Flemying and Cushing play off each other very well, particularly towards the latter half of the film when each has a suggestion that the other knows more than he is letting on. . .

4: Wanda Ventham . . .
The Moth-Lady herself, Wanda Ventham (known for making three prominent appearances in several episodes of Doctor Who throughout the years) is given plenty of screen-time and looks striking. Her performance is a powerful one and her scenes with Flemying have a genuine level of tension and menace . . .

5: The Title . . .
Need I say more?

 

6: The Supporting Cast . . .
The Veteran actor, perhaps best known to fans of Doctor Who as two of its most memorable villains, Tobias Vaughn in The Invasion and Mavic Chen in The Daleks Masterplan is particularly creepy as Granger. Glynn Edwards Sergeant Allan has some particularly humorous moments of dry wit with Cushing leading too…

7: That last-line . . .

Edwards: ‘They’ll never believe this at the yard

Cushing: ‘They’ll never believe it anywhere’

8: The Moth . . .
Whilst certainly not going to win any awards for best monster make-up of the decade…there is something undoubtedly charming about the giant furry Moth costume. The final flying sequences are….pretty damn awful, but the Moth’s appearance is distinctive enough to be entertaining in its own right . . .

9: Roy Hudd . . .

I’ve mentioned a lot of the cast in this, but as of yet have made no mention of the best actor (aside from…well you know who) in the film. Roy Hudd as the Morgue attendant makes this whole thing worthwhile. Hudd stated that he and Cushing worked together, rejigging the sequence to make it funnier and the result is the highlight of the film equalling any of Miles Madison’s scenes in the earlier Hammer pictures  . . .

10: Peter Cushing . . .
Ok so a bit predictable maybe, but was he ever not going to be on this list? The Blood Beast may not have the meatiest of roles for him in the character of Inspector Quennell, but it does give a good example of Cushing giving his all…in a production which some would argue doesn’t deserve it. Whilst there’s plenty to enjoy in this film, the real joy is Cushing nailing it against all the odds . . .

 

THE CUSHING DALEK MOVIES PART ONE HERE 

 PART TWO 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 . . 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  . .  

REMEMBERING VINCENT PRICE TODAY: GIFS CLIPS AND STILLS

WE REMEMBERING VINCENT PRICE who we lost on this day in 1993. Feel free to share your memories of Vincent in the comments thread at our FEATURED POSTS at the PCAS FACEBOOK FAN PAGE

For #SILENTBUTDEADLY! today, we will posting a selection of #gifs from Our Five Vincent Price Films. No order of preference, but everyone a GEM!

NUMBER 1#: ANY LIST OF PRICE'S work MUST consider the 1959 'HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL'...you agree? Price's Frederick Loren, is a delight. Full of that 1950's spooky drive in feeling. This zoom in intro in the film, on it's own REALLY spooked me as a kid... and WOW Elisha Cook jr.... also REALLY unnerved me. Is THIS film in YOUR top Five? I have never been to a US Drive-IN before, but I am going tomorrow, so wish me luck!

YOU CAN FIND A FULL FEATURE AND GALLERY AT THE BLACKBOXCLUB.COMOUR SISTER SITE HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL  HERE!

NUMBER 2# : Comedy of Terrors (1963) . . .I was very late coming to this film. My first viewing was during a UK BBC2 double bill season, with my parents and grandparents, so for me, maybe like many here..I have an emotional attachment, to this film. My grandfather in particular LOVED it. I can not remember a time when he laughed that much! Karloff in this film, has more than a fleeting resemblance, to my grandfather's brother . . . and I might say, was just as batty! Personally I love EVERYTHING about this film. I could, but I won't ramble about it, the film speaks for itself. Price, Karloff, Lorre, Rathbone...wow! Does anyone know if, the obvious title connection to a play by the Bard... was this story ever performed as a theatrical production??? I think it would work extremely well on stage...! No? One of YOUR favs maybe too??

PERSONALLY, I love EVERYTHING about this film. I could, but I won't ramble about it, the film speaks for itself. Price, Karloff, Lorre, Rathbone...wow! Does anyone know if, apart from the obvious title connection to a play by the Bard... was this story ever performed as a theatrical production??? I think it would work extremely well on stage...! No? One of YOUR favs maybe too??

YOU CAN FIND A FULL FEATURE WITH SUPPORTING GALLERY ON COMEDY OF TERRORS  AT OUR SISTER WEBSITE  HERE!

NUMBER 4# 'Theatre Of Blood' So many good things about this film. A huge favorite! and THIS SCENE is one of many that stay with you a long time after the closing credits. So MANY deaths, and each one, so well done:) Do you have a favorite death scene maybe??? In marking the anniversary of Vincent Price's passing today, I hope our little top five has whetted your appetite to revisit some of your favorite Vincent Price movies this weekend and at Halloween too!

  Full feature and gallery at our sister website THEBLACKBOXCLUB.COM HERE!

ABOVE: From our PCAS YOUTUBE Channel RARE VINCENT PRICE TALKS ABOUT Theatre Of Blood (1973)

NUMBER  5#  Amicus films,  MADHOUSE (1974) stars both Vincent Price AND Peter Cushing, in a rare opportunity to see them working together. We have several clips scattered around the website site, and watching them  in the movie, gives us just a taste of what opportunities were probably missed. MADHOUSE with  it's twists and turns, moments of camp and black humor seems in recent times, to be receiving some late but well deserved, praise. Price plays Paul Toombes as very much the victim of circumstances for much of the film, but come to the time for revenge... the film was shot under the title of 'The Revenge of Doctor Death'... all stops are out for a thrilling confrontation . . . 

PART SIX of The Amicus Films of Peter Cushing, includes a MADHOUSE FEATURE and GALLERY, JUST CLICK  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 . . 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 . .