SURPRISES ON FIRST WATCH PLUS REMEMBERING ACTOR JOHN MILLS

RIGHT NOW, over at the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE, we've asked you to tell us about when, 'ON FIRST VIEW WHICH PETER CUSHING FILM REALLY SURPRISED YOU AND WHY?' and we are getting some great comments and answers. 

HERE ARE A FEW: 

D POWLEY says, 'Corruption. Both Peter Cushing and Sue Lloyd managed to convince me that they were mad in that film. It was a great shocker!' 

N. SANTIAGO says, 'Horror Express. I had no expectations for it. Turned out to be a very well made film with Mr. Cushing in fine form mixing it up with Mr. Lee and Telly Savalas. The movie itself was an entertaining mix of horror, science fiction, adventure and mystery. Really enjoyed it and of course the GREAT Peter Cushing!'. 

While V. Kirk says,' I was surprised by the nimble jump he did at the end of 'Brides of Dracula'. I remember rewinding to see if it was actually a stunt double but it wasn't.'. 

G. RENEHAN : 'The Blood Beast Terror! I saw it as a B movie in the cinema aged (too young)! It scared me to heck and back!'

S.COLMAN: 'Both TV appearances but I love his brilliantly nuanced performance in 1984 and the cold malevolence he channels in The Silent Scream.

A. GUNN : 'Top Secret. Peter caricatures himself - revealing his own sense of humour and strength of character. Taught me how to laugh at myself and consequently become a stronger person. Thanks, PC!' 

 M. LOISEL : ' Not a film, but the "Down the Avenue" skit on Morecombe & Wise. I wish he had done more light comedy or song and dance like that.' 

M DAWSON: 'In 1961 my father took me to see my first horror film or X film . In those days if you were under 16 you could only see those films with an adult and you got 2 films. The first film to be shown was Jack the Ripper 1959 then there was the interval when the ice cream lady would sell choc ices and ice creams, then the main feature was shown. It was 'The Curse of Frankenstein'. That film and that night I can remember it as if it was yesterday. I have had the film on video, DVD and now Blu-ray and watch it on the tele. I never tire of watching it. I dont think I ever saw a bad film he was in. But for me the favourite or favourites has to be his performances as the ruthless Baron Frankenstein'.

The post is still live and if you would like to comment and share your opinion, you would be most welcome! JUST CLICK HERE!

TODAY WE MARK THE BIRTH of one, Lewis Ernest Watts Mills... or as we knew and loved him... Sir John Mills. He was without doubt, one of our most popular and beloved English actors and born today February 22nd 1908. In a career that stretched over eight decades, Mills appeared in over 120 films, debuting in 1932 in 'Midshipmaid Gob' right up until 2009 in 'The Snow Prince'. Many of his roles like Pip in 'Great Expectations' in 1946, Shorty Blake 'In Which We Serve' in 42, Captain Scott in 'Scott of the Antarctic' in 48 and the alcohol troubled Captain Anson in 'Ice Cold in Alex' in 58 would make him an internationally renowned star.

MILLS APPEARED in three films with Peter Cushing, 'The End Of The Affair' the second in 1976 entitled 'Trial by Combat' aka 'A Dirty Knight's Work' as Sir Edward Gifford. It was no more than a guest appearance, slotted in when another project on Cushing's slate fell through. The third though, was a much grander enterprise with Tyburn films and marked Cushing's return to the character of Sherlock Holmes...and Mills as Watson! In 'The Masks of Death' they made such a terrific team as a much older duo, that another Cushing /Mills / Sherlock film from Tyburn was planned entitled 'The Abbot's Cry', but was scuppered owing to Cushing's fragile health.

JOHN MILLS AND CUSHING also appeared together in an episode of the TV series The Zoo Gang, 'The Counterfeit Trap' which was released last year as part of the series on remstered blu ray by Network.  
 

LIKE CUSHING, Mills was in his private life a sensitive romantic, in January 2001 at the age of 92, he and wife Mary, age 89, renewed their marriage vows at St. Mary's Church, next to their home, Hills House, in Denham, England. When they had wed 60 years earlier, he was denied a church service because he was serving in the Army during World War II. Happy Birthday, Sir John!
 

#SILENTBUTDEADLY! : DOCTOR WHO AND THREE SIXES : DARTH AND MOTH GIRL SIZZLE!

#SILENTBUTDEADLYWEDNESDAY! WHO, ME AND THE NUMBER SIX! There are a few great shots in Cushing's first #DRWHO movie, 'Dr Who And The Daleks' (1965) and this, is one of them. Not only because, it's SIX..count em, Six Daleks in a row, but for a kid of SIX at the time, this was without doubt, after the slight of my first 'CHOPPER' bicycle, the coolest thing I had ever seen. I was pretty caught up in the whole Dalek thing at this time and got my Dad to queue with me in the pouring rain, to see this film, the first day it arrived at our local flicks. 

I didn't know who Peter Cushing was at this time, and wasn't bothered that he bore little resemblance to the Dr Who I knew from the tv series. It's the memory of this shot and the image of the dalek out of its armour suit, that I carried with me to school the following day. Such was my recalling of the drama, the excitement to my school pals . . . they too were soon pestering their parents, to trek to the 'Palace Cinema' and see for themselves. Thus, I got to see this film, SIX times that Summer. Happy days . . .

#SILENTBUTDEADLY! Christopher Lee and Barbara Shelley in Dracula Prince of Darkness. Peter Cushing had a guest appearance . . .un-credited...as Van Helsing in the prologue, the ending from the previous Dracula in 1958... some years had past since Lee's first appearance as Dracula in that film, do you think his performance as the Count was as good in this sequel??

#SILENTBUTDEADLYGIFWEDNESDAY! AMICUS writer and producer, Milton Subotsky once told me that, he saw films that ended with a 'FIRE', as in the film ends and it all burns down.. as a disappointing lack of imagination on the script writers part. He must have held some store in that theory, because i can only think of just TWO film that he wrote or produced that ended with a big boom or fire. AT THE EARTH'S CORE above, is one of the two, and I guess the source material of the book, that the film was loosely based on, did influence the climax of the film. So, ONE other Amicus film that ends with fire? Do you know which one?

#SILENTBUTDEADLYWEDNESDAY! THE GREAT THING about rubber is, it burns very well! Looking weirdly for all the world, like the death pyre of 'DARTH VADER' in 'RETURN OF THE JEDI', the 'Death-Head-Moth-Woman' bit the dust, just before we could get a good look at here. Monsters eh? 

Peter Cushing and Glyn Edwards play the investigating coppers in 'The Blood Beast Terror', entertaining performances, though Cushing thought the concept a bit weak. Edwards who had starred in the film Zulu, played quite a few policemen...and a certain barman in a much loved, long running BBC comedy too . . . 

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   

WATCH: THE BLOOD BEAST TERROR : PETER CUSHING VENTHAM AND ROBERT FLEMYING

#GETTHECUSHIONSUNDAY! It's up on our PCAS YOUTUBE, it's taken a lot of flack over the years, it holds a damning branding that Cushing actually bestowed on it of....'The worst film I have ever appeared in..!' upon it's fluffy head.! Yup I did say fluffy. You'll see. For me, I actually like this film MORE every time I see it. Yes, it does run out of steam, because it ran out of MONEY! But, despite Cushing knocking it, I am guess he made that statement BEFORE he had made Tender Dracula, Devil's Men, Hitler's Son etc...

IT'S ANOTHER CUSHING film of MOMENTS. Yup, I know isolated moments do not make a whole film, but... there are plenty of more MOTH HOLES ..see what I did there 😉 .... in some of his Hammer film outings, and Amicus too, that I feel we can put this one in the, 'could do better' box. Who knows, if Rathborne hadn't died before his slated appearance in this film, it might have attracted more lolly from the suits and then maybe produced with a realistic budget. So, give it a chance, hide the moth-balls, your best suit and it might not be 'curtains' for this movie... let me know what you think?

 

TRIVIA: The MORGUE KEEPER is played by actor comedian ROY HUDD who narrates the 'Amicus Vault Of Horrors' documentary that we have posted here over the last four weeks..The Blood Beast Terror was released in the US under the title: 'The Vampire-Beast Craves Blood' AND  was directed by Vernon Sewell who directed Peter Cushing in the little seen thriller, 'Some May Live' 1967: Cushing's co star Vanessa Howard went on to star as Sybil Vane in Shane Briant's 'Picture Of Dorian Grey' film in in 1973 and in PANTO with Cliff Richard and Arthur Askey....She also stared as the dizzy 'pottage' party girl, with Cushing in 'Corruption' in 1968.

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   

BLOOD BEAST TERROR BLU RAY AND DVD PCAS COMPETITION SIX WINNERS ANNOUNCED

MANY CONGRATULATIONS to our SIX WINNERS of our BLOOD BEAST TERROR BLU RAY AND DVD COMPETITION! Kelly Wilson, Kev Sprack, and Ann Keil have all bagged themselves copies of the SCREENBOUND DVD release of the film! The answer to the DVD question was: 'The Vampire Beast Craves Blood'... 

YOU CAN ORDER THE SCREENBOUND DVD OF THE BLOOD BEAST TERROR : HERE

 

MORE WINNERS: Paul W. J. Martin and Christopher O'Neill who both entered via our website, and Shelia Tomkins have each won a copy of the SCREENBOUND BLU RAY of the film! The answer to the BLU RAY question was: Basil Rathbone. .

YOU CAN ORDER THE SCREENBOUND BLU RAY OF THE BLOOD BEAST TERROR : HERE

Many, Many thanks to all who entered the competition and shared the post. My special thanks to the team at SCREENBOUND for again coming up with the goodies and supporting us, in another competition. If YOUR name is included HERE as a winner, please claim your prize by emailing us at THEBLACKBOXCLUB@GMAIL.COM. I will return email you, for a postal address to despatch your prize. Again, thank you to all who took part and congratulations!  - Marcus

WIN THE BLOOD BEAST TERROR COMPETITION : SIX COPIES UP FOR GRABS

We have SIX COPIES of THE BLOOD BEAST TERROR up for grabs! 3x BLU RAYS and 3x DVDS. Pick which format you would like to win by answering the relevant question!

You can enter by simply sending your entry by emailing it to us at THEBLACKBOXCLUB@GMAIL.COM. This Competition CLOSES MONDAY MAY 8th MIDNIGHT gmt, when all correct answers will be placed in a wardrobe full of moth balls, shaken and six winning names chosen at random! We will announce winners here and our FACEBOOK FAN PAGE on TUESDAY 9th at 6pm gmt. As with ALL our competitions, this is open to EVERYONE, no matter where you are!

Both the BLU RAY and DVD of Peter Cushing's 'THE BLOOD BEAST TERROR' can be purchased at the LINKS below!

PURCHASE THE BLU RAY : HERE 

PURCHASE THE DVD : HERE 

You'll find more posts every day at our PETER CUSHING APPRECIATION SOCIETY FACEBOOK FAN PAGE ! WHY NOT JOIN US?