NEWLY SOURCED CHRISTOPHER LEE INTERVIEW ON SET OF 'DRACULA HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE'

OVER AT UK Peter Cushing Appreciation society Facebook Fan Page we have just shared a 'cracker ' of a newly source VINTAGE INTERVIEW with #CHRISTOPHERLEE shot on the set of Hammer films latest addition to their DRACULA series, 'DRACULA HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE' in 1968. Lee talks about his Hammer films up to this point, the make used in playing his first role for Hammer with Peter Cushing, the creation in 'The Curse of Frankenstein' in 1957 and how he thinks Dracula is NOT a horror character, and how difficult he finds it to play the Count!' It's great to see Lee quite sparky and at the top of his game! You can go straight to this post at the FAN PAGE on what is our WEEKLY Christopher Lee Saturday! :  HERE!

MORE DRACULA but of a different kind...TODAY we also remember actor DAVID PEEL who was born today 19th June 1920. There are few who have made such an impact as Peel. He only appeared in ONE film for Hammer films and I believe only appeared in one film with Peter Cushing.  

ONLY ONE ROLE, one film and yet, enter VAMPIRE HAMMER into google images, and he will appear in most of the pages. Despite the success long after The Brides of Dracula was made...audiences felt a little cheated that it was a DRACULA film, without Dracula!....I suspect that Peel wasn't impressed with either the film or the subject matter. It is good to see today and for the past few years, fans and critics alike now warming to Peel's playing of the Baron. It is sad he is no longer with us though, to see that reward . . .

AN UNHAPPY MAN, with troubles and issues. You probably know, he left the industry early on and went into antiques and real estate, but life for Peel was certainly difficult. We remember him today though, for that one Hammer film and the impressive performance as Baron Meinster, the boy vampire who certainly pushed the boundaries of vampire film!

KINO STUDIO CLASSIC BLU RAY : 'ARABIAN ADVENTURE' : FIRST TIME ON BLU RAY!

IT'S LAMP RUBBING : CARPETS FLYING : GENIES THREATENING AND VILLAINS PLOTTING WITH A CAST THAT'S MAGIC IN OL' DOWN-TOWN BAGDAD-VILLE ! 

Kino Lorber Studio Classics has just rolled out the global debut on Blu-ray of the 1979 movie, 'Arabian Adventure' : this film was previously only available in the U.K. as a dire DVD video transfer released in 2007. Kino Lorber's new blu-ray, licensed from Studio Canal, is good news and especially welcomed by collectors of the genre and Cushing / Lee fans alike. With FOUR MILLION budget, that was never going to stretch to the needs, Alan Hume's cinematography is never less than beautiful to look at, as you would expect!

VISUALLY MANY OF THE SCENES look great, very colourful, bright and quite new, even though the advance and progress in cinema visual effects does date some of what may have already been 'from another era' even at the time of its release, you aren't fooled by what you see. Special effects chief, George Gibbs, gives you a lot to look at and knows the market had changed, but cuts the cloth with what he has. Back in the day of Saturday family and kids matinees, that really didn't matter. 'There is something of a charm to watching some effects here that really do go back to the art of silent movies, smoke mirrors, forced perspectives and strings!' You don't feel cheated, you get the feeling of 'you along with the characters, are along for the ride, on those magic carpets and all' 😉😊 

PRODUCTION DESIGNER, Elliot Scott dressers the film beautifully and uses lots of tricks and techniques he would later go on to use in classics like 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit' (1988), Labyrinth (1986) and two of the Indiana movies, 'Tempe of Doom' and 'Last Crusade' (84 and 89), but with more than the share he got from this four million budget. It is perhaps worth mentioning and keeping in mind that much like Connor's Amicus film 'At The Earth's Core' and some of his 'Edgar Rice Burroughs' films, 'The Land That Time Forgot' (1975) 'The People That Time Forgot' (1977)... THIS is for the KIDS and there is much in the style and look of this film that reminds one of 'Jabberwocky' (1977) and 'The Adventures of Baron Munchausen' (1988)... but made with pennies rather than mega-bucks!  

EVEN THOUGH this was post 1977 'Star Wars', it was I am sure, when produced neither chasing that newly hatched sci-fi audience or hoping to compete. Maybe the producers should have told the publicity and press office that point though . .

VISUALLY:
THE WHOLE FILM  has been opened up to 1.78:1 from its native 1.85:1. Many of the street scenes and in the market really do shine, so much so there is a little sign of bits and dots in the motion, but not distracting. Scenes shot in a semi light in caves and at night, fare much better, as the texture and grain of the visuals can be a little different scene to scene. As I mentioned about this film using traditional cinematic visual effects, the use of matts. Very much like the blu rays of Cushing's 'Dr Who and the Daleks' (1965) and sequel 'Daleks Invasion Earth 2150 AD' strings are visible and matts that would have passed in the theatrical release don't hold out in their blending with live footage, once cleaned and presented on what can be at times a double edge and 'reveal all' of blu ray presentation.

AUDIO:

Kino supplies a DTS-HD Master Audio Dual Mono (1557 kbps, 16-bit) as THE sound track, without frills. The pitch levels do vary from one scene to another. If you too are a headphone wearer, you will notice. Mixing seems to have been a problem, any scene with dialogue and background crowds, sees that dialogue buried. Composer Ken Thorne's quite fab score is a great accompaniment to the action scenes, and while it's there everything sounds impressive.

• A NEW Audio Commentary by Director Kevin Connor, Moderated by Screenwriter and Novelist C. Courtney Joyner - If there is one thing you can say about director's Kevin Connor's pride in this film, is his comments on the design and look of the film. I get the feeling that Joyner maybe hasn't sat and watched the film in sometime. Many of his questions, give Connor little to work with in his answers, which is a real shame. For an 82 year old Connor is still very sharp, but the questions sometimes leaves him sounding as if he doesn't know the answer or can't remember! Experience should have told Joyner, you need to prompt and connect with your subject, it's been a LONG time!
• Theatrical Trailer (2:54, 480i) - Not restored, but a window-boxed and slightly cropped original trailer for EMI's Arabian Adventure.

SO TO SUM UP:
IF YOU SAW THIS FILM  when it was first released, like all of Connor's similar films, it can only bring back memories of simpler times. It should also bring with it some warm smiles when cast members like Christopher Lee, Milo O'Shea, Milton Reid and Peter Cushing appear. Emma Samms and Oliver Tobias
are a good match and a young and talented Puneet Sira, is very entertaining and unknowingly well set for his future as a major Bollywood director in the years to come. 

MICKEY ROONEY still stands as a bit of surprise casting! As a family adventure film, this one has ALL the ingredients, severed up as the complete package of a great and sparky adventure tale, produced ten years before this one was made. Now decades later, there is no shame in that. This is an above average transfer, even if in it's audio it would have benefited a little more care. A negative mind you, that will go quite unnoticed by the majority of those who have come along for the ride... on a carpet of course!

A TRIP TO THE CELLAR PLUS CHRISTOPHER LEE ON CUSHING AND HAMMER FILMS

 

I WONDER HOW MANY of you remember this, clip that I shared at the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE TODAY??? Clever editing and timing using footage of Peter Cushing from the 1963 film, 'The Man Who Finally Died' which also starred actor Stanley Baker . . 

#ChristopherLee SATURDAY! Here is a shot you don't often see, from a contact sheet of many from this day during the production. Director Freddie Francis, with producer Aida Young with Christopher Lee during the making of '#DraculahasRisenfromtheGrave' at Pinewood. Francis had just finished '#TortureGarden' with #PeterCushing for Amicus, and four episodes of the tv series, 'The Man in the Suitcase'! What a variety! Hmmm.. those were the days 😊

AND FINALLY TODAY, another #WATCHWITHCUSHING! Here is a great clip from the people at #Cinemax 😊 #ChristopherLee shares some memories of working with #PeterCushing and the fun he and Peter had working for #Hammerfilms. As you probably know both he and Peter were CAST in 22 films though not always appearing in scenes together, I wonder which film do YOU think stands as their best collaboration and WHY??? 

YOU MIGHT FIND this little list helpful! The 22 films are : Hamlet (1948) .. no scenes together, Moulin Rogue (1952) .. no scenes together, The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), Dracula (1958) The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959), The Mummy (1959), The Gorgon (1964), Dr Terror's House of Horror's (1965), The Skull (1965), She (1965), Night of the Big Heat (1967), Scream and Scream Again (1967)... no scenes together, One More Time (1970) ... no scenes together, The House that Dripped Blood (1971) ... no scenes together, I, Monster (1971), Dracula AD 1972 (1972), Horror Express (1972), The Creeping Flesh (1973), Nothing But the Night (1973), The Satanic Rites of Dracula ( 1973), Arabian Adventure (1979).. no scenes together, The House of the Long Shadows (1983)

ME? I will go between Horror Express and maybe The Creeping Flesh! Why? I am not quite sure, I have a theory🤔🤔 ... but at the Facebook Fan Page, I am asking maybe you can tell me? 😉 - Marcus

The FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE open to EVERYONE. Come and JOIN US! HERE!

'TWINS OF EVIL' RARE BEHIND THE SCENES GALLERY TWO

AS PROMISED HERE is ALBUM TWO of our PCASUK rare behind the scenes gallery from #HAMMERFILMS 1971 classic, 'TWINS OF EVIL'! Some interesting images here, many seen for the first time. NEXT WEEK it's our last album, but we are rolling out an entire gallery of colour transparencies. Cushing and the Collinson Twins along with lighting from Dick Bush and John Hough's direction, look amazing! JOIN US NEXT WEEK!

HOT TOYS DOOKU MODEL AND THE TWO SIDES OF CHRISTOPHER LEE

TWO SIDES CHRISTOPHER LEE. Here are two very interesting photographs, I thought you would like to see and share here today maybe? One is a publicity still taken by the stills photographer during the making of Hammer films, 'Dracula Has Risen From The Grave' at Pinewood Studios, sometime between April 22nd 1968 and June 4th 1968. It's a rarely seen pic, on set of the roof tops, with nice peeps from the studio lighting! You know how I LOVE seeing the lamps and lighting in stills 😃 It's blazing RED for sure! The second is a mysterious and very different photograph of Lee by Tom How with artwork by Connie Jones and copyrighted to Constantina. What do you make of this? I guess everyone will have their own thoughts and take on the subject matter and the artwork . . and I would LOVE to hear it, so please JOIN US over at THE FACEBOOK PCAS FACEBOOK FAN PAGE! 😃 Please feel free to comment and share! 😉Marcus

NEWS: HOT TOYS Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones – 1/6th scale Count Dooku Collectable Figure. With many thanks to Graham Alexander Holden, we can give you the latest on this quite stunning figure from HOT TOYS!

TODAY HOT TOYS presents the final product of Count Dooku in 1/6th scale collectible figure from Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones. The highly detailed figure is crafted based on the appearance of Count Dooku in the movie, features a newly developed head sculpt with striking likeness, a meticulously tailored costume with Dooku’s beautifully designed cape, a LED light-up lightsaber, a number of interchangeable hands, a pair of Force Lighting effect parts that are attachable to hands, a hologram projector and several hologram figures including Death Star, Jango Fett, B1 Battle Droid and Darth Sidious. If YOU have placed an order or even received your figure, or have a delivery date...please let us know. So, what's you opinion of this figure???