#FRANKENSTEINFRIDAY! RETURNS FOR JUST ONE MONTH!

The PCASUK #FrankensteinFriday comes back for a month THIS Friday, I have some interesting photographs, on set and behind the scenes of 'The Evil of Frankenstein' I want to share with you, some great bits and pieces on Peter playing the Baron... plus there are TWO Hammer Frankenstein Competitions, which I think you will enjoy too! It all starts this Friday for just a month, don't miss it 😉 - Marcus

REVIEW FEATURE: SCREAM FACTORY OVER HAULS HAMMER FILMS FRANKENSTEIN CREATION ON 2K SCAN BLU RAY

HAMMER FILMS, 1967 'FRANKENSTEIN CREATED WOMAN' GETS A NEW 2K Scan 'Using The Original Film Elements' in impressive BLU RAY release FROM SCREAM FACTORY!

'FRANKENSTEIN CREATED WOMAN' : HAMMER FILMS 1967

Director: Terence Fisher, Screenplay: John Elder [Anthony Hinds], Producer:  Anthony Nelson Keys, Photography: Arthur Grant, Music: James Bernard, Music Supervisor: Philip Martell, Special Effects: Les Bowie, Production Design: Bernard Robinson. Production Company: Hammer/Seven Arts

Synopsis
'She's a vision of loveliness ... with a murderous mission from beyond the grave!'

IN THIS MOST conceptually wild and out-rightly science-fictional of the Hammer Frankenstein films" (Moria Science Fiction, Horror and Fantasy Film Review), Baron Frankenstein (Peter Cushing) and Dr. Hertz (Thorley Walters) are embarking upon an experiment to capture the souls of the dead and impose them into other bodies. When their assistant, Hans (Robert Morris), is unjustly accused of murdering his girlfriend Christina's father and is himself put to death, the two men claim his body and trap his soul in their laboratory. Meanwhile, Christina (Susan Denberg) is consumed with grief over the death of her beloved Hans and commits suicide. Frankenstein and Dr. Hertz are able to transfer Hans' soul into Christina's healed body, which results in a vision of beauty. Their experiment appears successful until Frankenstein discovers that Christina's seductive appetites are being driven by the spirit of Hans and his passion for revenge ...

IF CRITICS AT THE TIME are time were to be believed, that hammer films were like the distant cousins of the Shepperton studios, 'Carry On films', 'made for the working classes, nothing too cerebral or intellectually demanding and with flashes of titillation to meet the demands of the lowest common denominator', then director Terence Fisher and script writer, Anthony Hinds over-stepped their remit and burnt out the brains of many an audience. 'CREATED WOMAN' follows a story track that leaves the concept of the Baron just rejuvenating sown and souring corpses, way behind. It soon becomes a quite interesting theoretical  essay and endeavor on the journey and existence of the soul! Judging by the box office, the 'classes' LOVED it! The whole thing is quite crazy, but it works. 

THE ARRIVAL OF HANS as a total gender swap, is interesting especially as her existence is all about REVENGE on men who abused and tormented her. Topical today or what? The relationship on screen between Thorley Walters and Peter Cushing is wonderful. Walters did the bumbling aged roles very well. The young snipes are cast well and our creation in, Susan Denberg, ticks all the boxes, for those who wanted more than the expected stitches and scars. The stitches here are broken, snapped and groaning under the weight of something that is certainly 'all women'  and reveal a creation, that would keep fans dribbling for many decades after the films release. The scar sadly, was something waiting in the wings for Denberg that would car crash her career and make her life something certainty more, than any nightmare, Hammer films could devise, for sure.

THE BLU RAY:
IF WE LOOK AT our blu ray shelf, it seems that Scream Factory has released Frankenstein Created Woman as the next part of their Hammer films Collector’s Edition series. This is a NEW 2k scan of the original film elements. A previously released blu ray from Millennium, thankfully quickly went out of reach for orders, and can now rest in the dust as THIS release leaves that memory fast fading, like it's visual quality at the time. Scream Factory has released the print that should have been delivered back then. SCREAM'S new transfer is visually superior, it's  vibrant, exposes those rich Hammer film colours and vibes, we know and look for, so well. There are no muddy, foggy textures here. The vision is much brighter, while not losing the density of shadows and the margins between black and grey.  The focus detail and depth of field in the focus can been seen through out and is not flat, as can often be the case in blu ray transfers. There are a few spots of damage to the print, but these are not distracting and were only spotted on the second viewing. The grain is in keeping with the film stock that Hammer used at this time. 

SCREAM FACTORY also presents this release in the film’s original 1.66:1 aspect ratio.  Frankenstein Created Woman is a very good film on a lot of levels, and visually the film has never looked this good in home cinema presentation. It's a great achievement that many fans of the film, I am sure will appreciate. The audio on this release is a DTS-HD MA mono track and both Anthony Hinds entertaining dialogue and the majestic film score sound is classic Hammer films! Terrific.

EXTRAS AND BONUS MATERIAL: 

• NEW 2K Scan From The Original Film Elements
• NEW Audio Commentary With Author/Film Historian Steve Haberman And Filmmaker/Film Historian Constantine Nasr
• NEW Interview With Actor Robert Morris
• NEW Interview With Camera Assistant/Clapper Loader Eddie Collins And 2^nd Assistant Director Joe Marks
• Audio Commentary By Actors Derek Fowlds, Robert Morris, And Film Historian Jonathan Rigby
• World Of Hammer Episode The Curse Of Frankenstein
• World Of Hammer Episode Hammer Stars: Peter Cushing
• Hammer Glamour Featurette
• Theatrical Trailers
• TV Spots
• Radio Spots
• Still Galleries – Movie Stills, Posters, And Lobby Cards

SO TO WRAP UP, what we have with this much welcomed released of one of Hammer and Cushing more interesting, Frankenstein films, is a vast improvement on what has gone before, you have the best of BOTH worlds, with EXTRAS and BONUS menu consisting of a number of features both very interesting and new, plus the best bits of previously seen material. It's a MUST for fans of the Hammer series and Peter Cushing! BUY IT and PRE ORDER HERE!
 

VINCENT PRICE AND CHRISTOPHER LEE BORN TODAY : BIRTHDAYS CELEBRATED!

TODAY we remember TWO gentlemen who were, as we all know, close friends to Peter Cushing. By a strange quirk of fate, they SHARED their birthday's today, on the 27th May. 😃 Christopher Lee and Vincent Price... Sadly, neither are no longer with us... Lee's passing was in June 2015. A sad loss even at his age...we just didn't want him to go. He was, Peter Cushing's closest friend . . celebrated and remembered here, almost as much as Peter. He had a career that stretched across almost every genre in the industry. His accomplishments were many, his skill as an actor even as he grew frail, never left him... and neither did we. Today, we mark his birthday and celebrate a remarkable career and life! Happy Birthday Christopher Lee!

A wonderful publicity photograph of both Peter Cushing and Vincent Price while recording the BBC radio serial 'ALIENS OF THE MIND' in 1977. Do you REMEMBER this radio series being broadcast?

SO, PETER YESTERDAY, Christopher Lee AND.... VINCENT PRICE today! Nothing I can say here that hasn't already been said about the versatile Vinnie... certainly a 'Man of the Arts', whose distinctive voice and excellent performances in fantasy films, made him a firm favourite for over 40 years! His career spanned other genres, including film noir, drama, mystery, thriller, and comedy. He appeared on stage, television, radio, and in over one hundred films.... a good friend of both Peter and Christopher, though only appeared on screen with them BOTH just the once, in 'The House of the Long Shadows' in 1983. He is still greatly missed, much and much celebrated, Vincent... a man and actor who could never be replaced... HAPPY BIRTHDAY Vincent Price!

PART ONE of an exclusive and rare gallery of on set and publicity photographs from the VINCENT PRICE and PETER CUSHING film, 'MADHOUSE' HERE!

 

 

THE BROTHER'S GRISBAINE Christopher Lee, Vincent Price and Peter Cushing, along with 'Father Figure' John Carradine in 'The House of the 

Long Shadows' (1984)

 

CHRISTOPHER LEE ON FRANKENSTEIN AND PETER CUSHING

CHRISTOPHER LEE ON PETER CUSHING . . .

TODAY'S POST and all our posts here are also posted and shared at the official

FACEBOOK PETERCUSHING APPRECIATION SOCIETY UK FAN PAGE where lovers of Peter Cushing's life and career can comment and discuss the our daily post. Please feel free to come and join us! 

#TBT PIRATE AND OPERA DOUBLE BILL HAMMER HORRORS FROM 1962

PETER CUSHING IN HIS ELEMENT HERE, 56 years ago he swung across the congregation of one Reverend Blyss, on location in a church that sat just outside the Hammer studios, in the sleepy village of Bray, England. The church now long gone, but the thrill of watching Peter having a ball and playing a great swash buckling dual role, is a throwback worth celebrating!

#TBT WHAT A GREAT DOUBLE BILL this must have been... Hammer films 'The Phantom of the Opera' with Herbert Lom and Edward de Souza and 'Captain Clegg' / 'Night Creatures' with Peter Cushing! Released in the UK together, Clegg and Phantom was supported by quite an impressive press campaign along with single and double bill cinema quad posters. Personally, Lom id my favourite Phantom, and Dr Blyss was a wonderful role for Peter, who was again given the opportunity to display some swordsmanship and a few stunts into the bargain!

JOIN US AT OUR FACEBOOK FAN PAGE  HERE

#MONSTERMONDAY : HERBERT FLAY MONSTER OR VICTIM?

#MONSTERMONDAY Over at OUR PCASUK FACEBOOK FAN PAGE we are getting ready to load up this week's #MONSTERMONDAY post. This week, Peter Cushing's HERBERT FLAY, from Amicus films, MADHOUSE is in the dock! Madman? Monster, Victim? ...YOU decide...

PLEASE JOIN US AT OUR FACEBOOK FAN PAGE

ON SET TWO GREAT GIFS AND A SNEAK LOOK IN AT 1960'S SHEPPERTON STUDIOS

 

HERE'S A GREAT OFF CAMERA MOMENT with Peter Cushing and George Pravda duriong the making of HAMMER FILMS 'FRANKENSTEIN MUST BE DESTROYED' a quick break, a puff and off they go top create more monsters and mayhem!

A VERY INTERESTING PIECE OF FOOTAGE behind the scenes also during the making of Hammer Films 'Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed' at Elstree studios. The actor being 'Bloodied Up' is George Pravda, who played the role of Dr Brandt in the film. What makes this clip of interest is the application of the blood...being applied by make up artists, Eddie Knight. It appears tp be MUCH MORE blood that actually appears in the finished film, which makes one wonder if this is another scene, being 'bloodied up' for the Asian market release of the film. CEO of Hammer films, James Carreras said on camera and many times in interviews how some scenes were shot two or three times, each having more blood or violence, that would never pass the UK censors, but were shot especially for overseas markets. Which makes one wonder, after the successful hunting down of those vital Hammer 'Dracula's Death' shots from the 1958 film...is there more out there from this Frankenstein Cushing treat??

 

HERE'S A PRETTY BUSY AND COLOURFUL FILM SET at Shepperton studios, all up and ready before the camera rolls..but in WHICH Peter Cushing film, does this film set appear? Answer later!

MORE ON THE SET PHOTOGRAPHS AND CLIPS FROM PETER CUSHING FILMS

NEXT WEEKEND!

We are at FACEBOOK FAN PAGE TOO : CLICK HERE