#TOOCOOLTUESDAY: VINCENT PRICE PETER CUSHING : THE MAN WHO HATED SCENES

#MONSTERMONDAY: 'The Price of Fear' was a horror come mystery radio serial, that was produced by BBC Radio during the 1970s. The host and star of the show was Vincent Price. This episode, The Man Who Hated Scenes, stars Vincent Price and Peter Cushing who relate a chilling tale of a meek millionaire taking subtle revenge on his cheating wife. The script was dramatized  by William Ingram, produced by John Diaz (based on the story by Robert Arthur) a Dianna Olson, and Steve Preston also starred.

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YOU REVIEW: MILL CREEK REVENGE OF FRANKENSTEIN DISAPPOINTMENT

THE REVENGE OF FRANKENSTEIN: Part of a TWO Hammer film package, with The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb, released on blu ray by Mill Creek Entertainment September 2016. Mill Creek's double feature is currently the only way to own these films on BLU RAY:  They can be purchased  HERE

 *Deep, heavy sigh*

Where as Mill Creek Entertainment's blu ray release of The Gorgon I felt looked incredible for it's age and found very few flaws with the look and sound of the film, Revenge of Frankenstein looks as if it had been strained through a dirty wet sock. What a shame, for it is one of the better sequels, in the Hammer films Frankenstein series. Picking up precisely where The Curse of Frankenstein left off, Revenge is a brilliant journey into the twisted genius of Dr. Victor Frankenstein and his machinations to reanimate a human life. Peter Cushing's performance is immaculate and his snark and slight tinge of madness portrayal of Frankenstein is among his finest.

That being said...

This blu ray looks awful. I mean if you told me that this was transferred from a used VHS tape, I wouldn't be hard pressed to believe you. Let's start with the egregious amount of scratches, dirt and vertical lines that mar this 58 year old film. Remember those awful film reels you used to have to watch in high school back in the day?  Well, it's not THAT bad, but the mere fact that I am using that as an example of how to represent the disrespect this transfer is to the film should show you how much of a lost opportunity this is and it's distracting to the enjoyment of viewing the film on this format. When the Columbia Pictures opening came up I let out an audible "Uh-oh." I knew I was in for a challenging viewing of Revenge of Frankenstein. Still, I adore this film and it's always a pleasure to revisit it but it deserves better. Much better.

Now, on to the color quality of this release. There isn't any. It's so diluted through the ravages of time that everything looks washed out. Peter's crystal blue eyes withstanding, it looks as if this was put through a soft filter with an eraser. Where in The Gorgon's colors popped, watching Revenge feels like someone turned off the color hue setting on my television. The 1.66:1 Aspect Ratio doesn't assist this situation in any way and may have been yet another hindrance to this struggling release. Also, the 25g blu ray as opposed to the normal 50g capacity blu ray further recedes the films chances of a successful viewing. If a character moves too fast on screen it gets blurry. That should never happen. I am not going to go into the sound as it is mono and was recorded as such in 1958. There's nothing any one can do about that and for what it is it sounds just fine.

I don't want to blame Mill Creek Entertainment for this transfer but I have to wonder if they a) did the best that they could do with the quality of the print they had access to or b) didn't try at all. With how incredible The Gorgon looked I am going to go by faith and choose answer A. However, I will be keeping an eye on the quality of any future releases along with the two films I have yet to watch from the Double Features. So Mill Creek is currently batting 500. They need to keep an eye on quality control on the text of the blu ray covers (Curese instead of Curse on Curse of The Mummy's Tomb and Gorgan instead of Gorgon.) However, I do look forward to any future Hammer releases from them.

The YOU REVIEW feature: All YOU REVIEW features are complete and unedited  written reviews  independently submitted by followers of the Peter Cushing Appreciation Society , it's website and Facebook Fan Page. The opinions here in, are solely the authors and are shared here with the purpose and intent of providing a guide to dvd's and blu rays recently released featuring the work of Peter Cushing.  All viewing equipment used for the reviews is domestic and typical of the range of players and tv monitors used in a domestic viewing environment.

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#MONSTERMONDAY: CHRISTINA KLEVE : MONSTER OR VICTIM?

#‎MonsterMonday‬: WHO AM I??? The question asked by this week's monstermonday candidate, Christian Kleve...through out Cushing's FOURTH ‪#‎Frankenstein‬ feature for ‪#‎hammerfilms‬. So, was Christina, played by actress Susan Denberg, really a MONSTER? It's not a simple one this one. Beauty reborn from disfigurement, souls, murder, executions, wrongly accused victims, lust and finally revenge....that poor Christina, witnessed and was involved in… A victim of circumstance or MONSTER, you decide....

#FRANKENSTEINFRIDAY : PIZZA SAUSAGE MEAT AND PIECES EFFRONTES FEMININE!

#FRANKENSTEINFRIDAY: BEHIND YOOOOU!! Next time you happen to be tucking into your Barbacoa Romana nice and cripsy crust at Whitstable's Pizza Express, take a look at the wall behind you...!

 

#FRANKENSTEINFRIDAY: WHEN MICHAEL GWYNN (above) in Hammer films, 'The Revenge of Frankenstein' (1958) played the disfigured Karl, most of the character's frightening characteristics, the twisting and contorting features, the crooked legs and stance, by contorting his own body. Even though in the original make up tests carried out by Phil Leakey, then plan was for him to have a disfigured nose, a rough wig and .....a right cheek, of what looked like raw sausage meat! After Christopher Lee's appearance in 'The Curse of Frankenstein' which, in Lee's own words, 'looked like a car crash'...with everything bar the kitchen sink thrown in, Gwynn's no nonsense scare scowl was a refreshing and convincing change.

 

AND ON THE SUBJECT of The Revenge of Frankenstein make up, on the left, Peter Cushing in a make up continuity reference photograph, revealing the bruises, cuts and breakages from the Baron's mega duffing from the hospital patients...now, there's gratitude for you! While on the right, even though Eunice Grayson doesn't perhaps receive the same acknowledgement and exposure, as other Hammer Frankenstein actresses, in this rare early publicity. . .  she's not too shy of exposing, some of her 'pieces effrontes feminines'! That surely would have got Frankenstein in a flap!

Marcus Brooks

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HAMMER FILM CUSHING AND LEE GIFS WITH SUPPORTING FEATURES AND GALLERIES

CHRISTOPHER LEE'S DRACULA IN DRACULA AD 1972 SNARLS AT PETER CUSHING'S VAN HELSING ONLY REVENGE ON HIS MIND

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE HAMMER FILMS DRACULA / VAN HELSING

SAGA IN 'THE TRIALS OF VAN HELSING' PART ONE AND TWO : HERE 

 

PETER CUSHING'S BARON FRANKENSTEIN PLEADS WITH HIS FRIEND, PAUL KREMP TO SAVE HIS LIFE IN HAMMER FILMS 'THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN' (1957)

 FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE FIRST IN THE HAMMER FILMS 'CUSHING FRANKENSTEIN SERIES' , THE FILM THAT LAUNCHED CHRISTOPHER LEE'S CAREER , WITH A BARON THAT SHOCKED THE WORLD: THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN WITH VINTAGE PHOTO  GALLERY AND MORE HERE

ARMED WITH A SILVER BULLET CUSHING'S VAN HELSING HAS THE COUNT CORNERED  IN 'THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA'

READ ALL ABOUT THE LAST STAND OFF BETWEEN CUSHING'S VAN HELSING AND LEE'S DRACULA IN 'THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA' FEATURE WITH GREAT PHOTO GALLERY AND BEHIND THE SCENES STILLS  HERE 

THE DEAD ARE AWAKE AND WALKING AND BENT ON REVENGE : CHRISTOPHER LEE AS KHARIS PAYS CUSHING'S JOHN BANNING A VISIT IN HAMMER FILMS 'THE MUMMY' FROM 1959

READ ALL ABOUT THE HISTORY OF 'MUMMY CINEMA' AND THE HAMMER FILMS 1959 RELEASE, IN OUR EXTENSIVE VINTAGE GALLEY AND FEATURE HERE

 DRACULA'S GRIP OF TERROR  REACHES ACROSS A HUNDRED YEARS TO 1972 AND NOW BRINGS HIS REVENGE ON VAN HELSING HIMSELF IN HAMMER FILMS, 'DRACULA AD 1972'

CHRISTOPHER LEE AND FAMILY WITH PETER CUSHING ON THE SET OF  DRACULA AD 1972. MORE BEHIND THE SCENES RARE PICS IN OUR FEATURE HERE 

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#FRANKENSTEINFRIDAY: HAMMER FRANKENSTEIN INFERNO : PETER CUSHING

#frankensteinfriday Colour transparency from #hammerfilms with Freddie Jones's chilling line from 'Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed' (1969 Dir: Terence Fisher) Surely Along with 'The Revenge of Frankenstein' must rate as the two most awaited for on blu ray..no?