BEHIND THE SCENES ON HAMMER FILMS FRANKENSTEIN 1968

WELL. . . . YES, the sound is somewhat distorted, the visual a bit fuzzy... but here is a rare look onto the set of Peter Cushing's Hammer film, 'Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed' back in 1968. There's some interview with Cushing and Veronica Carlson, and others... plus great sequences of the actual shooting!

BUT I AM SURE the BBC has some crisp and shiny original footage of this in their vaults, that licence payers paid for with the trusted belief that Aunty Beeb would store and look after it, for resources, repeat screenings and cinema archivists to watch and study.... Yes, right.... put another film can on the bonfire Aunty and take care that you don't choke on that lolly and cash sandwich! Enjoy what's left everybody 😉 - Marcus

THE PHANTOM IS BLOWING THE CITY WHILE THE ISLAND IS SUCKED DRY!

NO THIS ISN'T A LONG LOST  #PeterCushing film 😄 . . but the touches of Cushing, Hammer and Tigon films are all over it! Think, 'The Blood Beast Terror' 😉 I've love this series since I was a child... and yes, my children love too! I have a son who's middle name is borrowed from it's writer, Spike Milligan, who originally wrote this for his mate, Peter Sellers. Eventually it found it's way into Ronnie Barker's tv series, 'Six Dates with Barker' (ITV 71) , then being re-written for Barker and Ronnie Corbett's 'The Two Ronnie's BBC tv series in 1976, as a weekly instalment. It's silly, maybe rude (?) some of the other episodes are a little un-pc now, but then Spike always was a rule unto himself, which is why I love him still. The episode you'll find on the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE is episode one, where Peter kind of gets a mention as does Vincent too 😊 Trivia: Spike worked with Cushing in the 1960 film, 'SUSPECT' aka 'THE RISK' Spike also provided the 'raspberries' SFX himself!

OUR SECOND #WATCHWITHCUSHING! today is, a CLASSIC and a huge favourite among followers and Cushing fans alike, 'ISLAND OF TERROR' made in 1966 and directed by Terence Fisher. If ever there was a film that proves you should never trust your vacuum cleaner... THIS is it! Peter gets to do some 'fight the monster' in this one! And what a MONSTER! For years the Silocates, have been up there with other first class cinematic 'creatures from another world' creations like the brain things from ' Fiend Without A Face'. They been available and stocks sold out, when made into figures and models for collectors... even as fridge magnets! 

THERE'S LOTS TO LIKE about this film, great monster, a very good cast with Edward Judd beefed up, Cushing providing the investigative brains, so when asked giving the right answers to anyone in the audience who can't keep up and Carole Gray does very well and offers much more than a 'helpless female, who is permanently set on 'scream'! Fisher's directing is tight and it all clicks. Granted NO living creature who looks like he has sat in on too many McDonald's 'all you can eat' early bird offers, should be able to climb a tree... and if he did and fell on some some guy, THAT guy should be one very FLAT pancake! I hope you enjoy the contents of our PCASUK Watch Party uploads today! Come join in, pull up a chair, bring some snacks and we will have fun 😉😊 Please take care everyone! - Marcus

NEWS: SCREAM FACTORY ANNOUNCES ANOTHER CLASSIC HAMMER FILM FOR USA BLU RAY RELEASE

NEWS: Scream Factory have announced they are putting out Hammer's Frankenstein And The Monster From Hell on blu-ray details below

SCREAM FACTORY PRESS RELEASE BELOW:

**NEW TITLE ANNOUNCEMENT**

YESTERDAY, we announced an upcoming Hammer Films Blu-ray In May with Frankenstein and with Peter Cushing. Well, today we have yet another one! 1973's FRANKENSTEIN AND THE MONSTER FROM HELL makes its Blu-ray debut in North America on May 19th 2020. YOU can PRE-ORDER HERE!

'Is Baron Frankenstein truly dead? That's precisely what he wants the world to think. He's had it up to here with a public that doesn't appreciate the trouble a mad scientist goes through to snatch good body parts. To carry on his work, he holes up in a place where the possibilities are utterly maddening: a home for the criminally insane! A hand here. A brain there … true to form, the Baron (Cushing) keeps his gruesome creation (David Prowse, known for his portrayal of Darth Vader) in stitches in this sixth and final fright fest in Hammer Films' Frankenstein cycle.'

EXTRAS are in process and will be announced on a later date.

WIN SCREAM FACTORY CUSHING DENBERG HAMMER FILM CLASSIC : THORLEY WALTERS REMEMBERED

WE HAVE 'CREATED' a further treat for you tomorrow 😉 WHAT Makes this movie so great? Peter Cushing? Susan Denberg? Thorley Walters? Robert Morris? Duncan Lamont? It's SCREAM FACTORY'S Collector's Edition, UP FOR GRABS! Directed by Terence Fisher. It's a Hammer film classic. Be HERE or Miss OUT 😀 -Marcus

REMEMBERING THORLEY WALTERS.... There can't be many fans of Hammer films or of #PeterCushing or #ChristopherLee, who have never seen actor #ThorleyWalters! Once one of the Hammer films 'repertory company' of actors, who like Michael Ripper and many others, was a face who connected with some of the best of the studios films over a twenty year period. 'Dracula Prince of Darkness in 1968 with Christopher Lee, Hammer's Phantom of the Opera with Herbert Lom, was Lee's Watson in ' Terence Fisher's Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace both in 1962. 'The Man who Haunted Himself and Vampire Circus in 1970 and The Adventure of #SherlockHolmes' Smarter Brother' in 1975 and The People That time Forgot in 1977. Walters also appeared some great big screen British comedies and mass of tv drama's including 'Tinker Tailor, Solider, Spy in 1979.

PERSONALLY, my favorite Walter's performance, was as Dr Herzt with Peter Cushing in #Hammerfilms ' #Frankenstein Created Woman' in 1967. It's one thing to play the strange guy possessed by #CounDracula in Dracula Prince of Darkness, it's wacky it's weird and amusing playing an extension on the classic Stoker / Renfield character, but his playing with great emotional clout, a character who shows a quite #touching friendship to Cushing's Baron Frankenstein and displays such care and compassion to #SusanDenberg's Christina, in very little screen time, is quite a skill . . . Everyone here will have their favorite Thorley Walter's role, they were all gems really, be it with the scamps from #StTrinians or Colonel Bloodstock in #JonPertwee's excellent children's programme #WorzelGummidge, Thorley Walters was ALWAYS able to connect with audiences and left us with a rich and very entertaining cast of performances and roles. Bless you, Thorley 😊

#THROWBACKTHURSDAY! PHANTOM BRINGS THE BARON OUT IN THE WEST END!

#THROWBACKTHURSDAY! Peter Cushing OUT ON THE TOWN in 1987, along with his personal secretary and friend, Joyce Broughton and Husband, Bernard. It's an opening night of Andrew Lloyd Webber's 'Phantom of the Opera' in August 1987. Just a few years before, this would have been quite impossible for Cushing, still in the grips, of what Joyce would later call his 'Blue Period'. The loss of his wife, Helen Cushing never truly left Cushing's mind, but during the last eight years of his life and after his retirement , he did live life to fullest! Theatre, writing, charity marathon walking, appearing on chat shows and even enjoying 'dips' in the sea, just outside his front door in Whitstable once again!

OUR #FRANKENSTEINFRIDAY RETURNS TOMORROW : FRIDAY 28TH JUNE 2019' Please JOIN US 😉

HAMMER FILMS PRODUCER ROY SKEGGS DIES AGED 83

VERY SAD TO HEAR ROY SKEGGS, one of the very few left of the Hammer films 'home guard' sadly passed away on the weekend. Roy was a producer for Hammer Films and began his connection with the company way back at Bray studios in 1963 as production accountant. Roy was then promoted to 'company accountant' and secretary. He became production supervisor in 1970 and (with Brian Lawrence) took over the reins of the company when it fell into receivership in 1979. Was latterly chairman of Hammer films, based in Elstree.

ROY WAS BORN in 1934. He was a very capable and respected producer and production manager, and probably best known for his work with Hammer films. He was responsible for Peter Cushing's last return to the company with the tv series, Hammer House of Horrpr' in 1980. The series expanded into 'Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense' in 1984, and became a winner overseas and the US. He worked alongside Peter on 'Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell' (1974), Dracula AD 1972 and The Satanic Rites of Dracula. 

A PERIOD OF ILLNESS took Roy away from his love of Hammer films in the 1990's... but in the last few years, although always having been a very shy man, he stepped out to one or two conventions and signing days .. and was surprised not only how much he enjoyed the attention...but how fans and the public remembered him and his work with Hammer films. A hard worker, very good at 'math' and was responsible for bringing Hammer back to the small screen and Cushing's final bow as Frankenstein. Thank you Roy 

UPDATED! THE SEVEN WINNERS WHO HAVE WON TWILIGHT TIME REMASTERED ;SWORD OF SHERWOOD FOREST' BLU RAY PRIZES TODAY!

THIS COMPETITITON IS NOW CLOSED AND THE WINNERS HAVE BEEN DRAWN! MANY CONGRATULATIONS TO DOUGLAS, LINDSAY, SANDRA, PAUL, ALEX, JIM AND BARBARA! YOU are ALL Winners 😃 Many thanks to everyone who entered this competition and to our sponsors Twilight Time for our prizes! Can the winners please contact me within 24 hours, with details of where you would like your prize to be despatched! The CORRECT ANSWER was of course, MAID MARIAN or Marianne! So many of you got THAT one! There is ANOTHER PCASUK COMPETITION getting set on the starting blocks for early next week! Please check the VERY BOTTOM of this post below 😏 Thanks Everyone! - Marcus

IF YOU HAVEN'T HAVE TIME to ENTER our PCAS 'Sword of Sherwood Forest 'COMPETITION or have missed our posts... SEVEN prizes of TWILIGHT TIME'S remastered blu ray, starring Peter Cushing... HERE is YOUR CHANCE! YOU have just over FIVE HOURS to enter! Below are the details of our competititon NOW being held at the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE, the competition question and HOW TO ENTER! I'll be annoucing the lucky winners at 6pm GMT tonight. So, time is ticking, get you ENTER in NOW! This competititon like ALL PCAS competitions, is open to EVERYONE, who ever, where ever YOU are 😉. YOU CA ALSO ORDER YOUR COPY, DIRECT FROM TWILIGHT TIME RIGHT HERE!
 

THE TWILIGHT TIME SPECIAL EDITION release of the remastered blu ray of Hammer films 1960 'Sword of Sherwood Forest; is a pretty neat package and a great addition to anyone's Hammer or Peter Cushing collection. Twilight has done grand job on the remastering, and Cushing looks every bit the villain of the piece, as the Sheriff of Nottingham, very sharp images and good enough to eat in glorious Eastman colour. It's a great job, on a not so well known Hammer film, that makes you wish the studio, director Terence Fisher and Peter Cushing had produced more adventures, with this same cast.

WE ARE VERY PLEASED to have SEVEN COPIES of the REMASTERED 'Sword Of Sherwood Forest; Blu Ray... courtesy of TWILIGHT TIME.... as prizes in the PCAS Competition! All you have to do is GO TO OUR FACEBOOK PCASUK FACEBOOK FAN PAGE FOLLOW the directions on the Competition Banner and ANSWER THE QUESTION BELOW, ONLY USING THE FACEBOOK MESSAGE CONTACT BUTTON! BEWARE! ANY answers posted on Facebook PCAS FAN Page, will be deleted and deemed void... plus you can expect a visit from a bunch of medieval rough-types with clubs and pointed sticks..! So, HERE GOES:

COMPETITION QUESTION:
In Hammer films, 'Sword of Sherwood Forest' and many other Robin Hood stories, Robin has a long time romantic interest . .. what is HER NAME?

Please chose ONE of the following:
a) Maid Melanie b) Maid In Hong Kong c) Maid Yesterday d) Maid Marian e) Maid Outofwood f) Maid Justintime

NOW GO TO THE FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE  AND SEND US YOUR ANSWER!

A REVIEW of the blu ray appears here at the PCAS website shortly, Good Luck Everyone!

BELOW FULL RELEASE SPEC: 'Sword of Sherwood Forest' Starring: Richard Greene, Peter Cushing, Niall MacGinnis, Richard Pasco, Jack Gwillim, Sarah Branch, Oliver Reed Video: 1080p High Definition / 2.35:1 / Color Audio: English 1.0 DTS-HD MA. Subtitles: English SDH Theatrical Release: 1960 Runtime: 80 Minutes Rating: NR (Not Rated) Region Code: Region Free (A/B/C)

Special Features: Isolated Music & Effects Track / Original Theatrical Trailer

COMPETITION! WIN COPIES OF LIMITED EDITION OF HAMMER FILMS 'SWORD OF SHERWOOD FOREST' REMASTERED BLU RAY : SEVEN COPIES UP FOR GRABS

THE TWILIGHT TIME SPECIAL EDITION RELEASE of the remastered blu ray of Hammer films 1960 'Sword of Sherwood Forest, is a pretty neat package and a great addition to anyone's Hammer or Peter Cushing collection. Twilight has done grand job on the remastering, and Cushing looks every bit the villain of the piece, as the Sheriff of Nottingham, very sharp images and good enough to eat in glorious Eastman colour. It's a great job, on a not so well known Hammer film, that makes you wish the studio, director Terence Fisher and Peter Cushing had produced more adventures, with this same cast. We are VERY please to have SEVEN COPIES... courtesy of TWILIGHT TIME.... as prizes in the PCAS Competition, which is NOW LIVE at the  FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE!

ALL YOU HAVE TO DO is go along to the CLICK HERE  and go along to the Facebookbook PCASUK Fan Page and FOLLOW the directions on the Competition Banner...simple! There you will find the Competition Question and how to enter. As with all PCASUK Competititons, it's FREE and open to everyone, where ever YOU are! A FULL REVIEW of Twilight Times 'Sword of Sherwood Forest' will appear here on the website, TOMORROW! GOOD LUCK! YOU CAN ORDER YOUR COPY FROM TWILIGHT TIME : HERE!

 

CONGRATULATIONS TO WINNER OF THE FIVE QUESTIONS SIGNED LEE DRACULA COMPETITION PLUS ANSWERS!

AND SO, HERE WE ARE AT LAST!  I am very happy to congratulate... SAMANTHA PEREZ whose name was pulled out of HUGE pile of correct entries in our PCAS Five Question Competition! Samantha has bagged the signed Christopher Lee framed colour photograph portrait from Dracula AD 1972. THis competition was, if you remember, part of our celebration of Dracula AD 1972, being released on remastered blu ray, by Warner Brothers. I would like to thank everyone who not only took part in this competition, but also the two other opportunites to win copies of AD and Satanic Rites . .  both fine Hammer Dracula outings starring Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing and available from Warner Bros now! You'll find all the answers to the FIVE questions below Question five was a little bit of an issue for some, but in really wanting everyone to have an opportunity to win, we found a solution! Again, well done to Samantha and here's to our next PCAS Competition....Tomorrow...! - Marcus

COMPETITION NEXT WEEK!

COMPETITION TOMORROW!

NEWS! WARNER BROTHERS RELEASED 'HORROR OF DRACULA' ON REMASTERED AND TWEAKED BLU RAY!

SOME REALLY GREAT NEWS for US 'Horror of Dracula' fans! The US gets a blu ray release at last, courtesy of Warner Brothers 🙂

HORROR OF DRACULA (1958) NEW 2018 1080p PRESENTATION SOURCED FROM THE HAMMER/BFI RESTORATION Run Time 82:00 Subtitles English SDH Sound Quality DTS HD-Master Audio 2.0 - English Aspect Ratio ORIGINAL ASPECT RATIO - 1.66:1, 16 X 9 WIDESCREEN Product Color COLOR Disc Configuration BD 25 includes Original UK Theatrical Trailer (HD)

CHRISTOPHER LEE AND PETER CUSHING, Britain’s premier masters of the macabre, bring the Horror of Dracula to vivid, full-color death in this retelling of Bram Stoker’s spellbinding vampire tale. Dracula (Lee), a centuries-old Transylvanian nobleman damned to an eternal half-life, regularly finds new victims. He also finds Dr. Van Helsing (Cushing), a scientist who becomes the Count’s implacable foe in a deadly game of bat-and-mouse. This is the UK version titled “DRACULA”, and featuring footage previously restored by the British Film Institute and Hammer Films. Warner Archive’s new release restores the original color palette of the film, using dye-transfer Technicolor prints as reference, and has been meticulously cleaned of film-related damage for a superior presentation.