JAMES BOND : SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE SNL : DRACULA COMPLETE AND TERRIFYING!

#CHRISTOPHERLEE Saturday! HERE AT the PCASUK BLOG and the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE it has been our tradition and habit most weekends to make Saturday's a day to celebrate one of #PeterCushing's closest friends, #ChristopherLee. And so today, over at the FACEBOOK FAN PAGE we have posted a rarely seen little gem of a an interview where Lee is very relaxed, full of stories and keen to promote a video which was being released that day, 'The Many Faces of Christopher Lee'. In fact, he mentions he is off to a HMV store in Manchester UK to do some sales and signings!

HEY MAYBE,  you were there too? Lots to hear here. Bond, Dracula and some more than usual about his time hosting the US tv show, 'Saturday Night Live' where Steven Spielberg was in the audience that night, and it opened a new and great opportunity for Lee!

#CHRISTOPHERLEE SATURDAY! There are still many fans I know... who have not had the chance to see this. For those of you who aren't that familiar with this film, the ending will probably seem great and a cool dramatic climax. For others, it's the result of over 40 years of waiting, for several extra shots, that some believed existed, others not so, but impossible for both to prove.. until now! The facts behind the story of how these extras shots were eventually found, is legend in itself and it's all down to an amazing guy, writer and cartoonist Simon Rowson, who succeeded where everyone else failed. Without him and his determination, we would not be watching this right now Maybe the greatest of all Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee's scenes for Hammer films? Listen out for Dracula footsteps! YOU can catch this post along with MANY others over at the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE TODAY!😃 Enjoy! Take care everyone and have a safe weekend - Marcus 😉

RICHARD E GRANT THE INSPIRATION FOR GENERAL PRYDE AND A SELECTION OF CHOICE BLU RAY AND DVD CASES

A VERY POPULAR POST AT the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE! right now. I wonder if any of you missed this message from actor Richard E Grant last year too? How wonderful for Peter Cushing to still be inspiring others, '..in his moment of triumph' 😉 The 'HEAD in the BOX' here is the amazing bust figure of Cushing's Tarkin, by Californian based sculptor Jordu Schell. It still stands as an amazing work of art!

AT THE FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE TODAY, I asked our friends and followers, how many of them have a collection of #PeterCushing DVD's or Blu Rays. The answers of YES or No, came flooding, which paved the way for our next post today, 'Can You Tell Us YOUR favourite TOP THREE covers to your Cushing Blu Rays, DVD's or even VHS or BETA  releases'. Everyone was asked to maybe send in selfies of the covers, so everyone could enjoy and identify their choices too! It's a post that is slowly growing, right now. The choices have been interesting, with everything from the Final Cut blu ray 'Captain Clegg and the dvd 'The Abominable Snowman' to the Second Sight twin release of 'The House That Dripped Blood' and  'Asylum' limited editions to covers featured on the front of lesser known European releases! This is how the feature was kick-started . . .

"I KNOW MOST OF YOU out there have told me today, you are the proud owners of several gems of #PeterCushing dvd's, #blurays and even #VHS films. Some of you have just started collecting, others have been adding 'case by case' to that series of sagging shelves or book cases for decades. . ." 

WELL, THIS ISN'T ABOUT the quality of the film INSIDE, this is all about and focusing on that little extra value you expect these days, when you purchase the release. The COVER DESIGN! It's no longer enough for distributors to just slap a 30 - 50 year old #cinema poster on the front of the case. We want something that looks amazing! So, from your private collection, be it blu ray, dvd or indeed VHS or Beta box, show us your THREE favourite Cushing film cases designs. It's your choices, for whatever reason, but I would love to know why you made those choices? 😊Take a #selfie or pic or even use ads or promo posts of the cases covers, it's your choice. #JUSTTHREE!"
 

ABOVE : A SECTION FROM THE FEATURE ON THE FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE 'I do not know the other cases of releases. I am guessing both are collections and compilations. Someone did send me scans of the sleeves though a while ago now. I do like the gamble of lesser known distributors releases though. They take more risks with their case sleeve designs, usually working with limited resource visuals. The one on the far left looks like they didn't have the resource to check what they had to work with, so flipped the lovely colour photograph of Peter. A habit some of the tabloid UK newspapers and magazines still have a annoying knack of doing, based on the weird rule of things looking into the spine of the pages!! So buttons on coats along with breast pockets, facial moles and hair partings are the wrong way around!' 

FINALLY ABOVE! I'll throw this one in, just because it's quite rare that a vintage #PeterCushing film gets the whole 'triple treat-treament' : blu ray extras, restoration and #STEELBOOK package with #GrahamHumphries artwork cover! This was the work of Screenbound Films in #2016, who very generously donated TWO of these beauties for me to offer up as prizes in a promotional PCASUK #competition. I cried and waved goodbye, when they were packed and dropped into the sack at the post office, for our two very lucky winners!

WHAT A LOT OF MOGGIES! SEVERIN FILMS REGION FREE PC BLU RAY SETS THE STANDARD!

WITH THE EXCELLENT news of Severin Films region FREE, cleaned up blu ray release of #PeterCushing's 1977 'THE UNCANNY' in May, it's interesting to see just how many versions of the film, have been released over the years! Super 8mm, VHS, DVD all of various grades of quality, but very popular! There are MORE! Here are ten of the releases, over at the FACEBOOK PCAS FAN PAGE we are asking . .do YOU own any of the above releases???

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PLACE YOUR ORDER NOW, JUST CLICK HERE for YOUR copy with the SLIP COVER (Limited to ONLY 1,500 COPIES) 

IN 1977, legendary Amicus co-founder Milton Subotsky (ASYLUM, AND NOW THE SCREAMING STARTS) teamed with Canadian producer Claude Héroux (SCANNERS, VIDEODROME) for the anthology shocker CelluloidDiaries calls “highly entertaining…the best killer cat movie there is!” Peter Cushing, Ray Milland, Donald Pleasence, Samantha Eggar (THE BROOD), Susan Penhaligon (PATRICK), John Vernon (POINT BLANK) and Alexandra Stewart (GOODBYE EMMANUELLE) star in this grisly portmanteau about a paranoid writer (Cushing) who must convince his publisher (Milland) that all cats are unholy fiends based on three tales of kitty carnage. Directed by Denis Héroux (NAKED MASSACRE) from a screenplay by Michel Parry (XTRO) with cinematography by Harry Waxman (THE WICKER MAN), THE UNCANNY is now scanned from an inter-negative recently discovered in a London vault.

Special Features:
The Cat’s Victim – Interview with actress Susan Penhaligon
Trailer
Exclusive Slipcover (Available on Severin Website)
REGION FREE
RELASE DATE: May 28th 2019

CUSHING'S DAILY WALKS : FANCY MEETING YOU HERE! : CAN YOU IDENTIFY THIS MAN?

#TOOCOOLTUESDAY How cool is this? Here's a photograph that was passed onto me over Christmas. As you know, Peter Cushing's walks through his home town were often opportunities for visiting fans to bump into Peter and have a chat, but also Peter had many friends in the town, he would meet on the street or beach, during his daily jaunt. One of these were the Hewlett family. Many UK followers here will I am sure recognise Donald from the extremely popular 1970's BBC tv comedy series, 'It Ain't Half Hot, Mum', in which he played Colonel Charles Reynolds 🙂 Peter was very good friends with the family. This photograph was taken on the beach just outside Peter's own front door 🙂 Did any of you ever 'bump' into Peter on the beach at WHITSTABLE? Do tell . . .

#TOOCOOLTUESDAY! OVER THE YEARS I have seen lots of strange and wonderful illustrations on VHS and DVD covers, that grace the covers of Cushing films. But this one would be sure to make any Hammer fan, raise their eyebrows! Both Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee star in the film, contained in the box . . . but Lee certainly doesn't appear as Dracula, neither does Cushing play Baron Frankenstein. The image of Dracula has been lifted from the 'Satanic Rites of Dracula' (1973) press kit. Cushing's up to his elbows in Kensington Gore pic, comes from Hammer films, 1969 'Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed' . .  along with Simon Ward who plays, the Baron's assistant Karl. . . and no, Ward doesn't make an appearance in 'Cuerpos Vivientes' either! It's certainly not the worst of bungled Cushing film covers and there are more to come . . .    

#WHOISTHAT? MICHAEL ANDREWS popped onto the PCASUK FACEBOOK FAN PAGE  today, and set you all this puzzler. Andrew asks: 'Does anybody recognise the gentlemen below? He has a certain Cushing look about him. He does actually have a connection with Hammer films!' If you can put a name to that face, we'd be pleased if you too can pop over to the PCAS Facebook Page and provide the answer!

 

REMEMBER! 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     

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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FROM 8MM HOME MOVIE WITH FLEXI DISC TO DVD AND BLU RAY: HAMMER'S DRACULA JOURNEY

For the folks who grumble about the quality of blu rays... lol Back in the 60's we went to extraordinary and unrealistic lengths to see just ten minutes of Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, in colour and with sound..well sort of. The US release of 200ft of 8mm film of 'Dracula/Horror of Dracula' from Americom came complete with a floppy vinyl disc (..remember those?) ...and the idea was the start up your 8mm film projector and your 'record player' simultaneously...so the sound from your record and the film on your projector, would play together...in sync. HA! Never happened.

VHS? Wonderful. DVD? Incredible. Blu Ray? As good as it gets!

The journey of Hammer films 'Dracula' release for home viewing in the US and finally getting to the UK, with the UK title and a playable format...

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