SCREAM FACTORY ANNOUNCES REMASTERED HAMMER FILMS CLASSIC!

NEWS: US Label Scream Factory have announced they are to put out Hammer's Dracula Prince Of Darkness (1966) starring Christopher Lee., Francis Matthews and Barbara Shelley.

ON THE FACE OF IT a REMASTERING of any Hammer Film is always good news, especially if it stars Christopher Lee! But, as sales of some of the Hammer catalogue have proved in the past, the releasing of a title that has already been released many times before, is a gamble. The success of the Warner Brothers box set a few years ago, was a blu ray triumph. Even though the package didn't include any extras, the titles themselves and the REGION ZERO option that they gambled, made the whole deal worth every penny. Already the news has been shared at our  FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE  and the response is mixed. Maybe the extras, when finalised, will hopefully give this release, the chance to empty the stocks, and encourage other Hammer titles to get the same remastered treatment?   

THE DETAILS SO FAR . . .
• Official street date is December 18th for U.S. and Canada territories (Region A)
• Release will come with a slipcover (guaranteed for three months after its original release date)
• The newly-commissioned artwork pictured comes to us from artist Mark Maddox. This art will be front-facing and the reverse side of the wrap will showcase the original theatrical poster art design.
• Extras are still underway and will be announced later in Nov. We are reconfirming today though that we have an all-new High-Def transfer in the works.

MORE RARE PHOTOGRAPHS, GIFS and IMAGES from DRACULA PRINCE OF DARKNESS in our DOUBLE BILL FEATURE along with TASTE THE BLOOD OF DRACULA : THE HAMMER DRACULA FLICKS: THE MOMENTS WE LOVE THE BEST! 

THE HAMMER DRACULA FLICKS: THE MOMENTS WE LOVE BEST: PART TWO! JUST CLICK HERE!

 

LEGEND HORROR CLASSICS AND REMEMBERING CHARLES GRAY : MYCROFT : MOCATA : ROCKY HORROR!

TODAY WE REMEMBER Charles Gray, who is best remembered for his outstanding performance as the evil Mocata opposite Christopher Lee in Hammer’s The Devil Rides Out (1968) and his role as 'the narrator' in 'The Rocky Horror Show' … other memorable roles in include Ernst Stavro Blofeld in Diamonds Are Forever (1971) and Mycroft Holmes in The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes TV Series… His Peter Cushing connection is that he co-stared with him in Amucis’s film The Beast Must Die (1974)

MORE ON THE BEAST MUST DIE HERE!

THIS WEEKS MAGAZINE FOCUS centres on a weird little UK series called. 'LEGEND HORROR CLASSICS'  Riding on the popularity of the UK Monster Mag, this too was a fold out eight panel affair. There was no huge flip side poster, instead a whole comic strip adaption of a 'Horror Classic' film. The first issue arrived in time for the release of the Dan Curtis adaption of DRACULA starring Jack Palance and Simon Ward. The whole thing sadly was stretched rather thin, with what room there was for editorial, the writing was rather limp and sparse. The comic strip art, was no way in the same league as the 'Hammer House of Horror' magazines, that were to follow, but as a 25 pence pocket money treat it gave a good deal to any youngsters, finding the likes of Hammer films, Cushing and Lee for the first time.  

EVEN THOUGH THE FOCUS was on the Curtis 1974 DRACULA release, both CUSHING and LEE are given a full page picture treatment, with PC looking rather funky in a comic art dotex version of the very familiar publicity photograph BARON from 'FRANKENSTEIN CREATED WOMAN'. Lee is represented in a still from 'DRACULA HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE' ... though in neither pics, are the titles of the films given, and that sadly is the overall standard of all the magazines, in this series . .  little in the way learning or anything any fan would find new or interesting, even back in 1974!  

THE SECOND ISSUE had a 'Frankenstein' theme based primarily on the 1931 Universal film, although Victor Frankenstein was drawn to resemble Peter Cushing, in some of the Hammer series. Later the theme and comic strip  covered The 7th Voyage of Sinbad in issue 3, Blood Lust of the Zombies in issue 4, Hammer's Dracula has Risen from the Grave, under the strange title of "Dracula Must be Destroyed") in issue 5, Terror from Space was issue 6 and the story of Beowulf in issue 7. The comic stories from issue three became at times quite bizarre, and the connection with what were 'horror classics' either from cinema or TV, floated away and from issue 10, the magazine no longer carried comic strip adaption or stories.

KEVIN O'NEILL, who would also go on to work on that other 70's horror film mag, WORLD OF HORROR and the comic 2000 AD, was closely involved with the publication, providing some of the comic strips and serving as art editor, before becoming editor. Though little. if any of the comic adaptions ever came any where close to the benchmark that Hammer House of Horror would roll out, this magazine, was probably in the beginning aimed at a younger market, and in that case, one can see why, the issues lack any real maturity or muscle. For us Horror Film Fans, it was better than nothing and certainly whet our whistles, while we waited for, what was yet to come . .  

FEEL FREE TO COME JOIN US at the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE  along with over 32 thousand other followers and friends! 

WHO IS THAT MAN? THE TUESDAY TOUGHY

HERE IS THIS WEEK'S TUESDAY TOUGHY plus the answer the to LAST WEEK'S TOUGHY, which appeared to be a little hard on the FACEBOOK PCASUK UK FAN PAGE! Maybe this week's may be a little kinder? The ANSWER will appear here and at our FACEBOOK FAN PAGE on FRIDAY! 

BELOW IS THE ANSWER TO LAST WEEKS TUESDAY TOUGHY!

ANSWER: THE STUDIO IN THE PHOTOGRAPH was BRAY STUDIOS, THE FILM Terence Fisher was working on was THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES for Hammer Films. The TRICYCLE was the CLUE. It is the TRICYCLE that actor MILES MALLESON rides when playing BISHOP FRANKLAND in the film . .

EVERY POST YOU SEE HERE, is also posted at the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE . THERE you can feel free to comment, debate and join in the chat! OVER THIRTY TWO THOUSAND followers are part of the PCASUK crowd on FACEBOOK. Come join us and be part of the OLDEST CUSHING FAN CLUB  still working to keep the memory of PETER CUSHING alive ...and for free!

A HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO JUDY MATHESON AND THE GRAND CINEFICCION ISSUE EIGHT IS OUT!

HERE IS A HEADS UP for all Spanish speaking followers and fans of the pretty amazing CINEFICION magazine! The latest issue is OUT NOW and available for order. As always editor Dario Lavia has put together another well PACKED issue along with the VERY nice regular middle pull out full colour feature... this issue it covers the Universal CREATURE films. There are so many great things about this issue! Just a few of the items covered are Sara Karloff, Julie Adams, Claudio Huck reviews the 'Stepford' series of films, Alfredo Paniagua Garcia's 'Kaidan Cine De Clasico Japones' four page feature is an eye-opener and look out for Carlos Diaz Maroto review of, the 2017 film, 'The Shape of the Water' plus the whole thing kicks off with a Doctor Who feature, from yours truly and the PCASUK website 😉 I always look forward to that sealed package, sent by Dario when receiving my latest issues. This week the large envelope containing the latest, also came with a neat little sketch of PC, hovering over my postal address! A NICE touch, Dario 😉 Order your copy now while stocks last : CINEFICCION ISSUE 8 : HERE!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JUDY! 🙂 Today marks a special day for actress, Judy Matheson! Judy appeared in the Peter Cushing 1971 film, 'Twins of Evil'... playing one of the village unfortunates, who were burnt at the stake! 

JUDY HAS HAD QUITE a full career over the years appearing in Crucible of Terror and also Hammer films, Lust for a Vampire too. Her television career has spend across tv favorites such as ITV's Coronation Street, the BBC sci series Blake's 7, Z Cars ( lead female role, twice), The Professionals, The Adventurer, The Sweeney, Harriet's Back in Town, Citizen Smith, Dead of Night,and for several months she starred in Crossroads, playing Sandy's girlfriend and Hugh Mortimer's secretary, Vicky Lambert! She played the poet Shelley's lover, Jane Williams, opposite Robert Powell in the BBC's film of the life of Shelley directed by Alan Bridges.

HER THEATRICAL WORK includes starring opposite Richard O'Sullivan in a British tour of the comedy Boeing-Boeing with Yootha Joyce & Sally Thomsett, Ray Cooney's Chase Me Comrade, Stage Struck by Simon Gray, Hugh & Margaret Williams’ The Flip Side, Funny Peculiar by Mike Scott and Alan Ayckbourn's Bedroom Farce. Currently she does occasional voice-over and narration work, and sometimes attends film conventions and Hammer Film events, as a guest. I have had the opportunity, as have many, to quickly chat with Judy here on facebook several times, and I can honestly say she is always very friendly and happy to chat! A lovely lady 🙂 Please help us celebrate Judy's birthday today and wish her a VERY Happy Birthday 🙂 We hope you are enjoying your day, Judy?

 

THE PETER CUSHING HAND PAINTED SILK SCARF FOR OLIVIERS 1948 HAMLET PREMIER

THE PETER CUSHING HAND PAINTED SILK SCARF . .designed by Peter for the movie premier of Olivier's Hamlet in 1948. As we all know, Peter impressively played Osric in the film, but showed an extra talent, as a designer and artist! So impressive was the scarf design, that BLOND Bros of London, renowned makers of ladies and gentlemen's scarves, placed orders and sold it in twelve different colours! Even the Queen had her own, Peter Cushing designed scarf!

CALLUM MCKELVIE : THE THREE ROLES THAT MADE THE CAREER : RARE GALLERIES

THE THREE ROLES THAT CREATED the career of Peter Cushing! A NEW series of features from CALLUM MCKELVIE starting very soon! The RARE photograph of Peter in this promo banner marks probably one of Cushing's best known roles. Over at the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE we asked, which THREE roles would you personally list as being Cushing's TOP THREE? Lots of interesting answers and many suggesting the THREE we have chosen  to focus on, in this new  weekly feature! Feel free  to visit the PCASUK page and join in!

STAR WARS WITH MAGIC CARPETS ALONG WITH CHRISTOPHER LEE, EMMA SAMMS AND PC!

PETER CUSHING as the brief but interesting WAZIR AL WAZARA in ARABIAN ADVENTURE in 1979. Often see as another AMICUS film, the film was in fact produced in April 1978 EMI Films announced they would make the film as part of a series of films they wanted to produce with the newly formed Orion Pictures. Granted both the partnership of the Amicus Kevin Francis and John Dark were on board, and both Christopher Lee and Cushing were starring and almost, guest starring, but Amicus it aint. The budget was much more than what Dark and Connor ever had to tackle their Land that Time Forgot, At The Earth's Core or Warlords of Atlantis, but it wasn't as successful. The promo strap line of 'Star Wars with Magic Carpets!' promised much, but fell well short of anything close to the new benchmark of children and family entertainment on the big screen. 

OUR PCASUK FEATURE AND GALLERY ON ARABIAN ADVENTURE HERE!

WHEN CUSHING does finally arrive, his appearance as the cell trapped Wuzara, it is a bit of shock. Sporting what looks like 15 years over growth on the handle-bar moustache he wore as Dr Naramrov in Hammer films, The Gorgon, his character is dusty, grubby and broken. Cushing gave the role, however short, his full attention and commitment and the facial hair he grew and wore, for the role of  Commissioner Potts in the truly weird and way off, A Touch Of The Sun with Oliver Reed, remained. Work on TOUCH on location in Zamiba had only wrapped two weeks, so what little of Cushing's face we could see was, certainly sun kissed for the Arabian climate!

THE REASON WHY this film is being included in our usual COMIC TURNS and MAGAZINE themed WEDNESDAY, is because the press office for the movie managed to pull two quite interesting stunts in the drive for publicity. ONE was the fabulous FULL COLOUR photo that graced the cover of an EARLY issue of blood splat and gore effects screamarama, that is now FANGORIA magazine. Granted this was only issue three, and the magazine would soon being making off in a completely different direction, but brownie points to the press office. SECOND was the wave of alternative cinema and press design posters that were drawn up and produced on the release of the film. One poster carried a selection of COMIC STRIP panels on a full colour cinema quad poster. Rarely does this kind of artwork feature on a cinema poster, but the well intended move to capture the attention of the target audience kiddies, was still much more impressed and still dizzy from the hi tech visuals, of 'A GALAXY FAR FAR AWAY'. Magic carpets were for this crowd, were seen as thread bare and dated. It would be a long time far far in the distance, before those impressive visuals would stop tinting any fantasy adventure on the big screen. . .

A FACE YOU WILL SURELY KNOW! Ever wondered whatever happened to ACTOR MILTON REID. FIND OUT : RIGHT HERE!

FIND MORE and DAILY with LOTS of opportunity to comment and share your opinions and thoughts at the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE!