#ONSETSATURDAY : THE BEAST MUST DIE : ANTON DIFFRING IN THE MAKE UP CHAIR!

#ONSETSATURDAY This week we visit that Amicus favourite, THE BEAST MUST DIE, with a rare shot of ANTON DIFFRING in the make up chair of Paul Rabiger. An interesting film in the Cushing portfolio, is a horror film, a thriller, a who done it??? The answer is probably, it's all three! With it's excellent 'WEREWOLF BREAK' a quite eclectic cast, headed by Peter Cushing, Charles Gray and werewolf hunter, Calvin Lockhart, who sounds like he's just popped over during a tea break from the Royal Shakespeare company's production of 'As You Like it'. It's not one of my favourites, and the music score I find so bad, I have been known to watch the entire film with the volume down. Amicus films, didn't have those memorable scores, like many of the Hammer films, and went down the route of employing Douglas Gamley (1924–1998) to score this one, and many of the portmanteau films. Just my opinion, but I am not a fan. 

Mind you, he's not quite as bad as Elisabeth Lutyens ...who scored Dr Terrors House of Horrors. Her avant-garde blackboard scrapings, set me on edge. Maybe, that was what they were meant to do??? What is YOUR favourite AMICUS film score??

MORE  on THE BEAST MUST DIE at our 

FEATURE and PHOTO GALLERY : HERE

THE BEST OF PETER CUSHING WITH ERIC AND ERNIE STARTING AT OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL

A quick look at the PETER CUSHING APPRECIATION SOCIETY YOUTUBE CHANNEL will reveal a bit of an overhaul. All clips now have relevant custom thumbnails and descriptions, making clips easier to find. Interviews, trailers, vinatge clips, documentaries and promos, lots to see. We've also gathered clips into themes and play-lists. We are currently compling a selection of clips and segments of Peter Cushing many appearnces on the MORECAMBE AND WISE SHOWS. I've assembled a small  selection of GIFS taken form the clips on offer for your viewing so far. The quest of Peter Cushing's desparate struggle to get his £5 appearance fee, from his first guest appearance on the show, was one of the duo's longest running jokes from 1971 until it's very satisfying climax in Eric and Ernie's Christmas Show of 1980. When the comic pair jumped allegiance from the contract with the BBC to the independent TV station, ITV they took their material AND the running joke with them!

Over the next few weeks we'll be adding more clips and gifs. Plus there's an extensive feature on the ins and outs of Peter Cushing's time with one of the best loved comedy partnerships in British Light Entertainment coming up here soon....

ALL CLIPS TO BE FOUND AT OUR PCAS YOUTUBE CHANNEL NOW!

TITAN COMICS TEAM UP WITH HAMMER FILMS CUSHING AND LEE GOTHICS

NEWS: The British publisher teams up with the studio known for 'Let Me In,' 'The Woman in Black' and classic Peter Cushing gothic horrors.

It's welcome back to the house of Hammer. Announced at comic book retailer conference ComicsPro Friday, Titan Comics will launch a new line of comic books based on properties from classic horror movie studio Hammer Films later this year. Hammer, the home of British horror, was founded in 1934 but truly came to prominence in the 1950s with a string of horror features including The Quatermass Experiment, The Curse of Frankenstein, The Devil Rides Out and 1958's Dracula, the movie which arguably made the careers of both Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. Throughout the 1950s, '60s and into the '70s, "Hammer Horror" became a reliable shorthand for a particularly gothic aesthetic filled with dramatically lit castles, creepy old men with upperclass English accents and chills that managed to be both over-the-top and surprisingly effective.

Following the studio's disappearance in 1979 after almost falling into bankruptcy, Hammer Films returned in 2008 with a string of updated horror titles including The Woman in Black, The Quiet Ones, The Resident and Let Me In, a remake of the Swedish vampire movie Let the Right One In.

Titan's Hammer line, which aptly launches in time for Halloween, will feature a mix of classic Hammer titles and all-new properties. In a statement accompanying the announcement, editor David Leach said, "Hammer is the home of some of the most groundbreaking horror and genre films in motion picture history. Together, we're going to make some terrifyingly good comics."

The British-based publisher has built a reputation for its licensed material, with series based on Doctor Who, Heroes Reborn, Assassin's Creed and NBC's The Blacklist in its portfolio. Its next high profile launch starts in May, based on Showtime's Penny Dreadful.

THE HORROR CHANNEL SCREENS HAMMER CUSHING FRANKENSTEIN TREAT

PETER CUSHING'S LAST ENTRY INTO THE HAMMER FRANKENSTEIN SERIES APPEARS ON THE HORROR CHANNEL THIS EVENING! WELL WORTH A WATCH!

ISLAND OF TERROR : ON THE HORROR CHANNEL

Tentacled terror starring horror icon Peter Cushing. Following a spate of grisly deaths, a scientist travels to a remote island where he discovers deadly tentacled monsters are taking over. (1967)

Talk about GOOD TIMING! No sooner had I clicked the 'post' button on the last feature #MONSTERMONDAY and the SILICATES...than I find out THE HORROR CHANNEL is treating is to some screenings of 'ISLAND OF TERROR' too!

If you can't catch it tomorrow night, no worry the film is scheduled for the following night THURSDAY 19th FEBRUARY @ 10.00 gmt and SUNDAY 21st FEBRUARY @16.55 gmt. HAPPY VIEWING!

#MONSTERMONDAY BY REQUEST : PORRIDGE WITH SERIOUS ATTITUDE : THE SILICATES

#MONSTERMONDAY: How does a blob of porridge mixed with frogs spawn, with a vacuum cleaner attachment sticking out of it, become frightening??? Answer: When it has the power to suck every bone out of your body and leave you looking like a deflated fat suit!! Of course we are talking about the wonderful SILICATES from Peter Cushing's 1967 film, ISLAND OF TERROR, this weeks chosen and requested Monster of Choice from Pauline Taylor. Take a peep down this thread to see why, the SILICATES probably come some where between the DALEKS and 'those fried egg thingies' from Peter's other sci fi outing of the sixties 'Night of the Big Heat' in the Top Ten Charting of things that make you go ... AGGGH! The Silicates, how do they rate with you?

The SILICATE, more powerful sucking power than an army of DYNOROD drain unblockers, with the power to DRAIN five SIX McDonald THICK SHAKES in less than a minute!

The SILICATE also comes with an amazing versatile and strong flexi arm. Able with considerable ease to wrap itself around the struggling victim, hold with a vice-like grip, and aid the 'super slurping activities'  until the unfortunate is as empty as a disguarded ice cream cone. 

Cushing is great in Island of Terror, but when he is paired with Eddie Byrne, they work so well together. Bryne also appeared in Hammer films The Mummy with Cushing, and does a sound job of representing solid trustworthy characters like detectives, policemen...all is well when Bryne is on the screen, you know you were in good hands. That lovely Irish lilt in his voice, guaranteed him a safe place in a production that needed an everyman with reliability. Yup, if you are surround by blobs on casters, with a nasty line in 'eating habits'...you couldn't do better than have a man like Eddie on your team!

BIGGLES DVD WINNERS : TALLY HO AND CHOCS AWAY TO SCREENBOUND BIGGLES PRIZES!

Congratulations to our Winners Sean Corrigan, Andrew Coupe, Rob Hayton, Debra Prince and Helena Grace. The Prize, a REMASTERED DVD copy of Biggles from ScreenBound Entertainment, starring Peter Cushing, in his last theatrically released film!

The ANSWER to our QUESTION: What was the TITLE of the FIRST COLLECTION OF BIGGLES STORIES WAS: The Camels Are Coming (1932)

Many thanks to SCREENBOUND ENTERTAINMENT for their sponsoring of our competition. BIGGLES ADVENTURES IN TIME can be purchased on DVD and BLU RAY at this LINK:  HERE

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COMPETITION: I LOVE HORROR FILMS : PCAS VALENTINES DAY COMPETITION NOW OPEN

I hope you had a great VALENTINE'S DAY! Here is our Peter Cushing Appreciation Society VALENTINE'S DAY 'I LOVE HORROR FILMS' COMPETITION, that was launched on our FACEBOOK FAN PAGE yesterday.

WATCH the short video clip BELOW, I trust you won't find the TWO QUESTIONS too difficult! When you think you have the answers, just send your answer to us at PCAS at the usual EMAIL address, theblackboxclub@gmail.com.

GOOD LUCK!

PCAS VALENTINES DAY COMPETITION VIDEO CLIP

TARKIN RETURNS AND HE IS NOT ALONE : STAR WARS ROGUE ONE ANTHOLOGY

We are a couple of months removed from the triumphant return of the Star Wars franchise with The Force Awakens. It has become the biggest domestic hit in U.S. history and we have firmly stepped into the era of The Force. Lucasfilm and Disney currently has at least three Star Wars films in various stages of production including Episode 8, Rogue One, and the Han Solo spin-off. While the average moviegoer is unaware of this grand plan, even the rabid fanbase is largely in the dark about where the new films are headed. (Spoilers ahead)

 In July 2015, That Hashtag Show's broke the scoop that there would be the presence of what were formerly called Shadow Troopers in Rogue One. Last week their trustworthy JoBlo, gave a report which aligned with the info our sources obtained last summer. The latest bit of information that we have obtained is really interesting and gives a more focused look at some fan favorite characters. Last August, The Daily Mail ran a interesting scoop that sounded too strange to be true at the time. They reported that Grand Moff Tarkin would return in Rogue One and that LucasFilm would be digitally recreating Peter Cushing in the film. After some digging we have gotten confirmation, from our same source that tipped us that Admiral Ackbar would appear in The Force Awakens, that the scoop was correct. Grand Moff Tarkin will indeed return to the big-screen and will be recreated using the miracle of CGI.

We all know this technology has been used before; like in Fast and Furious 7 for Paul Walker and to convincingly make Michael Douglas younger in Ant-Man. There is concept art of Tarkin for Rogue One, along with Darth Vader, on the bridge of the Death Star and the execution of his CGI character has been explained as being one of the most expensive renderings ever. We don't know who will be playing Tarkin, but, something interesting our source told us is that the Rogue One CG IS for the original actor behind Grand Moff Tarkin, Peter Cushing. It's unclear why they have chosen to go this complicated route, over simply recasting an actor who could breathe new life into the character. However, it is the direction the production has decided to take. Now we wait until December, to see just how all this works, and hopefully the amazing RETURN of Peter Cushing as Tarkin.

This feature and text report has been compiled from source material at
https://www.facebook.com/ThatHashtagShow and movieplot. com  

HERE COMES THE HORROR LOVE BOAT : VALENTINE DAY COMPETITON PRIZES

The HORROR LOVE BOAT, comes sinisterly sailing to the Peter Cushing Appreciations sites on VALENTINE'S DAY, THIS Sunday. In it's 'sweet scented' hold, is a shipment of  HANDSOME,  NOSEGAYS and POTENT packages, that would set any LOVER of horror films PULSE a-racing and HEARTS a-thumping... PRIZES FOR THE PASSIONATE!

Join us THIS SUNDAY, when we'll be posting our PCAS VALENTINE COMPETITION for this year. The competition will be posted across all the PCAS platforms, so try as you might, you'll find it hard to resist the ATTRACTION, SURRENDER, INDULGE, and you could be a could be a winner. Bring your brains and HEARTS, and have some fun. You'll LOVE it!

IT'S OUR 60TH ANNIVERSARY PCAS 1956 -2016!

Join us  our FACEBOOK FAN PAGE OR at our Peter Cushing TUMBLR page OR Follow us on TWITTER

HAZEL COURT REMEMBERED ON HER BIRTHDAY : AND AUTOBIOGRAPHY DETAILS

Today we remember the lovely Hazel Court who was born on this day, during her career she worked with several horror legends, Vincent Price in The Masque Of The Red Death (1964) , Boris Karloff and Vincent Price again in The Raven (1963) , Christopher Lee in Hammer's The Man Who Could Cheat Death (1959) and of course with Peter Cushing in The Curse Of Frankenstein (1957) … What are some of your favourite performances of Hazel's?

 

 

ORDER YOUR COPY DIRECT FROM TOMAHAWK: HERE 

Her book 'Hazel Court- Horror Queen: An Autobiography' is a good read, not too deep or detailed, but with some very nice images through out. It took a while for this one to come round, health and time... also one image, that really put that cat among the pigeons..caused a certain amount of bad feeling, that made Court not so happy to explore the exposure of conventions and book promoting. In the Hammer films, The Man Who Could Cheat Death..a film that Cushing was originally slated to appear in... a shot of Court was filmed, topless...for inclusion in the famous, 'continental print'.. I am not sure of the history, if that shot ever was included in those prints, I am pretty sure it wasn't. There is a story that the footage was destroyed at the editing room, BUT a few frames were given to Court, as a memento.

 QUICK LINK: HAZEL COURT : WOMEN IN GOTHIC 
AND OTHER ACTRESSES IN OUR SERIES

Years later, some how one of these frames turns up in a certain fanzine... fill in the name here yourselves.... printed without consent from Court. She was furious. It wasn't the first time that this periodical had compromised individuals....in an interview with this magazine, a key player in the Star Wars saga had 'off the record' referred to another key players, 'silly facial hair', which as these things tend to, got back to that individual. They were not happy. Also the using of Roy Skeggs Hammer Films Ltd headed note paper as the header and title of a reworked version of the magazine, went down badly... but such is the world of fanzines, when you are trying to stand out from the crowd, give scoops and compete with others, in what was back then a crowded market, of good to very good fanzines, all competing and trying to make a name. But, eventually Court did come back to the frame, sadly...I think I am right in saying that the book was released posthumously, Court sadly leaving us in 2008, just months before the book was finally released...

IT'S OUR 60TH ANNIVERSARY PCAS 1956 -2016!

Join us  our FACEBOOK FAN PAGE OR at our Peter Cushing TUMBLR page  

OR Follow us on TWITTER

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE : CUSHINGCONNECTIONS 1#

We could only come up with 14, not including the name of THIS production. But, I am sure if you dig, there are more.

This post is also being shared at our Peter Cushing Facebook Fan Page  we'll post the total of the person who comes up with the most

connections here and at the Facebook Page in a few days time!

This year we are celebrating our 60th anniversary : 1956 -2016

Why not come and join us at our Facebook Page: HERE