ALICE LOPES FOLLOWS THE TRAIL BACK OVER HER WHITSTABLE TRIP LAST YEAR!

At the end of August, it’s gonna be one year since my trip to England. For almost a week, I had the opportunity to be in contact with a culture that has fascinated me throughout life. Accepting Marcus's (Brooks) invitation, I've come back to PCASUK, to talk about my passion for cinema and literature, relive some moments of my trip and finally talk about my plans for the future.

ABOVE THE BANNER FROM ALICE'S ORIGINAL FEATURE. 

THE POST CAN BE FOUND HERE

Since I can remember, I have a great passion for cinema. But it was at the age of ten, while watching a silent film in black and white that I began to look at films with different eyes. Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, 1920 caught my attention from the first scene until the very end. The play of light and shadows, classical music playing in the background, psychedelic sets, focus on the characters' look, the precision of the movements ... It was a set of details that connected two totally different generations. Although I was separated from that film by almost a century, it aroused the desire to know more about classic films. In a few months, I had already watched all the section of silent films of the video store.

Peter Cushing appeared by chance in my life when I was 12 years old. One of my hobbies at the time (and still is) was going to the video rental stores. Among several films I picked up Madhouse, 1974. After having watched the Dr Phibes’ films and feeling completely amazed by Vincent Price, I was in a true saga in search of all films in which he was the protagonist. But in Madhouse I came across with another actor who would become, like Vincent Price, one of my biggest inspirations. The end, far from being obvious, in which Peter had an iconic participation, made me want to know more about him. The next week I was immersed in Hammer’s adaptations of Frankenstein and Dracula.

As the years passed by, my interest for cinema increased more and more. I used to watched everything. I often say that I am a person of phases: when I come across with a certain genre, actor or director with which I identify myself, I watch everything of him. Documentaries, silent films, terror, Mafia, Alice's in Many Lands and so on. They all exert some level of influence on me, some more, some less. But terror will always be my favorite genre, both in film as in literature.



After all, I have chosen a completely unrelated career from the movie business: Economics and International Relations, which are the courses that I currently study in Sao Paulo. Despite my career choice, I can not see my future without doing something related to cinema in some point of my life. Be a short film, a documentary, or even a video for YouTube. Somehow, I want and I have plans to do something behind or maybe in front of the cameras: writing, directing or acting.

Last year, I had the opportunity to do a theoretical course on cinema’s history. It was six wonderful months of classes ministered by Inacio Araujo, who showed us a more critical and methodological view of the film industry, pointing out established directors and key films for any cinephile.

Since 2015, I have been involved in an academic project, in which I study the relationship between Philosophy and British Gothic Literature of the 19th century, to be more specific: the relationship between the works of Francis Bacon and novels such as Frankenstein and Doctor Jekyll and Mr Hyde. In this study I could relate two fields that apparently did not make any sense.

I was charmed and I felt madly in love with England. I visited a golf course and also a croquet one (believe me: golf courses are extremely rare and inaccessible in Brazil), I walked through a cold, almost desert of shingle beach (the opposite of what we see here), where the sun was still shining bright at 7PM (the sunset here happens much earlier than in Europe). I tried the famous delicacy Fish & Chips, which approved at first. Walking through Whitstable was like a tour next to Peter. Despite not having had the opportunity to meet him, I could see him in every corner of the city: his ocean-front home, the restaurant that bears his name, Geoff Laurens Antiques, the museum filled with items from his personal collection, and the population as a whole, always willing to share an actor's memory.

In London I came across old houses, which I only see in historical cities of Brazil. There, on the other hand, it seems that the Victorian air still remains.I went to a casino for the first time and visited the acclaimed Whitehaven Mansions, the Poirot’s building (which I refuse to call Florin Court) and passed by Scotland Yard. Not forgetting the classical tourist sights.

I also broke the stereotype that British people are cold and distant, finding, on the other hand, polite and nice people, always willing to help, very thoughtful and patient.

Funny situations were also part of the script: it did not take long to realize that the delicious ice cream brand Kibon, in England is called Wall's; pass the subway card (Oyster Card) both to enter and to leave was a real surprise, because in Brazil whether you spend two hours or two minutes on the underground you will always pay the same amount. Finally it is worth remembering to any unsuspecting tourist that trains have a little button to open the doors!

FINAL WORDS

Finally, I would like to thank Marcus for the opportunity to return to PCASUK and share my experience with thousands of Peter’s fans around the world. I hope that both my history and my trip to Whitstable have brought good memories of our dear Master of Horror.

Alice Lopes, 20 anos, São Paulo, Brasil

JOIN US AT OUR FACEBOOK FAN PAGE NOW WITH OVER 25 THOUSAND FRIENDS AND FOLLOWERS JUST CLICK  HERE

ALICE LOPES RELEMBRA SUA VIAGEM A WHITSTABLE NO ANO PASSADO

No final do mês de Agosto completa um ano da minha viagem à Inglaterra. Durante pouco mais de uma semana tive a oportunidade de estar em contato com uma cultura que me fascinou durante toda a vida. E a convite do Marcus, venho novamente à PCASUK para falar sobre a minha paixão pelo cinema e pela literatura, reviver alguns momentos da minha viagem e por fim, contar os meus planos para o futuro.

Desde que me entendo por gente, tenho uma grande paixão pelo cinema. Mas foi aos dez anos, assistindo a um filme mudo e em preto e branco que comecei a olhar o cinema com outros olhos. Gabinete do Doutor Caligari, 1920 me prendeu do início ao fim. O jogo de luz e sombra, a música clássica ao fundo, aquele cenário pscicodélico, o foco no olhar dos personagens, a precisão dos movimentos… Era um conjunto de detalhes que ligava duas gerações totalmente diferentes. Apesar de separados por quase um século, aquele filme despertou em mim o desejo de conhecer mais acerca dos primórdios do cinema. E foi um atrás do outro. Até o momento em que a seção de filmes mudos da locadora já tinha se esgotado. 

Peter Cushing apareceu por acaso na minha vida aos 12 anos. Um dos meus passatempos na época (e até hoje) é ir à locadoras de DVDs. Entre vários filmes lá estava A Casa de Horrores, 1974 (en: Madhouse). Apos ter assistido aos filmes do Dr Phibes e ter me encantado com aquele gentleman do terror, Vincent Price, eu estava numa verdadeira saga em busca de todos os filmes nos quais ele fosse o protagonista. Mas em A Casa de Horres encontrei um ator que viria a ser ao lado de Vincent Price, uma das maiores inspirações. O final nada óbvio do filme, no qual o Peter tinha uma participação icónica, me fez querer saber mais sobre ele. Na semana seguinte já estava mergulhada nas adapatações da Hammer de Dráculae Frankenstein.

Os anos se passaram e a minha paixão pelo cinema ia aumentando. Eu assistia de tudo. Costumo dizer que sou uma pessoa de fases: quando conheço algum gênero, ator ou diretor com o qual eu me identifique, assisto tudo o que encontrar pela frente. Já tive a minha fase documentários, filmes mudos, de terror, de máfia, de Alices em não sei qual país e por aí vai. Todos eles exercem algum nível de influência sobre mim, uns mais, outros menos. Mas acredito que o terror vai sempre ser o meu gênero preferido, tanto no cinema, como na literatura.

Apesar de tudo, optei por uma carreira totalmente desvinculada do mundo do cinema: Economia e Relações Internacionais, que são os cursos que atualmente faço em São Paulo. Apesar da minha escolha profissional, não consigo me ver no futuro sem fazer algo relacionado ao cinema. Seja um curta metragem, um documentário, ou mesmo um vídeo para o youtube. De alguma forma, quero e tenho planos para fazer algo atrás ou quem sabe na frente das câmeras: escrevendo, dirigindo ou atuando.

Ano passado tive a oportunidade de fazer um curso teórico sobre a história do cinema. Foram seis meses de aulas com um excelente profissional da área, Inácio Araújo, onde tive uma visão mais crítica e mais metodológica do cinema, me colocando em contato com diretores consagrados e filmes fundamentais no gabarito de todo e qualquer cinéfilo.

Desde 2015 também desenvolvo um projeto acadêmico, onde estudo as relações entre a filosofia e a literatura gótica britânica do século 19, para ser mais específica: relações entre a obra de Francis Bacon e romances como Frankenstein e O Médico e o Monstro. Nesse estudo pude relacionar dois campos que aparentemente não faziam sentido algum

Me encantei e me apaixonei perdidamente pela Inglaterra. Entrar em um campo de golfe e outro de croquet (acredite: campos de golfe são extremamente raros e inacessíveis no Brasil), uma praia gelada, quase deserta e sem areia (o oposto do que vemos por aqui), cujo sol parecia não se pôr nunca (o pôr do sol aqui acontece muito mais cedo do que na Europa). Experimentei a famosa iguaria Fish&Chips, a qual aprovei de primeira. Andar por Whitstable foi como fazer um tour ao lado do Peter. Por mais que eu não tenha tido a oportunidade de conhecê-lo, pude vê-lo em cada esquina da cidade: sua casa de frente para o mar, o restaurante que leva seu nome, o antiquário do Geoff Laurens, o museu repleto de itens de seu acervo pessoal, e a população como um todo, sempre disposta a compartilhar uma memória do ator.

Em Londres me deparei com casas antigas, coisa que só via em cidades históricas no Brasil. Lá, por outro lado, parece que ainda conserva os ares vitorianos, cuja fachada não é coberta por altos muros como por aqui. Entrei num cassino pela primeira vez, visitei o tão aclamado Whitehaven Mansions, o prédio do Poirot (o qual me recuso a chamar de Florin Court) e passei pela Scotland Yard. Além é claro dos passeios considerados obrigatórios para qualquer turista de primeira viagem.

Também quebrei o estereótipo de que os ingleses são pessoas geladas e distantes, encontrando, por outro lado, pessoas educadíssimas, sempre dispostas a ajudar, além de muito atenciosas e pacientes.

Situações engraçadas também fizeram parte do meu roteiro: não demorou muito para eu perceber que a deliciosa marca de sorvetes Kibon aqui do Brasil, na Inglaterra recebe o nome de Wall’s; passar o cartão do metrô (Oyster Card) tanto para entrar quanto para sair foi uma verdadeira surpresa, visto que por aqui você tanto faz você ficar 2 horas ou 2 minutos no metrô: você sempre vai pagar o mesmo valor. E por último vale lembrar a qualquer turista desavisado que o trêm tem um botãozinho para abrir as portas!

Por fim, gostaria de agradecer ao Marcus pela oportunidade de voltar ao PCASUK e dividir as minhas experiências com milhares de fãs do Peter ao redor do mundo. Espero que tanto a minha história como a viagem à Whitstable tenham trazido boas lembranças do nosso querido Mestre do Terror.

Alice Lopes, 20 anos, São Paulo, Brasil

PLEASE COME JOIN US AT OUR FACEBOOK FAN PAGE NOW WITH OVER 25

THOUSAND FRIENDS AND FOLLOWERS JUST CLICK : HERE

KENNY BAKER DIES RIP

JUST TOO SAD FOR WORDS REALLY.....

#ONSETSATURDAY HAMMER TAKES A BREAK STARS ON DOWN TIME

TO BE CONTINUED . . . .

Come Join us at our FACEBOOK FAN PAGE Now with OVER 25,000

followers and friends : CLICK HERE

CUSHINGS WHITSTABLE WITH LEXI : FROM NEW YORK TO WHITSTABLE ON CUSHING TRAIL

"Hello everyone, my name is Lexi, and I've been a PCAS member for the past 4 years. When away from the Internet, I am a clinical psychology graduate student, and I live in New York.

Living in New York, Whitstable is a bit more than a hop, skip and a jump away, and I figured that I would only ever see it via Internet.  Fortunately, my parents had planned a tour of Europe for this summer, including London.  My parents are not horror movie people, but they are well accustomed to my whims by this point, so they graciously agreed to take half a day out of our schedule and take the train over from London (I sent them off shopping, and they seemed happy).

My description of the rest of the trip follows with the pictures.  I'm thrilled to be able to give back to the Society members by sharing them!  I hope that you all enjoy them, especially if you've never been.  I found it to be a very special place."

Sign marking Cushing's View. This is a very discreet little area and I needed some help finding it.  I asked some locals for help (I'm rubbish with maps) and they actually seemed surprised that I wanted to find something so small!  The older people seemed to be more understanding that it was something special.

The very popular 'Lovers Bench'  which looks out to sea by Keam's Yard, which was donated by Peter Cushing 25 years ago, and installed at 'Cushing's View'

Me, on the bench, to give an idea of its scale.  Very cosy and just right for two people to cuddle up together on, which I imagine was Peter's point. The little brass plaque on the bench reads : Presented By Helen And Peter Cushing Who Love Whitstable and It's People So Very Much. 1990.

Views from the bench. I think the bottom one, might be the Oystery?  I sat here for about 20 minutes and people watched.  A wonderful, calm spot and the weather was gorgeous.  It was very meaningful to me to experience the View as I imagine Peter wanted people to enjoy it.

The Tudor Tea Rooms.  Another place that was quietly tucked away, although I was able to find it myself. Very small inside but they seem to do a brisk business.

Inside the Tudor Tea Rooms, Peter's plaque, which is attached to the post right next to his table. Teared up a bit here.

Me, at the table, with a bit of the restaurant behind.  I had imagined Peter setting up court in a corner booth, but this is a very small table wedged right in the middle of everything!  Maybe he felt more "normal" doing it that way?  I also talked to the cashier about the significance of my trip.  She said that Peter had been at her wedding, that he was "a lovely older gentleman," and that he was just as wonderful as I had always heard.

The large picture over the Peter Cushing Pub's bar.  I wish I had taken more pictures here, alas!  The bartenders were both very friendly, knowledgeable about the town, and set me up with a delicious cider.

Peter's house. Took me a little while to find this one--I had to cut down a few side roads and eventually ended up on the beach, which the house runs alongside.  I can't tell if it's currently occupied.

I (and my parents, who amused themselves with other things) had a fantastic time. Everyone we met was helpful and friendly, and it's a beautiful town.  Thank you for providing the map, Marcus (I did my best with it!) and for sharing in my joy when I messaged you while I was there.  I hope you and everyone else enjoy these pictures.

EVERY SATURDAY HERE AND AT PETER CUSHING APPRECIATION SOCIETY FACEBOOK FAN PAGE #ONSETSATURDAY Pics from the sets and behind the scenes on Peter Cushing films. there's a new feature coming up NEXT!