JOHN HURT DIES AGED 77

VERY SAD NEWS to report the wonderful and talented actor John Hurt has passed away at aged 77

HIS CAREER has spanned six decades. He initially came to prominence for his supporting role as Richard Rich in the film A Man for All Seasons (1966). After this, he played leading roles as Quentin Crisp in the film The Naked Civil Servant (1975), John Merrick in David Lynch's biopic The Elephant Man (1980), Winston Smith in the dystopian drama Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984), Mr. Braddock in the Stephen Frears drama The Hit (1984), and Stephen Ward in the drama depicting the Profumo affair, Scandal (1989). He is also known for his television roles such as Caligula in I, Claudius (1976), and the War Doctor in Doctor Who.


ABOVE IS just a small sample of the wonderful chemistry between Hurt and Cushing in the Tyburn film, 'The Ghoul'... after watching this film for the first time in the cinema, the lasting impression was not left by 'the thing in the attic' or any of the gruesome deeds that unfolded during the ninety minutes... for me it was John Hurt's portrayal of the twisted, manipulative and unfortunate, Private John Rawlings, that made the impression.

PETER CUSHING'S DOCTOR Lawrence and Hurt's creepy grounds-man, where really unsettling together, you knew Veronica Carlson's Daphne, was doomed! What a huge loss to us all..but what a legacy too! John Hurt 1940 -2017 . . . . 

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DOCTOR WHO: EVER WANTED YOUR OWN TARDIS? MAKE IT THIS ONE!

AS A CHILD, I can remember spending many a Saturday afternoon in my grandmother's bedroom, standing inside her huge wardrobe... pretending it was the #DRWHO Tardis! ..and I wasn't alone, many of my mates did this in wardrobes too!! It all was part of the ritual... like playing Dr Who in the school playground, with the hood up on your anorak, and your left sleeve and arm extended, waving around shouting, 'Exterminate!'... at dinner ladies!

IF ONLY I had known Jason Charles Onion, back then! Because he was more than likely doing the same thing too! As an adult, he is the creator of MAGIC..believe me. Jason, is the guy every Dr Who fan would want as a mate, a buddy...because not only does he have wonderful ideas and schemes..he is a DOER. He puts these ideas into fearless practice. A while ago, to top the many other amazing things he has created, he made a full size, large as life...just like the real thing...TARDIS! Unlike many people who love Dr Who and celebrate and create props and stuffs from the series, he SHARES what he does.

THIS TARDIS...known as the Herne Bay Tardis... (Look up Herne Bay, it's a Oysters left nostril distance from Peter Cushing's home town of Whitstable) has generated THOUSANDS of pounds for charity. How? Jason takes the Tardis out to events, signings, fetes, conventions, sunny days...or even just sets it up on the beach, where folks have their photo taken with it, stare at it nostalgically all glassy eyed...then hand over their money for the good cause...clever eh? Much of what Jason generates donations for, is the BBC charity Children In Need. It's very much like the MD Telethon in the US and raises millions every year, when broadcast for one night on the BBC in November. Now, Dr Who is of course, a BBC programme, so you can see the connection!?

THIS YEAR, Jason has decided to do something VERY different for Children In Need. Jason's Tardis which has generated thousands of pounds over the years, is being AUCTIONED. The response, I am sure will be, HUGE. But, if you ever had the need for a Tardis in your life, now is the time to start selling the cat, your granny and those family heirlooms... it's iconic, it's history, it's wonderful...it's the same tardis that Peter Cushing's Dr Who whizzed around the big screen in.... and it's part of my childhood and maybe yours too? We'll be posting regular up dates about the prep, the last year of public appearances and news right up until NOVEMBER 10th, the actual day of auction! Start saving, help Jason and start sharing..make this an event that will make a difference for many, many children... Watch the short video and give him a LIKE 😉 Thank you 😉 - Marcus

LINKS: OFFICAL HERNE BAY TARDIS CHILDREN IN NEED AUCTION FACEBOOK PAGE

SOMETHING TO SHOUT ABOUT: WINNERS AND BAG A FULL SIZE TARDIS!

#GETTHECUSHIONITSCUSHING! GOOD THINGS coming up for you today ... shortly we'll be announcing the winners of the Hammer collection Competition AND how do you fancy owning yourself a FULL-SIZE replica #DOCTORWHO TARDIS?? Want to know more..make sure you stay with us today! Marcus

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HAMMER FILM SATURDAY: GOOD FRIENDS AND TO THE DEATH!

REQUESTED: It's Saturday and Saturday here...as many of you know is #HAMMERDAY so here's for Richard T is THAT great behind the scenes publicity shot of two good friends as of the greatest foes Hammer ever created for the screen! Dracula and Van Helsing....

There's a full review of Cushing's and last Dracula film with Lee here at our site! Pics galore! HERE

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WHO LOVES YA? WE ALL DO!

WHO LOVES YA, BABY?...Today we remember the birthday of the late Telly Savalas. A much loved and larger than life man, on and off the screen. His Peter Cushing connection is his rip-roaring performance as the Cossack, Captain Kazan in the 'run-away-train-with-a-monster-and-zombies-onboard' epic from 1972, 'Horror Express'.
 

IT'S A FILM THAT NEVER STOPS going up gears through out it's tense 90 mins. When Savalas appears, almost an hour in, it really is full steam ahead! Along with Cushing and Lee, he makes the film a whole lot of fun. Most of us remember him as the lolly sucking cop in the excellent tv show, 'Kojak' and his quick to catch on catch phrase, 'Who Loves Ya Baby?'…… Who loves ya Telly? Why we do and always will.....

HORROR EXPRESS IS REVIEWED WITH RARE IMAGES HERE

REMEMBERING OLIVER BABE HARDY TODAY

REMEMBERING Oliver Norvell Babe Hardy (Oliver Hardy) I guess, very few people have ever made me laugh as hard and long..as these two guys, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. Today we mark the birthday of Olly. Many would know and remember their films, but maybe few would probably know of their Peter Cushing connection? Cushing appeared in their feature, A Chump at Oxford, directed in 1939 by Alfred J. Goulding and released in 1940 by United Artists, and was the penultimate Laurel and Hardy film made at the Hal Roach studios. 

Peter Cushing , front row first on left... with Stan and Olly in 'A Chump At Oxford' (1940)

Peter played a rather plummy student, who with his friends to play tricks on Stan! He had quite a bit of screen time, played some of the scenes with a very odd disguise of a bushy tash! But what a duo, a team and partnership..you couldn't have one without the other. But, just for today..we remember Olly and wish him a happy birthday!

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HAVING A BLAST WITH NICK DIGILLIO ON WGN RADIO TODAY!

IF YOU MISSED IT today...here it is. We had our third live interview on the Nick Digillio Show on WGN radio in Chicago today! Lots of talk about Peter Cushing, Rogue One : A Star Wars Story and that CGI Tarkin.... Nick is a true friend of the society, a HUGE Peter Cushing fan, really bangs the drum for us and very generously gives us the opportunity to spread the word about Peter Cushing and the society. It's always fun, a real geek fest. Many thanks to Nick, Dan and the team for giving us the chance to reach such a HUGE audience! Just press the link... - Marcus

PRESS HERE: THE NICK DIGILLIO SHOW WITH MARCUS BROOKS : PETER CUSHING APPRECIATION SOCIETY

'I know what you're thinking...it's Gru from 'Despicable Me'! I should do conventions and birthday parties..'

CAN YOU SPOT YOUNG CUSHING??

#TOOCOOLTUESDAY: Here is a VERY rare front of house card from the 1939 film, 'The Man In The Iron Mask' ..Peter Cushing's FIRST feature film! Can you spot him in the swash-buckling line up???? ANSWER TOMORROW!

FINAL CUT HAMMER COLLECTION BLU RAY COMPETITION NOW LIVE!

 

CERTAINLY WORTH adding to your collection! Here's the spec...and GOOD LUCK!

FINAL CUT'S 'HAMMER COLLECTION : THE UNIVERSAL YEARS : SPECIAL EDITION is a FIVE 5 Disc Blu Ray Box Set featuring four classic Hammer films plus a disc of extras. The titles are as follows: 

Brides of Dracula, Kiss of the Vampire, Captain Clegg, Curse of the Werewolf. Each film has its own set of extras : 

OUR REVIEW OF BRIDES WITH STILLS GALLERY HERE

THE BRIDES OF DRACULA has The Making of Narrated by Edward de Souza and featuring interviews with Yvonne Monlaur, Jimmy Sangster, Hugh Harlow, Pauline Harlow, Don Mingaye, Margaret Robinson and Tony Hinds, Stills Gallery and trailer.

OUR REVIEW OF CAPTAIN CLEGG WITH STILLS GALLERY HERE

CAPTAIN CLEGG has The Making of --Narrated by John Carson, The Mossman Legacy documentary short on the George Mossman's Carriage Collection, many of which were used in Hammer films, plus gallery and subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing. 

OUR REVIEW WITH RARE STILLS GALLERY AT OUR SUPPLEMENT SITE

HERE

THE CURSE OF THE WEREWOLF has The Making of documentary with interviews from Catherine Feller, Yvonne Romain, Mike Hill, Don Mingaye, Margaret Robinson Jimmy Sangster. A doc on Lycanthropy : The Beast in All of Us. plus Censoring the Werewolf A new 13-minute documentary directed by Hammer Films historian Marcus Hearn and stills gallery. 

OUR REVIEW OF KISS OF THE VAMPIRE WITH RARE STILLS GALLERY HERE

KISS OF THE VAMPIRE has Commentary with Edward De Souza & Jennifer Daniel - Moderated by Peter Irving, Original USA Trailer, Stills Gallery, Subtitles for the hard of hearing. 

FINALLY, there is a whole fifth disc with the following, Past Masters: The Hammer-Universal Classics A new 50-minute documentary examining Hammer's relationship with distributor Universal. Directed by Hammer Films historian Marcus Hearn and featuring Alan Barnes, John J Johnston, Kevin Lyons and Jonathan Rigby. Plus stills gallery posters and other promotional items from the Universal Years! A great release me thinks?

YOU CAN ORDER YOUR COPY OF FINAL CUT'S 'HAMMER COLLECTION: THE UNIVERSAL YEARS' HERE THE BLU RAY IS RELEASED ON JANUARY 20TH 2017! 

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HORRORS! ANOTHER BUMPER COMPETITION THIS WEEKEND!

PLEASE DO JOIN US FOR ANOTHER BUMPER PCAS COMPETITION 

THIS WEEKEND! 

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THE PROFESSOR ISSUE THREE OUT NOW!

Vi abbiamo presentato sovente molti progetti inerenti la figura di Peter Cushing ma, uno dei migliori è sicuramente il fumetto creato da Andrea Corbetta #theprofessor. Troverete molti accenni nel personaggio che sembra essere una via di mezzo tra Van Helsing, Sherlock Holmes e il Barone Victor dei film Hammer, fin dalla prima pagina. Curato in ogni dettaglio e illustrato con grande attenzione al racconto, si rimane incollati fino all'ultima vignetta. Anche le copertine sono superbe oltre alle tavole interne. Potete trovarlo in edicola ogni due mesi.

2016 PRESENTED US with quite a few interesting developments around the career of Peter Cushing, and one of the better ones was Andrea Corbetta's excellent comic, #THEPROFESSOR. With more than just a little nod to a central character who looks and behaves like a cross between Van Helsing, Sherlock Holmes and The Baron, The Professor drips in that atmosphere of gothic dread, that lovers of Hammer films will recognize right away from the turn of the first page. Beautifully detailed and illustrated, with a great twist in the tale, you never know what is coming next. Many of the panels would not look out of place, at the risk of mutilating your issue, cut out and frame on your den wall! The full-colour covers are quite superb!

The first issues of THE PROFESSOR ZERO AND ISSUE ONE are available now to buy and order. ISSUE THREE IS ON THE NEWSSTANDS NOW! Just follow THIS link: HERE!

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CUSHING AND LEE SEASON OF CLASSIC HAMMER FILMS IN WHITSTABLE!

#THROWBACKTHURSDAY: The Playhouse Theatre in Peter Cushing's home town of Whitstable is playing host to a season of exception Classic Cushing Chillers from yesteryears Hammer films... Peter's Hound Of The Baskervilles, kicks off the season that also takes in The Mummy and the mighty, Dracula! All three films also feature Christopher Lee too, and I'll be booking my ticket and traveling down to Whitstable, Kent for Dracula screening on the 17th! Maybe I might see you there??  

There's a special offer of £12 for the booking of all three films Details are on the poster I have shared above / below. Peter Cushing on a big screen...I am looking forward to it !