ACTRESS VALERIE VAN OST DIES AGED 75

IT HAS JUST BEEN ANNOUNCED that, sadly actress, Valerie Van Ost, has died at the age of 75. Van Ost appeared in Corruption, Incense for the Damned and The Satanic rites of Dracula with Peter Cushing. Valerie was also very popular in the Carry On series of film in the 1960's, in “Carry On Cabby,” “Carry On Don’t Lose Your Head,” “Carry On Doctor” and “Carry On Again Doctor,”. Van Ost’s sad passing was announced by agent Barry Langford who said in a tweet, “A sad goodbye to beautiful Valerie Van Ost, who passed away this week. Valerie gave up her successful acting career to become a respected casting director and was beloved in both professions. She will be much missed

VALERIE VAN OST, a native of Herkamsted, Hertfordshire, turned to acting after she had been a dancer in her teenager at London’s famed Palladium theatre. It's believed that at one time she was once considered to be a possible replacement for Diana Rigg as Emma Peel in “The Avengers,” having once appeared in an episode of the show. In 1973, Van Ost took on her other most famous role, in the Hammer horror movie, “The Satanic Rites of Dracula'.” Van Ost played the role of a Secret Service secretary who is kidnapped by a satanic cult. Van Ost was married to movie producer Greg Smith. Smith had been the producer of Britain’s other great bawdy comedy series, the “Confessions” series of movies in the 1970s.

VAN OST RECENTELY POSTED a photograph of her and BARRY LANGFORD on her twitter account . .

LATER IN 1985, Van Ost married Andrew Millington, with whom she set up a casting agency. This coincided with Van Ost’s retirement from acting. The pair cast five movies and a television series during the 1980s. Two of those films, “The Boys in Blue” and “Funny Money” were produced by her first husband. I am sure many of you would like to share your memories of your favourite role too.. please feel free to post your comments on the thread below. Valerie Van Ost, 25 July 1944 - 14 September 2019

WORLD PREMIER OF HAMMER FRANKENSTEIN AND DRACULA SCORES RELEASED!

NEWS: AS REPORTED here at PCASUK in MAY this year, TADLOW MUSIC had been very busy recording the COMPLETE musical scores of BOTH Hammer films 'The Curse of Frankenstein' and 'Dracula' as written by James Bernard. BELOW is a link to not only place your easily place your order, but also sample some of the score, all Newly Recorded in Stunning and Dynamic Digital Sound! The scores are performed by the Acclaimed and Award-Winning City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra Conducted by Nic Raine with some new score and Bernard’s own Orchestrations Reconstructed by Leigh Phillips . Each disc is accompanied by a 20-Page Full-Colour Booklet with Informative Sleeve Notes by Hammer Film Music Expert David Huckvale – plus numerous original film stills and posters. Both discs sound amazing! The RELEASE Date for both recordings is OCT 25th 2019….just in time for Halloween !

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO SAMPLES and place YOUR order :HERE!

REMEMBERING ACTOR FREDDIE JONES ON HIS BIRTHDAY TODAY

QUITE EARLY ON in my tv and film watching habits, I learnt that the actor, Freddie Jones, was always worth watching. Even if it was a new tv drama, a film or even a radio play at my grans, whatever I was up to, while passing through the room, THAT voice would immediately capture my ear. You couldn't walk away. My Mum and Gran were huge fans too, 'It's Freddie JUNUCE!' she would say. My mother was brought up in the South Wales valleys and had a habit of mis-pronouncing certain words, names, as a somewhat strange 'Hilda Baker' wrapped and tongue twisting, weird mangled type malapropisms...'Jun....uce!' 'Yes!' I would smile and agree .'With a surname like that, he's obviously Welsh!', she would gleam with pride. He wasn't, but I wouldn't dream of breaking the spell for her.

WE HAD ALL SEEN JONES, in an ITV play version of 'Sweeney Todd' back in 1970. We were terrified. But something I noticed, far more than the tension or the murders..was his delivery. His words, his prosody! Next time I saw him was in Cushing's 'Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed' . . again there it was. The pauses, the rhythm. It was tense and it and he pulled you in with each pause. What is he going to say next? I don't think Freddie Jones actually was capable of being dull. Listen and watch his performance as Prof Professor Julian Keeley, with Peter Cushing in Christopher Lee's last Hammer Dracula film, 'The Satanic Rites of Dracula'. It's a master-class in 'How to terrify an audience, with no props, masks or make-up and yet a full tool kit of quivers, nuances and dialogue super charged  with, suggestion! Find yourself, five films or tv shows.. and you'll see, when he speaks, everyone is listening. I watched 'Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed' in a midnight double bill cinema, packed to the gills, with drunks, dribbling into free fall and slopping into back row seats just after closing time. Del Boy's with dates and 'men with dirty-macs'. Nearly all were diving into candy's, crisps, cans, scraping and trawling the bottoms of slimy twin ice cream tubs while sucking to collapse, their cardboard cartons of Kiora. It was annoying and noisy...except when Freddie was on the screen. Then, it went quiet and everyone tuned in. 

WE COULD POUR over the many, many gold star roles and others that do more than just twinkle, when the rest of the cast and film, were not even sparkles, in Jones' beady-eye 😉 ! I wish I had seen Jones in Ronald Harwood’s affectionate near-portrait of Sir Donald Wolfit in 'The Dresser' (1980), an old ham called “Sir” who faces disaster in the mirror while preparing to play King Lear. It was a huge success. You can see how he filled that role, that theatre. It is said, 'After his 1980 run, no following actor, in The Dresser – Albert Finney in the 1983 film, Anthony Hopkins on television in 2015, nor Ken Stott in the West End in 2016 – matched the rumbling thunder of Jones in Manchester and subsequently at the Queen’s in London!' Sadly, I didn't see it and we have to make do with snippets and a radio version on YouTube. Better than nothing. He was certainly better than most gave him credit for. But there's gems to find, for sure! Quality, if not quantity. And for that we say thank you, with bended knee, and surprised sadness, on realising it is a mere two months, since Freddie bowed and left us, for the last time. Happy Birthday, Freddie Jones. He once said, ' “My life springs from my wife, my family, my work and my whisky.” . . Well, in remembering, we'll celebrate and certainly toast to that

REMEMBERING ACTOR HERBERT LOM : CLOUSEAU : PHANTOM AND MUCH MORE

TODAY WE REMEMBER Herbert Lom a Czech-born British film and television actor who moved to the United Kingdom in 1939. In a career lasting more than 60 years, he appeared in character roles, often portraying criminals or villains early in his career and professional men in later years.Some of his best known roles are Chief Inspector Charles Dreyfus in 'Pink Panther' films & as Dr Roger Corderthe in the ITV TV series 'The Human Jungle' . ..

LOM STARRED with Peter Cushing in two films for Amicus, 'Asylum' (1972) and 'And Now The Screaming Starts' (1973). Other notable horror films include 'The Phantom of The Opera' (1962) for Hammer films, 'Murders in the Rue Morgue' (1971) , 'The Dead Zone' (1983) also 'Dark Places' (1972) & 'Count Dracula' (1970) both Christopher Lee... 

HEY! YOU WANNA BUY A MAHAR???!

HEY! WANNA BUY A MAHAR?? Hmm the PERFECT PET! No? 😊Those of you who remember Peter Cushing's film 'At the earth's Core' with Caroline Munro and Doug McClure back in 1975, will remember these terrifying telepathic flying reptiles who lived deep in a Welsh mountain . . I know them well 😉

THIS PUPPET IS ACTUALLY made made from latex over a heavy steel armature, with metal wires protruding from the back and hooks on the wings for use during flying shots. It is hand-painted for additional detailing, including faux blood over the claws and beak, as well as the outline of a ribcage on the chest. There appears to be some considerable wear from production use and age. The rubber latex has cracked and broken away in some areas, revealing the metal skeleton. The left foot is no longer present. Dimensions: 110 cm x 56 cm x 96 cm (43 1/4" x 22" x 37 3/4") and has a £1,000 - £1,500 tag! This and many OTHER props and goodies are all part of the amazing Treasures from film and Television LIVE auction from Sept 30th until 1st Oct 2019! With all It's all bids online.... wouldn't this look great in a kennel in your back garden?? 😉 Good luck 🙂 - Marcus

HERE IS A LINK to the PCASUK REVIEW and GALLERY on Amicus Films 'AT THE EARTH'S CORE'! JUST CLICK HERE! 

 

RARE BEHIND THE SCENES 'ON SET' FOOTAGE FROM HAMMER FILMS 'THE GORGON'

A REAL AND RARE TREAT! Here are some short GIFS taken from some very rare behind the scenes footage taken during the making of Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee's 1964 Hammer film Classic, THE GORGON. Director Terence Fisher had a real job on his hands. The script was fine and had the making of an original horror / romantic / thriller. The key to the drama was a creature that lived holed up in Castle Borski, who on certain evenings took to meeting visitors, not with a warm welcome, but a STARE that turned them into stone! The creature was Megaera, long thought to be a fantasy of Greek mythology. Not only was she real, but she also had a dual appearance and personality. This no doubt suited actress Barbara Shelley, who played the meek and sensitive Karl Hoffman, Megaera's 'other side', as whoever was to appear as Megaera, would have to endure a few weeks of experiments and painful head-dresses, while make up men and props department Roy Ashton and Phil Leakey tired to solve the problem of producing a convincing Gorgon, who floated on air, while snakes wriggled and writhed on her head! No easy, with such a small budget!

ABOVE we see actress and classical dancer, Prundence Hyman, who stepped up for the role. Fisher believed that someone who could move with grace, like a dancer, would be best suited for the role. Prudence had worked in film, theatre and ballet for many years and had almost retired from her long and quite distinguished career.But she rose to the challenge. Here we see make up artist fit Prudence with Haptic contact lenses, a make up device that Roy was probably if not certainly responsible for bringing into horror films at this time, his first use was in Hammer's 'The Curse of Frankenstein', it was another first in bringing together Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee on screen.

AFTER MANY EXPERIMENTS the solution of using a series of strings and pulleys, all controlled through a cable to a crank box, was used to make the snakes twitch! The head device weighed seven pounds, and was worn under the wild and thick black wig, much like a crash helmet! It took some rigging, was not reliable and took several takes to 'do its thing' on command, after the Gorgon floated on casters into shot, over a floor of thick dry ice. ABOVE here is Hammer's Phil Leakey carrying the crank box, Prudence marches from the make up room at Bray studios, and down the stairs to the castle set, carrying the cabling over her shoulder, ready for her '...Close Up, Mr Fisher!'

ABOVE ON THE SET Prudence Hymen hits her mark,the crew turn the cranks on the box, the snakes twitch, the wind blows and she makes her exit, not walking forward, but keeps her balance, even with the weight on her head as she is  pulled backwards over the floor of the Castle Borski set at Bray studios . .. and CUT!

PETER CUSHING IN COSTUME and Christopher Lee out, both on set at Bray studios, during the making of Hammer films, 'THE GORGON'

 

FINALLY, HERES IS Hammer films make up artist Roy Ashton in some VERY rare footage in his make up room at Bray studios, demonstrating some 'fangs' he made for a particular Baron, who was the only vamp to have actually got his fangs into Peter Cushing's Vampire Hunter, Van Helsing . .!

ONE TOO MANY AND ONE MORE LOOK AT GLENDA!

TAKEN FROM CHRISTOPHER LEE'S autobiography, 'Lord of Misrule' this is Lee's thoughts on his time taken making the Dracula saga . . did he make too many? On posting this today at the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE, we've asked our friends and followers, What do THEY think of this statement?

ON POSTING that banner and Christopher Lee quote, along with various interesting comments today, a few have also messaged me to ask where did that unusual 'HORROR OF DRACULA' poster come from? Well, it's a very rare day-bill for the 1970’s (1st Australian release) of the 1958 classic ‘Hammer’ production. I don't own it sadly! In Oz they had quite a playful way of producing their play-bill designs . . here is one below of a montage of images, pasted together for quickly hand-written up publicity hand outs .  

AND FOLLOWING ON the Christopher Lee Dracula post . . here is a neat rarely seen and addition to a series of photographs taken in a photo session with Christopher Lee and several models / actress who appeared in Hammer films 'Dracula AD 1972' by the UK 'newspaper' The Daily Mirror'. I love the sellotape tacked onto the flat in the background 😀 It is a very interesting and quite weird series of photographs, that also at one point had photo fans and collectors, convinced that actress Linda Hayden, was featured in some of the photos and poses . . even Hayden herself! You can learn more about that in a photo feature, I wrote sometime ago, RIGHT HERE!

MORE FEATURING AN ANOTHER ACTRESS who appeared in Hammer's 'DRACULA AD 1972' HERE is a LINK to a past PCASUK FEMME FATALE FRIDAY GALLERY with CAROLINE MUNRO! JUST CLICK HERE! 

INDICATOR ANNOUNCE HAMMER FILMS VOLUME FOUR : FACES OF EVIL BLU RAY BOX SET

NEWS: INDICATOR have announced Hammer Volume Four Face Of Fear Box set featuring THE REVENGE OF FRANKENSTEIN, THE TWO FACES OF DR. JEKYLL, TASTE OF FEAR, THE DAMNED. Release date: 18 November 2019
Limited Blu-ray Edition (UK premieres on Blu-ray) 

FOUR CLASSIC HAMMER FILM CHILLERS presented on Blu-ray for the very first time in the UK. Accompanied by a wealth of new and archival extras – including exclusive new documentaries, audio commentaries, alternative versions, new and archival cast and crew interviews, a series of appreciations of their female stars, analyses of their composers’ scores, and extensive booklets – this stunning limited edition box set is strictly 26,000 numbered units
All extras subject to change

REGION FREE

INDICATOR LIMITED BLU-RAY EDITION BOX SET SPECIAL FEATURES:

THE REVENGE OF FRANKENSTEIN

New 4K restoration : Original mono audio
New and exclusive documentary about the film, produced by Hammer expert Marcus Hearn (2019)
Audio commentary by celebrated horror and fantasy authors Stephen Jones and Kim Newman (2019)
A Frankenstein for the 20th Century (2019): video essay by film historian Kat Ellinger and Dima Ballin
Hammer's Women – Eunice Gayson (2019): profile of the Hammer star by critic and film historian Pamela Hutchinson
David Huckvale on Leonard Salzedo (2019): new appreciation of the renowned composer by the author of Hammer Film Scores and the Musical Avant-Garde
Super 8 version: original cut-down home cinema presentation
Original theatrical trailer
Trailer commentary (2013): short critical appreciation by filmmaker Joe Dante
Image gallery: on-set and promotional photography
New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
Limited edition box set exclusive booklet with new essays by Marcus Hearn and Kieran Foster, archival interview materials, historical articles, contemporary reviews, and film credits
UK premiere on Blu-ray

THE TWO FACES OF DR. JEKYLL

High Definition remaster
Original mono audio
New and exclusive documentary about the film, produced by Hammer expert Marcus Hearn (2019)
Audio commentary by film historians Josephine Botting and Jonathan Rigby (2019)
Interview with Paul Massie (1967): rare archival audio interview with the film’s star
Hammer's Women – Dawn Addams (2019): British cinema expert Laura Mayne explores the life and career of the UK-born star
David Huckvale on Monty Norman (2019): new appreciation of the renowned composer
Original theatrical trailer
Trailer commentary (2013): short critical appreciation by Josh Olson
Image gallery: on-set and promotional photography
New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
Limited edition box set exclusive booklet with a new essay by Kat Ellinger, archival interview materials, historical articles, contemporary reviews and film credits
UK premiere on Blu-ray

TASTE OF FEAR

High Definition remaster
Original mono audio
Alternative presentation with US Scream of Fear title sequence
New and exclusive documentary about the film, produced by Hammer expert Marcus Hearn (2019)
Audio commentary with Kevin Lyons, editor of The Encyclopedia of Fantastic Film and Television (2019)
The BFI Interview with Jimmy Sangster (2008): archival audio recording of the celebrated filmmaker and screenwriter in conversation with Marcus Hearn at London’s National Film Theatre
The BEHP Video interview with Jimmy Sangster (2008): archival video recording, made as part of the British Entertainment History Project, featuring Sangster in conversation with Jonathan Rigby
The BEHP Interview with Douglas Slocombe – Part Two (1988): archival audio recording, made as part of the British Entertainment History Project, featuring the renowned cinematographer in conversation with Sidney Cole
Fear Makers (2019): interviews with camera operator Desmond Davis, assistant editor John Crome and clapper loader Ray Andrew
Hammer's Women – Ann Todd (2019): Melanie Williams, author of Female Stars of British Cinema profiles the English star and producer
David Huckvale on Clifton Parker (2019): new appreciation of the renowned composer
Super 8 version of Scream of Fear: original cut-down home cinema presentation
Original theatrical trailer
Trailer commentary (2013): short critical appreciation by Sam Hamm
Image gallery: on-set and promotional photography
New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
Limited edition box set exclusive booklet with an essay by Marcus Hearn, archival interview materials, historical articles, contemporary reviews and film credits
UK premiere on Blu-ray

THE DAMNED

New 2K restoration
Original mono audio
Two presentations of the film: The Damned, the original UK theatrical release version; and These Are the Damned, the complete and uncut restoration which first premiered in 2007
New and exclusive documentary about the film, produced by Hammer expert Marcus Hearn (2019)
Audio commentary by film historians Samm Deighan and Kat Ellinger (2019)
Beneath the Surface (2019): new interview with filmmaker Gavrik Losey, son of director Joseph Losey
Interview with actor Shirley Anne Field (2019)
Interview with screenwriter Evan Jones (2010)
Children of 'The Damned' (2019): new interviews with actors Kit Williams, David Palmer and Christopher Witty
Hammer's Women – Viveca Lindfors (2019): profile of the renowned actor by critic and film historian Lindsay Hallam
David Huckvale on James Bernard (2019): new appreciation of the celebrated composer
Beyond Black Leather (2019): appreciation by film expert I Q Hunter
No Future (2019): analysis by author and film historian Neil Sinyard
Original theatrical trailer
Trailer commentary (2013): short critical appreciation by filmmaker Joe Dante
Image gallery: on-set and promotional photography
New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
Limited edition box set exclusive booklet with a new essay by Richard Combs, archival interview materials, historical articles, contemporary reviews and film credits
UK premiere on Blu-ray

Limited edition box set of 6,000 numbered units
All extras subject to change
REGION FREE

PREORDER CLICK HERE!