MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU : WEBBED TOES : HOT TOYS : BLOPPERS : CGI : IT'S BEEN A BUSY TARKIN YEAR! . .

#MAYTHEFOURTH BE WITH YOU!

JUST A FEW OF THE POST FROM THE LAST FEW MONTHS THEMED BY 

PETER CUSHING  AND THE ROLE OF TARKIN!

ABOVE:  WE COULDN'T LET TODAY go by without seeing this one more time! SEE IT HERE!

AN INTERESTING INTERVIEW with actor GUY HENRY who played Tarkin in the film 'ROGUE ONE' his methods on playing the role and the technical expertise behind creating TARKIN for the film : RIGHT HERE!

AND FINALLY.. my appalling post and banner for APRIL FOOL'S DAY this year. Surprisingly, it DID actually net a few 😃😊😉 HAVE GREAT MAY FOURTH!

#LOCKDOWN BEWARE THE HOUND OF HELL : PCASUK #WATCHPARTY RIGHT NOW!

PCASUK WATCH PARTY! Tonight, you get the opportunity to judge which version of Peter Cushing Sherlock Holmes 'The Hound of the Baskervilles' you enjoy best! The BBC version we shared with you a short while ago on another #WatchWithCushing! Watch Party OR THIS version, produced by Hammer films also starring Christopher Lee in 1958? Directed by Terence Fisher, it has fine photography, performances and a cracking film score too by James Bernard! Look out for scene stealer Miles Malleson as the Bishop. YOU can join the PCASUK WATCH PARTY HERE! Like all the Watch Party films and posts, this film will remain on the page after tonight too 😉

SURPRISE! It has been often said that, typecasting hung around Christopher Lee for quite some time, maybe until later in his career when, he believed there was a little more flexibility. Personally, I always thought the majority of his roles, were often quite different, the genre may have been somewhere in a shared ball park, but I wouldn't say his role as the evil Edward Blake in 'I Monster' was the same as say, Francisco Scaramanga in 'The Man with the Golden Gun' or even the role of 'The Monster' in 'The Curse of Frankenstein' was in any close to Kharis in 'The Mummy' . . In this interview, which you can find HERE he makes his point in discussing how he always tried to surprise his audience.. which I think, he in most cases certainly did. At the PCASUK FAN PAGE, we ask IF there are role you can remember, where Christopher Lee played this card very well.. and surprised you?? Please feel free to skip to the page and tell us your thoughts 😊

FINALLY, A FEW DAYS AGO I posted and shared this photograph of  #VincentPrice and director #PeteWalker during the making of 'House of the Long Shadows' in 1982. Price was offered this movie and accepted before the script was written. The producers Yoram Globus and Menahem Golan never read the script . .. interestingly the film ran out of money three weeks into shooting. The film took five weeks to shoot and cost just under one million pounds sterling and is the only film where all four, #PeterCushing, #ChristopherLee and #JohnCarradine, all appear on screen together! Many 'Hammer and Amicus fans were a little disappointed with the film and script when it was released. Personally, I am very fond of it 😊 and on asking our followers and friends if they were too... got some interesting comments and answers! You can catch this photograph and those comments, which you too may want to contribute too maybe, RIGHT HERE! What are your thoughts??? - I hope you are all well and keeping safe this weekend? 😐😊- Marcus 

'HAVE ALWAYS TRIED TO SURPRISE THE PUBLIC WITH SOMETHING THEY DON'T EXPECT!'

#WATCHWITHCUSHING! SURPRISE! It has been often said that, typecasting hung around Christopher Lee for quite some time, maybe until later in his career when, he believed there was a little more flexibility. Personally, I always thought the majority of his roles, were often quite different, the genre may have been somewhere in a shared ball park, but I wouldn't say his role as the evil Edward Blake in 'I Monster' was the same as say, Francisco Scaramanga in 'The Man with the Golden Gun' or even the role of 'The Monster' in 'The Curse of Frankenstein' was in any close to Kharis in 'The Mummy' . . In this interview, he makes his point in discussing how he always tried to surprise his audience.. which I think, he in most cases certainly did. Over at the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE HERE I have asked everyone if there is a role they can remember, where Christopher Lee played this card very well.. and surprised you?? And there are some surprising answers 😏😊

A ROLE THAT ALWAYS seemed quite different to me was Christopher Lee's role in his own production of the film, 'NOTHING BUT THE NIGHT' with Peter Cushing. His playing of Colonel Bingham almost seems like an extension of his character in the 1970, 'SCREAM AND SCREAM AGAIN'? you can still catch one of these films in our PCASUK #WATCHPARTY post at the  FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE! RIGHT HERE!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOANNA LUMLEY TODAY!

TODAY MARKS THE BIRTHDAY of a very special B'day girl, #JoannaLumley! She appeared as Peter Cushing's grand-daughter, in quick bit of recasting for #Hammerfilms in 'The Satanic Rites of #Dracula' (1973) and also appeared with Cushing in 'The Eagle's Nest' the first of the new series 'The New Avengers in 1976. The first episode established the new team, Gareth Hunt as Mike Gambit, Joanna Lumley as #Purdey and Patrick Macnee as John Steed. These two projects are just the very tip of a HUGE career . . glamorous, intelligent, entertaining . . . where would you like to start?? #HappyBirthday Joanna! Have a wonderful day! 😃 #HammerHorror" #JoannaLumleyBirthday! #Dracula #PeterCushing

ABOVE: An interesting and rare peep at both Peter Cushing and Joanna Lumley on set, during the making of 'The Satanic Rites of Dracula' !

 

OVER AT THE FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE today, I have also posted and shared this rare photograph of  Joanna Lumley together with, not one BUT two very tall men... Christopher Lee who she starred with in Hammer films, 'The Satanic Rites of Dracula' ... but who is the other guy??? He was once a very well known face on UK television. Think you know? Why not zip over to the page and make your suggestion now, it's got some young heads scratching 😉 #JoannaLumley #Birthday #ChristopherLee #HammerHorrors!

ABOVE AND BELOW: OH JOANNA ....! #PeterCushing appeared in the first of 'The New Avengers' series, 'The Eagle's Nest'  (1976)

  

VINCENT PRICE : THE BUTTERFLY BALL AND GRASSHOPPER FEAST IN CONCERT ALBERT HALL

#WATCHWITHCUSHING! #VINCENTPRICE 'The Butterfly Ball and the Grasshopper's Feast' is a concept album and subsequent live rock opera that was performed live in both 1974 and 1975. The whole album and show was based on the children's poem of a similar title. The album cover design, seen on our banner was from #AlanAldridge's design for a 1973 book based on the poem.

THE ALBUM SPAWNED A HIT SONG, "Love Is All," which reached Number 1 in the Netherlands and #Belgium and has a wonderful #animated promo too! On 16th October 1975, a one-off performance at the #RoyalAlbertHall, #London took place, with #VincentPrice as the story narrator! I have posted an extract of Vincent during the concert and the fabulous song at the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE HERE! He does a fabulous job . .please wait for the song at the end. It's worth waiting for and should get your feet tapping and singing along. This was a very firm favourite with my children too....

WHILE DIGGING THROUGH some of the footage of the 'Butterfly Ball' concert, I came across a clip that featured a dance and movement sequence.. and a figure I saw on the page here just yesterday!!! Do you recognise it and where it was featured??? Small world!

WATCH PARTY WITH 'THE GHOUL' WITH GALLERY AND MUCH MORE!

HAVING A GREAT TIME over at the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE! right now! Where many of our #FRIENDS and #PCASUK #FOLLOWERS are seeing this Peter Cushing classic movie, for the first time! Prepare to be wrapped in the haunting fog of the moor, a house with terrible secret and a film with its foundations, strongly planted in another time. When producer Kevin Francis made this film, he wanted the script and the language on the screen to be of a past cinematic era. He succeeded... have fun with this one and feel free to leave your comments on this film in the thread! Take care and Stay Safe! - Marcus

ABOVE: A RE-RELEASE of the UNCENSORED 'TASTE of FEAR' VHS version of 'THE GHOUL' 

TYBURN FILMS THE GHOUL (1975) was originally certified by the UK BBFC at a duration of 93 minutes following cuts to (a) remove the third close-up of the knife embedded in Geoffrey's face (b) remove a knee to the groin delivered by Veronica Carlson to John Hurt. However, the subsequent theatrical version was only 87 minutes long following some last minute snipping by the distributors. The full 93 minutes version, with BBFC cuts restored, was subsequently released on UK video on the 'Taste of Fear' label. The differences are as follows: 

THE OPENING party sequence is extended by about 2 minutes 30 seconds via several additional dialogue extensions that largely serve to explain Carlson's character. In particular the conversation between her and Ian McCulloch when she is sitting in the car is nearly a minute longer and the subsequent three way conversation by another car involving Stewart Bevan is extended by about 40 seconds.

ABOUT 35 MINUTES into the film, directly after Peter Cushing asks Carlson whether there is anything she would like before dinner, the extended version has a new sequence lasting about 2 minutes and  30 seconds in which Carlson is escorted upstairs to her bedroom and takes a bath, in this sequence Carlson's left breast is briefly visible. This sequence is missing entirely from the theatrical print  and believed removed by the distributor at the time, through requests by BBFC.

AFTER THE BACH TOCATTA AND FUGUE strikes up on the soundtrack the extended version has an extra 1 minute showing Carlson emerge from the bedroom, clothed again, and go down the stairs where she then peeks in on Cushing in his chapel. In the theatrical version, it's a bit odd that Cushing is surprised by her given that in the previous scene they'd been together in his drawing room.

MATTHEW CONIAM'S FASCINATING dig, to FIND THE GHOUL. A past PCASUK feature, with a great gallery and some updates! FIND IT : HERE! 

KINO FLESH AND THE FIENDS BLU RAY WITH EXTRAS PLUS VINTAGE HAMMER POSTERS FOR SALE! BUT HOW MUCH ARE THEY WORTH?

#WATCHWITHCUSHING! We all know that vintage and original press and promotion materials for much of #PeterCushing's 1950's and 60's films are now worth a pretty penny. If they also hold an autograph the value is even higher! Here in this clip at the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE! are TWO superb examples. Just for FUN . . BEFORE you watch this clip of these posters being sold, I would like you to comment on the post and tell me how much YOU think both the 1958 '#Dracula' UK #cinema quad poster, in pretty good condition and the almost mint 1965 Amicus 'Dr Terror's House of Horrors' UK cinema poster, could individually be worth? Write your figure in the comment section on the page BEFORE you watch this clip 😉No cheating 😏😊 I guess you can always state that the price of what something is #worth, is really . . how much someone is willing will pay? 💰💰😲But at FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE, in this clip . .  they are prepared to pay A LOT! This clip is around four years old, so chances these #posters are worth even more today! Have fun, stay safe and look after each other- Marcus 😉

AN UPDATE ON THE KINO BLU RAY release of 'FLESH AND THE FIENDS' is that the things are still set for JULY 7th 2020 AND that this John Gilling directed, based on a true story 2K restoration will also be carrying some extras too!

'THE FLESH AND THE FIENDS'

Starring Peter Cushing, Donald Pleasence, June Laverick, Billie Whitelaw, George Rose, Renee Houston and Dermot Walsh – Shot by Monty Berman (Jack the Ripper, The Crawling Eye) – Music by Stanley Black (War-Gods of the Deep, Valentino) – Co-written by Leon Griffiths (The Grissom Gang, The Squeeze) – Co-written and Directed by John Gilling (The Reptile, The Plague of the Zombies).

THIS RELEASE IS COMING AS A TWO DISC package, because not only do you get the 2k RESTORATION BLU RAY but there's also a FULL ALTERNATIVE CUT which also carries the USA title of 'The Fiendish Ghouls' and 'Mania'. You would be forgiven for thinking, that maybe Amicus films producer, MAX ROSENBERG, may have had a dabble and offered for free with one of his OTT titles at their press office too? Not so. . . .

OVER THE YEARS, there have been quite a few different cuts made available on the home cinema market. Right now, there is a DVD available from Image Entertainment who list their running duration for the "uncut" original theatrical version at 94 minutes, but they also carry a slightly extended, wait for it . .  "Continental" version—produced only for European markets with more permissive, boob and bottom nodding censors— running at 95 minutes which includes extra shots, short sequences or alternative takes with more nudity. 'THE FLESH AND THE FIENDS' was released by Valiant in the USA using the titles 'MANIA' and 'PSYCHO KILLERS' . . .  (Guess which box office smashing Hitchcock film was released also in 1960)  . . . using the censored British theatrical cut, but it didn't stop there... FIVE years later in 1965 a re-release by Pacemaker Pictures under the title 'THE FIENDISH GHOULS' cut a whole 23 minutes from the film's runtime! Both the UK and the continental cut of the film are included in the KINO BLU RAY RELEASE!

ALSO INCLUDED in thus release is an 'Audio Commentary by Film Historian Tim Lucas'. Disc Two also includes the 1960  theatrical TRAILER for 'THE FLESH AND THE FIENDS' I am not sure how many 'units' of this film have been  produced for sale, but those smiling after awaiting a long while for this remastering and would like to guarantee a copy of this gem to your library shelf, now might be a good time to nail that order 😊- Marcus 

SEE OUR POST FIRST at the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE! NOW  and LATER EXPANDED here at the PCASUK website / Blog! Join and be part of  the FAN PAGE with OVER 33 THOUSAND FOLLOWERS and FRIENDS you won't be on your own and you will be MOST WELCOME!  Come COMMENT, come CHAT and come KEEP THE MEMORY of Peter Cushing alive and celebrated!