Tuesday, 11 October 2022

FOUR FULL COLOUR TRANSPARENCIES FROM #HAMMERFILMS '#SCARSOFDRACULA'

have shared some large scans of #ChristopherLee from #Hammerfilms 'SCARS OF DRACULA'! These were requested to the page, so we cleaned and polished a delivered! Not a #PeterCushing Hammer film sadly, and quite a poor movie sadly, impo. This is our first post in several months, as I got a little tired of spending hours on designing and making posts, that for quite sometime, were being hidden by 'our masters' #Google. So, stopped for a while and dealt with the mess that is #facebook and all their losing and hiding posts from followers instead. At least, with 35k followers, you stand a little better chance of being seen one out of three posts! Anyway, onward, back to the mill. More posts to come here! - Marcus  
 




YOU ARE MOST WELCOME TO JOIN US and over 34,000 others Peter Cushing followers at the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE! With posts every day, rare images and photographs, features and prize competitions.. all celebrating the LIFE and CAREER of Peter Cushing  OBE 

Wednesday, 22 June 2022

WIN #STUDIOCANAL 'DR WHO AND THE DALEKS' 4K BLU RAY COLLECTORS SPECIAL EDITION TODAY!


MANY THANKS to Studio Canal for sponsoring one of our PCASuk Competitions today! Here is YOUR chance to WIN a copy of this 4K out of this world, SPECIAL COLLECTOR EDITION restoration BLU RAY release #DrWhoandtheDaleks' (1965), starring Peter Cushing as Dr Who with a supporting cast of Jennie Linden, Roberta Tovey and Roy Castle. This was the first big screen film adaptation of British TV’s most iconic sci-fi hero, and the first time the #Daleks were ever seen in colour! 
 
THE PLOT: Having invented the TARDIS, a strange machine capable of travelling into other dimensions, the Dr. and his three young accomplices set forth on a quest through time and space. Their journey takes them into the dark, undiscovered depths of the universe and to the planet of Skaro, a primitive world devastated by nuclear war and populated by two warring species, a peaceful tribe known as Thals and a life form heavily mutated by radiation, encased in protective machines, merciless force of destruction known as The Daleks!
 
THE PRIZE:
We have ONE copy 'DR WHO AND THE DALEKS' Special Collectors Edition 4K Blu Ray up for grabs. Dr Who and the Daleks has enjoyed several home releases over the years, Studio Canal has worked it's magic in not only presenting the film restored and remastered, but now for the first time in ultra high-definition 4K. ‘Dr Who and the Daleks’, looks brighter, more colourful and sharper than ever before! 
 
THE STUNNING 1960s vintage-style cover artwork by Johnny Dombrowski packages ‘Dr Who and the Daleks’ very attractively for fans. A collector’s edition also includes a booklet. There are several exciting extra features on the disc. ‘The Dalek Legacy: Destination Skaro’ is sixteen minutes in length and sees modern-day voice of the Daleks Nicholas Briggs and other ‘Doctor Who’ luminaries putting the legacy of the 1960s films into context within the wider world of ‘Doctor Who’. ‘Restoring Dr Who in 4K’ is an eleven-minute instalment about how the original film elements have been digitally enhanced for this restoration.  
 
THE DISC ALSO boasts the documentary ‘Dalekmania, filmed in the mid-1990s, which covers both films and features some of the then-surviving cast and crew from both films and explores the possible reasons for the overwhelming popularity of the Daleks. Of particular interest are the stories of Jill Curzon and Roberta Tovey, guest actors Barrie Ingham and Yvonne Antrobus; as well as Eddie Powell, a stuntman whose involvement in the second film left him with a broken ankle. Pinewood Studios expert and Roger Moore’s former right-hand man Gareth Owen is also available to impart his knowledge of the film’s origins. An audio commentary featuring film critic Kim Newman in conversation with ‘Doctor Who’ writers Robert Shearman and Mark Gatiss takes you all the way through the film with affectionate insights. A separate audio track reunites companions Jennie Linden (Barbara) and Roberta Tovey (Susan).
 
ALL YOU HAVE TO DO!
As with all PCASuk Competitions, this competition is OPEN TO EVERYONE! Whoever you are, Wherever you are!  All YOU have to do is ANSWER our simple competition QUESTION and send us your answer, ONLY USING the facebook BLUE MESSAGE BUTTON at the TOP of the FAN PAGE, UNDER our PCASuk banner! HERE! Any answers or clues posted in the comments thread, will be deleted, the entry made void... and we'll send some Daleks around to your home!
 
THE COMPETITION QUESTION:
NOT including PETER CUSHING, only ONE CAST MEMBER appeared in BOTH 'Dr Who and the Daleks' and it's SEQUEL 'Daleks Invasion  Earth 2150 AD'. NAME that cast member!
 
This PCASuk Competition CLOSES on SATURDAY JULY 2nd 2022 at midnight GMT. No entries will be taken after this time and date.
 
Many thanks to Studio Canal and GOOD LUCK EVERYONE! - Marcus

 

#SECONDSIGHT: NEW LIMITED EDITION BLU RAYS OF TWO #PETERCUSHING #HAMMERFILM CLASSICS!


NEWS: IF you don't own these TWO #Hammerfilms #PeterCushing classics OR are looking for an UPGRADE, now IS the time! #SecondSight are releasing #TheMummy starring Peter Cushing and #ChristopherLeel be and 'Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell' in limited Edition packages, with quite fab rigid slipcase new artwork by Graham Humphreys.
 
SECOND SIGHT ARE TAKING PRE-ORDERS NOWHERE!
 


OTHER NICIES INCLUDE, soft cover book with new essays by Kat Ellinger, Lindsay Hallam and Kevin Lyons plus production stills with 5 collectors' art cards! A very nice deal indeed. Keep your eyes peeled for our PCASuk Competition, where as ever we'll be offering you our friends and followers, the chance to bag some competition goodies! All details on BOTH releases below - Marcus 
 

There are few films with characters or actors that can command such power, force, pathos and emotion the way #ChristopherLee successfully does in #Hammerfilms 1959 'The Mummy' .... and he does it with a full face mask and head to toe bandage! Hands and eyes? You bet! When he ploughs through those french windows, like a full steam head loco train, making his b-line for Peter Cushing's lame and unprepared John Banning, on first watch, you are convinced... Cushing aint going to make it!!! We all know how much Peter loved a GOOD tussle, a sword fight, a strangle, throttle and swipe and we also know just how real and convincing these scenes looked in past 'set-to's'.... the 1958 #Dracula, The Curse of Frankenstein, I Monster in 1971 and Dracula AD 1972.. what a prologue indeed! Lee's character Kharis, is on a mission, under a spell, like pounding wave one moment then tender with grace, the next. It's a sad climax, a touching love story all in one. Director Terence Fisher, knew his craft and this is another of his golden Hammer films. Perfect cast, that chemistry, believable sets and beautiful score, makes The Mummy one of Hammer's most popular features... a blu ray remaster, looking like a feature made with several million and a must for any collection - Marcus
 
THE MUMMY SPECIAL FEATURES:
* Main feature presented in original UK theatrical aspect ratio 1.66:1 and alternative full frame1.37:1
*New audio commentary by film academic Kelly RobinsonArchive audio commentary by Marcus Hearn and Jonathan Rigby
*An Appreciation of The Mummy by David Huckvale
'The Music of The Mummy'
*Unwrapping The Mummy
*The House of Horror: Memories of Bray
*The Hammer Rep Company
*Original Promo Reel
Still Gallery

LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS:
Rigid slipcase with new artwork by Graham HumphreysSoft cover book with new essays by Kat Ellinger, Lindsay Hallam and Kevin Lyons plus production stills 5 collectors' art cards

REGION B
 

 
I know many see this as a almost not quite worthy ending to Hammer and Cushing's #Frankenstein saga... but I DO so love this film and everything about it. The pace, the pace is almost played like the knowing sadness, of saying goodbye, to a close family member or old friend. The cast is probably one of the best that James Liggat put together. Liggat cast quite a few Hammer features and went on to pull together casts for Kunbrick's 1962 Lolita, James Bond 'Dr No', Kubrick's '2001: A Space Odyssey' and The shinning in 1980. What a ensemble of experienced and amazing character actors, Mischa De La Motte as Twitch, Sydney (Captain Clegg) Bromley as Muller, Victor Woolf as Letch, Charles Lloyd Pack .. all the way from way back as Dr Seward in #Cushing and #ChristopherLee's #Dracula. John Stratton as the Asylum Director and Bernard Lee as the heart breakingly sensitve, Tarmut. So many lovely players and scenes. Maddy Smith and Shane Briant play so well, while Peter guides through a role he knew so well, still with some surprises of crazy dedication. It's cramped, it's dank and oppressive and quite grim. But so fitting. As Terence Fisher's last film, it's a tribute and testament to the many believable fairytale environments and settings he created with those amazingly talented crews.. just a few still around long enough to cast this last spell. It's well worth watching as the curtain finally drops, as the treasured, precious and cherished, take their final bow in the Hammer land of 'Frankenstein'. .. - Marcus
 
 
FRANKENSTEIN AND THE MONSTER FROM HELL 
SPECIAL FEATURES
*Main feature presented in original UK Theatrical aspect ratio 1.66:1 and alternative full frame1.37:1
*New audio commentary by film academic Kat Ellinger 
*Archive audio commentary by Shane Briant, Madeline Smith and Marcus Hearn
*An Appreciation of Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell by David Huckvale : The Music of Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell
*Taking Over the Asylum
*Charming Evil: Terence Fisher at Hammer
*Stills Gallery

LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS:
Rigid slipcase with new artwork by Graham Humphreys. Soft cover book with new essays by Kevin Lyons, Kelly Robinson and Emma Westwood plus production stills. 5 collectors' art cards

REGION B
 

PCASuk FEATURE and RARE STILLS GALLERYHERE!
 

PCASuk FEATURE AND RARE STILLS GALLERY : HERE! 
 

YOU ARE MOST WELCOME TO JOIN US and over 34,000 others Peter Cushing followers at the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE! With posts every day, rare images and photographs, features and prize competitions.. all celebrating the LIFE and CAREER of Peter Cushing  OBE  
See

Sunday, 19 June 2022

#STUDIOCANAL LAUNCHES A #DRWHO AND THE #DALEKS THAT IS OUT OF THIS WORLD!


 
THE BRITISH TV series ‘Doctor Who’ first hit the BBC screens in November 1963. The concept was originally seen as an entertainment and educational programme, based around Doctor Who, played by veteran Brit film actor William Hartnell, who was planned to travelled through space and time, in a police telephone box, named TARDIS, dropping in on various 'historical happenings and characters'. The first FOUR episodes, of 'An Unearthly Child' was a good foundation and intro. But little did the series creator and head of drama Sydney Newman, realise what he had on his hands, after first he launched the first episode, their proposed intention 'fill the Saturday evening time-slot and appeal to both the younger and older audiences of the neighbouring programmes . . .. but the was an unexpected game changer! Within  the next seven episodes, they would be managing one of the BBC's biggest direct hits and a name that would be on everyone's lips. . .Daleks!
 

The GIFS feature here are not 4K footage from the
 #StudioCanal release
 
THE REST AS THEY SAY, is history, television history, life changing eventually for many millions of viewers, children and fans! Midway through the huge success of the Dr Who first series, it was decided that the Daleks , were the main attraction, a new evil metal villains, that potentially not only proved to hold and attract huge audiences, but also beyond their weekly episodic treat in front of their black and white tv sets, and into the paying seats of cinemas through-out the country. Daleks in FULL COLOUR, a WIDESCREEN full 90 MINUTE adventure! The idea not only had casters, it had legs to run and work! And so, the concept of the very first Dr Who feature film was lauched.  
 



EVENTUALLY, two feature films, unique in the annals of Doctor Who, were made for the big screen as an attempt to cash in on the “Dalekmania” of the mid-1960s. 'Dr Who and the Daleks' and 'Dalek Invasion Earth 2150 AD' weren’t produced by the BBC, but were nevertheless loosely based on First Doctor William Hartnell’s opening Dalek stories, some pretty sizeable differences were made in order to circumvent copyright laws. Thus, the look of the TARDIS interior and the redesigned Daleks are not quite what viewers may expect.
 


SINCE THEIR RELEASE on VHS, then DVD and even Blu-ray some years ago, the film prints have been restored and remastered, and are now presented for the first time in ultra high-definition 4K. The first outing, and the 1965 ‘Dr Who and the Daleks’, certainly looks brighter, more colourful and sharper than ever before.
 

DRWHOANDTHEDALEKS’ sees the TARDIS land on the planet Skaro. Exploring their surroundings, the planet appears to be dead; the soil nothing but sand and the forest now nothing but the petrified remains of trees. The travellers suffer radiation sickness from the high levels of radioactivity – the result of a nuclear war between the Daleks and the Thals. With the Daleks planning to wipe out all surviving Thals, Dr. Who and his companions must find a way to convince the inherently pacifistic Thals to fight back in order to save themselves.
 


IN ORDER TO REACH a wider and more international audience, an established big screen English star was found to play the lead role. The charming Peter Cushing, extremely charming and lovable as “Dr Who” (now depicted as an eccentric Englishman who invents a time machine in his back garden, rather than an alien traveller in space and time). His portrayal is the complete opposite of small screen counterpart Hartnell’s alien and occasionally sinister Doctor – instead providing a warmer hero for young children to more easily trust. The Daleks, who fired death rays on the television, expel fire-extinguisher carbon dioxide gas to successfully render them less terrifying. They are also brightly-coloured and some even have multi-coloured sensors, which gives them a friendly rather than sinister appearance. And rather than travelling with a difficult, moody teenage granddaughter as William Hartnell’s Doctor did, Peter Cushing’s Susan is a young child who is much easier to handle (brilliantly played, it must be said, by young Roberta Tovey). The comic element is played up by the Doctor’s young male sidekick. Beloved entertainer Roy Castle offers exquisite comic timing and pratfalls and manages a bit of heroism along the way too.
 


DR WHO AND THE DALEKS’ is beautifully directed by Gordon Flemyng, and he succeeds in rendering an epic feel to the adventure. He has a great eye for detail, making each frame interesting to look at, using different levels and taking full advantage of extensive studio space. The rocks sliding apart to reveal brilliant lights beneath the Dalek city is an especially effective cinematic moment. Undoubtedly, this is a slicker, faster-paced and altogether bigger budget version of ‘Doctor Who’. Barry Gray’s distinctive and dramatic cool jazz musical score is another major plus point, and immediately attention-grabbing when played over the opening credits. The charm of the film is its nostalgic 1960s period (now apologised for in the inevitable yawn-inducing trigger warning at the start of the disc). It succeeds because it stands the test of time as an exciting adventure.
 


THE OVERALL EFFECT of the restoration, which brings clarity and definition to the film, is a double-edged sword. Certainly ‘Dr Who and the Daleks’ has never looked better. Cushing's white wig and bushy eyebrows complete the transformation of his interpretation of the good Dr, but you will also spot the brush strokes of Cushing's make up, the strings on the Dalek craft, but hey... it's sci-fi, make believe and for the kids! 
 

THE INTERESTING 1960s vintage-style cover artwork by Johnny Dombrowski packages ‘Dr Who and the Daleks’ in a very different comic strip-like concept.  A collector’s edition also includes a booklet. There are several exciting extra features on the disc. ‘The Dalek Legacy: Destination Skaro’ is sixteen minutes in length and sees modern-day voice of the Daleks Nicholas Briggs and other ‘Doctor Who’ luminaries putting the legacy of the 1960s films into context within the wider world of ‘Doctor Who’. ‘Restoring Dr Who in 4K’ is an eleven-minute instalment about how the original film elements have been digitally enhanced for this restoration. 
 


THIS DISC ALSO boasts the documentary ‘Dalekmania, filmed in the mid-1990s, which covers both films and features some of the then-surviving cast and crew from both films and explores the possible reasons for the overwhelming popularity of the Daleks. Of particular interest are the stories of Jill Curzon and Roberta Tovey, guest actors Barrie Ingham and Yvonne Antrobus; as well as Eddie Powell, a stuntman whose involvement in the second film left him with a broken ankle. Pinewood Studios expert and Roger Moore’s former right-hand man Gareth Owen is also available to impart his knowledge of the film’s origins. An audio commentary featuring film critic Kim Newman in conversation with ‘Doctor Who’ writers Robert Shearman and Mark Gatiss takes you all the way through the film with affectionate insights. A separate audio track reunites companions Jennie Linden (Barbara) and Roberta Tovey (Susan).
 



IF DON'T OWN #StudioCanal's fine 'DR WHO AND THE DALEKS' 4K Blu Ray or are looking for an upgrade, NOW is your chance to own, witness and experexperience the film as it has never been seen before before. Out of this WORLD! 

Cast: Peter Cushing, Roy Castle, Jennie Linden, Roberta Tovey, Barrie Ingham, Yvonne Antrobus Director: Gordon Flemying Certificate: U Duration: 83 mins Released by: Studiocanal Release date: 20th June 2022! YOU CAN PURCHASE AND Buy ‘Dr Who and the Daleks’ HERE!

MORE ON Peter Cushing and DR WHO AND THE DALEKS with RARE STILLS GALLERY can be found in another PCSuk FEATURE: HERE!


MORE ON PETER CUSHING and DR WHO AND THE DALEKSwith FULL RARE STILLS GALLERY HERE!


IF YOU LIKE what you see here at our website, you'll  love our daily themed posts at our PCAS FACEBOOK FAN PAGE.  Just click that blue LINK and click LIKE when you get there, and help us . . Keep The Memory Alive!. The Peter Cushing Appreciation Society website, facebook fan page and youtube channel are managed, edited and written by Marcus Brooks, PCAS co-ordinator since 1979. PCASuk is based in the UK and USA. Elements of this review and text can also be found Here
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