WE ARE RESTING #FRANKENSTEINFRIDAY for the next TWO WEEKS to bring you a series of GIFS of Vampires from Cushing films...TODAY it's the Cushing Hammer Vampires and we kick off with Hammer's Twins Of Evil (1972) with Madeleine Collinson as Frieda, taking a bite, before Cushing as Uncle Gustav gives her the fright and fight of her life!
ACTRESS JULIE EGE as Ms Vanessa Buren in Hammer films, 'The Legend of the Seven Golden Vampires' (1974) stands as Hammer films fastest transformation of vamp, from BIT to BITING! No sooner is she bitten, than... TARRAH..she is a vampire. Still, everything thing I suppose, whips along in that particular movie at a fair ol speed!
AND TOMORROW WE ARE WATCHING THIS CLASSIC! WATCHING TOMORROW! Here's an idea we started THREE WEEKS ago, that you might want to be a part of. Nothing new, but an experience worth sharing... the opportunity to watch a film, on the same day, as US and many others here! It doesn't matter what time, but be sure to share your thoughts and views on the film, we'll all watch tomorrow. TOMORROW WILL BE...Hammer films DRACULA /HORROR OF DRACULA (1958)..How fitting for HALLOWEEN....and you can pop in anytime, and share you thoughts....
AND HERE IS OUR LAST gif for this Friday, and it ties in quite nicely with tomorrow's Cushing movie we'll be sharing together, DRACULA / HORROR OF DRACULA. Maybe, Valerie Gaunt wasn't only Hammer's FIRST vampire, but the BEST too?? What do you think?
IT'S ALMOST GONE VIRAL! It's a REAL treat! The television series, that never was. And that's a REAL shame. Edited
for fun by Ed Glaser, this short trailer tribute, has gone almost viral!
What a great tv series this would have made. All it needs is the
familiar voice over and graphic that says, 'A Quinn Martin
Production'! Great job, Ed. Thank you.
HOW THIS CAME ABOUT, Glaser says this: 'My wife and I have been watching Hammer horror movies all month. We
got to “Dracula A.D. 1972,” the first of their two “Dracula in modern
day” films, and both of us realized that despite all the groovy youth
generation stuff, the film was _all about_ Peter Cushing, in his
immaculate wardrobe, solving the mystery of Dracula’s resurrection.
Eventually he teams up with a police inspector and both my wife and I
thought “this is practically a pilot for a ’70s occult cop show! It’s
‘The Van Helsing Mysteries!'” And the incredible ’70s soundtrack just
reinforces it.
The sequel, “The Satanic Rites of Dracula,” follows the same characters, which gave it even more of a TV series feel. So, just to amuse my wife, I cut a silly fake intro to “The Van
Helsing Mysteries” using footage and music from “1972.” All it needed
was the NBC Mystery Movie font (Folio Bold Extended) in “awful ’70s
yellow” and voila! Honestly I never expected more than a few people
would find it amusing. Incidentally, somewhere among the Facebook comments was a compliment
from the director of Kolchak: The Night Stalker. I about had a heart
attack.
#GIMMETHEGIFWEDNESDAY: Timmy Jenkins requested this superb gif of Andre Melly as Gina in Hammer films, THE BRIDES OF DRACULA (1960) Melly tops many Favorite Hammer Vampire lists. I have to admit, for a film made 56 years ago, it's a Peter Cushing film, that STILL gives chills . . .
You have a favorite shot, sequence, moment from a Peter Cushing film? Message us on our PCAS FACEBOOK FAN PAGE or email us at petercushingappreciationsociety@gmail.com and gives us the details, and we'll post it here and our facebook page!
#GIMMETHEGIFWEDNESDAY : REQUESTED BY MORGAN PEMBERRY: BEWARE the smartly dressed gentlemen, with the gold ring and solemn presence. Peter Cushing as the mysterious Mr Smith in Amicus films, ASYLUM . Maybe he isn't all he seems to be. All he wants is a new suit...but NOT for himself.....!
#GIMMETHEGIFWEDNESDAY: Tyler Henson thought the best story in the Amicus film, FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE was without doubt story two, 'An Act of Kindness' with Donald and Angela Pleasence, and requested this amusing entrance of their characters, from the film. Creepy . . .
MORE ON CUSHING'S APPEARANCE IN FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE AND OTHER AMICUS FILMS FROM THAT ERA : CLICK RIGHT HERE!
PLEASE KEEP THOSE REQUESTS COMING: remember the clips that make the BEST gifs are ones without dialogue or music, all gifs are silent!
IN A RECENT INTERVIEW, HAS DIRECTOR GARETH EDWARDS LET SLIP, THAT VADER ISN'T GOING TO BE THE ONLY ONE RETURNING IN DECEMBER'S 'ROGUE ONE : STAR WARS STORY?‘
The British director may have revealed some interesting details of a surprising return in an
interview with USA Today, while discussing the film’s main antagonist,
Orson Krennic. He revealed that Krennic, the head of Empire’s advanced weapons research wing, played by actor
Ben Mendelsohn, will it seems, clash with the upper echelon’s of
the Galactic Empire. “It feels like if the Empire ever have a job vacancy, they go to the Royal Shakespeare Company to headhunt people,” Edwards joked.
He’s is of course,referring to the upper-class authority of actors such as, our very own Peter
Cushing, who played Grand Moff Tarkin in the original movie.
WHEN EDWARDS WAS ASKED, whether he wanted Mendelsohn to adopt a similarly posh accent,
Edwards said: “I like the idea that Ben’s character was much more
working-class,” adding that he ascended through the Imperial hierarchy
“through sheer force of personality and ideas.”
IT WAS THEN that Edwards potentially, reveals the return of a younger Grand Moff Tarkin . . . .“[Krennic] hits a brick wall in the hierarchy, where they won’t let him
in the club and it’s going to turn into a them-or-us situation: either
Krennic or Tarkin and the others,“Edwards says.
REPORTS DATING BACK TO August last year have suggested Tarkin’s return,
but no official word has come from the filmmakers or the film’s
marketing. Some believe the figure seen from behind in 'Rogue One’s
trailer (below) could be Tarkin. The hair and head shape certainly
appear to be a match, if it were to be a younger Tarkin, maybe . . . A Mail Online UK newspaper feature back last year, reported that the Cushing - who sadly passed in 1994 - would be brought back to life digitally.
#TOOCOOLTUESDAY: Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing we know had a special friendship. There is much evidence of Lee's ability to have made Cushing crumple with with roars of laughter, just with the well timed twitch of his eyebrow.
#TOOCOOLTUESDAY: REQUESTED AND REPOSTED: Peter Cushing candidly snapped during his 80th Birthday celebrations at the home of Joyce and Bernard Broughton.
#TOOCOOLTUESDAY: One of Peter Cushing's many hobbies, the building of model theaters. Each theater came complete with hand-made scenery, props, acting figures and characters, tabs and lighting. Every theater also had operating curtains. Each theater was set with a particular scene from a play, musical or opera. ALL hand made and painted. It's thought there were up to twenty working theaters, these were permanently on display in his loft studio, at the Cushing's home, Sea View, Seasalter, Whitstable.
FROM 1952 UNTIL 1971, Peter was hardly ever resting (resting : the professions term for being unemployed). With the obvious thousands of man hours to make these theaters, it makes you wonder, when Cushing actually had time to spend on this work. Cushing also made model airplanes, board games, train set lay outs with model villages and towns, painting, bird-watching, jewellery making and collecting and reading books! All of this, with exception of reading and studying for his professional work, stopped when his late wife, Helen Cushing sadly died. There was however, one little window of time when Cushing did set to work on making some models. CEO of Hammer films, Michael Carreras had come up with the idea of a Hammer Films museum . . . he commissioned the making of a Chinese temple, as depicted in the Hammer / Run Run Shaw Brosthers film, 'The Legend of the even Golden Vampires'. Peter set to work, and didn't really stop for four whole days! He admitted that with the glues, paints and latex involved in making the model, his working clothes had to be burned! Sadly, the Hammer museum, didn't work out and what became of the temple is a mystery . . .
ON JULY 12TH 1973, Peter Cushing's agent John Redway wrote to BBC producer Anthony Cornish about a radio script by Brian Hayes called 'LORD DRACULA'. Hayes had worked in the realm of fantasy themed projects for many years. Including being the writer behind several BBC DOCTOR WHO episodes, principally The Celestrial Toy Maker in 1966, The Ice Warriors in 1967 and 69. He was also one of the writers behind the tv series, DOOMWATCH from 1970 until 1972.
Brian Hayles was born in Portsmouth, UK in 1930. His early aim in life was to be a sculptor, although this dream subsided after a
brief trip to Canada. When he returned to the UK, he started to write for BBC Radio's "The Archers". He then began writing for TV and worked
on "Doctor Who" on several occasions starting with 'The Celestial Toymaker' and 'The Ice Warriors. On
aged just 48, Brian Hayes died while
working on the "Arabian Adventure". Keith Miles's novelisation for Mirror Books, was dedicated to his memory.
'PETER CUSHING THOUGHT IT, very good and even talks about it as the basis for 'A splendid definitive DRACULA epic film! He would be interested to take it further as a radio series.' Later, it was suggested the script and treatment be reworked as a 'one-off' BBC 'Saturday Night Theatre' production, but by this time in the events, Peter Cushing was no longer attached to the idea. However, the play DID finally make it to the radio and was broadcast on APRIL 4t h 1974:
SATURDAY NIGHT THEATRE: LORD DRACULA....1974 'Revolting drama about Vlad the Impaler. Made me feel
sick listening to it. Impaling people on stakes'.- Review Daily Mirror. Script Brian Hayles, Broadcast : 27.4.74. Kenneth
Haigh, Nigel Stock.
SYNOPSIS:
'When Father Benedict was young and filled with pride for truth, he had
travelled the villages of the land with Father Emmanuel,
preaching their faith boldly. One day, word reached them to attend Lord
Dracula at his court at Tirgoviste. They came bravely,
for they knew the horrifying reputation of the man but he greeted them
most courteously. When Lord Dracula asked them what
his people think of him, Father Emmanuel replied that they say all
manners of good things. All men hold him in honour and
affection and that there is no man that does not call him noble. He then
asks Father Benedict who told him the truth: that they call
him tyrant and that he is renowned only for his violent cruelty. Vlad
rewarded the honest monk for his integrity and courage and
impaled the sycophant for his dishonesty.
Now, Father Benedict begins to write a chronicle of the year 1476, at
the command of the King of Hungary and his ecclesiastical
superiors, who resolve him of the evils that he has witnessed. The story
begins at the mighty castle of Tirgoviste, where Father
Benedict served as chaplin and chancellor to the Prince of Wallachia and
Transylvania - the most cruel of men yet once the
most just of rulers. Known now and to the future of his more legendary
names: Vlad Tepes,The Impaler, and of a more darker
meaning still, Lord Dracula.
CAST:
Kenneth Haigh [Vlad Tepes,The Impaler], Nigel Stock [Father Benedict Estagen], Diane Orkin [Melitsa, a Witch], John
Rowe [Lord István, Vlad's son from his first marriage], Gareth Armstrong [Brother Jakob], Heddy Nicholas [The Lady Ilonia,
King of Hungary's sister and Vlad's Second Wife], and Don Henderson [Captain Ferenc].
Also in the cast were George Woolley, Betty Malet, Patricia Green, Graham Rigby, and Philip Barber.Directed by Anthony Cornish at BBC Birmingham
However, it did not stop there, Hammer films, Michael Carreras bought up the film rights after receiving calls from
Hammer producer Anthony Keys and his son James Carreras, both raving about the play, when it finally reached radio without Peter Cushing! Hammer had great plans and aimed high, with a film that was planned to be directed by Ken Russell (Tommy, The Lair of the White Worm). Richard Burton, Richard Harris and . . .
Christopher Lee, were all rumored to have been attached to the film's selling pitch at some point,
but the project as with many Hammer projects at this time, failed to find funding and was eventually shelved.
