CHRISTOPHER LEE STILL SHARP!

Christopher Lee is 93 this year. Still working and as sharp as a tac!

THE WALKING DEAD : GRIMSDYKE NICOTERO TRIBUTE

Comicbook.com reports today: WALKING DEAD tribute to Cushing's Grimsdyke: On tonight's episode of AMC's Talking Dead, host Chris Hardwick and special effects guru Greg Nicotero revealed that the walker pictured above and at right was, in fact, an homage to the classic Tales From the Crypt ghoul known as Grimsdyke.

That undead unfortunate, played by Star Wars and Dr. Who and the Daleks veteran Peter Cushing, can be seen at left...and, yeah, it's easy to see why eagle-eyed fans who spotted things like George Romero's Bub and the in-jokes ranging from The Boondock Saints to An American Werewolf in London, didn't immediately pounce on this one. It's a solid likeness, but hardly identical...mostly because of how far effects have come since Cushing's day.

It isn't that the effects aren't great on Nicotero's end -- it's that the look they were mimicking came from a time when the effects weren't that great, and it would have been odd and out of character for The Walking Dead to have a walker look just like him -- so it was more "in the style of," rather than a more direct copy, and that made him a touch harder to spot."

More on this: HERE 

The Arthur Grimsdyke make up was created by Hammer / Amicus make up legend, Roy Ashton.

VINCENT PRICE PETER CUSHING 1974 MADHOUSE GETS BLU RAY / DVD RELEASE

NEWS: COMING IN JULY FROM Kino Lorber Studio Classics - ON BLU-RAY & DVD! - from a BRAND NEW 2015 HD MASTER!

Amicus Films MADHOUSE (1974) Starring Peter Cushing, Vincent Price, Robert Quarry, Adrienne Corri, Natasha Pyne and Linda Hayden. I know there are many of you out there who have been awaiting for this. More news on this soon!

DR WHO AND THE DALEKS COMPETITION TV 21 1965 STYLE

PETER CUSHING DR WHO: Here's a great competition from back in the day, when prizes meant PRIZES! All 450 of them up for grabs, including 'THREE film Daleks' from 'Dr Who and the Daleks' starring Peter Cushing and seen her with the Dalek, Roberta Tovey. All this came courtesy of the kids comic TV 21... If you happen to have a Tardis or any other time machine handy, let me know and we'll nip in it, off to 1965 and bag those prizes!

Peter Cushing, Jennie Linden and Roy Castle... 'Dr Who and the Daleks' (1965) Castle's clowning for the camera and press here with Dalek 'Claw-thing', would have many Who fans today rolling their eyes, I am sure... but all good fun at the time.

TARKIN IS BACK! STAR WARS REBELS CALL TO ACTION

starwarsunderworld.com posts: TARKIN IS BACK! After having his name dropped several times in the premiere of Star Wars Rebels back in October, Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin will be making his first appearance on the series next week. The episode "Call to Action" premieres on Disney XD next Monday February 9th, but was made available this morning to subscribers on the Watch Disney XD app.

The episode will see voice actor Stephen Stanton reprise the role after playing the character on several occasions in Star Wars: The Clone Wars. The character first appeared in A New Hope back in 1977 and was played by the legendary actor Peter Cushing. The episode description reads, "As public awareness increases around the Rebels activity, they target an important Imperial network." How Tarkin fits into this is still unclear, but you can bet he's not too happy about what the crew of The Ghost have been up to for the past several episodes.

SIR JAMES CARRERAS REMEMBERED TODAY

Remembering : Sir James Carreras, born today in 1909. Son of Enrique Carreras, the co-founder of Hammer Films and the Blue Hall theatre chain... and father of Hammer film producer and director, Michael Carreras. It was JC who hit on the formula of '..design a poster for a potential film, for the backers to actually see!' A simple but very effect method.

It is said that he, '..judged the success of his films not by critical plaudits, but strictly on the basis of box office returns.' Maybe so, but for a long time his approached worked, making very large profits for the backers, giving Hammer films the Queens Award to Industry Award back in 1968 and a loyal fan base that remains to this day. He is remembered each year by Variety: The Children's Charity, with The Sir James Carreras Award. '...This Award honors the name of Sir James Carreras MBE, who served Variety International with great distinction as one of its past International Presidents. It is presented annually to a physician who has demonstrated exceptional dedication and skill in the field of pediatrics'.

REMEMBERING MICHAEL RIPPER

I've seen the likes tonight that mortal eyes shouldn't look at!'... say that line of dialogue and any Hammer film fan worth his or her salt, quick as a flash will reply, 'Michael Ripper, as the poacher in 'The Mummy!'.. And it is Michael Ripper who we remember today on the day his birth, 27th January 1913. Ripper appeared in many productions for Hammer, seven with Peter Cushing, nine with Christopher Lee. Inn keepers, coachmen, police officers, Ripper an accomplished stage and film actor it could be argued is as much part of the Hammer family as Cushing, Lee, Fisher and Francis. Christopher Lee once announced to a packed convention in Baltimore, with Ripper standing at his side.. 'This man IS Hammer!' And for many of us, he always will be....