Monday 7 December 2015

'NAME THE...AGGH!' EVEN THE BEST CAN GAFF THEIR LINES! GRAND MOFF TARKIN CUSHING


ABOVE:  GIF FILE OF CUSHING
TONGUE TIED TARKIN!

It's a well known fact, that Peter Cushing was a perfectionist. He prided himself on being 'off the book', not only knowing his lines, but everyone else's too. His use of using props while delivering his lines, was legendary, something that even Christopher Lee commented on, in being envious that Peter could light a pipe, fold a newspaper and kick off his shoes, and STILL deliver his lines. Lee admitted he was hopeless with props.


 ABOVE CLIP: CUSHING TONGUE
TIED TARKIN WITH AUDIO


The only noted time Cushing had trouble with lines was during the making of the BBC SHERLOCK HOLMES television series in the late 1960's. Many of these were broadcast live, with film inserts. Time was extremely tight for production, leaving Cushing with limited time to not only absorb the dialogue, but also the meaning. Cushing wasn't difficult, but wanted things done properly and felt compromised. It's one of the few times where on screen, in some scenes Cushing often looks uncomfortable. But, he coped and pushed on...


Our GIF above also shows the flip side of Cushing's frustration with dialogue.  Many of the cast of Star Wars over the years have commented on George Lucas's dialogue, Harrison Ford probably the most. Here Cushing forgets the line in his interplay with Princess Leia played by Carrie Fisher. It's fun to watch the usually well controlled Cushing 'loose it', exclaiming 'What is it called????' This recently found outtake, will no doubt join the other Cushing /Tarkin tale reguarding, filming most of his scenes in Star Wars..in his carpet slippers, after finding at short notice that his costume high leather boots were two sizes too small! The stuff of legend!


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Sunday 6 December 2015

CATCH HAMMER HOUSE OF HORROR EPISODE: THE SILENT SCREAM : TONIGHT : ONLY ON HORROR CHANNEL


JOIN Peter Cushing in a real LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS tonight!! A pet shop actually. The Hammer House Of Horrors Double Bill on HORROR CHANNEL at 9PM GMT TONIGHT includes THE SILENT SCREAM, one the best of the entire series, which stars Brian Cox and was directed by Alan (Dracula AD 1972) Gibson.


Find out MORE about the background of THE HAMMER HOUSE OF HORROR tv series and Peter Cushing's retrun to the Hammer fold in THE SILENT SCREAM with our our full review with gallery and press materials, by clicking the link HERE



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Saturday 5 December 2015

'I THINK YOU OVER ESTIMATE THEIR CHANCES' THAT FATAL ERROR!


Here's a GIF showing that amazing cinematic moment where Tarkin gets it wrong, and the whole lot goes up! It looked great in the 1977 original release and was enhanced further to give us an even better 'bang for our buck' with the re-release with addition effects and enhancements with Lucas's re-release of the film.


You would have to be living in a cave, not to know that we are just days away from the release of the long awaited release new of the continuing saga that is Star Wars. 'The Force Awakens', which brings back many of the original 1977 cast members is going to be a smash. And the fans love it!  Unfortunately for us, Peter Cushing's character, Grand Moff Tarkin, as we see in the GIF above, bit the dust, in style, when the Death Star exploded in the climax of 'Star Wars' in 1977. But, there maybe hope...



Back in  August 22nd this year 2015, a UK newspaper 'The Mail On Sunday' reported a 'leak of information', that started a viral stampede of posts. It printed a story that the team shooting the ROGUE ONE Star Wars film at Pinewood studios, were busy working on making a 'CGI' casting of Peter Cushing as Grand Moff Tarkin to be included in the film. Reporter, Caroline Graham wrote that the 'special effects teams are busy trying to find raw unused footage of Peter Cushing's 'legs to add to this new CGI footage'! That and several inaccuracies about certain basic facts surrounding the Star Wars saga though, made many, smell a rat!


Just about every tabloid in the UK followed the 'Mail On  Sunday' lead and  reported the story. On the net, trusted movie news websites took up the story to create a viral story.


There could be the smallest grain of fact about a CGI Peter Cushing appearing in ROGUE ONE, I for one certainly hope it's true. But Graham was working with what appears to have been no more than a hint, a rumour and in trying to build a bigger story, expanded the piece with a sprinkling of some 'Star Wars detail', that she hoped would add a little more creditability... but reporting that Peter Cushing had a 'gravel voice' was the tell tale sign of someone who was cutting and pasting, and had no idea Peter Cushing was, let alone seen a Star Wars film! For the next few days, just about every other UK tabloid newspapers covered the story.


BELOW how the Peter Cushing Appreciation Society Facebook Page and Website reported the story at the time:

As the grim-faced star of countless horror films including Dracula and Dr Frankenstein, Peter Cushing raised life from beyond the grave, But now the British actor, who died in 1994, will be raised from the dead himself. - See more at: http://petercushingblog.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/news-rogue-wars-to-feature-digitally.html#sthash.bmvQraD4.dpuf

NEWS: AS REPORTED IN MAIL ON SUNDAY TODAY : AUGUST 23RD 2015

As the grim-faced star of countless horror films including Dracula and Dr Frankenstein, Peter Cushing raised life from beyond the grave, But now the British actor, who died in 1994, will be raised from the dead himself. Cushing, star of many Hammer House of Horror movies, will be digitally recreated in the new Star Wars spin-off Rogue One, which is being filmed at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire and is due to be released late next year. In the original 1977 Star Wars, Cushing played evil Grand Moff Tarkin, commander of the Death Star and 'boss' of Darth Vader. In the new film Cushing, who died of prostate cancer aged 81, will be painstakingly brought back to life using the latest Computer Generated Imagery (CGI) techniques. A source told The Mail on Sunday: 'This is one of the most complex and costly CGI re-creations ever. Cushing is a pivotal plot line as he was the one to create Darth Vader and there's a whole back story that will come out.'

But the film-makers face one particularly tough task – creating Cushing's legs and feet.

When director George Lucas filmed the original Star Wars, he gave Cushing and other Galactic Imperial officers ill-fitting leather riding boots. Cushing complained so bitterly that Lucas let him wear slippers, forcing cameramen to shoot from the knees up or have him stand behind the Death Star conference table.'They are going through hours and hours of old footage from the horror movies to recreate his legs and feet to produce realistic movements,' said the source. 'It is eerie to see someone who has been dead for so long come to life on a screen.'

CGI has been used before to complete movies when actors have died during production, including when Oliver Reed suffered a fatal heart attack while filming Russell Crowe's Gladiator in 1999.'
 


It seems strange that, effects teams would spend time sifting through footage to find shots of Peter Cushing's legs. We have seen from previous Star Wars films, that whole cities and characters can now be created in the CGI department. Why would they need footage of Peter Cushing at all? When we originally posted this story, the idea of a CGI Peter Cushing was met with mixed reactions and comments, from 'grave robbing' and 'disrespectful to the memory of Cushing' to suggestions of recasting. Whatever the real story is behind this, I guess we will have to wait until the release of ROGUE ONE in December 2016.


I think Peter Cushing would have chuckled at this one. You have to admit, it's an interesting concept. It's just a shame that the newspaper couldn't have done a little more homework. As for Cushing's legs, that was something that  was never going to stick.


Before this went to press, if someone had told me what a great story this would make and how the newspaper thought fans would believe it, I would have replied in the words of old Grand Moff Tarkin himself , 'I think you over estimate their chances!'


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NEWS: STAR WARS TOYS AND TARKINS SLIPPERS: MAY THE TOYS BE WITH YOU EXHIBITION


NEWS: PETER CUSHING 'TARKIN SLIPPERS' AND STAR WAR TOYS: MAY THE TOYS BE WITH YOU!


A collection of Star Wars memorabilia and toys has gone on show at a museum in Kent. The exhibition, called 'May The Toys Be With You', opened earlier at The Beaney art museum and library, in Canterbury. It is the first time the toys and posters, owned by collector Matt Fox, has been put on public display. It has been timed to coincide with the release of the new Star Wars film, Episode VII - The Force Awakens.


Back when Star Wars began in 1977 no one could have predicted that the merchandising of Star Wars would actually earn more than the film itself. The toys of Star Wars took the world by storm and became the must have playthings for an entire generation. From 1977 - 1985 an estimated 300 million action figures were sold, allowing children to re-enact the adventures of Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia and Han Solo.


May The Toys Be With You is both a celebration of the now highly collectable vintage toy line and also of the iconic design work and art of the Star Wars movies. From X-Wing Fighters to lightsabers, these fantastical designs have fired our imaginations and stamped their place on our cultural landscape.


As well as the exhibition, there are also associated activities taking place at the exhibition will be at The Beaney until 6th March 2016.


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Friday 4 December 2015

CHRISTOPHER LEE VINCENT PRICE PETER CUSHING AND MORECAMBE AND WISE IN OUR LATEST COLLECTION OF GIFS


More CLASSIC Cushing, Lee and Price moments in GIF form to add to your website, blog or facebook page. Just right click and save!


Christopher Lee gets to grips with a not so helpful hand in 

Peter Cushing looses his cool in ''CORRUPTION''


Peter Cushing FINALLY gets 'his money' in the Christmas edition of The Morecambe and Wise Show in 1980. The running joke of Cushing trying to get his fee from the penny pinching Erinie ran for years and through six appearances on their show.


Vincent Price makes his dramatic entrance in the film 'HOUSE OF THE LONG SHADOWS.. the only film to have featured Peter Cushing, Vincent Price and Christopher Lee in scenes 'together'


Peter Cushing wraps his song and dance routine to the Irving Berlin classic, 'We're Couple Of Swells' with British comedy legends Morecambe and Wise with tap, a heel kick and bow... what a finish! while Eric and Ernie make a dash for it, before he asks for 'My Money!'


He's always watching you! Peter Cushing's 'Temptations Ltd' shop in the Amicus film, 'FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE' ....The LAST place anyone would want to get a little 'light fingered'


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Thursday 3 December 2015

PETER CUSHING'S ENCOUNTERS WITH THE HELL HOUNDS


Peter Cushing's Hounds From Hell:
 
A: Colonel the Great Dane from Hammer's The Hound Of The Baskervilles (1959)
 
B: Colonel in action wearing his rubber mask
 
C: The Uncredited German Shepherd in The Beast Must Die
 
D: The German Shepherd getting dressed in his werewolf fur coat


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TWO CUSHING LEE HAMMER TREATS TONIGHT!


Wednesday 2 December 2015

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR AMICUS VAULT OF HORRORS DOCUMENTARY WINNERS


Congratulations to the winners of our very popular competition to win copies of Donald Fearney's 'Amicus Vault of Horrors: The Amicus Story' documentary. The question we asked was 'In Amicus films, 'Tales From The Crypt', Peter Cushing plays Arthur Grimsdyke, husband of the departed Mrs Grimsdyke. What was Mrs Grimsdyke's FULL NAME. The ANSWER we were looking for was MARY HELEN GRIMSDYKE. Many, Many of you got this one right including, Sean Corrigan, Chris Hammer, Will Stewart, Barry Chambers, Oliver Arkinstall, Jim Player, John Leggett, Paul Maguire, Shar Misha Wilson, Nick Colbourne, Stephen Alexander, Paul Chadwick, Adam Symons, Jason Scalise, Mark Jay, Jospeha Kalsbeek, Ted Johnson, Jim McDonald, Andrew Davenport, Tara Duffin, Simon Hopewell, James Sweeny, Penny Dreadful, Scott Clark, Andy Winward...and many more. 

A BIG Thank you to everyone who took the time to enter and support our competition. I wish we had more copies to give away! It's a terrific documentary, a real must for any fan of Amicus films. I learnt so much watching it. If you would like to grab yourself a copy, you'll find full details elsewhere on this page and at our website. Also, don't despair if you weren't a winner this time round... Christmas is coming, it's a time of GIVING and as always..we'll be GIVING you the chance to win LOADS of Cushing goodies leading up to the festive season!

You can read our FULL REVIEW with SCREEN CAPS of Donald Fearney's 'Amicus Vault of Horrors : The Amicus Story' :HERE 


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CANDID VINTAGE HELEN AND PETER CUSHING


Candid Cushing: Here is a great picture of Peter Cushing and Helen all smiles during Peter's Old Vic Tour of Australia and New Zealand with Laurence Olivier..

Just CLICK : HERE
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