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Wednesday 2 August 2017

GREAT GIFS! HEAD GIRL GETS THE CHOP : BYRON NEEDS MORE CREDIT AND FILM POSTER GAG THE FIRST?

#SILENTBUTDEADLYWEDNESDAY! : A fine SHOCK to push poor old Paul Toombes over the edge in Amicus films, 'MADHOUSE'. Toombes played by #VINCENTPRICE is really pulled through the mill in this fine little shocker. Added value of also having Peter Cushing and AIP groomed Robert Quarry in the cast too. There's a very dark thread of humor that runs through this film and the slight lifting of the veil reveals the tacky and catty spats behind the tinsel and glamour of the Hollywood set. A fancy dress 'A-List' party takes place with the usual hanger-on's and ex's in attendance. Price wonderfully, sits bored and boiling in a smoke puffing, pouty sulk, while Cushing glides around, champagne in hand, dressed in a vampire costume. Worth the price of my ticket alone! And Julie Croswaithe in the gif here? She had it coming .....in the school of horror, she was the HEAD GIRL!

#SILENTBUTDEADLYWEDNESDAY! : If you are a regular to this site, then you'll know how much I love this story from #AMICUSFILMS, 'From Beyond The Grave'. It's a clever device I think, that both THE DOOR and the evil Sir Michael Sinclair are entwined! An axe blow to the fabric of the door, is a blow to Sinclair too! Stand by, as I once again, share glowing observations about the lighting in this story....it's a dream and cinematographer Alan Hume, was a gifted wizard! The set, lighting and dressings are the stars of this segment, not that #IanOgilvy, #LesleyAnneDown and Jack Watson don't do a fabulous job, it all works together. 'The Door' is the twin-terror treat, along with #PeterCushing's 'Poetic Justice' in the Amicus portmanteau party top table spread!

Just two weeks ago...I paid homage!!!

#SILENTBUTDEADLYWEDNESDAY! : 'What kind of plumage is this? For birds of paradise?' You have to love a scriptwriter who gives Peter Cushing, the opportunity to say a line like that! And to say, Gustav's first meeting with his niece's doesn't go well, is an understatement! There are fans who watch #HAMMERFILMS 'Twins of Evil' for different reasons, some for THAT plumage, some for Peter Cushing and some for the several satanic set-to's, between Damian Thomas and Cushing. Me? I get a double treat, not from the two performances, as good as they are, from Collinson Twins... but from Cushing AND KATHLEEN BYRON! It may bypass most viewers attentions that this is THE Kathleen Byron, who starred as Sister Ruth in the truly amazing 1947 classic, #BLACKNARCISSUS, alongside Deborah Kerr, Flora Robson and Jean Simmons.

Byron also ticked several boxes in the Sherlock and fantasy genre too, with two appearances with Jeremy Brett's Holmes, casting in the Lee and Cushing 'Nothing But The Night', also the spooky 'Night of the Eagle', the cult tv series 'The Avengers' and just about every supernatural drama series that the BBC put out between the late 1950's, until her sad passing just 2009 at the age of 88. A beautiful actress of substance, who for a time after Narcissus, frustratingly got typed in neurotic roles. Thankfully, she broke that mold and went on to give us many interesting and entertaining performances. Kathleen Byron : 1921 - 2009.

#SILENTBUTDEADLYWEDNESDAY!: I am probably missing something obvious here... but until I saw this shot in the #AMICUS film, 'Dr Terror's House of Horrors', that clever nod to the film, where Roy Castle's character spots a cinema poster, that's promoting the feature film. . . . he was actually appearing in...I couldn't remember another film, that had pulled that trick. CAN YOU?

EVERY #MONSTERMONDAY!

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 coordinator since 1979. PCAS is based in the UK and USA

#TOOCOOLTUESDAY: RUMBA IN THE CASABA : TERROR TRAIN FILM LINE UP

#TOOCOOLTUESDAY: Peter Cushing publicity photographs : #HAMMERFILMS 'She' (1965) I think Peter had a good time while making Hammer films EPIC 'SHE' and unlike everyone else who either got shot in the butt, lost a finger, suffered from horrendous dysentery and dehydration when filming in Israel's Negev Desert in August 1964, Cushing looked like he was having a great time! Helen, Peter's wife also accompanied him on the location shoot, which made a happy time for relaxation, water colour painting and reading..... when Cushing got back to the UK and shooting picked up at Elstree studios, he also got to strut-his-stuff in a dance sequence in the Casaba! See blow in thread

#TOOCOOLTUESDAY: Here's a photograph, you certainly couldn't take today! The cast of the #AMICUS film 'Dr Terror House of Horrors' (1965) ! Spot the guy at the back.... Yikes!

Monday 31 July 2017

#MONSTERMONDAY: PAUL TOOMBES: MAD ABOUT MADHOUSE!

#MONSTERMONDAY: It's a film that is not universally liked, in a way some of the other Cushing films are or is held in affection like some of the portmanteau films of Amicus, but Amicus films MADHOUSE does have some pretty cool action and scare scenes, presented in the classic scare fashion. It's true there is nothing new in the film, BUT it's the performances of Cushing and Price, and a few red herrings that seal the deal on the climax of the movie, and the ultimate pay-off of who is the Doctor??? PAUL TOOMBES played by Price is we are lead to believe is a sore, washed up loser film star one minute and killer the next... He DOES have some issues, and well he actually did bump off one or two of the ladies..OR DID HE??? #MONSTERMONDAY!

VINCENT PRICE AND PETER CUSHING served up some great set pieces, all with more than a wink to both Prices and and Cushing's past horror films, the chemistry worked a charm with Vinnie and Cushing . .

AS A LITTLE EXTRA, here's is something as a complete contrast, to today's #MONSTER the beautiful Yvonne Monlaur with Peter Cushing on the red carpet, at the premier of The Brides of Dracula on July 4th 1960 . . .

Sunday 30 July 2017

#GETTHECUSHING: THE AMICUS VAULT OF HORROR PART THREE

#GETTHECUSHIONSUNDAY! Everyone really seems to have enjoyed Donald Fearney's 'The Amicus Vault of Horrors' mammoth definitive documentary that we have been uploading and sharing with you here and at our PCAS Youtube channel . .. so you'll be very pleased to hear here for your entertainment is the penultimate episode, PART THREE.... there are some great Cushing / Amicus classic in there...and we are not though yet... just one more episode to go, next week! Please send us your feedback and comment on the thread below, it's great to have such a huge resource about Peter's work with the legendary Amicus Films, and to read your opinions about those classic films! ENJOY!

#GETTHECUSHIONSUNDAY: THE HAMMER FILM THAT ALMOST DIDNT MAKE IT!

#GETTHECUSHINGSUNDAY! If you are a fan of the work of Peter Cushing, the title of one #HammerFilm in particular, will strike a chord of sadness, Blood from The Mummy's Tomb (1971) was probably the only film in Peter Cushing's career where he requested to be released from his contract, and the company consented. Cushing was just two days into the production of Blood From The Mummy's Tomb at Elstee studios, when his wife, Helen passed.

Just months before, fearing the worse as Helen health was deteriorating he had requested, for his contract with the production 'The House That Dripped Blood' without success. As you will see from the documentary the film was blighted from the beginning and before the shooting was wrapped, the film would also sadly loose it's director, Seth Holt . . . On Cushing leaving his role of Professor Julian Fuchs was, at the last minute, recast and Andrew Keir did good as the Professor . . .

Saturday 29 July 2017

#CHRISTOPHERLEESATURDAY! THE GORGON GOES BLU DOWN UNDER!

#CHRISTOPHERLEESATURDAY! #NEWS: #HAMMERFILMS 1964 Classic THE GORGON had a BLU RAY release in the US back last year and now AUSTRALIA gets its dip too! It's the same master that was used for the US Mill Creek Entertainment release last year. What Australian label Via Vision Entertainment is giving us, is pretty much the same, it's cheap and cheerful packaging, there are no supplemental features on the disc. Audio is English, without optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. BUT it is Region-Free.

It appears that Sony Pictures has only one master of The Gorgon that is available for licensing, right now. The master is a not restored or remastered and judging by our YOU REVIEW from Frank Turturici we posted here about the Mill Creek release, there's some we posted here about the Mill Creek release, there's some room for improvement, but the film looks good in high-definition. So, if you want to fill that gap on your shelf, holding your Cushing / Lee / Hammer Horror collection now. . . . This REGION FREE Australian release could be the very thing for you!

#CHRISTOPHERLEESATURDAY! DUBBING THE UNICORN

#CHRISTOPHERLEESATURDAY! *The English sections of the show begin at 1:15* In 1983 Christopher Lee appeared in a German television programme, where he talked about his career and life, but also his recent work, in the dubbing studio, recording in German his character, King Haggard in the animated film, 'The Last Unicorn' 1983. Here, we see, Christopher Lee dubbing his character King Haggard, in German! Not unlike his approach to preparation for the role of Saruman in 'The Lord of the Rings' trilogy, Christopher Lee showed up for the recording sessions armed with his own copy of the book, with several places marked to indicate things that must not, in his opinion, be omitted. Enjoy!

Friday 28 July 2017

#FRANKENSTEINFRIDAY: THE ACID BATH AND THE HEAD

#FRANKENSTEINFRIDAY: #GIF Paul Krempe (Robert Urquhart) looks on as Baron Frankenstein (Peter Cushing) drops the crow pecked disguarded head from the body he is resurrecting into the vat of acid. In the thread below, I have posted a rare colour photograph, taken by John Jay the films still photographer, for publicity.

It's not known IF director Terence Fisher actually shot the footage that we see represented in the photograph, ...additional footage where the camera sees the face of the head AND the acid melting the head in the acid bath...... It's too easy to say, 'Nah, never happened!'. But the #incredible footage recently added to #HAMMERFILMS classic 1958 #HORROROFDRACULA started as a rumor too...AND a colour photograph ...! 😉 What do you think?

#FRANKENSTEINFRIDAY! The skillful performance of #ChristopherLee as Frankenstein 'Monster -Creation' hasn't weakened over the years. It must have been a pretty daunting idea to try and follow in the footsteps of all the other amazing actors who had played the 'monster' at #Universal, #Karloff, #Chaney, #Lugosi, Strange . . . the make up may have not looked as impressive, but any short fall was well and truly made up with a performance that nailed a new thinking about the Baron's 'monster' . . .Lee would do the same again in less than a year, with his portrayal of Dracula.

The Curse of Frankenstein was a tremendous financial success and reportedly grossed more than 70 times its production cost during its original theatrical run. Cushing was already a household name in the UK, but his intelligent and driven Baron, would make him an international film star.