Tag: Peter Cushing

Happy 100th Birthday CHRISTOPHER LEE! Here Are His Ten Best Roles

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Christopher Lee, born on this day in 1922, had an amazing career of fantastic performances and remains the greatest villain actor in film history. He was the last classic horror star and WAMG thanks him for all the monster memories.

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Christopher Lee was married to his wife Birgit (Gitte) for 54 years.

Here, according to Movie Geeks Jim Batts, Dana Jung, Sam Moffitt, and myself, are Christopher Lee’s ten best roles.

frank

10. FRANKENSTEIN

It’s only fitting that THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN, the film that truly began England’s Hammer Studios’ theatrical run of full color gothic horror epics, should team (well, they’re both in the 1948 HAMLET, but have no scenes together) their greatest stars, Peter Cushing as Baron Victor Frankenstein and Christopher Lee as his monster (or, as he’s referred to in the credits,”the Creature”). This was the first big screen incarnation of the monster after Universal’s 30’s and 40’s classics with Lon Chaney Jr., Bela Lugosi, Glenn Strange, and, of course, Boris Karloff. Because the Jack Pierce make-up is owned by that studio, Hammer’s make-up man Phil Leakey had to create an original look for Mr. Lee. When the camera zoomed in for the big unveiling (or unwrapping, as he was covered with bandages from head to toe) audiences gasped in terror at his gruesome visage. He truly looked like something from the grave with stringy mop-like black hair (Hmm, maybe it inspired those Liverpool lads), glazed-over white right eye, and flayed, scarred flesh (it’s mentioned that birds had gotten to the body before it went to the lab). Victor has given him the brain of a brilliant medical mentor, but later damage to it had left the creature a murderous near mute. After he’s outfitted with a jet black coat and pants, the monster is left chained in a locked room next to the lab, all alone until Victor needs the creature to eliminate a problem: the Baron’s chambermaid mistress (played by Valerie Gaunt, who would be cast as Lee’s vampire bride in HORROR OF DRACULA a year later). This version of the doctor’s experiment is truly pathetic and nearly elicits the same sympathy as Karloff until we see its brutality in an attack on a blind man in the forest (no soup and cigars this time!). This viciousness is rewarded with a bullet to the eye (a shocking bit of gore for the time), then it’s back to the slab where he’s made to look more revolting and wretched! When Hammer continued the series they decided to concentrate on Victor (perhaps the true monster), but none of the succeeding patchwork people had the impact of the marvelous Mr. Lee.

rasp

9. RASPUTIN

RASPUTIN THE MAD MONK (1966)  is one strange film and has one of the best villains Lee ever got to play, in a resume teeming with evil and scurrilous bastards.  The  movie exists because Hammer films had access to footage shot for ANASTASIA, a 1956 film about the phony daughter of Nicholas and Alexandra, the last Czar of Russia.  The footage was in Cinemascope which resulted in Hammer shooting Rasputin in that process which was  already outmoded and replaced by Panavision. We meet Rasputin in a monastery, follow him all over Russia as he eats, drinks and fornicates way too much, causing carnage and havoc everywhere he goes.  Eventually, if you know your history, he ends up way too close to the Czar and his family.  Claiming to be a healer Rasputin almost gains control of Russia.  Interestingly this movie actually shows him healing people “with these two hands” as Lee ominously proclaims. In Lee’s talents Rasputin becomes  an elemental force of nature, he roars through the movie, frightening women and children and causing all manner of scandals and bullying anybody who gets in his way.  It is one of the best performances Lee gave at Hammer which was not in any way supernatural.  Even that could be argued, Rasputin seems to have hypnotic as well as healing powers. In one of the most prolonged murder scenes committed to film, (historically accurate by the way) Rasputin is poisoned, shot, stabbed, strangled, stabbed again, beaten senseless, thrown out a window and drowned in an icy river!  And the movie hints that he might still be alive!  Unlike Dracula there was no sequel to Rasputin.  And this is one son of a bitch that we are glad to see the last of, Rasputin is the embodiment of pure evil, no redeeming qualities what so ever.

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8. ROCHEFORT

THE THREE MUSKETEERS (1973) and THE FOUR MUSKETEERS (1974) are easily the best version of Dumas’ classic adventure novel.  An ensemble film, where every one of the actors, and the director,  are at the very top of their form and obviously having a blast.  Any film that would include Michael York, Faye Dunaway, Oliver Reed, Christopher Lee, Charlton Heston and many others as well as Spike Milligan and Raquel Welch has some kind of record for great casting!  In what has to be an in joke Spike Milligan and Raquel Welch are a married couple!  Michael York’s D’artagnan changes that. In a great cast and a wonderful story Lee brings a great deal to the main villain, Rochefort, described as Cardinal Richelieu’s living sword blade.  Lee looks absolutely killer with his eye patch,(“You Sir!  Without the eye!” yells young D’artaganan at one point) long hair and scarlet uniform, worn by all the Cardinal’s guards, the main group out to thwart the Musketeer’s who are sworn to protect the King, a complete idiot (not far from the truth, most crowned heads of Europe in those days were, but that is another story.) It is Lee and M’Lady DeWinter (Faye Dunaway) who cause all the action to proceed, at the instigation of Cardinal Richelieu, involving missing diamonds belonging to the Queen.  In any adventure story it is the villain who makes things happen and Rochefort, in Lee’s capable hands is quite a piece of work.  Lee has fenced his whole life and in an interview with Filmfax said that all the swords and knives in the film were absolutely real and sharp.  Lee and all the other actors were wounded at some point.  In an effort to make the sword fighting look real they made every effort to do some damage and very often did!  The sword fighting in these films is some of the best ever captured on camera. Without a word of dialog indicating Rochefort’s feelings Lee lets us know, with facial expressions and body language that Rochefort is one world weary and bone tired son of a bitch.  In one key scene with Heston Lee lets us know that Rochefort is sick and tired of the Cardinal’s nefarious machinations.  Damn I like that phrase!   I’ll write it again, Rochefort is sick and tired of the Cardinal’s nefarious machinations!  But he has pledged his talents to supporting the Cardinal and not the King and has to play out his hand to the bitter end.  It’s his job after all! You get the notion, especially in the second film, that poor old Rochefort might like to put the swords away and have a drink with the Musketeers, join them in some wenching and hell raising, give a little fatherly advice to D’Artaganan, and relax a little.  In the climactic showdown we are seriously sorry to see Rochefort get his payback.  In the Three and Four Musketeers Lee gives us something more interesting and complex than a tragic hero, a tragic villain.

mummy

7. KHARIS THE MUMMY

In 1959, Hammer Films completed remaking the Universal monster “big three” of Dracula, Frankenstein’s monster, and this last, the Mummy.  Amazingly, Christopher Lee  played the monster in all three—the first (and possibly only) person to perform this feat.  Made at the height of the studio’s popularity, THE MUMMY is one of the best  films Hammer ever produced.  Co-starring Peter Cushing and the beautiful Yvonne Furneaux as the Ananka lookalike Isobel, and directed by Hammer’s ace Terence Fisher, THE MUMMY is dominated by Lee’s towering performance of vengeance unleashed.  Wearing heavy bandages, driving his large body forward with choppy but powerful steps, Lee uses his physical presence to convey the menace of the monster.  With only his eyes visible through the makeup,  Lee also expresses an intensity that other movie mummys have lacked.  And notice how his eyes change to a softer appearance when he sees Furneaux’s Isobel/ Ananka character.  And if this wasn’t enough to cement this classic portrayal, we are treated to a long flashback sequence of Lee as the Egyptian priest Kharis conducting the burial ritual of Ananka in his most hypnotic tones.  Lee himself had mixed feelings about THE MUMMY; on one hand, he admired the handsome production values and regarded it as one of his favorite Hammer films.  However, the shoot proved to be a grueling physical challenge for the actor, and he suffered several injuries during production.  For example, Lee had to not only maneuver through a muddy bog in full makeup, but do it carrying Furneaux.  He later claimed that he pulled every muscle in his back during this scene.  But, like all exceptional actors, Lee made the pain work for him through his performance, and the result is a memorable portrait that rivals the best films in the canon of the Egyptian undead myth.

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6. COUNT DOOKU

No one really likes the three Star Wars prequels. They were sort of popular when new and it was okay to like them then, but they’ve aged so horribly that geekdom is investing their hopes in Disney to get it right next time. Light sabers are cool. Yoda is cool. Chewbacca is cool.But everyone can agree that the coolest thing about STAR WARS EPISODE II: ATTACK OF THE CLONES (2002), and STAR WARS EPISODE III: REVENGE OF THE SITH (2005) was the casting of Christopher Lee as Count Dooku, a Jedi Master who fell to the dark side of the Force and became a Dark Lord of the Sith, known as Darth Tyranus. It has been said that George Lucas is not a great director of actors, yet that couldn’t slow down Lee,the only actor in the series to exude real menace. Whenever he was on screen, those movies came alive. He made audiences cheer when he and Yoda squared off for their big battle and when he gleefully escaped from the Jedi Master on an intergalactic jet ski. As for the overblown trilogy as a whole, it was all too clearly a product of George Lucas’s production giant Industrial Light and Magic. No magic, little light, but an awful lot of industry.

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5. LORD SUMMERISLE

“Come. It is time to keep your appointment with the Wicker Man”. Christopher Lee, who agreed to appear in THE WICKER MAN (1973) for free has claimed it was the greatest film he was ever part of. For good reasons, as this is one of the most unusual and original cinematic masterpieces ever brought to screen and an absolute must-see for everybody interested in movies. The unique greatness of THE WICKER MAN combines elements from a variety of genres; Horror, Thriller, Mystery, Fantasy, Drama, and even Musical, but it cannot really be limited to one particular genre. Scottish police sergeant Howie (Edward Woodward) is called by an anonymous letter to investigate the disappearance of a young girl on the remote Scottish island Summerisle. Upon his arrival, nobody seems to have ever heard of the girl. The deeply religious Sergeant Howie, however, is shocked to find out that the residents of the island, above all the sophisticated but mysterious Lord Summerisle (Christopher Lee), are practicing pagan customs and free sexuality as they await their next human sacrifice…… The final moments of THE WICKER MAN must rank amongst the finest ever committed to film. As Christopher Lee leads the crazed inhabitants of Summerisle in a chorus of ‘Summer Is A Comin’ In,’ Edward Woodward’s cries of anguish and frantic prayers are intermingled with the death throes of the sacrificed animals. The moment when Woodward first casts eyes on the giant Wicker Man of the title never fails to send a chill down the spine.

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4. FU MANCHU

The character of Fu Manchu was first created by British author Sax Rohmer in 1912. Boris Karloff played the Chinese villain in 1932’s MASK OF FU MANCHU but after the 1940 serial Drums of Fu Manchu, film adaptations ceased.  In 1965 movie producer Harry Alan Towers saw the novels as well- known enough to provide name recognition and signed Christopher Lee to the title role with a six-film deal. Despite being a 6’5” Brit, the actor seemed somehow perfectly suited to the role of the evil Chinaman (Karloff was English as well, though 6 inches shorter than Lee) and the make-up man simply taped up his eyelids for that slanty Asian look. The first film, FACE OF FU MANCHU (1965) directed by Hammer vet Don Sharp was a lively mix of Sherlock Holmes and James Bond concerning the kidnapping of a German scientist who Fu Manchu forces to develop a super weapon. FACE underperformed financially so the next two installments, BRIDES OF FU MANCHU (1966) and VENGEANCE OF FU MANCHU (1967) were filmed with considerably lower budgets, though Towers did take the crew to Hong Kong for some location flavor. In 1968 Towers met Spanish cult director Jess Franco and hired him to film the fourth entry BLOOD OF FU MANCHU (1968) in Brazil, which marked the beginning of the series’ decline. By the next year, Franco and Towers were working on elaborate erotica and sleazy women-in-prison films, and the Fu Manchu series was a dead weight. The final film in the series, CASTLE OF FU MANCHU (1969), was a dismal affair, bringing the series to a premature halt.

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3. SARUMAN

When casting was announced for the first LORD OF THE RINGS film, Christopher Lee fans were both excited and a little apprehensive.  The character of Saruman, like many a character in Tolkien’s books, is referred to often, but has very few “active” storylines.  RINGS director Peter Jackson recognized that one of the weakest parts of the RINGS saga was its lack of a strong visual villain.  Sure, Sauron is the Big Bad that pervades every page of the books and every scene of the films, but audiences also need something or someone to focus on as the personification of that evil.  Fortunately for both readers and cinephiles alike, Jackson knew how to make use of Lee’s commanding screen persona.    With his steely gaze and resonant voice, Lee imbues Saruman with all the self-righteous ego and persuasive yet treacherous charm that is only hinted at in the books.  With a more expanded and enhanced role, Lee also has at least one pivotal sequence in each of the three RINGS films.  In FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING, the wizard’s duel between Saruman and Gandalf is a key reveal as to who is the embodiment of the evil Sauron.  The sequence also emphasizes the sheer physical presence Lee  has, which is sometimes overlooked when compared to his magnificent vocal delivery.  In TWO TOWERS, Saruman’s storyline adheres fairly closely to the book, as Lee organizes and directs the war machine he has helped create as Sauron’s advocate.  And in RETURN OF THE KING, although some fans disliked the new resolution for Saruman that Jackson’s team came up with–which differs quite a bit from the book– Jackson probably made the correct decision, as the book’s ending does seem to drag on unnecessarily.  Unfortunately, Saruman’s ending was cut from the initial release print of RETURN OF THE KING, but is available on the Extended Edition DVD/Blu-Ray release.  It is difficult to understand Jackson’s reasons for leaving out this sequence, because it is quite spectacular—even by RINGS standards—and gives closure to Lee’s perfect depiction of corrupted power.

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2. SCARAMANGA

In 1974, the James Bond movie series was a dozen years old. For Roger Moore’s second outing as 007, the producers wanted to find a foe that could be his very equal. While recent tiles were comic riffs on well-known adages (YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE, LIVE AND LET DIE, etc.) the new film’s title, like two of the early classics (DR. NO and GOLDFINGER) refers to the villain, the master assassin Francisco Scaramanga, THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN. While Bond kills for Queen and country, Scaramanga’s does it for the cash (“a million a shot” as the opening song says). Sure he’s got a load of henchmen on his gorgeous island hideaway, but no need for any muscled leg-breakers like Oddjob and Jaws. Mr. S is deadly enough (although his manservant Nick Nack played Herve Villachaize, yep it’s TV’s Tatoo, helps and sometimes taunts his boss). As the 1970’s began Lee was expanding beyond the horror genre and appearing in bigger budgeted studio fare such as JULIUS CAESAR, THE PRIVATE LIFE OF SHERLOCK HOLMES, and THE THREE MUSKETEERS. This film was a wonderful showcase for his talents and introduced him to an even larger audience (hey, we monster fans already knew he was wonderful!). For the film’s pre-title sequence we see his physical side as he turns the tables on a ruthless American gangster (the great Marc Lawrence). Later the romantic Mr. Lee appears as he beds (but no biting!) the alluring Maud Adams (back to that song, “Love is required, whenever he’s hired…”). In the final showdown Moore faces his greatest (up to that point) screen battle as the two engage in a deadly duel to the death. It’s was a wonder that producers Saltzman and Broccoli waited so long to cast him (Lee is the step-cousin of Bond creator Ian Fleming!), but Christopher Lee elevates this, the ninth 007 epic, with his cultured deep baritone and imposing presence, and makes this high-priced hired gun one of the most memorable adversaries in the fifty-plus years of the greatest film franchise ever.

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1. DRACULA

Christopher Lee, with is deep, commanding voice and six-foot, five-inch frame was the perfect choice for the role of Dracula. His Count is an imposing presence, stately and cool, with the gentlemanly manner that belies a lurking, evil presence. He is able to imbue his character with both erotic charm and animalistic fury at the same time and was much more terrifying than Bela Lugosi’s romantic seducer. After the international box-office success of THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN, Hammer Studios decided to reunite its two key actors from that film, Peter Cushing and Lee. Hammer turned to another Universal Studios staple, Dracula which by then Universal Studios had little use for, last using him for a role in ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN.  While only fitfully faithful to Stoker’s novel, Hammer Studios first version of Dracula, known in the U.S. as HORROR OF DRACULA (1958), remains the epitome of the English gothic horror film, complete with lavishly dressed sets, a vivid use of color, art and production design that effectively used Technicolor’s oversaturated color scheme, fluid, but never obtrusive camerawork, and compelling characters. Ironically enough, Lee is only on the screen a total of seven minutes in HORROR OF DRACULA yet his frightening presence is felt through the film. It would be seven more years before Lee would reprise the role for DRACULA, PRINCE OF DARKNESS, but his screen time in the series for Hammer never got any longer. Playing the role of Count Dracula for the second time, Christopher Lee was superbly menacing even though he does not utter a single word. The resurrection sequence in DRACULA, PRINCE OF DARKNESS, in which Dracula’s creepy manservant slashes one of the guests at Dracula’s castle and uses his blood to revive the long-dead Count still retains its shock value. DRACULA HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE (1968) saw Oscar winning cinematographer Freddie Francis taking over the directorial reins from Terence Fisher and put an unusually strong emphasis on religion. Christopher Lee delivered another memorable performance as the man in the red-lined black cape.  In TASTE THE BLOOD OF DRACULA (1970), the Count is revived by a Devil worshiper and three middle-aged men making a thrill-seeking pact. Chris Lee’s screen time is again brief, and he’s not given much to do except be the orchestrator for revenge as he makes the children of the businessmen kill their parents for him. SCARS OF DRACULA (1970) focused more on the actions of Dracula himself and affords Christopher Lee more screen time than in any other Hammer Dracula film. It was filmed on a lower budget, and while this shows, it does not prevent this from being one of the most memorable and unfairly derided of the long-running vampire series. DRACULA, A.D. 1972 (1972) found the Count in (then) modern day. Hippy kids “out for kicks” dabble in the Black Mass summon the great Count back to swinging London. The swinging ‘70s scene was dated when the film was released but its aged well and marked the return of Peter Cushing to the series. SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA (1973), the final installment of the Hammer Dracula saga, is different because it uses Lee’s scant appearances to its advantage, keeping Dracula aloof and mysterious, concerning itself with the disease of vampirism, which is compared to a plague. Because of its science fiction overtones, SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA felt more like an installment of The Avengers than a typical Hammer film. Lee played Dracula several times outside of Hammer studios. In COUNT DRACULA (1970) Lee looked just like the description of the Count in Bram Stoker’s novel and even he considered it his most accurate performance as the Count. He’s given more of a human side that is missing in the Hammer films, and delivers a good deal of dialog. COUNT DRACULA benefited from superior atmosphere and direction by Spanish cult figure Jess Franco and a deranged Klaus Kinski as the insane Renfield! Lee cameoed as the Count in the Peter Sellers comedy THE MAGIC CHRISTIAN (1969) and the Jerry Lewis directed ONE MORE TIME (1970) starring Sammy Davis Jr. Lee played Dracula for the last time in DRACULA AND SON (1976) a comedic take on the legend shot in France and Yugoslavia in French which ended up having Lee’s distinctive voice dubbed by another actor for the English-language dub. Christopher Lee has played many roles in his career but it will Dracula for which he will always be best remembered.

Much of this article was originally posted in 2008

Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee in THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN Available on Blu-ray From Warner Archive December 1st

Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee in THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN will be available on Blu-ray from Warner Archive December 1st. Ordering information can be found HERE.

The new presentation is derived from a recombination of separation masters scanned at 4K 16 bit by MPI, before undergoing full restoration and color correction.. Check out this restoration comparison:

Baron Victor Frankenstein has discovered the secret to generating new life and unleashed a murderous ripple effect, born from his cursed creation: a monster with a horrid face and a tendency to kill.

The first, and perhaps the best of the long-running series of horror films from the house of Hammer, Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee star in this landmark interpretation based on the famous Mary Shelley story. Baron Victor Frankenstein becomes friends with one of his teachers, Paul Krempe. At first, both men are fascinated by the potential of their re-animating experiments. Eventually, though, Krempe refuses to help with Frankenstein’s human experiments. However, he is drawn back into the plot when Frankenstein’s creature kills a member of the house staff. For its U.S. Blu-ray debut, Warner Archive is proud to present this deluxe 2 Disc Special Edition, featuring two theatrical aspect ratio presentations, meticulously remastered and restored from preservation separations, as well as bonus disc with the restoration presented in “open-matte” format, as was seen for years on television, plus four exciting new retrospective featurettes, an expert commentary, and the original theatrical trailer.

To celebrate the restoration, Warner Bros. Motion Picture Imaging (MPI) has created a “Before & After” video comparing an unrestored version of The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) with the brand-new version featured on the Two Disc Special Edition Warner Archive Blu-ray.

Special Features:

  • New feature commentary by Screenwriter/Film Historian Steve Haberman and Filmmaker/Film Historian Constantine Nasr
  • Newly remastered 1.37:1 Open Matte version of feature
  • New Featurettes include: The Resurrection Men: Hammer, Frankenstein and the Rebirth of the Horror Film, Hideous Progeny: The Curse of Frankenstein and the English Gothic Tradition, Torrents of Light: The Art of Jack Asher, Diabolus in Musica: James Bernard and the Sound of Hammer Horror
  • Original Theatrical Trailer (HD)

Happy Birthday CHRISTOPHER LEE! Here Are His Ten Best Roles

Christopher Lee, born on this day in 1922, had an amazing career of fantastic performances and remains the greatest villain actor in film history. He was the last classic horror star and WAMG thanks him for all the monster memories.

chrislee_bafta_getty

Christopher Lee was married to his wife Birgit (Gitte) for 54 years.

Here, according to Movie Geeks Jim Batts, Dana Jung, Sam Moffitt, and myself, are Christopher Lee’s ten best roles.

frank

10. FRANKENSTEIN

It’s only fitting that THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN, the film that truly began England’s Hammer Studios’ theatrical run of full color gothic horror epics, should team (well, they’re both in the 1948 HAMLET, but have no scenes together) their greatest stars, Peter Cushing as Baron Victor Frankenstein and Christopher Lee as his monster (or, as he’s referred to in the credits,”the Creature”). This was the first big screen incarnation of the monster after Universal’s 30’s and 40’s classics with Lon Chaney Jr., Bela Lugosi, Glenn Strange, and, of course, Boris Karloff. Because the Jack Pierce make-up is owned by that studio, Hammer’s make-up man Phil Leakey had to create an original look for Mr. Lee. When the camera zoomed in for the big unveiling (or unwrapping, as he was covered with bandages from head to toe) audiences gasped in terror at his gruesome visage. He truly looked like something from the grave with stringy mop-like black hair (Hmm, maybe it inspired those Liverpool lads), glazed-over white right eye, and flayed, scarred flesh (it’s mentioned that birds had gotten to the body before it went to the lab). Victor has given him the brain of a brilliant medical mentor, but later damage to it had left the creature a murderous near mute. After he’s outfitted with a jet black coat and pants, the monster is left chained in a locked room next to the lab, all alone until Victor needs the creature to eliminate a problem: the Baron’s chambermaid mistress (played by Valerie Gaunt, who would be cast as Lee’s vampire bride in HORROR OF DRACULA a year later). This version of the doctor’s experiment is truly pathetic and nearly elicits the same sympathy as Karloff until we see its brutality in an attack on a blind man in the forest (no soup and cigars this time!). This viciousness is rewarded with a bullet to the eye (a shocking bit of gore for the time), then it’s back to the slab where he’s made to look more revolting and wretched! When Hammer continued the series they decided to concentrate on Victor (perhaps the true monster), but none of the succeeding patchwork people had the impact of the marvelous Mr. Lee.

rasp

9. RASPUTIN

RASPUTIN THE MAD MONK (1966)  is one strange film and has one of the best villains Lee ever got to play, in a resume teeming with evil and scurrilous bastards.  The  movie exists because Hammer films had access to footage shot for ANASTASIA, a 1956 film about the phony daughter of Nicholas and Alexandra, the last Czar of Russia.  The footage was in Cinemascope which resulted in Hammer shooting Rasputin in that process which was  already outmoded and replaced by Panavision. We meet Rasputin in a monastery, follow him all over Russia as he eats, drinks and fornicates way too much, causing carnage and havoc everywhere he goes.  Eventually, if you know your history, he ends up way too close to the Czar and his family.  Claiming to be a healer Rasputin almost gains control of Russia.  Interestingly this movie actually shows him healing people “with these two hands” as Lee ominously proclaims. In Lee’s talents Rasputin becomes  an elemental force of nature, he roars through the movie, frightening women and children and causing all manner of scandals and bullying anybody who gets in his way.  It is one of the best performances Lee gave at Hammer which was not in any way supernatural.  Even that could be argued, Rasputin seems to have hypnotic as well as healing powers. In one of the most prolonged murder scenes committed to film, (historically accurate by the way) Rasputin is poisoned, shot, stabbed, strangled, stabbed again, beaten senseless, thrown out a window and drowned in an icy river!  And the movie hints that he might still be alive!  Unlike Dracula there was no sequel to Rasputin.  And this is one son of a bitch that we are glad to see the last of, Rasputin is the embodiment of pure evil, no redeeming qualities what so ever.

musk

8. ROCHEFORT

THE THREE MUSKETEERS (1973) and THE FOUR MUSKETEERS (1974) are easily the best version of Dumas’ classic adventure novel.  An ensemble film, where every one of the actors, and the director,  are at the very top of their form and obviously having a blast.  Any film that would include Michael York, Faye Dunaway, Oliver Reed, Christopher Lee, Charlton Heston and many others as well as Spike Milligan and Raquel Welch has some kind of record for great casting!  In what has to be an in joke Spike Milligan and Raquel Welch are a married couple!  Michael York’s D’artagnan changes that. In a great cast and a wonderful story Lee brings a great deal to the main villain, Rochefort, described as Cardinal Richelieu’s living sword blade.  Lee looks absolutely killer with his eye patch,(“You Sir!  Without the eye!” yells young D’artaganan at one point) long hair and scarlet uniform, worn by all the Cardinal’s guards, the main group out to thwart the Musketeer’s who are sworn to protect the King, a complete idiot (not far from the truth, most crowned heads of Europe in those days were, but that is another story.) It is Lee and M’Lady DeWinter (Faye Dunaway) who cause all the action to proceed, at the instigation of Cardinal Richelieu, involving missing diamonds belonging to the Queen.  In any adventure story it is the villain who makes things happen and Rochefort, in Lee’s capable hands is quite a piece of work.  Lee has fenced his whole life and in an interview with Filmfax said that all the swords and knives in the film were absolutely real and sharp.  Lee and all the other actors were wounded at some point.  In an effort to make the sword fighting look real they made every effort to do some damage and very often did!  The sword fighting in these films is some of the best ever captured on camera. Without a word of dialog indicating Rochefort’s feelings Lee lets us know, with facial expressions and body language that Rochefort is one world weary and bone tired son of a bitch.  In one key scene with Heston Lee lets us know that Rochefort is sick and tired of the Cardinal’s nefarious machinations.  Damn I like that phrase!   I’ll write it again, Rochefort is sick and tired of the Cardinal’s nefarious machinations!  But he has pledged his talents to supporting the Cardinal and not the King and has to play out his hand to the bitter end.  It’s his job after all! You get the notion, especially in the second film, that poor old Rochefort might like to put the swords away and have a drink with the Musketeers, join them in some wenching and hell raising, give a little fatherly advice to D’Artaganan, and relax a little.  In the climactic showdown we are seriously sorry to see Rochefort get his payback.  In the Three and Four Musketeers Lee gives us something more interesting and complex than a tragic hero, a tragic villain.

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7. KHARIS THE MUMMY

In 1959, Hammer Films completed remaking the Universal monster “big three” of Dracula, Frankenstein’s monster, and this last, the Mummy.  Amazingly, Christopher Lee  played the monster in all three—the first (and possibly only) person to perform this feat.  Made at the height of the studio’s popularity, THE MUMMY is one of the best  films Hammer ever produced.  Co-starring Peter Cushing and the beautiful Yvonne Furneaux as the Ananka lookalike Isobel, and directed by Hammer’s ace Terence Fisher, THE MUMMY is dominated by Lee’s towering performance of vengeance unleashed.  Wearing heavy bandages, driving his large body forward with choppy but powerful steps, Lee uses his physical presence to convey the menace of the monster.  With only his eyes visible through the makeup,  Lee also expresses an intensity that other movie mummys have lacked.  And notice how his eyes change to a softer appearance when he sees Furneaux’s Isobel/ Ananka character.  And if this wasn’t enough to cement this classic portrayal, we are treated to a long flashback sequence of Lee as the Egyptian priest Kharis conducting the burial ritual of Ananka in his most hypnotic tones.  Lee himself had mixed feelings about THE MUMMY; on one hand, he admired the handsome production values and regarded it as one of his favorite Hammer films.  However, the shoot proved to be a grueling physical challenge for the actor, and he suffered several injuries during production.  For example, Lee had to not only maneuver through a muddy bog in full makeup, but do it carrying Furneaux.  He later claimed that he pulled every muscle in his back during this scene.  But, like all exceptional actors, Lee made the pain work for him through his performance, and the result is a memorable portrait that rivals the best films in the canon of the Egyptian undead myth.

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6. COUNT DOOKU

No one really likes the three Star Wars prequels. They were sort of popular when new and it was okay to like them then, but they’ve aged so horribly that geekdom is investing their hopes in Disney to get it right next time. Light sabers are cool. Yoda is cool. Chewbacca is cool.But everyone can agree that the coolest thing about STAR WARS EPISODE II: ATTACK OF THE CLONES (2002), and STAR WARS EPISODE III: REVENGE OF THE SITH (2005) was the casting of Christopher Lee as Count Dooku, a Jedi Master who fell to the dark side of the Force and became a Dark Lord of the Sith, known as Darth Tyranus. It has been said that George Lucas is not a great director of actors, yet that couldn’t slow down Lee,the only actor in the series to exude real menace. Whenever he was on screen, those movies came alive. He made audiences cheer when he and Yoda squared off for their big battle and when he gleefully escaped from the Jedi Master on an intergalactic jet ski. As for the overblown trilogy as a whole, it was all too clearly a product of George Lucas’s production giant Industrial Light and Magic. No magic, little light, but an awful lot of industry.

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5. LORD SUMMERISLE

“Come. It is time to keep your appointment with the Wicker Man”. Christopher Lee, who agreed to appear in THE WICKER MAN (1973) for free has claimed it was the greatest film he was ever part of. For good reasons, as this is one of the most unusual and original cinematic masterpieces ever brought to screen and an absolute must-see for everybody interested in movies. The unique greatness of THE WICKER MAN combines elements from a variety of genres; Horror, Thriller, Mystery, Fantasy, Drama, and even Musical, but it cannot really be limited to one particular genre. Scottish police sergeant Howie (Edward Woodward) is called by an anonymous letter to investigate the disappearance of a young girl on the remote Scottish island Summerisle. Upon his arrival, nobody seems to have ever heard of the girl. The deeply religious Sergeant Howie, however, is shocked to find out that the residents of the island, above all the sophisticated but mysterious Lord Summerisle (Christopher Lee), are practicing pagan customs and free sexuality as they await their next human sacrifice…… The final moments of THE WICKER MAN must rank amongst the finest ever committed to film. As Christopher Lee leads the crazed inhabitants of Summerisle in a chorus of ‘Summer Is A Comin’ In,’ Edward Woodward’s cries of anguish and frantic prayers are intermingled with the death throes of the sacrificed animals. The moment when Woodward first casts eyes on the giant Wicker Man of the title never fails to send a chill down the spine.

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4. FU MANCHU

The character of Fu Manchu was first created by British author Sax Rohmer in 1912. Boris Karloff played the Chinese villain in 1932’s MASK OF FU MANCHU but after the 1940 serial Drums of Fu Manchu, film adaptations ceased.  In 1965 movie producer Harry Alan Towers saw the novels as well- known enough to provide name recognition and signed Christopher Lee to the title role with a six-film deal. Despite being a 6’5” Brit, the actor seemed somehow perfectly suited to the role of the evil Chinaman (Karloff was English as well, though 6 inches shorter than Lee) and the make-up man simply taped up his eyelids for that slanty Asian look. The first film, FACE OF FU MANCHU (1965) directed by Hammer vet Don Sharp was a lively mix of Sherlock Holmes and James Bond concerning the kidnapping of a German scientist who Fu Manchu forces to develop a super weapon. FACE underperformed financially so the next two installments, BRIDES OF FU MANCHU (1966) and VENGEANCE OF FU MANCHU (1967) were filmed with considerably lower budgets, though Towers did take the crew to Hong Kong for some location flavor. In 1968 Towers met Spanish cult director Jess Franco and hired him to film the fourth entry BLOOD OF FU MANCHU (1968) in Brazil, which marked the beginning of the series’ decline. By the next year, Franco and Towers were working on elaborate erotica and sleazy women-in-prison films, and the Fu Manchu series was a dead weight. The final film in the series, CASTLE OF FU MANCHU (1969), was a dismal affair, bringing the series to a premature halt.

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3. SARUMAN

When casting was announced for the first LORD OF THE RINGS film, Christopher Lee fans were both excited and a little apprehensive.  The character of Saruman, like many a character in Tolkien’s books, is referred to often, but has very few “active” storylines.  RINGS director Peter Jackson recognized that one of the weakest parts of the RINGS saga was its lack of a strong visual villain.  Sure, Sauron is the Big Bad that pervades every page of the books and every scene of the films, but audiences also need something or someone to focus on as the personification of that evil.  Fortunately for both readers and cinephiles alike, Jackson knew how to make use of Lee’s commanding screen persona.    With his steely gaze and resonant voice, Lee imbues Saruman with all the self-righteous ego and persuasive yet treacherous charm that is only hinted at in the books.  With a more expanded and enhanced role, Lee also has at least one pivotal sequence in each of the three RINGS films.  In FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING, the wizard’s duel between Saruman and Gandalf is a key reveal as to who is the embodiment of the evil Sauron.  The sequence also emphasizes the sheer physical presence Lee  has, which is sometimes overlooked when compared to his magnificent vocal delivery.  In TWO TOWERS, Saruman’s storyline adheres fairly closely to the book, as Lee organizes and directs the war machine he has helped create as Sauron’s advocate.  And in RETURN OF THE KING, although some fans disliked the new resolution for Saruman that Jackson’s team came up with–which differs quite a bit from the book– Jackson probably made the correct decision, as the book’s ending does seem to drag on unnecessarily.  Unfortunately, Saruman’s ending was cut from the initial release print of RETURN OF THE KING, but is available on the Extended Edition DVD/Blu-Ray release.  It is difficult to understand Jackson’s reasons for leaving out this sequence, because it is quite spectacular—even by RINGS standards—and gives closure to Lee’s perfect depiction of corrupted power.

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2. SCARAMANGA

In 1974, the James Bond movie series was a dozen years old. For Roger Moore’s second outing as 007, the producers wanted to find a foe that could be his very equal. While recent tiles were comic riffs on well-known adages (YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE, LIVE AND LET DIE, etc.) the new film’s title, like two of the early classics (DR. NO and GOLDFINGER) refers to the villain, the master assassin Francisco Scaramanga, THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN. While Bond kills for Queen and country, Scaramanga’s does it for the cash (“a million a shot” as the opening song says). Sure he’s got a load of henchmen on his gorgeous island hideaway, but no need for any muscled leg-breakers like Oddjob and Jaws. Mr. S is deadly enough (although his manservant Nick Nack played Herve Villachaize, yep it’s TV’s Tatoo, helps and sometimes taunts his boss). As the 1970’s began Lee was expanding beyond the horror genre and appearing in bigger budgeted studio fare such as JULIUS CAESAR, THE PRIVATE LIFE OF SHERLOCK HOLMES, and THE THREE MUSKETEERS. This film was a wonderful showcase for his talents and introduced him to an even larger audience (hey, we monster fans already knew he was wonderful!). For the film’s pre-title sequence we see his physical side as he turns the tables on a ruthless American gangster (the great Marc Lawrence). Later the romantic Mr. Lee appears as he beds (but no biting!) the alluring Maud Adams (back to that song, “Love is required, whenever he’s hired…”). In the final showdown Moore faces his greatest (up to that point) screen battle as the two engage in a deadly duel to the death. It’s was a wonder that producers Saltzman and Broccoli waited so long to cast him (Lee is the step-cousin of Bond creator Ian Fleming!), but Christopher Lee elevates this, the ninth 007 epic, with his cultured deep baritone and imposing presence, and makes this high-priced hired gun one of the most memorable adversaries in the fifty-plus years of the greatest film franchise ever.

1. DRACULA

Christopher Lee, with is deep, commanding voice and six-foot, five-inch frame was the perfect choice for the role of Dracula. His Count is an imposing presence, stately and cool, with the gentlemanly manner that belies a lurking, evil presence. He is able to imbue his character with both erotic charm and animalistic fury at the same time and was much more terrifying than Bela Lugosi’s romantic seducer. After the international box-office success of THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN, Hammer Studios decided to reunite its two key actors from that film, Peter Cushing and Lee. Hammer turned to another Universal Studios staple, Dracula which by then Universal Studios had little use for, last using him for a role in ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN.  While only fitfully faithful to Stoker’s novel, Hammer Studios first version of Dracula, known in the U.S. as HORROR OF DRACULA (1958), remains the epitome of the English gothic horror film, complete with lavishly dressed sets, a vivid use of color, art and production design that effectively used Technicolor’s oversaturated color scheme, fluid, but never obtrusive camerawork, and compelling characters. Ironically enough, Lee is only on the screen a total of seven minutes in HORROR OF DRACULA yet his frightening presence is felt through the film. It would be seven more years before Lee would reprise the role for DRACULA, PRINCE OF DARKNESS, but his screen time in the series for Hammer never got any longer. Playing the role of Count Dracula for the second time, Christopher Lee was superbly menacing even though he does not utter a single word. The resurrection sequence in DRACULA, PRINCE OF DARKNESS, in which Dracula’s creepy manservant slashes one of the guests at Dracula’s castle and uses his blood to revive the long-dead Count still retains its shock value. DRACULA HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE (1968) saw Oscar winning cinematographer Freddie Francis taking over the directorial reins from Terence Fisher and put an unusually strong emphasis on religion. Christopher Lee delivered another memorable performance as the man in the red-lined black cape.  In TASTE THE BLOOD OF DRACULA (1970), the Count is revived by a Devil worshiper and three middle-aged men making a thrill-seeking pact. Chris Lee’s screen time is again brief, and he’s not given much to do except be the orchestrator for revenge as he makes the children of the businessmen kill their parents for him. SCARS OF DRACULA (1970) focused more on the actions of Dracula himself and affords Christopher Lee more screen time than in any other Hammer Dracula film. It was filmed on a lower budget, and while this shows, it does not prevent this from being one of the most memorable and unfairly derided of the long-running vampire series. DRACULA, A.D. 1972 (1972) found the Count in (then) modern day. Hippy kids “out for kicks” dabble in the Black Mass summon the great Count back to swinging London. The swinging ‘70s scene was dated when the film was released but its aged well and marked the return of Peter Cushing to the series. SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA (1973), the final installment of the Hammer Dracula saga, is different because it uses Lee’s scant appearances to its advantage, keeping Dracula aloof and mysterious, concerning itself with the disease of vampirism, which is compared to a plague. Because of its science fiction overtones, SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA felt more like an installment of The Avengers than a typical Hammer film. Lee played Dracula several times outside of Hammer studios. In COUNT DRACULA (1970) Lee looked just like the description of the Count in Bram Stoker’s novel and even he considered it his most accurate performance as the Count. He’s given more of a human side that is missing in the Hammer films, and delivers a good deal of dialog. COUNT DRACULA benefited from superior atmosphere and direction by Spanish cult figure Jess Franco and a deranged Klaus Kinski as the insane Renfield! Lee cameoed as the Count in the Peter Sellers comedy THE MAGIC CHRISTIAN (1969) and the Jerry Lewis directed ONE MORE TIME (1970) starring Sammy Davis Jr. Lee played Dracula for the last time in DRACULA AND SON (1976) a comedic take on the legend shot in France and Yugoslavia in French which ended up having Lee’s distinctive voice dubbed by another actor for the English-language dub. Christopher Lee has played many roles in his career but it will Dracula for which he will always be best remembered.

Rest in peace, Sir Christopher Lee. Your talent and professionalism will never be forgotten.

Happy Birthday to Peter Cushing! Here Are His Ten Best Roles

Article by Jim Batts, Dana Jung, Michael Haffner, Sam Moffitt, and Tom Stockman

Peter Cushing, born on this day in 1913, was one of the most respected and important actors in the horror and fantasy film genres. To his many fans, the British star, who died in 1994, was known as ‘The Gentle Man of Horror’ and is recognized for his work with Hammer Films which began in the late 1950’s, but he had numerous memorable roles outside of Hammer. A topnotch actor who was able to deliver superb performances on a consistent basis, Peter Cushing also had range.  He could play both the hero and the villain with ease.

Here, according to We Are Movie Geeks, are Peter Cushing’s ten best roles:

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  • 10. Dr. Maitland

During the 1960s, Amicus Studios had a knack for borrowing from the pool of Hammer Studios actors and filmmakers to make their own Hammer-inspired films.  While these movies (some would call them rip-offs) were usually inferior to the original Hammer signature productions, with THE SKULL in 1965, they hit all aces.  Based on a Robert Bloch (PSYCHO) story, THE SKULL got a Hammer director in Freddie Francis (EVIL OF FRANKENSTEIN, DRACULA HAS RISEN…), plus the classic duo of Hammer Films actors, Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing.   With Lee in solid support, Cushing essays one of his best roles as Dr. Maitland, a seemingly mild-mannered collector of occult objects.  Unfortunately for Dr. Maitland, when his latest acquisition is the possessed skull of the Marquis de Sade, he gets much more than he bargained for.  THE SKULL is a superior supernatural thriller shot with flair and imagination by Francis.  The visual style is dark and foreboding, and some sequences are shot from the point of view of the skull, giving us a “skulls-eye view” if you will.  This technique is used to great effect in the latter stages of the movie, as the evil spirit tries to exert its influence on Dr. Maitland.  Cushing is excellent as a man of science and genteel nature being torn apart by forces he can neither understand nor control.  The entire second half of the film is essentially a battle of wills between Maitland and the demonic skull, embodying all of de Sade’s “cruelty and savagery.”  Many of these scenes have a nightmarish quality, such as when Maitland is forced to play Russian roulette.  Here Cushing displays such simple desperation that we identify with him completely.  By the film’s end, when the final struggle for Maitland’s soul is reaching a climax, Cushing expresses emotions by letting all the bewilderment, fear, and relief play across his face in various degrees.  Even those of us most comfortable in our knowledge and beliefs can be undone when faced with the unknown.

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  • 9. Harry Fordyce

CASH ON DEMAND  (1962) is a film that shows how versatile Peter Cushing could be.  In a part with no fantastic or supernatural elements Cushing simply owns the movie, along with Andre Morrell who has a basically fool proof scheme to rob the bank (on Christmas Eve on less) which Cushing’s Harry Fordyce manages.  Fordyce is the original horrible boss, brow beating and talking down to his employees, threatening their careers and throwing temper tantrums over ink pens and minute amounts of money. Morrell is holding Fordyce’ family hostage and threatens to kill them unless the vault is cleaned out by the end of the day.  Fordyce has to help him or risk losing his wife and children who are “all he’s got”.  In a heartbreaking scene he admits as much to an employee whose help he needs to insure the robbery goes as planned and that he “has no friends.”  Cushing takes us from despising this little martinet to hoping he can somehow keep his family and his job.  Shot and edited to more or less real time Cash on Demand is as suspenseful as the best Hitchcock films, and Cushing helps make it work beautifully as a thriller.  He gives Fordyce a set of nervous mannerisms including, standing up on his tip toes and rocking back on his heels, straightening his tie, cocking his head to one side, adjusting his eyeglasses, smoothing his hair and by the film’s end he is doing them all at once bringing the tension to an excruciating level.  And there is a double twist ending that is incredible and I would not reveal to anyone, watch it and see!

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     8. Dr. Who

DR. WHO AND THE DALEKS (1965) was the first taste of the Doctor Who name for the American market (the TV show had yet to air stateside). It was not a success here though Cushing was cast instead of William Hartnell (the TV Doctor at the time) because he would have been more familiar to American audiences. Cushing’s Doctor in the film, and its sequel DALEKS INVASION EARTH 2150, is not a 900-year old nameless Timelord from the planet Gallifrey as in the show, but simply a daffy old human scientist named Dr. Who who’s invented a machine to travel through space and time. These changes are probably the reason why these films aren’t really recognized as proper Doctor Who amongst the show’s die-hard fans. Cushing plays the character as a kindly, absent-minded grandfather, similar to the character he would later play in AT THE EARTH’S CORE and a lighter portrayal than what the TV actors were known for. The story had Dr. Who and his companions encountering the metal monsters known as the Daleks on the lost planet of Skaro and was aimed squarely at the family adventure crowd. It was fun and colorful, yet never campy. Still, the show’s fans hated it at the time, though their opinion has softened over the years. DALEKS INVASION EARTH 2150, released the following year, was darker and a bit more serious, and is considered to be a superior sequel.

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       7. Reverend Blyss

In Hammer’s NIGHT CREATURES (1962) we get a look at how well Peter Cushing could play a part portrayed by another good actor around the same time period.  About a year after Night Creatures was released to theaters Walt Disney broadcast The Scarecrow, an early miniseries, on Disney’s Wonderful World of Color.  Both productions tell essentially the same story, a tale of smuggling, secret identities and piracy based on stories written by Russell Thorndyke. Cushing is simply terrific as Dr. Blyss, the British title of Hammer’s production, a smarmy, self absorbed vicar in the tiny hamlet of Romney Marsh (he admits at one point his favorite topic of conversation is himself!)  The vicar has a secret, he is really Captain Clegg a notorious pirate and now smuggler and many of the small town’s men are his own pirate crew.  Patrick McGoohan played the same character in Disney’s beloved production under the character’s original name, Dr Syn.  Both versions are excellent and are fine examples that show there is more than one way for good actors to play an engaging part.  Just for more contrast there is a version from the 30s called Dr. Syn, with George Arliss, which is also a nice production.

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  • 6. Arthur Grimsdyke

When the great Mr. Cushing wasn’t haunting the hallowed halls of Hammer Studios he was often found at nearby Amicus Studios lending his considerable talents to their line of horror anthology features. In their biggest box office hit TALES FROM THE CRYPT, based on the much beloved EC comics line of the 1950’s, Peter was cast not as a demented doctor or an intrepid investigator, but finally got the full make-up treatment and played a monster, albeit a very sympathetic one. Comics originators Bill Gaines and Al Feldstein always said that the dead rising from the grave to exact revenge on their tormentors in life was their favorite type of spook story and such is the tale of Arthur Grimsdyke (a much better moniker than Abner from the original 1952 “Haunt of Fear” page-turner). For much of this segment (one of five in the 1972 flick) Cushing played a kindly, gentle character which, by many accounts, was much like the actor himself. Arthur rescues broken toys from the trash (he’s a long-time city worker), repairs them and gifts them to the neighborhood kids when not taking in stray dogs. This helps fill his days after the passing of his beloved wife. The fact that Cushing himself had lost his dear Helen after nearly 30 years of marriage (this was the first film he had done after a several month break to mourn) gives the scene of Arthur trying to talk to his wife via a “spirit board” an extra emotional heft. Unfortunately, the across the street neighbor lusts after his property and begins a campaign  to get Arthur to vacate. The sequences of him losing his dog, his job, and his young “mates” (the helpful neighbor invited the local “mums” to tea and warn them about that “filthy old man”) are wrenching. The final straw is on Valentines Day as Arthur is stunned to receive a bundle of cards from the postman. But each one contains a cruel, taunting poem, courtesy of said neighbor. Your veins may be full of ice water if you aren’t moved by Cushing’s excellent work here. He goes from euphoric to bewildered to deflated in just a few seconds of screen time as he reads them aloud. This pushes him over the edge and sets up one of the film’s greatest images after a flash forward as the year-old corpse of Grimsdyke claws out of the grave. Kudos to make-up master Roy Ashton in giving us a ghoul worthy of original comic artist “Ghastly” Graham Ingles. Arthur’s sublime rhyme crime (couldn’t resist) is a memorable capper to the segment. Prior to this film we knew that Cushing could shiver our spines, but with this superb performance he proved he could also touch our hearts.

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  • 5. Sherlock Holmes

In 1959, riding high with their successes reviving Frankenstein and Dracula, Hammer Studios turned to one of the greatest detective stories ever written, A. Conan Doyle’s THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES.  It is said that the Sherlock Holmes character has been filmed more than any other, so it probably seemed like a grand idea to employ the formidable resources of Hammer to bring arguably the best Holmes story to life.  The result was not only one of the best Hammer films, but also one of the best Sherlock Holmes movies of all time.  Hammer brought their A-team to film the tale; director Terrence Fisher had already helmed Hammer’s reboots of Dracula and Frankenstein, with the Mummy soon to follow.  Hammer’s dynamic duo of Cushing and Christopher Lee signed on to play Holmes and Sir Henry Baskerville, respectively.  Add to these credits Hammer’s stable of production personnel, and the result is a prime example of the studio in its glory days, with a sumptuous musical score, outstanding sets and costumes, and atmospheric cinematography—the first Holmes story ever filmed in color.  While some of the original book’s details were modified to augment the more Gothic and horrific elements of the story, the movie as a whole is a faithful adaptation.  For his part, Lee was given the rare opportunity to play a romantic lead, which he relished—especially given the beauty of his costar, Marla Landi.   Lee also once remarked that a difference between he and Cushing—and perhaps a key to their onscreen chemistry—was that he used a more economical style of acting, whereas Cushing was more energetic.  Lee never moved or made an action unless it was necessary to the performance, while Cushing utilized constant motion and activity to enhance his portrayals.  This quality serves Cushing well as Holmes, whether he is gesturing or walking about a room, he is in constant motion to show that a brilliant mind is capable of attending to both physical and mental chores with equal acuity.  Cushing also uses his physical presence to display Holmes’ sometimes aggressive nature, by standing a bit too close to other characters when interrogating them.  Cushing is so immersed in the portrayal that he doesn’t need to resort to disguises and subterfuge to gain an advantage in this investigation.  Cushing is at times rude, reticent, or overbearing to not only accentuate the eccentricity of the classic character, but also to fool the audience into believing a character trait when the opposite is true.  Unfortunately, audiences at the time were possibly oversaturated with Holmes, and the film fared poorly at the box office (the classic Basil Rathbone portrayals of Holmes were still relatively fresh, with the last Rathbone Holmes  film released just a dozen years before Hammer’s version, to say nothing of the numerous 1950s television portrayals by Rathbone and others).  As a result, a planned series of Holmes films starring Cushing never materialized.  This is sad news for movie lovers, because with his precise diction, hat, and pipe, it’s elementary that Cushing was one of the very best incarnations of the world’s greatest detective.

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  • 4. Gustav Weil

“The Gentleman of Horror” may be best known to fright fans as Baron Von Frankenstein or Dracula’s nemesis Van Helsing, but Cushing created just as memorable of a character with the terrifying Gustav Weil. The Hammer film TWINS OF EVIL arrived later in the British studio’s run of classic horror films. It’s considered the first in a loose trilogy of films called The Karnstein Trilogy; all of which stem from the erotic vampire novel CARMILLA. The family of vampires featured in the series is known for their ability to be able to walk around in the daylight and for their insatiable lust for the female flesh. Eliminating lesbian vampires is no easy task, but Gustav Weil’s main objective in TWINS OF EVIL is precisely that. In all seriousness though, Cushing plays the puritanical leader of a religious order called “The Brotherhood” with maniacal zeal and brutal intensity.  You would hate the character all the more if it weren’t for a few scenes where you see that he may actually have a heart underneath his questionable ‘rule with an iron fist’ demeanor.  He says to his wife in one scene, “I have tried always to be a good man.”  Her response speaks to the essence of the character: Yes . . . you have tried. The character of Gustav Weil only appeared in TWINS OF EVIL. Cushing was meant to play a different vampire killer in all three of the Karnstein films but had to bow out of LUST FOR A VAMPIRE due to his wife’s illness and subsequent passing.  It’s been widely discussed by some of his costars that Cushing was nothing more than a kind gentleman on the set between scenes.  That kindness is nowhere to be found on-screen in Cushing’s take on the evilness that can reside in religious fervor.

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  • 3. Grand Moff Tarkin

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away . . . . Peter Cushing portrayed one of the most intimidating figures in the galactic universe. Not just anybody can raise his or her voice to the supremely evil Darth Vader and scold him for force-choking someone. But that is exactly what Grand Moff Tarkin does in his very first scene in George Lucas’ original sci-fi classic. With his never changing stern expression and icy stare, Cushing commands every scene he’s in, which is actually only a handful of short scenes in the entire 121 minute film. Lucas was originally thinking that Cushing would play the part of Obi -Wan Kenobi – a part eventually given to Sir Alec Guinness – before having him play the small but integral role of a General in the Galactic Empire and commander of the Death Star. His prescience is felt on the Death Star as he plays a central part in the interrogation of Princess Leia. The character has become so popular with fans of the STAR WARS series that a younger version of him can be seen in EPISODE III- REVENGE OF THE SITH and for THE CLONE WARS animated tv series. Outside of his horror films with Hammer Studios, many remember Cushing the most for this small but pivotal role.  Who needs more than 10 minutes of actual screen time when you get to deliver such juicy lines as, “We will then crush the rebellion with one swift stroke.”

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  • 2. Professor Van Helsing

Peter Cushing’s signature role aside from the obsessed corpse-stealing Baron (who was really more of a monster than any of his experiments) was this horror hero created by Bram Stoker. Cushing essayed some version of vampire slayer Van Helsing in five films, as opposed to his six outings as the demented doctor. Let’s start with the first and best outing, 1958’s HORROR OF DRACULA. This is a more dynamic slayer than Edward Van Sloan’s slow-moving professor who faced Bela Lugosi in the 1931 DRACULA. Cushing gives us a determined crusader who’s not intimidated by the locals as he searches for Harker in 1885. Later we get a bit of whimsy as his servant is confused by Van Helsing’s use of an early version of a dictaphone (“I thought you were talking to someone” “Yes, I was talking to m’self”). But he’s all business as he meets the Holmwoods and see that Harker’s fiancée Lucy has been visited by the Count. Later the doctor is in full action hero mode as he swoops in to save Arthur and his little daughter Tania from a deadly kiss from his undead sister (love the cross searing into her forehead!). Then there’s the softer side of our hero as he gently comforts the shaken child ( Giving her a cross necklace “Will you wear this pretty thing?’ and bundling her up in his coat “You look like a Teddy bear”). But his best (and most physical) work is saved for the film’s fabulous finale. After a furious horse carriage chase, Van Helsing finds Count Dracula (Christopher Lee) attempting to hide from the approaching dawn. The two struggle and the doctor appears to pass out from the Count’s vise-like grip. But as the vampire leans in, fangs ready to strike, Van Helsing’s eyes burst open (ah, playing possum!). He’s able to push the fiend off of him, hop on to a long table, and leap to a curtain (like a classic film swashbuckler), ripping it away to reveal the streaming sunlight. But that’s not all! As Dracula tries to crawl away from those killing rays, Van Helsing stops him in his tracks by grabbing a pair of candlestick holders and using them as a cross to keep him at bay. Supposedly Cushing himself came up with many of the stunts, making for one of Hammer’s most thrilling hits (I saw it while home from school sick, catching it on the local TV morning move. I was practically bouncing off the walls during the last moments, adrenaline destroying that flu bug!). Of course, the studio would have to make a sequel, but it didn’t feature the Count (Lee wouldn’t don the cape and teeth again for several more years). Instead 1960’s THE BRIDES OF DRACULA stars Cushing once again as Abraham Van Helsing who tracks down a disciple of Dracula, Baron Meinster. We get to see the doctor early on as an almost fatherly figure to the innocent Marianne, the Baron’s intended victim. In order to protect her, he must do his job, first having to dispatch the tragic mother of the Baron (she actually tries to hide her fangs). The film’s high point is the big throw-down between the doctor and Meinster. But this has a much different outcome than the battle from the last film. Thanks in part to his crazed, still human, servant Greta, the Baron knocks out the doctor and bites him! When Van Helsing awakes, he sees the throat marks in a mirror. Cushing registers shock, despair, and resignation within seconds of his realization. But then his determination kicks in as he grabs a horseshoe maker’s tool from a blazing brazier (the fight was in a stable) and sears it into the wound. Before he passes out once more, he splashes his smoldering neck with holy water. The bite marks disappear and Van Helsing recovers in time to destroy Meinster using a windmill.  It would be a dozen years before Cushing would return as the doctor in DRACULA A.D. 1972. This entry veers away from Hammer’s series as it opens in 1872 with  Lawrence (?) Van Helsing and Dracula battling on top of a careening stagecoach. When it crashes, the Count (Lee again) is impaled on a broken wagon wheel. The doctor uses all of his strength to push Dracula on to the spikes, before he dies of his injuries. In the then modern year of 1972, the vampire lord is resurrected and sets his sights on Jessica, granddaughter of Professor Lorrimer (Cushing ) Van Helsing. The film focuses on the current “grooovey” trappings and gives Cushing little to do until the big rescue finale. The intervening years had taken a toll on the actor, and besides the opening sequence, there’s little action work. But the prof would be back next year in THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA with Jessica now a member of the British Secret Service  investigating an occult high society club and a plot by Drac to unleash a new plague (is he trying to destroy his own food supply?). Again, Cushing is kept out of much of the pseudo 007-style action until he must, once again, rescue his granddaughter from Drac in the big finale. The film’s highlight may be a conversation between Lorrimer and the mysterious D.D. Denham who is, in reality,the Count. In order to keep up the ruse, a harsh light is trained on the prof”s eyes while Dracula speaks in a heavy accent (Lee almost seems to be mimicking Lugosi). It was back to the past for Cushing’s final slayer role in the following year’s THE LEGEND OF THE 7 GOLDEN VAMPIRES. This co-production between Hammer and Hong Kong’s Shaw Brothers Studio set in 1904 finds him as Professor Lawrence Van Helsing (could he be the son of Abraham? A nephew?) enlisted to help a rural village in China destroy the title menace. Cushing stays out of most of  the martial arts mayhem (yup, it’s the first kung-fu vampire flick), but goes into action in the final moments when it’s revealed that Kah the High Priest behind the seven is really (of course) Count Dracula in disguise. But Lee bowed out of this hybrid and actor John Forbes-Robertson is on the receiving end of Cushing’s spear. In five films over the course of sixteen years, Peter Cushing made this unstoppable adversary of evil one of the movies’ most dynamic, enduring heroes.

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  • 1. Doctor Frankenstein

While Peter Cushing mastered the role of hero with his portrayals of Dr. Van Helsing, it was his performances as the villainous Baron Victor Frankenstein that launched him to horror film immortality. Over the course of six films for Hammer studios, all but one directed by Terence Fisher, Cushing showed how a man can evolve into something truly evil because he is obsessed with the desire to bring life back to a corpse. In CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1957), the Doctor embarks on his life-long quest to be the first human being to create life. But, as in the sequels, the real monster is Victor Frankenstein, a man who becomes consumed first by ambition, then arrogance, and eventually madness. Cushing’s portrayal of Frankenstein however, makes this monster personable and likable – the viewer almost wishes at times that he succeeds in the end. Although Baron Frankenstein seemed to pay for his sins against man and nature with his life at the end of the first film, Hammer and director Fisher nonetheless managed to save him for the intelligently written and solidly directed sequel THE REVENGE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1958). Assuming a new identity and becoming the director of a hospital for the poor, he builds a body for his crippled assistant (Michael Gwynn) from parts plucked from his patients. Unfortunately, body battles mind for supremacy and transforms the man into a shuffling, murderous cannibal. Cushing plays the Baron much more heroically and makes him less villainous than in Curse, however he doesn’t take the edge away. In THE EVIL OF FRANKENSTEIN (1963 – the only film in the series not helmed by Terence Fisher but by Freddie Francis) the monster (Kiwi Kingston) is a flat-top Karloff clone that lumbers about and growls a lot.  Although not as memorable as Christopher Lee’s creature in CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN, this monster does give Mr. Cushing plenty of opportunity to use his athleticism.  The Baron chases, leaps on, and actually tangles with this beast, at one point using a burning lamp to fend him off. Many of the movie’s trappings are lifted directly from the Universal Frankenstein series— the monster frozen in ice, the return to the ransacked castle, the exploding lab at the movie’s end, making the film seems like an anomaly in the Hammer series. FRANKENSTEIN CREATED WOMAN (1967) is one of the most unusual Hammer films. Although ostensibly a horror film, it is probably better described as a gothic romance and as such, it ranks among most intelligent of all Frankenstein films. Here the doctor isn’t creating a patchwork man, but instead a beautiful woman (played by tragic beauty Susan Denberg) and attempting to inhabit her body with a soul. The story is a peculiar one, but it has all the elements of a great gothic tale – dark secrets, tragic love, and ultimate justice. FRANKENSTEIN MUST BE DESTROYED (1969) is the one film where Peter Cushing plays the Baron as an utter villain – a blackmailer, rapist, murderer, and ruthless tyrant.  In order to continue his experiments, the Baron blackmails a young couple into helping him abduct a brilliant but mad brain surgeon from the lunatic asylum so that he can operate on him, cure his sanity and transplant his brain into another body. FRANKENSTEIN MUST BE DESTROYED is the most unpleasant, yet suspenseful film in the series.  In FRANKENSTEIN AND THE MONSTER FROM HELL (1973), Victor Frankenstein has shorn his old identity and taken control of an insane asylum that serves as a source of parts for his continuing experiments. With the help of a young medical student who has read Frankenstein’s 20-year-old texts on his early efforts, Frankenstein creates a creature (David Prowse) from parts of the inmates. The dark crowded asylum where the story takes place serves as the perfect mirror for Frankenstein’s mental state and Cushing’s intense and forceful performance of this man now lost in insanity is mesmerizing. Although Hammer Studios was in its waning days, this final reunion for Cushing and Terence Fisher, who together launched Hammer’s gothic dynasty with CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN, was a worthy end to their collaborations.

Peter Cushing in FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE Now Available on Blu-ray from Warner Archives

Peter Cushing in FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE (1974) is now Available on Blu-ray from Warner Archives

Bolt the door, lower the lights and settle in for a stylish five-episode supernatural shocker possessed of a shivery all-star cast and drenched in evil. Welcome to Temptations Ltd., a decrepit antique shop whose unwary customers get more than they bargain for from the wily proprietor (Peter Cushing). Much more. Go to the head of the horror class if you can predict who’ll join the ranks of the doomed from among this role call of distinguished British actors: Ian Bannen, Ian Carmichael, Diana Dors, Lesley-Anne Down, Margaret Leighton, Donald Pleasence, Nyree Dawn Porter, David Warner and more. A mirror. A medal. A snuff box. An ornate door. All unleash novelty surprises for the characters – and you – in these wickedly horrific tales From Beyond the Grave.

Amicus Productions classic horror portmanteau makes its Blu-ray disc debut just in time for the horror-days! Bolt the door, lower the lights and settle in for a stylish five-episode supernatural shocker possessed of a shivery all-star cast and drenched in evil. Welcome to Temptations Ltd., a decrepit antique shop whose unwary customers get more than they bargain for from the wily proprietor (Peter Cushing). A mirror. A medal. A snuff box. An ornate door. All unleash novelty surprises for the characters in these wickedly horrific tales featuring an all-star ensemble of the doomed including Ian Bannen, Ian Carmichael, Diana Dors, Lesley-Anne Down, Margaret Leighton, Nyree Dawn Porter, David Warner and Donald Pleasence – and now the shocks and shivers come supercharged thanks to the horrific beauty of stunning High Definition! 16×9 Widescreen

HORROR EXPRESS – The Blu Review


Review by Roger Carpenter

At first glance, Horror Express wouldn’t seem to be the type of film a company such as Arrow Video USA would release.  Sure, it’s a European horror film and sure, it’s a bit of a cult film as well.  But the film has had so many budget VHS, DVD, and Blu releases one can’t help but wonder why Arrow would give it any special treatment.

Until you see the film itself.

Horror Express, directed by Spanish journeyman director Eugenio Martin, has two things going for it that many films of this ilk don’t: it’s a well-made, rip-roaring adventure yarn and it’s also much more than a low budget horror offering.

Though the film was made on a very low budget, Director Martin had already had enough experience with low budgets to know how to produce a quality film with few resources.  First and foremost, the story needed to be strong.  Perhaps borrowing some ideas from the classic sci-fi tale Who Goes There?, the scriptwriters created an unsettling atmosphere by using a monster capable of shifting to different bodies as the need arose, thus keeping the passengers guessing as to who exactly was offing them.  Setting the story on a train zipping along the frozen tundra of Siberia essentially trapped the passengers, sealing them into a relatively confined space, which lends the film an air of claustrophobia. This last plot device also allowed Martin to produce the film economically by using only two train cars.  While he filmed scenes in one car the other would be decorated by the set designers.  Once the crew moved to the second car, the set designers then redressed the first car, and so on, as various types of cars—sleeping, eating, storage—were needed.

Not done with the plotline yet, Martin also threw in elements of many genres such as science fiction, mystery/thrillers, romance, and even spy films.  While the result could have been an uneven mishmash of genres which would only serve to confuse audiences, the reality was that each element was perfectly balanced and the actual result was a wildly entertaining little gem that kept audiences on their toes. There is even an army of the undead, controlled by the monster, which rise up and attack the train passengers!  This genre mixing can really muddle a film.  Yet, despite this, Martin manages to concoct a fun and entertaining little film that rattles along just like the train rattles along the tracks.  Though a turn of the century period film, the movie still seems fresh even today, 45 years after its release.  It has the feel of a classic Hammer film.

Gore effects are minimal but were very likely shocking back in 1972, including autopsies which expose the (very unrealistic rubber) brains of some of the victims as well as close-ups of a needle drawing fluid from an actual eyeball, ostensibly human but very likely from a cow or a pig.  While they sound lurid, by today’s standards these effects don’t shock.  The musical score is also strong and features a haunting lullaby-like motif which is repeated throughout the film—even by characters who whistle the tune.

Christopher Lee stars as Sir Alexander Saxton, a British scientist who discovers a two million-year-old fossil which could prove to be the Missing Link.  Discovered in the icy mountains of Manchuria, Saxton must first get the fossil back to England via the Trans-Siberian Express before attempting to unlock its mysteries.  Lee’s real-life friend and collaborator Peter Cushing costars as Dr. Wells, a somewhat more amiable type compared to Saxton’s pompous personality.  Wells and Saxton seem to be rivals and Wells would dearly love to know what’s in the box Saxton so zealously protects.  Supporting characters who mix it up with Saxton and Wells on their long journey through the Siberian wasteland include Count Petrovski (Jorge Rigaud) and his lovely bride Countess Petrovski (Silvia Tortosa), their spiritual adviser Father Pujardov (Alberto de Mendoza), and the beautiful stowaway Natasha (Helga Line).  Telly Savalas makes an appearance as Captain Kazan, leader of the Cossack soldiers who board the train during the journey.

Using the savings created by recycling and redressing the two train cars, Martin was able to hire a solid European cast for the film.  Of course, Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing were the primary stars, and readers likely won’t need an introduction to these two iconic actors.  However, others including Albert de Mendoza and Helga Line, were experienced actors in European genre films.  For example, de Mendoza had previously been in gialli like The Case of the Scorpion’s Tail and A Lizard in a Woman’s Skin as well as spaghetti westerns the likes of A Bullet for Sandoval while Line had appeared in pepla (Goliath at the Conquest of Damascus), horror (Nightmare Castle), spaghetti westerns (at least one Sartana sequel), and gialli like So Sweet…So Perverse and My Dear Killer.  And, of course one cannot forget about a pre-Kojak Telly Savalas, here playing a coarse and arrogant soldier who ultimately gets his proper comeuppance. To say the primary cast is strong is an understatement.

Unbeknownst to the train passengers, the “fossil” riding along with them is not made of stone, but flesh and blood, and merely frozen and awaiting warmer temperatures.  As the creature thaws out, it patiently plots its chance to escape, which arrives when Dr. Wells bribes a Russian official to take a peek in the box.  This allows the creature its freedom and mayhem ensues on the train.

Of course, the bonus here is that one can actually see the film as it looked upon its original release.  No more cheap, dark and muddy copies.  Thankfully Arrow has done a brand new 2K restoration from the original film elements, so Horror Express has never looked so good.  And, as per usual, Arrow includes many special features including an audio commentary, an introduction by super fan and Fangoria editor Chris Alexander, and several short documentaries including an interview with director Martin, a discussion about being blacklisted in the McCarthy Era by producer Bernard Gordon, and an interview with composer John Cacavas, who became close friends with Savalas as a result of this film and went on to score all four seasons of Kojak.

Horror Express is a terrific little film. Genre fans probably know it well, and will appreciate the new transfer as well as the additional material while potential new fans will discover what many of us have already known for decades. This film is now available for purchase at Amazon or you can purchase the film directly from Arrow Video at http://www.arrowfilms.co.uk/category/usa/.

 

Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee in THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN Screening at Webster University February 7th – ‘Grave Tales’


“I’ve harmed nobody, just robbed a few graves!”


The ‘Grave Tales’ Horror film series continues at Webster University Thursday February 7th with a screening of the groundbreaking Hammer Horror classic THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1957) starring Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. The screening will be at Webster University’s Moore Auditorium (470 East Lockwood). The movie starts at 7:30. A Facebook invite for the event can be found HERE. Look for more coverage of the  ‘Grave Tales’ Horror film series here at We Are Movie Geeks in the coming weeks.


Having enjoyed success with the sci-fi horror film THE QUATERMASS XPERIMNET (1955), the Hammer studio was eager to further exploit the apparent appeal of darker content. In the early ‘60s, horror cinema had mostly gone out of fashion, with the popular big-screen monsters now being of scientific or outer space origin. After Quatermass’ success, Hammer decided to resurrect the Frankenstein property, it being the blueprint fiction work for science leading to terror. The tragic creature of Mary Shelley’s creation had become a figure of mockery by the time of its 1948 encounter with Abbott and Costello, but Universal still held copyright despite the property’s apparent lack of profitability. As such, the script of Hammer’s reboot had to have as little to do with both Universal’s films and Shelley’s original novel as possible.


Hammer’s resulting film, THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN, is far closer to the gothic tone of Shelley’s source, replacing James Whale’s almost fairytale-like aesthetic with a mid-Victorian Switzerland of elaborate sets, and playing up the gruesome meticulousness of Victor Frankenstein’s experimentation. The film also differed from the previous Hammer horror, swapping monochrome for striking Eastmancolor. Director Terence Fisher’s film revels in blood reds and lurid greens that breathe life into the grisliness. Don’t miss your chance to see it all on the big screen February 7th.

Admission is:

$7 for the general public
$6 for seniors, Webster alumni and students from other schools
$5 for Webster University staff and faculty

Free for Webster students with proper I.D.

Advance tickets are available from the cashier before each screening or contact the Film Series office (314-246-7525) for more options. The Film Series can only accept cash or check.

Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee in HORROR EXPRESS Available on Blu-ray From Arrow Video February 12th

       
HORROR EXPRESS starring Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee will be available on Blu-ray From Arrow Video February 12th


Horror royalty and Hammer alumni Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee reunite for this tale of mad monks, primitive humanoids and bloodthirsty zombies set aboard a train bound for Moscow all aboard the Horror Express!


Renowned anthropologist Saxton (Lee) boards the Trans-Siberian Express with a crate containing the frozen remains of a primitive humanoid which, he believes, may prove to be the missing link in human evolution. But all hell breaks loose when the creature thaws out, turning out to be not quite as dead as once thought!


Directed by Spanish filmmaker Eugenio Martin, Horror Express remains one for the most thrilling (and, quite literally!) chilling horror efforts of the early 1970s.


SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS

  • Brand new 2K restoration from original film elements
  • High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
  • Original Uncompressed mono audio
  • Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
  • Brand new audio commentary with Stephen Jones and Kim Newman
  • Introduction to the film by film journalist and Horror Express super-fan Chris Alexander
  • Murder on the Trans-Siberian Express an interview with director Eugenio Martin
  • Notes from the Blacklist Horror Express producer Bernard Gordon on working in Hollywood during the McCarthy Era
  • Telly and Me an interview with composer John Cacavas
  • Original Theatrical Trailer
  • Reversible sleeve featuring newly commissioned artwork by Graham Humphreys
  • FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Fully-illustrated collector s booklet with new writing by Adam Scovell

 

Seminal Hammer Horror! HORROR OF DRACULA Available on Blu-ray December 18th From Warner Archives


Exciting news for fans of Hammer Horror! HORROR OF DRACULA (1958) is available on Blu-ray December 18th from Warner Archives. Ordering information can be found HERE


Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing, Britain’s premier masters of the macabre, bring the Horror of Dracula to vivid, full-color death in this retelling of Bram Stoker’s spellbinding vampire tale. Dracula (Lee), a centuries-old Transylvanian nobleman damned to an eternal half-life, regularly finds new victims. He also finds Dr. Van Helsing (Cushing), a scientist who becomes the Count’s implacable foe in a deadly game of bat-and-mouse.The dread is here – as are the power and pathos of this genre landmark by which Hammer Studios ushered in a new era of screen chills from classic evildoers. Tremble through that era again. Unleash the horror.


Fresh off The Curse of Frankenstein, Christopher Lee began his iconic run as the Prince of Darkness alongside fellow Hammer Horror-mate Peter Cushing in this scarlet and ebon tinged full color adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Cushing plays the valiant Dr. Van Helsing who sets off on a vampire hunt after Dracula turns his friend into a bloodsucker leading to a climax that is as electrifying as it is horrific. Terence Fisher directs a chilling Lee, setting a blueprint for New Cinema horror that would last well into the swinging seventies. And the blood runs redder than ever before thanks to this brand-new presentation, sourced from the British Film Institute/Hammer Film restoration master, which bears the UK release title of “Dracula” in the opening credits. Also newly remastered on DVD! 16×9 Widescreen

 

Hammer Horror! THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA Now Available on Blu-ray from Warner Archives


Transfers of the final Peter Cushing/Christopher Lee Dracula collaboration (which I saw at the theater in 1978 under the title COUNT DRACULA AND HIS VAMPIRE BRIDES) have always looked like unholy Hell, but Hammer Horror fans will be relieved to know that has been remedied thanks to Warner Archives. Ordering information for their THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA Blu-ray can be found HERE


THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA is finally available in this transfer that George R. Reis at DVD Drive-In calls “a revelation….A new 2018 HD transfer was utilized here, presenting the film in 1080p in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio. The film nicely opens with the original 1970s era Warner logo; detail is primarily sharp and the image is extremely clean. The bold color palette and color separation shine here, with the filmic grain levels remaining attractively consistent yet never obtrusive. Black levels are properly deep, textures are precise, and the extra level of detail not seen before in standard definition transfers really adds something” (read all of George’s review HERE)


Christopher Lee’s final Dracula performance wings its way on lush leathery batwings thanks to this new high definition transfer that serves up these satanic rites as  never been seen. A dying man’s report of a ritual black mass stirs Britain’s security chief into action and a mansion filled with young vampire girls is soon discovered. This is only the first layer of a labyrinth of horror. Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee pair up for the final Hammer Dracula in this follow-up to Dracula AD 1972. In this go-round, the Count (Christopher Lee, naturally) pursues a more pulpish super-villainous playbook, posing as a millionaire industrialist, alive and well and living in London while secretly brewing up a batch of super-plague in a quest to destroy the world. Mixing Satanists, spies, and Sci-Fi the viewer is glad that Peter Cushing is on hand to solidly anchor the more outré elements as the effortlessly expositioning Dr. Van Helsing. Lee, in turn, is given more dialogue as Dracula than is the norm, and ratchets up the evil to the nth degree. Joanna Lumley (Absolutely Fabulous) co-stars. Also known as Dracula and his Vampire Bride. 16×9 Widescreen.