Lee and Cushing in Second Life

Just for the fun of it:
Hammer Horror of Dracula, final battle scene, played out in Second life.
Both Peter C and Sir Christopher is fairly recognizable.
Action starts att 1:20

I know who I'd fall for, anyway

"But I've got the cash/ And that tie is too wide..."

 

That odd little fellow

Who indeed?

More singing

Just. Listen. To. This. Voice.

In Russian as well. I am fainting.

I am a huge fan of Russian opera. When I lived in St.Petersburg I went to operas and ballets every single weekend. Boris Godunov by Rimsky-Korsakov (about 17th century Russia) is one of the most mighty operas you can experience in a Russian opera house.

For me, to hear Sir Christopher Lee sing this part is more than epic. It is mindblowing!!!

Basically, as you all can hear without knowing any Russian at all, the tsar (Lee sings his part) is going quite mad. In his inner mind he is seeing the ghosts of a young prince that he suppousedly has killed.

I LOVE THIS!!!

It is from the album - Christopher Lee sings Devils, Rogues & other Villains -
from Broadway to Bayreuth and beyond. Very difficult to come across, I have understood. But I just have to find it and buy it.

Thank you to whomever put this out on You Tube.

1941

Ha! Watching 1941. It is sooo much better than I remember!

Release-night it was shredded by the critics, but this is wonderful, just absolute mayhem!

In the extra material the creators and Spielberg remembers how disastrous the showing-night was, a pure "humiliation". "When you experience something like that, you know it's for a purpose". At the pre-showings, Spielberg remembers, the audience sat with their ears covered. Covering eyes, that he had seen, but covering ears... "I realised I was in hot water by then!"

Loud? By todays' standards that is just nuts. 

I  love the scenes from the sub. Lee speaking German, Mifune Japanese. Characters hating eachother, a great deal of slapstick. A great scene of his was cut from the final film:

When they have captured Hollis and brought him to the sub, they want him to talk. Lee comes in with an instrument in his hands, chains and all, to make us associate to a torturing device. After leaving the room, he puts it together into a coat-hanger.

 That scene was cut from 1941 since the audience didn't laugh, but Spielberg filmed it many times over in other films, and eventually it ended up in Indiana Jones.

In Tall, Dark and Gruesome, edition of 1999, Christopher Lee writes: "Now 1941 has become a cult movie, a phrase that covers the a multitude of sins on the part of critics and distributors, meaning that years pass before they get the point and the audience is given a proper chance.

Once we'd all arrived in vintage 1941 cars at the Los Angeles premiere, 1941 had the stickiest of all sticky starts. At the end of the showing there was a rare and peculiar silence. Next day the critics seized their chance to flay Steven, their golden boy. I've never seen such harsh reviews."

And that must say a lot.

Sir Lee on BBC

An interview from June 8, this year, on Sir Lee and the fact that he is releasing a second metal-album. He sounds a bit tired, but what can you expect. The man is over 90 and counting.
He is astounding! And the nutters are trying to make him headbang. Show some respect, will you!

Disappointed!!

A few weeks ago, I got a mail from Amazon.com, expressing regrets over the fact that my Scars of Dracula-DVD (With special bonusmaterial Many faces of Christopher Lee, wich was the reason I bought it in the first place) was taking too long to deliver.
You are damned right, I thought.

Got it today.
Do you think it works when I put it in my DVD-player?
It never loads. Just chews and out it comes again. Return to Amazon.
:-€

Bitter Victory

Bitter Victory (1957) with Richard Burton. Filmed between Curse of Frankenstein and Horror of Dracula. Synopsis as follows: A romantic triangle between one female and two male caracters in the film. It culminates in murder and is set against the background of the North African campaign in WWII.

Lee comments: "The only film I ever worked on in the whole of my life that I instantly wanted to leave after one day of shooting. A nightmare - there's no other word for it. Everybody got the parts they either didn't want or somebody else wanted. I was told all the time not to bring any British Army nonsense into my part. It was very strange."

You can see Lee in this clip - right at the start and then some.

A very small but growing collection...

From left to right:

Gremlins2, Rasputin the Mad Monk, Face of Fu Manchu, Hamlet, Count Dracula (Jess Franco's) Whip and the Body (uncut version) The Mummy, Curse of Frankenstein (love, love love it), Horror of Dracula, Dracula has risen..., and Taste the Blood of...

I am not really a horror buff, but I can't help but absolutely love Hammer films. Thank you for all sorts of nice response!

And this is another favorite collection of mine. All the classics from Universal. Frankenstein, The Invisible Man, Phantom of the Opera, The Mummy, Dracula, The Wolfman, The Creature of the Black Lagoon, The Bride of Frankenstein.

Another signing...

And I still wished I could have been there! This is California, mind you, so that might not have been possible. But at least at some signing!! From 1998.

How time flies

Dear god! Whilst checking trough my rather small VHS (!!!) collection today, I found these four gems. A pity I don't have a VHS-recorder anymore. Every household should be equipped with one!

I notice that the VHS-copy of Rasputin the Mad Monk is released in 1995 and by then costed a small fortune, I must say. Difficult to come across in Sweden, so when I saw it I did a happy dance and bought it on spot, despite the price. This was waaaaayyyy before amazon.com, mind you!

The Face of Fu Manchu is undoubtedly bought in London since those films never has been very known in Scandinavia except with nuts like myself. Can't say that Fu Manchu is one of my favourite figures. The evil genius spot in my brain was already taken by Moriarty. And I have some difficulties with this asian make-up thing.

Hamlet - I am sure you all know that Sir Lee had a miniscule role in this film. I can honestly say this was the *only* reason why I bought this film. Hamlet - well yeah, nice to have since I studied film for a short while. And of course Olivier is brilliant. But ... that was not the reason to buy it. You can actually see Sir Christopher flicker by if you don't blink. And the voice is there.

The last but not least: Gremlins 2 - The new Batch. That film was together with TMWTGG one of the easiest to come across with Lee as I was a teenager. Dr. Catheter! Whoever came up with that name? "I can give you diseases! You would like that, wouldn't you?!"

Thankfully I had some friends that was as nutty as I was, so we loved this film together. We all loved Lee.

Additional note: I know I do have the Man With The Golden Gun as well on VHS. Now where is that one?! Have to find it.

Beyond Mombasa

The film Beyond Mombasa was released in 1956 – the year before Curse of Frankenstein and international breakthrough. It is one of the first where Sir Lee has a proper role, he writes himself in Films of Christopher Lee.

He is a white hunter, Gil Rossi. He and the main character, Matt Campbell, is competing over the same woman, and at the same time leaves for the African jungle to discover an old mine. Matt Cambpell suspects the mine to contain uranium.

I thoroughly enjoy Lee in theese early roles. While he later on sometimes seems a bit constrained in his acting, this is a role of a womanizer and a charmer. He always does those types very easygoing and believable.

I can't help but find it utterly strange that he did not play roles like Casanova at a young age and made his breakthrough in that genre - but instead ended up in the horrorbox.

He always points out that he was too tall. Maybe that is it. I just find it very odd indeed. I don't think the filmindustry really realised his full potential at this time. Perhaps it never did, until he made his "comeback" if one might say so, after the millenium.

The house that dripped blood...

... and it drips of stars as well! My gosh! Cushing, Lee, Josh Ackland (at a young age) and Denholm Elliot (Raiders of the lost Ark amongst other films, more than 200 of them.)
Lee is in the second part of the film. Nice feeling to it. Love Cushing in his dream-sequence.
From 1971.

"That's what's wrong with present day horror films! There is no realism! Not like the old ones - the great ones!  Frankenstein, Phantom of the Opera, Dracula... The one with Bela Lugosi of course, not this new fellow!"

Fact: The horrorfilmstar-part was written for Lee, but was played by another actor. Just as well, one might add. That part of the film is the weakest. They ought to have cut it out. I think.

"A Giant among Actors"

Read an interview in The Times here, on Sir Christopher Lee and his service during WWII, and his view on EU, amongst other things. I am probably too much of a product of my post-89 generation (I was a teenager then) to agree on his views.
Vivid and intelligent interview.

Additional note: A reader of this blog has informed me that there are difficulties reading this text, are you not a subscriber. I am sorry for any inconvenience. The article is called Christopher Lee: A giant among actors, and was published 20th November, 2009. You can find it at the journalist's own webpage.

Thank you for tips!

25 minutes of Lee on The Wicker Man!

A somewhat blurry video, a 25 minutes of interview with Sir Lee and Robin Hardy on The Wicker Man! I am SO incredibly PLEASED to have found this interview! 

"A brilliant and incredible film - and I don't use those words lightly." - Sterling Smith on "Critic's Choise"

Title sequence - TMTGG

"To us, Mister Bond. We are the best!"

He has a powerful weapon
He charges a million a shot,
An assassin that's second to none,
The man with the golden gun.

Lurking in some darkened doorway,
Or crouched on a roof top somewhere,
In the next room, or this very one
The man with the golden gun.

Love is required whenever he's hired,
It comes just before the kill.
No-one can catch him, no hit man can match him
For his million dollar skill.

One golden shot means another poor victim,
Has come to a glittering end,
For a price, he'll erase anyone
The man with the golden gun.

His eye may be on you or me.
Who will he bang?
We shall see. Oh yeah!

Love is required whenever he's hired,
It comes just before the kill.
No-one can catch him, no hit man can match him
For his million dollar skill.

One golden shot means another poor victim,
Has come to a glittering end,
If you want to get rid of someone,
The man with the golden gun
Will get it done
He'll shoot anyone
With his golden gun!


 

"If you want to get rid of someone..."

Lulu sings The Man With The Golden Gun, 1975.
Lyrics here.
 

This could have been the theme song

Alice Coope wrote an opening song to The Man With The Golden Gun.

It was never used. Thank God for that!!!

Some golden music

If you are a Mac-person - here is a link to buy the music from The Man With The Golden Gun. "Nick Nack! Tabasco!!!"

He looks slightly uneasy

Ha! This came by air mail today. It is a big one! 24X36 or 60cmX90cm.
The package was said "not to contain any dangerous articles..." which is pretty hilarious.

And it is printed on proper Fuji-paper! Now what am I to do with that? Stick it in the family album? "Mom, dad grandmother ... Forget about that dark dude... brother..."

Never mind, I love it. Welcome to my house. Enter freely. Don't forget to put those skates on, the ice is treacherous! Oh... Well then, hope you can swim! No?

The King of all cult movies

I have this special edition of The Wicker Man, (1973) containing both the uncut verision, such as the film should have been - and the theatrical version. This is the King of all cult movies, and damn it, it is scary. "OH GOD! OH JESUS CHRIST" makes my flesh crawl. That seargants howling on the top of that hill is horrendous. Call me a whimp, but that is the way it is.

First time I saw the film (about ten years ago) I felt I had taken part in something extremely disturbing. I havn't seen it since.

When I resaw it last night, that aha-surprise moment was gone, but the feelings of taking part in something I shouldn't have, was still there. "A martyrs death" - and by that white shirt we all know: This is going to be bloody awful.

The most creeping feeling is the realisation that these people don't see anything good or anything evil in anything - it just is. The set of values we otherwise take for granted (You shall not kill) is simply just not there. Not because the people are evil or overpowered by an evil demon, but because they have learned other things.

Sometimes this film is described as a film about a sect, and sure, you could see it like that. You should't be too political about these things, but in this day and age someone could very well see it as a symbol of a downfall of the christan civlization.

I prefer just to watch Lord Summerisle in kilt and forget about all that.

Makes me less uneasy.


Additional note: 
My collectors number on that special edition box shown above is number 34380.
This guy has number 6000 something...

 

Give the man an Oscar!

 "La Cosa cine requests an Oscar for actor Christopher Lee.

Iconic performer of more than 200 film roles, Mr. Lee have been directed by some of the greatest filmmakers ever: Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Peter Jackson, Martin Scorsese, Terence Fisher, Tim Burton, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Richard Lester, Billy Wilder, Mario Bava, Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger, John Huston, Robert Siodmak, Raoul Walsh, Jesús Franco and Laurence Olivier.

From Shakespeare to Count Dracula, Christopher Lee played every kind of character in every genre. We ask the Academy of Motion Pictures (A.M.P.A.S) for this well deserved recognition to his actor career."

Agreed! Give the man an Oscar!

Sign the petition (started on 27th May, on Sir Christopher Lees birthday) here!

A warning!

Ok, don't say I didn't warn you. I feel obliged to.

This film from 1969 is quite horrendous. I know that some of my friends on Twitter disagree with me, but this film is a mess. Starts of really nicely, really eerie, then it is downhill from there.

When Lee finally gets into the picture, he acts like he is made of concrete and the plot is terrible. And the title The torture chamber of Dr Sadism sounds like it is a mad mans invention. Why not The snake pit and the pendulum, which it was named in other parts of Europe? As it actually has references to EA Poe.

Anyways. "Made a lot of money in Germany, but I would call it rather indifferent."

Mmhhmm.

"He has a powerful weapon..."

New exhibition in London. More than 400 items are shown.
James Bond props - and of course the Golden Gun! :-)
Opened last week at Barbican - goes on until September! ITN reports.

The Daily Mail reports here.

Golf with Fred Astaire

Sir Lee on the Alan Titchmarsch show - april 2009. 

His voice is like hearing a tiger talk. And - he golfed with Fred Astaire. 

Excuse me, but I think this man has met with all of the 20-th century, and then some.

"I will hate you forever" says Titchmarsch. 

"I don't play golf, but gosh, would I like to have met with Fred Astaire."

Well, there are some of us that'd like to be in your shoes, Titchmarsch...

Lovely interview on Wogan

"Chuck Norris is absolutely leathal. When you get in front of a camera with a man like that, its every man for himself, I can assure you!"

Mr Wogan actually looks a bit intimidated.

This is the song from Captain invincible, which Lee sings in the beginning of this interview, in full. Hold on, it is absoutely hysterical!!

Jinnah!

It was a miracle that this film was ever completed, due to the difficult political circumstances surrounding the filming. So states CL in his autobiography. The fight goes on in the You Tube commentars well. According to himself, one of the most imoportant movies he ever has done.

A proper legend!

A trailer on The Resident with Hillary Swank. Can't help to think that this is a description of a proper legend!

A look and a smile

The best evil laughter is none at all. Just a look, and a smile.
Ohhhh, don't we know it!!!

"To Chris, you are the best in the biz"

In 1978 Lee appeared in Saturday Night Live. That I did know. But here are some excerpts from that show, and Lee talking about it. Great stuff! From the documentary The Many Faces of Christopher Lee. Beware of advert, 30 sec.

"To Chris
You are the best in the biz.

From
John Belushi, second best"

On acting

Acting is "Dreaming to order". Excerpt from the documentary The Many Faces of Christopher Lee. Really lovely put.

Sir Lee on Dracula, Lugosi and such

Lee with a replica of Bela Lugosis ring. Thoughts on why he did not say anything during the film Dracula- Prince of darkness: He read the script. From the documentary The Many Faces of Christopher Lee.

How to fight with a proper sword

Do you know how to fence? No? Well, Lee does. Three minutes of demonstrating how to handle a sword from the 17th century. We are talking pro here. Must be great to have that kind of reach to your long arms! :-) From the documentary The Many Faces of Christopher Lee.

Here is more on The Musketeers.

Beware of advert about 30 sec. before start of video.

How to cock a gun

I have no idea who this person is that put these short films out on the web. They have only had a few views. Beware of advert, though. 30 sek. From the documentary The Many Faces of Christopher Lee.

Beware of advert ca 30 sec.

Back stage promo reel!

OH! Some great on stage footage here from a promo reel of Dracula AD 1972. 

1:30 putting teeth in place. And suddenly not Mr. Nice Guy anymore! 

2:10 at home with family! 

3:00 Looking just a tad skeptical?

Wonderful picts!

Elenore - my sweetest Elenore!!!

In the latest Dark Side magazine, (#148) there is a pretty candid text on Lee, from an interview made in 2006. The journalist doesn't hit it of with the man, who only wants to talk about his singing. I am actually cringing reading the text. I am in awe of the journalist. I myself would have crumbled.

"I was on a German album once, but you wouldn't know it because it was in German and based around Edgar Allan Poe. I sang a song called 'Eleonore' based on one of his characters."

Here it is.
Someone ought to make a compilation of Lees best songs - because there are actully lots of them. This would be in it.

Just one ring

No, not much of LOTR on these pages. 

BUT this voice is impossible not to LOVE! 

"One ring to rule them all..." Gahh!

Next film to be devoured!

Looking forward to watch my special edition of this... Again...

Additional note: This is the King of all Cult Movies. Review.

 

House of the Long Shadows

 

It has been a very long time since I saw this. I had actually forgotten the plot, so it was a nice re-acquaintance. It takes some minutes for the film to do a lift-off, but then everything is in place, it is not to bad at all! Peter Cushing is purely lovely. 

However, I am dissapointed by two things. Why do the girls always have to scream in that stupid manner? And the end. The end. Arrgh!!!

 

Otherwise it is of course great to see Cushing, Lee and Price. I believe this is the only film where they performe together. So it is a bit like legends meet and wonders are made.   House of the Long Shadows was filmed in 1983 and was "shredded" by the press, Lee writes in Tall, Dark and Gruesome. The direction was apparently at nil. Well, as the fan I am, I think it is a nice homage to suspense and good old-fashioned horror. Not bad at all!

Fanmade documentary on Metal Lee

I shed the blood of Saxon men!

Officially - the blood of Saxon men is now shed.

Nuff said. Epic.

Film Time - Whip and the Body

This also arrived today. My lucky day, I guess!! Film time tonight, no doubt about it. And this Mario Bava film is the uncut version. It was mutilated in almost any country it was released in, in 1963. Can imagine that.

In US it is called What!, and as I can understand, that seems absolutely logical concerning what was left of it after the censorship had sunk its teeth into it.

Here are some sequences from it. The uncut version!!

Additional note: Oooooohhh Myyyy Gooooooddd.

If you are only to buy one, I say one film with Christopher Lee – buy this one!!! It is fantastic!!! Best of him I have EVER seen! Part suspense, part gothic horror, a great deal of eroticism, beautiful acting and wonderful music. But make damned sure you buy that UNCUT VERSION. I can very well understand that the censors went berserk when they had seen the original movie. And this was1963! Jeeesuus!

Sorry for that outburst. Now back to my normal, collected disposition. But seriously. Buy it!!!

Charlemagne arrived today!

I have waited for this album for many weeks now, and today it arrived by mail. Have heard mixed reviews of it. Some are blown away, others more reluctant. I really, really, want to like this. Please be good!!!

The album is dedicated to all of us fans. I really feel it is us that ought to say Thank You!
Sir, you are the best!

Additional note:  Just listening to to the last minutes of the last track of this album - The bloody verdict of Verden (instumental version). I can honestly say I had very little idea of what to expect from this album. I had read some good reviews, some bad ones. The music is a crossover, in my inexperienced ears (I know nothing of metal), of opera, symphony, heavy metal, saga and extremely brutal history.

It does not suprise me why the phrase "I shed the blood of Saxon men" is so frequently qouted from this album. That part is truly astounding. Heavy guitars, Lees dark, extremely powerful voice - it makes my hair stand on end, and I find myself headbanging.

I had wished for shorter narrative chapters and more of those heavy guitars and more of that god all mighty voice! I really, sincerely, hope that there will be more of that on the next album.

This man is the true essence of coolness. Versatile? Yup.

Here is a fanmade video on Metal Lee. Seems very much like him to go to a stage and, after having shed the blood of 4000 Saxon men, appologizing to anyone Saxon in the audience. Squee.

Crimson? Green!

Haven't been able to find a proper clip of Lee in the Crimson Pirate with Burt Lancaster from 1952-53. But here is a fanmade clip. Unfortunately the quality is totally crappy. But keep a lookout for the man in green, right in the beginning. And here are som stills,. Kind of handsome, don't you think. Thank you, Star Warped!

"Burt Lancaster helped me a great deal as far as screen sword fighting was concerned: told me when and how one paused, so that it wasn't just flurry movement. Real swordfighting would be so fast and so much flurry of blades that the audience would never pick anything up. (...) Certainly, as far as a subsequent film of mine The Three Musketeers was concerned, it's extremely dangerous because they were real swords (...)"

In French… Le Corsaire Rouge.

Getting Zeb Macahan into trouble

To me, the name of the Macahans is forever associated with long, light summer nights in the 80's. Vacation, Swedish midsummer, friends, gathering in front of the tv - to watch the adventures of the Machahans. What a great nostalgia this is! And it really holds up. A piece of golden tv.

This is the episode where the Russian party is hunting buffalos, getting themselves into trouble. Sir Lee is playing the Grand Duke, brother of the Tsar. He appeared in two of the episodes, 4 and 5 in 1978. (Of course a couple of years later here in Scandinavia.) This Russian visit to the American frontier apparently really happened.

This is the first  part of episode 4. Lee's intro line is: "Хорошо! Это пустая очень прекрасная портрета. Жарко здесь. Умираю Сергей, умираю."

Approx. meaning: Good! This [the landscape] is a beаutiful/wonderful/marvelous portrait of nothingness. It is hot! I am dying, Sergei, I am dying.

And it really looks damned hot in those uniforms.

They were not divided

They were not divided (1950) came after Penny and the Pownall Case. Lee is more of a background character here, you see him delivering a few lines now and then, otherwise he is seen in the group of men. You get quite a good look at young Lee at 1:10:30 and 1:23:14. It was shot on location in Germany. A dangerous mission. Lee was close to get seriously hurt a few times.
And you can see a very young "Q" in one of the parts.

Sir Lee reads Tim Burton

BAFTA Fellowship Award

This is just beautiful. The clips on his career says it all.And so does the facial expression of Kevin Spacey!

Lee accepting the BAFTA Fellowship Award, 2011.

This is an interview behind scenes afterwards.
Edith Bowman looks pleased.

Here he is at Vienna Filmball!

Wish I was there

One lucky sod to meet this man.

Poor Devil

Yes! Yes! Yes! A couple of days ago, this film was not to find on You Tube. Now it is. Fantastic! The filming of Poor Devil (1972) started one day after The Wicker Man was finished. It is a tv- pilot, and never became a movie. I am sure I have watched it on Brittish tv nevertheless. The combo of Sammy Davis Jr and Lee is brilliant.

Sorry to say, the picture quality of this uploaded film is kind of crappy. But definitely better than nothing.

Hands of Orlac

I don't know from where I got the idea that Hands of Orlac (1960) is about a pianist who commits horrible crimes.  It is not at all. It is much more refined than that. It a drama about a pianist going through a self asteem crisis due to an accident.

And a man trying to take advantage of that. Guess who?

Christopher Lee appears as Nero 20-25 mins into the picture, but when he eventually does he takes over the film. He plays with great confidence and black irony.

When we enter the following clip, Neros assistant Leila is seducing Orlac to help Nero to get to him. Below the clip, I have linked to all parts of Hands of Orlac, should you wish to watch the whole film. The sound is unfortunately quite bad.

It was made in a french version as well. "I think my performance in French was probably far better than in the one in English because I could do more with the language. (...) It was the first time that I did a motion picture in two languages with totally different casts" writes Lee in Films of Christopher Lee. It is a gem!