This is a tribute if I ever saw one

Brilliant. Many thanks to Mark Gatiss for this.

You will be greatly missed

I have now known for some hours that Sir Lee has passed away.
This is indeed a sad day.

Earlier today I saw Mark Gatiss tweet:

He actually captures my own thoughts. However, since I grew up in Sweden, not many in my childhood had really any grasp of Christopher Lee. Some knew what he had done during his Hammer years, but in Bergman-film-snobbish-Sweden that kind of cinematic work was sneered upon. I myself had seen him in The Three Musketeers as a child and loved his appearance. It was, needless to say, impossible tho get hold of any of his films. I was fangirlishly happy when I caught sight of him in Macahans. But when the VHS-market was opened in the 80's in Sweden, I could finally at least watch The Man with The Golden Gun. I was 14 and stuck.

Sir Christopher has always been underrated, just as Mark Gatiss tweets. But that's why I absolutely love to watch this wonderful moment when he gets his special BAFTA- award in 2011. The ovations  are moving - a very proud moment.

I am truly, truly greatful to have had fifteen years of possibilites to see Christopher Lee on the silver screen - first in Sleepy Hollow (1999) and then, of course, in the new Star Wars- episodes, in LOTR and the Hobbit-movies.

Rest in peace, sir Christopher.
You will be greatly missed.

Happy Birthday Sir Lee!

Good luck on releasing your new album today!

"To Chris
You are the best in the 'biz

John Belushi,
Second best"

This. Man.

I just can't.

Charlemagne is cult!

I can really recommend this interview, made by Berlin Morgenpost in connection to Berlinale this week. It is in German, but Google Translate (surprisingly enough) does an ok job translating it from German. Sure, there are some oddities in the translation, but mostly it is completely comprehensable.

Strangely enough, SCL seems to think that the Charlemagne album The Sword and the Cross has disappeared from limelight - in a sense that it is forgotten. But I can honestly say that Twitter feeds on "Christopher Lee" reminds me of this album  - or other songs of his Metal career - almost everyday.

In fact I would say that a massive amount of the tweets are on this subject. So it might be away from the public limelight - but fans love it. The Charlemagne-album is cult!

Berlinale 2

Some pictures from this week's #Berlinale, where the film Nigth Train to Lisbon had its world premiere. This is a short video on Lee and his wife (ext link) in front of the cameras at Berlinale. That is an international moviestar! From Berliner Morgenpost.

Here are some LOVELY picts from the red carpet of the premiere night!


Previous blogpost.

It just snowballed...

Just went mad and ordered five, no six Lee-films. I will probably have to wait until summer to recieve them all, but never mind. Amazon is just... ugh.

I found The Three Muskeers and it just snowballed from there. I have only seen excerpts from Crimson Pirate - as with Bitter Victory - but as I love theese pre-fame films, I couldn't resist. Taste of Fear is a new acquaintance - so far, I have only known it by name. I want Beyond Mombasa as well, but it'll just have to wait. Though it was painful not to order it on spot... 

Night of the Big Heat is a joy. Very hot!

•  
• The Crimson Pirate [1952] [DVD]
  James Hayter, et al
  Sold by: Amazon EU S.a.r.L. 
•  
• Night of the big Heat (uncut) english audio
  Ronald Liles, Terence Fisher
•  
• Bitter Victory [DVD] [2007]
  Richard Burton, et al
  Sold by: Amazon EU S.a.r.L. 
•  
• The Three Musketeers/the Four Musketeers [DVD]
  Richard Lester
  Sold by: Amazon EU S.a.r.L. 
•  
• Taste of Fear [DVD] [2010]
  Christopher Lee, et al
  Sold by: Amazon EU S.a.r.L.

Love that hat...

This is short but brill! Wonderful hat!
(According to all sources a horrendous movie.)

#Berlinale

Three hours ago, British Council Film (@BC_Films) on twitter wrote:

Legendary Christopher Lee - on our flight to #berlinale & causing much excitement all round

During this filmfestival, the film Night Train to Lisbon is having its premiere. I wrote about it in this post. In March, it will go nationwide in Germany and then in Belgium as well, I think. Since the Scandinavian filmmarket is so dependent on only a few distributors, I, alas, can't hope to see it here. Sadly. Well, just have to order it on Amazon. It seems to be a wonderful film. SCL by the way deserves all excitement he can get. Wonderful. I can only hope they will all have a wonderful #berlinale. An that the film will be well recieved! :-) Good Luck!

Who's the most #badass???

Motivation:

"The Action Hero: The ultimate badass with an unquenchable work ethic, Christopher Lee is still popping up in the likes of The Hobbit, while LOTR and Star Wars saw him kicking ass well into his 80s."

Here is the entire list of the oldest and coolest action heroes.

Guess who tops the list.
Thank you, thank you! Chuck Norris has nothing on Christopher Lee!

Night Train to Lisbon

March 7th, the film Night Train To Lisbon is having premiere in Germany. This is after its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival in February.

The synopsis is based on a novel by Pascal Mercier, sold in 1,8 million copies in Germany. In short it is about a Latin teacher who abandons his life in Berne to look for a woman on a train on its way to Lisbon. The film is directed by Bille August. Jeremy Irons stars as the Latin teacher. (Wonderful actor, absolutely brilliant. What a voice!)

But I wouldn't write about it here if it wasn't for SCL in the role as Father Bartolomeu. I am so utterly pleased that he is still, STILL, making movies, even though the parts are small nowadays. But he is indeed starring with the best, and it seems as all influential directors are queing up to cast him.

I really do hope it comes to Scandinavia - or else...! :-)


Below - the trailer. Here is the website with cast, synopsis and everything. Ahhhh! What drama it seems to be!

The one and only

There is nothing like the original story. Here Lee reads the end lines in Dracula. The film is bad and sound even worse, but never mind. This is the one - and only - ending. Subtitles in French.

The way they were

OK, OK OK. This is absolutely lovely footage of Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing bantering. If this was the way they were with one another, I understand why sparks was flying on screen.

What a marvellous caption of dear and good old friends! Beautiful. I just got something in my eye... Thanks to Peter Cushing Appreciation Society, UK.

Oh my!

Just found this. A very handsome Christopher Lee in footage from Scream and Scream again, 1969, set with some really nice music. Great fan stuff. Make sure you watch this full screen!!

Additional note: This film was shot in May and June 1969, released in December that same year. Both Peter Cushing and Vincent Price hold roles in this thriller. Lee comments in Films of Christopher Lee:

"The only time that Vincent and Peter and I ever appeared in the same film. [Written before House of the Long Shadows] However, we were all three virtually defused. I had about eight minutes of screen time(...) I shot one whole sequence in Trafalgar Square. If you can remember your lines with all the traffic, and the crowds of people behind the camera watching - you can do anything."

It got mixed reviews. Some really, really good ones, some ... not so good.

Don't dare see it alone!

Horror of Dracula from 1958 is to be released in Blu Ray on 18th March.

Needless to say, I have ordered this special, uncut edition. New, perviously censored scenes are included such as Dracula's seduction of Mina and the disintegration of Dracula.

I just CANT wait!!! You can pre-order it on Amazon. Do it!

Read more here.

By the way, I am so proud of my own SIGNED print on this classic poster - signed by Lee. It is mad. I just have to have it framed ASAP.

Landlord!!!

Ahhhhaaa!!! Just one day ago, someone posted the entire film Rasputin the Mad Monk (1966) on You Tube. That is a fab film. Has a great feeling to it, and as I have written before, Lee was complemented on his performance by no one else than Maria Rasputina. The daughter of the starets himself. (No, Rasputin was no monk.)

I just rewatched Dracula Prince of Darkness. The sets of the films are very similar - they were made neck to neck at Hammer Studios in 1966. Even the actors are the same. (However, there is no doubt what character Lee prefers to play...)

I have, a couple of times, been to the palace in St. Petersburg  - in the cellar - where the murder took place. The room has a cold feeling to, it is daunting, and I assure you it has nothing to do with the waxfigures placed there.

Enjoy that voice like thunder, the dancing, the sex and and the very violent death scene.

"Landlord!!!!"

Watch it here!

Additional note: you can see a promotional clip on the release of Rasputin togehter with The Devil Rides Out. Lovely footage from the films and comments from co-actors!!! Recommended!!!

I knew that all along...

I am well aware that I am a nerd. But when seeing Hobbit my heart jumped at the scene of the White council, at that voice. Sir Christopher Lee has been in two of the greatest film sagas of the last decades, and now he is in a third series of great films... He is flipping epic. That is just the way it is.

For so long only nerds like me kept track of what he was doing. And now, and especially after LOTR and the launching of his metal albums, he exploded all over You Tube. His cult status has gone though the roof, he is the "coolest person EVER" - the "ultimate badass", the ruler of Chuck Norris (!) (when "Christopher Lee sings Chuck Norris sits down to listen"), and after Charlemagne most probably the ruler of the entire Universe. His voice is "legendary", sends "chills" down peoples spines. Some fans are swooning - "sexiest actor ever." "Sexy man god!"

An example:
"Christopher Lee killed Nazis with the guy who made James Bond, then went on to set the world record for number of films by becoming a legendary vampire, a Sith Lord, and a great wizard. And on top of all that, get this - he's a motherfucking metal musician. I'm not kidding. This guy, a 90 year WW2 vet/acting legend - plays fucking metal music. If that doesn't make him the single biggest badass that has ever walked the earth, I don't know what does. Move over, Chuck Norris. "

Or this:

He is 90 and he still kicks ass!!! A living legend.

Or this...

Christopher lee is a god among men


I knew all of this many years ago. Jeez, I wish I had had You Tube back then.

Here is a clip on how Peter Jackson persuaded SCL to film with him again. Pretty good impersonation. "Am I still in the movie?"

Got to love Martin Freeman, by the way.

The Hobbit

I am, as everyone, smittened with the LOTR-series, though not a die hard fan. To see SCL in a high-quality production like this makes me immensly happy! :-) He deserves every ounce of attention.

Sooo looking forward to see The Hobbit.

Yet another Pirate Captain

The other night I watched The Devil Ship Pirates, filmed in 1963. The year before, in 1962, Lee had already starred in The Pirates of Blood River. This film is actually better put toghether, the screen writing and the scenery is more solid and better performed, and less studio. And no studio sounds! That is soo much better, since echoes in a studio has a somewhat cheep ring to it. Sure, I spot some of the usual Hammer faces, but not as obvious as in The Devil Ship Pirates.

SCL:s performance in this much better as well. More brooding and downplayed, and less overacted as Captain Robeles tended to be. This is less of "Tiger-tank", more of his usual, sinister and collected self.

 I enjoy Oliver Reed as Brocaire, a pirate involved in a sub-plot with one of the other pirates, fighting over the same woman, and fighting eachother in general. Oliver Reed was to star with Christopher Lee again, approximately a decade later, in The Three Musketeers - and the sequel, The Four Musketeers. In that, he played Athos. Great films, both of them!

Of course, there's some proper fencing and fighting in this film. What else? Here you can hear SCL talk of how to fence properly. Highly recommended!

Lee comments: "The Pirates of Blood River was in the top ten of that year in Britain as far as money was concerned." And he recollects the crossing over the lake, an enormously straining task, since the water was polluted to the point that Oliver Reeds eyes turned red. As he had to do a fight in the water, he had to be treated in hospital afterwards. Lee refused to film the crossing more than two times.

The Devil Ship Pirates

In the beginning, SCL's dark features made many filmmakers scratch their heads. 'To dark and to foreign-looking' was their somewhat daft conclusion. As 'not enough Brittish' he got to play lots of exotic characters. Captain Robeles in the Devil Ship Pirates from 1963 is one of them.

"CLOSE THE GUN PORTS!!!!"

This pirateflick is a Hammer production. Mostly associated with horror, this seems to be a bit of an odd one in their wardrobe. Nevertheless it is quite neatly put togehter. Basic plot is: Spanish ship gets badly damaged in the great battle with the Armada in 1588. The crue manages to get the ship close to land to get it repaired. Pirates (as they now are) are terrorising the nearby village. Captain Robeles - a.k.a SCL - is the chief crook and a really bad apple.

"You will have to kill me first!" "-As you wish!"

I enjoy watching this for a couple of reasons (other than Lee of course): The plot is not bad at all. With today's eyes it is a bit difficult to tell how it looked in the 60's when those pirate-flicks was legio. But I find the scenery quite acceptable as well. True, Lee plays his character with the subtelty of a Russian Tiger-tank, but I actually don't mind. It is a film on pirates, not a Bergman drama.

The other reason is actually, that they have contracted lots of the classic Hammer Studio's actors in this film. Well known faces from DPoD, Rasputin, DHRFTG and so on is on this set. Nice!

Besides that, I really enjoy the clothes. Red becomes him.

The Devil Ship Pirates was made just after The whip and the Body, and the Hitchcock production Sign of Satan.

Additional note: Obviously, Hammer Studios built the full- seized galleon on a steel structure that was placed under water. But it was important not to overload one side or the other, or it would tip over. Which it apparently did.

"The cables leading to the lights went into the water, and when the cables went, the lights went into the water and the electricians went with them", Sir Lee comments in The Films of Christopher Lee. "By sheer chance I managed to hold on to the rail and stay on the ship. I considered this a very valid reason for the captain not to desert the sinking ship", he comments.

"I had a pretty tough fight on the deck (...) and was bleeding all over the place."

Poor Chris.