Can't Keep A Good Vampire Down

 

 (imdb)

DRACULA HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE-1968-In this sequel to DRACULA, PRINCE OF DARKNESS (set a year later), a monsignor, Ernst Mueller (Rupert Davies) comes to a small town where Dracula had been sent to a watery grave, to find everyone still afraid especially since a villager was found hanging from a church bell. The monsignor and the local priest (Ewan Hooper) hike to Dracula's castle. Unfortunately, the priest is kind of a coward and while running away, falls and cuts his head. His blood trickles into the Count's mouth and resurrects him. The priest then becomes the count's slave and helps him to secure a coffin. Meanwhile, Mueller hosts a party for his niece Maria (Virginia Carlson) and her boyfriend Paul (Barry Andrews). The monsignor gets upset when Paul tells him he's an atheist. Paul leaves and gets drunk. Drac's first victim is barmaid Zena (Barbara Ewing). Drac has his digs under the pub where Paul works (for Michael Ripper) and sets his teeth on Maria. 

In this rather bloody (and sexual) sequel, a prayer must be read to kill a vampire once the stake has been driven. Nice use of color filters by director Freddie Francis. 

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The Mummy Lives!

 

 (the moviedb.org)

THE MUMMY-1959-Steve Banning (Felix Aylmer), his brother John (Peter Cushing) and their uncle Joseph (Raymond Huntley) are digging around ruins in Egypt. After finding princess Ananka, Steve accidentally calls forth her mummy guardian and goes crazy. Years later, an Egyptian brings the mummy to Steve (now in an asylum) in England. A flashback reveals how it all came about. How when the princess died and high priest Kharis tried to bring her back to life, was caught and buried alive. The now mummified Kharis (Christopher Lee) goes for revenge, killing Steve and Joseph. His killing of John fails when he notices that John's wife Isobel (Yvonne Furneaux) resembles the princess. A disbelieving police inspector (Eddie Byrne) helps set up Kharis in the finale. 

Another great Hammer horror picture directed by Terence Fisher, a remake of the 1933 Boris Karloff film.

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Hammer History

 

 (imdb)

FLESH AND BLOOD-THE HAMMER HERITAGE OF HORROR-1994-In this entertaining documentary, two long segments cover all the Frankenstein and Dracula series (except Dracula AD 1972). There are many interviews: Michael Carreras, Jimmy Sangster, Roy Ward Baker, Anthony Hinds, Anthony Nelson Keyes, Hazel Court, Caroline Munro, Martine Beswick, Veronica Carlson, Freddie Francis and Christopher Lee who narrates along with Peter Cushing. Soundtracks, Director of Photography, makeup and other aspects are covered. Also how the studio picked its leading ladies. Other movies covered include The PHANTOM OF THE OPERA remake, THE DEVIL RIDES OUT, DR. JEKYLL AND SISTER HYDE. It also tells how American Robert Lippert helped distribute their films in the US and lent stock footage and how CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN was planned as a black & white film with Karloff! Stupidly they criticize ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN (Joe Dante helps them) to make their CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN look like they were saving the horror genre. Apparently, the only American they could get to run down Universal horror movies and overly praise Hammer was Dante. Director Ted Newsom made many other documentaries and some horror movies like EVIL SPAWN (1987).

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Lee & Cushing

 

 (imdb)

THE CREEPING FLESH-1973-Overzealous scientist Emmanuel Hildern (Peter Cushing) finds an unusual skeleton in Asia and brings it back to London. The doctor has been keeping a secret from his daughter Penelope (Lorna Heilbron) who believes her mother dead. However, Hildern receives a letter from his brother James (Christopher Lee), head of an insane asylum where his wife has been kept for many years and has just died. James is envious and resentful of his brother and tells him so. Later while examining the skeleton, a bony finger seems to grow flesh. Meanwhile James seems to be doing experiments of his own when one of his patients escapes. When Penelope finds out mom's secret, dad goes a little crazy and injects her with the blood from the skeleton finger. She starts to pick up mom's bad habits and winds up killing a sailor. While escaping from an angry mob she hooks up with the escaped lunatic who she later pushes to his death. She's captured and carted off to uncle's asylum. After snooping, James discovers what has happened to Penelope. Then he has the skeleton stolen. A rainstorm wrecks this endeavor and the reanimated skeleton comes looking for its finger. 

 (imdb)

A weird twist ending highlights this story. Michael Ripper has a small role. Often mislabeled a Hammer film, this independent English production shows promise but kind of never really gets going. Cinematographer Freddie Francis replaced Don Sharp as director right before filming started. Francis had directed several Hammer and non-Hammer films including THE EVIL OF FRANKENSTEIN (1964), DR. TERROR'S HOUSE OF HORRORS (1965), TORTURE GARDEN (1967) and DRACULA HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE (1968).

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Chuck Power

 

 (imdb)

AN EYE FOR AN EYE-1981-After his partner Pierce (Terry Kiser) is killed in a shootout, undercover cop Sean Kane (Chuck Norris) resigns under pressure from his boss (Richard Roundtree). Pierce's widow Linda (Rosalind Chao) is a reporter who discovers a secret operation. Unfortunately, she's killed by a club foot Asian strongman (Prof. Toru Tanaka). Morgan Canfield (Christopher Lee), the head of a TV station seems helpful but acts suspiciously. Another reporter Heather (Maggie Cooper) helps Kane track down suspect Montoya (Mel Novak). Later Kane teams with Linda's father James (Mako). After he and Heather have sex, it's revealed that the whole drug shebang is headed by Canfield, helped out by Kane's corrupt cop friend McCoy (Matt Clark).

 Director Steve Carver (BIG BAD MAMA (1974), DRUM (1976)) worked with Norris again on probably his best movie LONE WOLF MCQUADE (1983). EYE isn't bad but what it needs more emotion from Norris.

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Hammer Scream

 

 (imdb)

SCREAM OF FEAR-1961-Wheelchair bound Penny Appleby (Susan Strasberg) comes to live on her father's estate with him and her stepmother Jane (Ann Todd) after the death of Penny's caregiver. Also there is Robert (Ronald Lewis; in MR. SARDONICUS the same year), the chauffeur. Funny thing is dad seems to be away on business and no one knows when he'll be back. Then at night she sees her father's dead body and falls into the pool! Everyone thinks she's hallucinating. Dr. Gerald (Christopher Lee; same year as TERROR OF THE TONGS) is called in to check on her. Although she talks to dad on the phone, she once again sees his dead body. Something's up but who is to blame? 

Nice suspenseful psychological thriller from Hammer Pictures directed by Seth Holt and written by Jimmy Sangster. Lee has said it was “the best film Hammer ever made”.

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Lee and Cushing..Together Againagain..

 

 (imdb)

NOTHING BUT THE NIGHT-1973-Someone is killing the trustees of the Van Traylon orphanage. A police inspector (Chris-topher Lee; also one of the producers)) enlists the help of Dr. Ashley (Peter Cushing). Meanwhile Dr. Hayes (Keith Barron) studies a traumatized little girl Mary (Gwyneth Strong) who lives at the orphanage. A reporter, Joan Foster (singer Georgia Brown) hooks up with Mary's mother Joanna (Diana Dors) who seems psychotic. Everything seems connected to the orphanage in Scotland. There's long stretches of talk leading up to a very bizarre finale. Michael Gambon (in only his second feature film) has a small role. 

This was the only film produced by Lee's short lived production company Charlemagne Films. Peter Sasdy (COUNTESS DRACULA, HANDS OF THE RIPPER) directed. Lee & Cushing were also teamed in THE CREEPING FLESH and SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA the same year.

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Mr. James

 

 (amazon.com)

THE PLEASANT TERROR: THE LIFE AND GHOSTS OF M.R. JAMES-1995-Very English documentary-biography with re-enactments about the master ghost story writer M.R. James trying to find a link as to why an Eton scholar and devout Christian wrote such eerie stories basically as a side line. On screen narrator Bob Wallis concludes he could have had a supernatural encounter when he was a boy. Authors like Ruth Rendell offer their opinions and Christopher Lee appears at the beginning. Shown in three parts. Directed by Clive Dunn.

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Bonus: John Mayall sings about another Mr. James, Elmore to be exact:

https://youtu.be/-7NnLL0v3nk

What?

 

 

 (imdb)

THE WHIP AND THE BODY-1963-Kurt Menliff (Christopher Lee), a sadistic disowned son returns to his family because his brother Christian (Tony Kendall) is about to be married. Kurt's return doesn't sit well with his dad, The Count (Gustavo De Nardo). In fact, Christian is going to marry Kurt's ex-fiance Nevenka (Daliah Lavi) but Kurt blew it when he had an affair with a servant girl who later committed suicide. Kurt has come back to claim his birthright which he seems to think includes Nevenka. When two meet on the beach, he whips her and they have sex. Later Kurt is stabbed to death but it seems his ghost has come back for revenge. 

Great atmospheric photography by Mario Bava. An incomprehensible version titled "What!" used to play on local TV in the '70's. It's since been restored but the version I saw was dubbed (Lee's voice included).

 (imdb)

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Meat Cleaver Mash Up

 

 (imdb)

THE HOLLYWOOD MEAT CLEAVER MASSACRE-Sir Christopher Lee introduces this tacky low budget gore film. It seems Lee's scenes (he also appears at the end) were for another movie that was never made and the producers of this basement budget atrocity bought the footage, put it in their horror film and even advertised Lee as the star! Lee obviously was a little ticked off but at least for the viewer it's a plus if you have to sit through the whole thing! 

A college teacher talks to his class about an ancient demon. Later he gets flak from some asshole Mace. At night Mace and his stoner mates go cruising Hollywood Blvd., drinking and drugging. At Mace's urging they go to the professor's house. They kill his wife and children and think they killed him but he survives. While in a brain damaged coma he somehow summons a demon called Morek to get revenge on the killers. 

This is bad with most of the scenes way too dark. Needless to say it was the only movie ever made by director Evan Lee (no relation). Shortened recently to MEATCLEAVER MASSACRE.

 (wkipedia)

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Hammer!

 

 (wikipedia)

CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN-1957-From his death row jail cell Baron Victor Frankenstein (Peter Cushing) tells his tale to a priest and the events leading up to creating his infamous monster. At first he has his friend Paul (Robert Urquhart) helping him bring a dog back to life, but soon Victor becomes obsessed with creating life. Paul gets very concerned when Victor's cousin Elizabeth (Hazel Court) arrives to marry him. Also concerned is the maid (Valerie Gaunt) Victor's having an affair with. Victor succeeds and creates a monster (Christopher Lee) out of dead body parts. It escapes and kills a blind man but Paul shoots it. He thinks it's dead but Victor brings it back to life. The Baron is quite a bastard, killing Prof. Burnstein (Paul Hardtmuth), a brilliant old intellect for his brain and using his creation to dispatch the pregnant maid. He spends lots of time in his lab, neglecting the faithful Elizabeth. He treats the monster terribly and doesn't care about much else. Eventually the monster terrorizes Elizabeth and Victor accidentally shoots her (not fatally). Paul could clear him but refuses. Victor, now considered insane is ushered to the gallows..... 

Shot in color by Terence Fisher with a screenplay by Jimmy Sangster, this film kind of ushered in the new phase of updated classics putting Hammer Pictures on the map. It was followed the next year by REVENGE OF FRANKENSTEIN (also by Fisher and Sangster and starring Cushing).

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The End

 

 (rotten tomatoes)

END OF THE WORLD-1977-A priest (Christopher Lee; in AIRPORT 77 the same year) enters a roadside cafe and asks to use the phone but it explodes and the owner is electrocuted. The priest then goes to church where he's greeted by... himself. After the credits Prof. Andrew Boran (Kirk Scott) picks up some strange signals from outer space. He's so famous there's a banquet in his honor but he's more interested in the signals. His boss (Dean Jagger)) sends him on a lecture tour but before his next lecture he and his wife Sylvia (Sue Lyon; LOLITA) decide to try and track the signals because they seem to be coming from Earth. They visit a nunnery then wander around in the dark. 

They stumble into the underground radio lab of Beckerman (Lew Ayres) who's listening to Russian space talk. Their investigation leads them to St. Catherine's, a church overseen by Father Pergado (Lee). He lets them check around but they don't find anything. Later they return to the place and are captured by Pergado and his nun horde. It turns out they are really aliens who killed Pergado and his nuns and assumed their form. They are stuck on Earth and want to go home. They force Boran to steal a device that will enable them to leave. He gets them the device but they left out one small detail: they are also going to destroy the Earth. Alien Pergado and his phony nuns escape through some kind of transporter. Boran and Sylvia follow. The Earth explodes. The future Sir Chris must have had a free weekend when he agreed to star in this sci-fi bore-fest with a lot of too dark night scenes. Macdonald Carey is the head of security in two quick scenes. 

Director John Hayes had been kicking around low budget cinema for quite awhile when he made END OF THE WORLD. Earlier he made GRAVE OF THE VAMPIRE and GARDEN OF EVIL (both 1972). Screenwriter Frank Ray Perilli wrote the soft core takeoff CINDERELLA (with Cheryl Smith in the title role) the same year, which Kirk Scott co-starred in. He also penned LITTLE CIGARS, DRACULA'S DOG and LASTERBLAST.

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Hammer Horror

  (Wikimedia Commons)

HORROR OF DRACULA-1958-Jonathan Harker (John Van Eyssen) goes to Castle Dracula to be a librarian for Count Dracula. No one is there when he arrives but a woman (Valarie Gaunt) appears and asks Harker to help her but she runs away when Dracula shows up. It seems Harker is really there to destroy the vampire. Later the woman shows up again and begs Harker to help her. But when she gets close she tries to bite him. Dracula intervenes. Harker awakes the next day with bite marks on his neck and goes looking for the count's resting place. He finds it and destroys the woman but Dracula wakes up and makes Harker a vampire. Later Dr. Van Helsing (Peter Cushing) arrives in town looking for Harker. A helpful waitress gives him some info but he's too late. Dracula is gone and he has to put a stake in Harker. Arthur Holcomb (Michael Gough), the brother of Harker's fiance Lucy (Carol Marsh) doesn't accept the doctor's story of her husband to be's death. Especially since Lucy is kind of sickly and waiting anxiously for his return.

Unfortunately Dracula decides to make Lucy his next conquest. Dr. Seward (Charles Lloyd Pack) thinks she has some kind of anemia. Mina (Melissa Stribling), Holcomb's wife asks Van Helsing for a second opinion. He suggests putting garlic around the windows but the maid re-moves the smelly stuff and the next day Lucy is dead. Holcomb blames Van Helsing but when his maid's daughter says she talked to Lucy he starts to think dif-ferently. He and the courageous doctor find Lucy's resting place and drive a stake into her. While the men search, Dracula puts the bite on Mina. In the great climax Van Helsing and the king of vampires have a memorable showdown. 

This Hammer production was freely adapted from the Bram Stoker novel by Jimmy Sangster and directed with style by Terence Fisher (the two had collaborated a year earlier on THE CURSE OF FRANKEN-STEIN; also with Cushing & Lee) and would go to make REVENGE OF FRANKEN-STEIN the same year. Fisher and Sangster would also concoct THE MUMMY (with Cushing & Lee) in 1959 and BRIDES OF DRACULA in 1960 with Cushing reprising his role as Van Helsing. Lee wouldn't play the infamous count again until 1966's DRACULA-PRINCE OF DARKNESS (also by Fisher & Sangster).

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Who Does Her Hair?

 

THE GORGON-1964-In the small village of Vandorf, there have been several murders in the last 5 years. All the victims have been turned to stone but this is never brought out at the inquests. Prof. Jules Heitz (Michael Goodliffe) who's son has been convicted of the latest murder (and suicide) seeks the help of local professor Manaroff (Peter Cushing) who's assistant Carla Hoffman (Barbara Shelly) suspects something. Heitz thinks it's Magera, one of the Gorgons who can turn people to stone. Heitz himself is turned to stone but not before writing a letter to his son Paul (Richard Pasco). It's obvious Manaroff knows more than he admits. Paul briefly sees the Gorgon's reflection and ages badly. 

Fortunately when things start to get dull Paul's mentor Prof. Karl Meister (Christopher Lee) shows up and gives the local police inspector (Patrick Troughton) a hard time. Meister believes Carla is the killer but Paul of course has fallen in love with her. Meister is right. Carla is the snake haired monster. In the climax the Gorgon is beheaded but there's no happy ending.

Terence Fisher directed this interesting Hammer horror film that's a little thin on story. Still it's always good to see Lee and Cushing together as adversaries. Screenplay by director John Gilling.

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Karnsteins Curse

TERROR IN THE CRYPT-1964-At Castle Karnstein, Laura (Adriana Abesti) has a dream her cousin is killed (it's true). Count Karnstein (Christopher Lee) hires Baron Klauss (Jose' Campos) to do research on Carmilla of Karnstein, an ancient ancestor burned at the stake. While he’s working Laura and the housekeeper Rowena (Nela Conjiu) are in the basement performing a bizarre ritual involving a paper star and we learn Carmilla cursed the Karnsteins just before they killed her. Later a woman drops her daughter Ljuba (Ursula Davis) off at the castle. Then Annette (Vera Valmont) the maid and the count’s mistress tells the Baron that Laura is the spitting image of the infamous Carmilla. Laura and Ljuba seem on the verge of becoming more than friends. The Baron works hard but Karnstein seems to change his mind and doesn't want the Baron to do anymore research. It's become apparent that Laura is possessed by the spirit of the vengeful Carmilla and she's set her sights on Ljuba! Later at night Laura and Ljuba decide to investigate the mysterious bell ringing in the ruins where Carmilla was killed. They don't bother dressing, just run over there in their nightgowns! There they find an old hunchbacked peddler (Angel Midlin) hanging from the bell rope with his hand cut off.

Back at the castle, after Annette has pleasured her boss she spies Rowena wandering around using a hand (presumably the peddler’s) as a candle. It's a ceremony to find out who killed the peddler and it seems to point toward Laura’s room. But someone stabs the housekeeper. Annette runs in horror. Suddenly the whole story cuts to Rowena’s funeral. When the lights (candles) go out Laura sees Rowena sit up in her coffin and point. When Laura and Ljuba disappear, The Count and The Baron go looking for them. They find the Count’s cousin Franz (John Karlsen) bent on revenge (father of the girl killed in Laura’s dream). They also find Annette's dead body. It turns out Carmilla's actually possessing Ljuba. The trio bust into Carmilla’s tomb and put a stake through her. 

This black and white Italy/Spain co-production has it's moments but suffers a little from chopping editing. It was released in America through AIP. Lee made THE GORGON for Hammer the same year. It's based on a novel by Sheridan LeFanu but it isn't credited.

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The Final Four

THE HOUSE OF LONG SHADOWS-An American writer Kenneth McGee (Desi Arnaz Jr.) in England makes a bet with his agent (Richard Todd) that he can write a novel in 24 hrs. while staying at an old Welsh manor. The place is suppose to be deserted but almost immediately he meets the caretakers (John Carradine and Sheila Keith). Then Mary (Julie Peasgood) a blond girl he met earlier at a restaurant shows up. He believes she's a plant by his agent to distract him. Later the mysterious Mr. Rand (Peter Cushing) shows up seeking shelter. Enter Lionel Grisbane (Vincent Price) who announces “I have returned” and says he once lived in the manor. Then Corrigan (Christopher Lee) shows up claiming he's going to buy the property. It turns out the male caretaker is Lord Grisbane, the head of a fallen clan and Grisbane and Corrigan are actually his sons! And the thought to be dead son Roderick has been held prisoner in a locked room on the manor for 40 years! A bickering couple who also show up just seem to be there to get killed. Of course it turns out Corrigan is the insane Roderick and wants revenge on Lionel who committed a murder Roderick got the blame for. He hacks his brother to death (the best scene). If this all sounds familiar it's based on the famous Gothic story “Seven Keys To Baldpate” by Earl Derr Biggers which has been filmed many times over the years (including THE OLD DARK HOUSE by James Whale in 1932). 

It's great to finally have these 4 horror icons in a movie together but it could have been better. Too much time is focused on Lucy and Ricky's son. 

Director Pete Walker started out making porno movies and later made unconventional horror stuff likeTHE CONFESSIONAL and HOUSE OF WHIPCORD. He retired from making films after LONG SHADOWS. Screenwriter Michael Armstrong wrote and directed the infamous MARK OF THE DEVIL and the not so infamous HORROR HOUSE with Frankie Avalon. 

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Jekyll & Hyde

THE TWO FACES OF DR. JEKYLL-1960-In 1847 London Henry Jekyll (Paul Massie) is a disgraced doctor trying to discover "man as he would be". He's a loner who ignores his wife Kitty (Dawn Addams who was in Lang's THE 1000 EYES OF DR. MABUSE' the same year) and experiments on a monkey. Meanwhile Kitty is carrying on an affair with Jekyll's neer do well friend Paul (Christopher Lee). Somehow bearded, long haired, weird looking Jekyll becomes clean shaven, handsome Mr. Hyde who goes dancing and sees Paul and Kitty enjoying themselves. He dances with the unsuspecting  Kitty and nearly kills a dance hall bully(un-billed Oliver Reed). Later after making it with a snake charmer Hyde goes on a wild romp (including opium smoking) with Paul. Then extracting his revenge he sics the snake on Paul. When Kitty sees her illicit lover dead she fails to her own death. Hyde then strangles the snake charmer. Just when it seems like Hyde will literally get away with murder he reverts to Jekyll and dies.

Many times "new" interpretations of classic stories turn out to be boring and uninspired. Not so with Hammer's TWO FACES which thanks to the master of British horror Terence Fisher becomes an interesting and thought provoking take on Stevenson's Jekyll/Hyde story line. The acting and direction are excellent. The major flaw is the weird transformation of Hyde from Jekyll. Screenwriter Wolf Mankowitz later wrote the 1967 version of CASINO ROYALE. Director Fisher made BRIDES OF DRACULA and SWORD OF SHERWOOD FOREST the same year. Lee, who would later star in another Jekyll & Hyde film I, MONSTER  made CITY OF THE DEAD (HORROR HOTEL) the same year.

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Nice Article

Johnny Depp honors Christopher Lee in surprise appearance at BFI London Film Festival

Johnny Depp surprised his friend Christopher Lee with an award from the British Film Institute.

Posted By Kate Stanton  

(UPI) --Johnny Depp showed up to the last weekend of the British Film Institute's 10-day London Film Festival to present his friend and occasional costar, British actor Sir Christopher Lee, with the organization's Fellowship award.
Depp, 50, called the 91-year-old actor "a true gentleman" and "a national treasure" in his speech on Saturday. The two have worked together on films like "Sleepy Hollow" and "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory."

“It is my great honor to bestow this award to a very great man. He’s inspired me like he has so many, he’s fascinated me like he has so many," Depp told the audience. "He’s been a wonderful individual and over the years I’ve had the pleasure of working with him and it has been a childhood dream come true."
"Johnny, I don't know what to say," Lee said, choked up and with tears in his eyes. "I didn't know you were going to be here. I must try and pull myself together."

Depp snuck into the event -- having told Lee that he wouldn't be able to attend the ceremony.
“Somebody told me Johnny wouldn’t be able to come tonight as he was somewhere else in Europe,” Lee explained."He means an enormous amount to me. He is one of very few young actors on screen today who's truly a star," he continued. "Everything he does has a meaning. He's a joy to work with, an actor's dream and certainly a director's dream. I could go on a long time but I'd probably embarrass him."
Lee also discussed his feelings about his long-lasting career in show business, having starred in hundreds of films.

“When I take a look back, and its a long one, 67 years, at the characters I’ve played I get a truly strange feeling they were all played by somebody else, and not by me," he said.

"And there are a few occasions when it has been the case I wish it had," he quipped.

The Devil's Bride Rides Out

THE DEVIL'S BRIDE-1968-Excellent black magic tale from Hammer features Christopher Lee as The Duc de Richleau, on the side of good for a change trying to save the soul of his deceased friend's son (Patrick Mower) from the evil Mocata (Charles Gray) and his circle of devil worshippers. Nike Arrighi is Tanith, another would be convert and after she dies Mocata wants to transfer her soul to a little girl. Even a winged angel of death makes an appearance. It's very well made by the great Terence Fisher but some might be disappointed by the very happy ending. Lee's serious tone keeps everything from falling apart but some of the characters act a little to hasty playing right into the villains' hands. Also with Leon Greene and Paul Eddington.

The screenplay is by Richard Matheson and based on an novel by Dennis Wheatley. 1968 was another busy year for Lee who also starred in DRACULA HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE, CURSE OF THE CRIMSON ALTAR and THE BLOOD OF FU-MANCHU. Also known as THE DEVIL RIDES OUT.

"I shall not be back but something will..tonight..."

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Not In 3-D

ALICE IN WONDERLAND-2010-Another imaginative film by director Tim Burton, this time based on Lewis Carroll's famous stories.

19 year old Alice (Mia Wasikowska) is about to be to pushed into an engagement with a snooty upper class twit when she spies The March Hare and falls down a rabbit hole where she returns to Wonderland (now called "Underland") the world she had previously visited in her childhood dreams.

She grows several sizes, tames the "furious" Bandersnatch and tries to rescue The Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp in another weird, unique performance) out of the clutches of The Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter) and The Knave of Hearts (Crispin Glover, in an unusually subdued performance; well for him anyway) and their army of spear carrying playing cards. Although Alice at first believes the whole thing is a dream she comes to realize that it is her destiny to destroy the dread Jabberwock (voice of Christopher Lee) and restore The White Queen (a doofy Anne Hathaway) to her rightful reign. Tweedledum and Tweedldee are a funny highlight. Alan Rickman is the hookah smoking caterpillar and Michael Gough is the voice of the Dodo bird.

Screenwriter Linda Woolverton wrote THE LION KING. At the time of this writing Burton and Depp are planning a version of DARK SHADOWS.

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