Peter Cushing has been a favorite actor of mine since the very first time I remember seeing him in "Star Wars." He also starred in a number of my very favorite horror films, and many of those are listed on this page. Below, are brief reviews of the very best of Peter Cushing, the ones I award Seven Stars or better to, on a One to Ten scale where more is best. If you're a lover of classic horor cinema who hasn't seen one or more of the films listed here, I encourage you to either click through to Amazon.com and buy a copy, or run over to Netflicks and add the film to your que. Cushing is one of the classiest, most talented actors to ever appear on the silver screen.
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| The Abominable Snowman (aka "The Abominable Snowman
of the Himalayas")
Year of Release: 1957 Steve's Rating: Seven of Ten Stars Starring: Peter Cushing, Forrest Tucker, and Maureen Connell
English botanist John Rollson (Cushing) joins an expedition led by American explorer Tom Friend (Tucker) to find proof of the existence of Yeti, the Abominable Snowmen of the title. Once the expedition is deep within the frozen wastes of the Himalyas, Rollson and his fellow explorers learn that they aren't hunting some subhuman primate, but are instead tracking what seems to be highly intelligent creatures with supernatural abilities. What's worse... the hunters eventually become the hunted. "The Abominable Snowman" is an average thriller with great sets, great performances from all the featured actors, and a tense, suspenseful finale. Unfortunately, it moves a bit too slowly, but when it does get to the action or the drama, the pay-off is worth it. The greatest weakness of the movie is the fact that it doesn't just wear its message on its sleeve, it shoves it down the viewers throat with a number of long speeches delivered in turn by Tucker and Cushing. Yes... man is a destroyer, and man is but a guest on this planet, and life is precious and nature is precious.... The viewer gets the message just from the way the various characters behave, and the way the Yeti behave. The speechifying gets dull after the first run-through, and despite the fact that the lines are delivered with great skill and fervor, I still fell obligated to knock off a full Star. I wanted a sci-fi thriller, not a sermon. Despite this flaw, I enjoyed the film for the great performances
by its actors and the sets. The story also has a numer of chilling moments.
In balance, it's worth seeing.
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The Curse of Frankenstein Year of Release: 1957 Steve's Rating: Seven of Ten Stars Starring: Peter Cushing, Paul Urqhart, Christopher Lee,
and Hazel Court
In this first movie in Hammer's Frankenstein cycle, scientific genius Victor Frankenstein embarks on his life-long quest to be the first human being to create life. He is initially aided and abetted by a fellow scientist, his boyhood tutor, but as Frankenstein turns to murder in order to ensure his success, the assistant turns against him. Soon, Frankenstein's cold-blooded schemes are spinning out of control, and all his evil is turned back upon him. The technical aspects of the film are top-notch, the acting by all the principals is excellent, and on every other level this is a fine horror film. Although Christopher Lee is present as the creature Frankenstein creates, 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 likableóthe viewer almost wishes at times that he succeeds in the end. This effect is further enhanced by the fact that the film actually provides a solid reason for why Victor Frankenstein is the way he is. (We have a character who grew up under the tualage of a morally questionable mentor, and who was undoubtedly scarred by the early death of his parents. In fact, although I think he was intended to be sympathetic character, Urqhart's Paul Krempe is as big a villain as Frankenstein, perhaps even bigger. Paul was supposed to be the older, wiser man, but he never instilled his young charge with proper morals... and he never really tried to stop him. He just stole his girlfriend!) |
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Horror of Dracula Year of Release: 1957 Steve's Rating: Seven of Ten Stars Starring: Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing
"The Horror of Dracula" starts out looking like a straight adaptation, but ten minutes in, it takes a hard left when its revealed that Jonathan Harker has come to Castle Dracula not as a hapless victim but as an agent of vampire hunter Dr. Van Helsing and that Harker is fully aware of Dracula's true nature. But it all works, because when Van Helsing appears on screen (played by the late, great Peter Cushing), we get a different interpretation of him than offered in Stoker's novel, and a different spin on vampirism as well. In the Hammer version, Dracula is devoted to spreading a cult of undeath that consists not only of vampires but of human minions who thirst for everlasting life and who are committed to turning the world into a cesspool of evil and corruption. Van Helsing is a man both of action and letters who is the center of a network of brave men and women who have dedicated themselves to eradicating this sinister evil, which, by the close of the 19th century, is viewed as so much superstitious poppycock. As "Horror of Dracula" unfolds, Dracula claims Mina and Lucy as victims, mostly because he wants to take revenge against Harker and Van Helsing for being pains in his rear... but this vindictive streak becomes his downfall, as Van Helsing penetrates Dracula's lair and confronts him in one of the neatest climaxes of any of Hammer's Dracula films. While Cushing's energetic, action-hero Van Helsing is a sharp departure from how the character comes across in Stoker's novel, the Dracula in this and several other Hammer Films is truer to Stoker's portrayal of him than other versions I've come across. He's not the incongruously eveningwear-sporting-but-decaying-castle-dwelling Bela Lugosi, nor is he the pathetic whiner that Gary Oldman portrayed in so so-very-inaccurately named "Bram Stoker's Dracula"... no, the Lee Dracula is a blood-thirsty monster who preys on the life and emotions of the living. He is a strange and alien fearsome outsider, just as Stoker wrote him. It's 50 years since "Horror of Dracula" was released, yet
it's still a an exciting item to pop in the VCR or DVD player when you're
looking for a chilling, adventuresome diversion.
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Revenge of Frankenstein (aka "I, Frankenstein") Year of Release: 1958 Steve's Rating: Eight of Ten Stars Starring: Peter Cushing and Francis Matthews
Although Baron Frankenstein seemed certain to pay for his sins against man and nature at the end of the first film, Hammer and director Fisher nonetheless managed to save him for an intelligently written and solidly directed sequel. Assuming a new identity and becoming the new head of a hospital for the poor, he builds a body for his crippled assistant from parts amputated from his patients. Unfortunately, body battles mind for supremacy and turns the newly ambulatory man into a shambling, murderous cannibal. This is one of those rare sequels that is as good as the original.
Cushing's Frankenstein is once again a likable character, showing himself
to be the only man of medicine in a town who cares about the health of
the poor... even if his concern is largely derived from a desire to keep
a steady supply of raw materials available for his experiments. Once again,
Cushing is supported by a strong cast and a great script. If there's anything
that dissapoints me about this this film, it's that Frankenstein didn't
really get revenge on anyone. When I first heard that this film was a direct
continuation of "Curse of Frankenstein," I thought the people who stood
by and let him go to the guillotine would also return, but they are no
where in this story. But, that's a quibble that doesn't make the actual
movie any weaker.
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The Hound of the Baskervilles Year of Release: 1959 Steve's Rating: Eight of Ten Stars Starring: Peter Cushing, Andre Morell, Christopher Lee, and Marla
Landi
Sherlock Holmes (Cushing) is retained to find the root of and bring to an end the curse that's been haunting the Baskervilles family for centuries before it claims the family's final male member, Sir Henry Baskervilles (Lee). With Dr. Watson (Morell) at this side, Holmes ventures onto the haunted moor to seperate fact from fiction and legend from the all-to-real killer who lurks there. The Hammer Films adaptation of "The Hounds of the Baskervilles" is one of the best Sherlock Holmes movies ever made. Peter Cushing is excellent as Holmes, Morell is a fine Watson (and he is playing the part in a script that doesn't portray Watson as a bumbling idiot whose only reason for being around is for Holmes to made rude comments about--Watson is an intelligent, capable partner to Holmes here, just like he is in the Arthur Conan Doyle tales--and the rest of the cast is likewise perfect in their various parts. This version may take some liberties with the novel here and there,
but Cushing and Morell should definately be near the top of any list of
"Great Homes & Watsons of the Movies." It's a must-see for fans of
any of the stars or anyone who loves a well-done Sherlock Holmes adaptation.
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The Mummy Year of Release: 1959 Steve's Rating: Eight of Ten Stars Starring: Peter Cushing, Yvonne Furneaux, and Christopher
Lee
A Victorian archeology expedition unearths and carries off the treasures from the tomb of Egyptian princess Ananka, so the secret society devoted to protecting it pursues the members back to England. Here, the fanatics unleash her eternal protector, a mummy (Lee), onto the British countryside. Whether the expedition members are in manor houses or insane asylums, the mummy finds and kills them, until only John Banning (Cushing) remains. When the mummy confronts Banning, however, it becomes captivated with his wife (Furneaux), who bears a strinking resemblance to his long-dead mistress. Hammer Films' revival of "The Mummy" in gorgeous color is one
of the best films that production house was responsible for. Better than
"Horror of Dracula", but not quite as good as "The Curse of Frankenstein,"
it is a suspenseful movie. Cushing is as good as ever, and Lee also turns
in a good performance as Kharis, whether as the shambling mummy, or as
the living man during the flashback to ancient Egypt. The entirety of the
final confrontation between Banning and the mummy is movie-making excellence.
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Brides of Dracula Year of Release: 1960 Steve's Rating: Nine of Ten Stars Starring: Peter Cushing, Yvonne Monlaur, Martia Hunt, and David
Peel
This is a Dracula movie that doesn't feature Dracula. In fact, it spotlights the continuing adventures of Van Helsing (Cushing) as he continues his fight aginst the Cult of Vampirism. For, while Dracula is very much a pile of ash back in his castle, his minions continue to spread their evil. As "Brides of Dracula" opens, we meet Marianne (Monlaur), a young French woman on her way to take up a teaching position at a Transylvanian boarding school. She is forced to spent the night at an isolated castle where she concludes Baroness Meinster (Hunt) is a mad woman who is keeping her handsome young son (Peel) prisoner. She helps him escape, but learns to her terror that the madness is the castle wasn’t limited to the baroness and that there was a good reason why she was keeping her son locked up—he is a master vampire who has been preying on and torturing peasant girls in the area for many years. After fleeing the castle, she encounters Dr. Van Helsing who has come to the area following reports of vampire attacks. When the vampire comes to prey on the staff and girls at the boarding school and to ultimately claim Marianne as his bride, Van Helsing takes up his mallet and stake to end his unnatural existence. Van Helsing has a harder time with this vampire than he did with Dracula. While Dracula beat the tar out of him in “Horror of Dracula,” the Baron Meinster nearly makes Van Helsing himself into one of his vampire minions… and Van Helsing must take extreme measures to stop the vampiric disease from spreading through his blood. His creativity and resourcefulness is also stretched to the limit when he stops Meinster from making good his final escape with the largest improvised cross in the history of vampire hunting. “Brides of Dracula” is superior to “Horror of Dracula” is several ways, making it among the rarest of sequels. First, the Baron’s castle from the first part of the movie features some spectacular sets (some of which are redressed in “The Gorgon”); the sequence in the castle is also one of the most deeply creepy in any of the Hammer Films, as Marianne comes to realize that she is trapped in a house of madness and evil. Second, Cushing is at the top of his game here. His performance is full of zeal and it is the best he gave in any of the Hammer Films he was featured in. The mixture of horror and steely determination that he gives Dr. Van Helsing as he confronts the vampires and their twisted human servants is very well acted. He is also served well by a plot that allows the Van Helsing character to shine, fantastic sets, and excellent lighting and camera work that constantly reinforces the film’s gothic horror tone. Finally, the climax is one of the most thrilling of any of Hammer’s vampire movies, and Baron Meinster’s doom provides the best death of any vampire in their productions. All in all, “Brides of Dracula” may be the best film director
Terence Fisher ever made. It is certainly the best of all Hammer’s Dracula
movies. (And it’s quite possibly made stronger by the fact that Dracula
is nowhere in it. I think Peel’s evil, bug-eyed Baron Meinster comes across
as far more sinister and evil that Lee’s staid and rather distant Count
Dracula ever did.)
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Captain Clegg (aka Night Creatures) Year of Release: 1962 Steve's Rating: Ten of Ten Stars Starring: Peter Cushing, Patrick Allen, Michael Ripper, Oliver Reed,
and Yvonne Romain
Captain Collier (Allen) of the King's Navy marches into a small swamp-bound coastal village that is a suspected hub of smuggling, not to mention the center of activity by ghostly nightriders on skeletal horses. He is soon matching wits with the masterminds behind the smuggling operations--the kindly Reverend Blyss (Cushing) and coffin maker Jeremiah Mipps (Ripper), both of whom hide secrets deeper and darker than a mere smuggling ring. "Captain Clegg" ("Night Creatures" in the U.S. market) is perhaps one of the finest movies every released by Hammer Films, and it's a shame that it's so hard to find. In fact, the only place I've EVERY seen it available in the seven years I've been looking for it is in the newly released DVD collection of several Hammer movies from Universal. And, frankly, given that the set also includes the masterful "Brides of Dracula," it's more than worth the asking price at Amazon.com. Set in the 18th century against a backdrop of smuggling and piracy, "Captain Clegg" is an excellent melodrama that's got a thrilling, well-paced story, with compelling, likeable, and complex characters, and a near-perfect ending. (High points of the film include the opening scenes with an old man running from spectral riders in the marshes, only to be finished off by a nightmarish scarecrow with human eyes; the sequence where Mipps and his fellow smugglers set out in the hopes of making their scheduled delivery of fine French wines right under the nose of Captain Collier and his men; the breakfast scene where Collier thinks he finally has the goods on Blyss, and the build-up to the film's climax as Blyss's past comes back to haunt him, and the smuggling operation starts to come unglued.) "Captian Clegg" is also beautifully filmed and expertly directed--on
par with some of Terence Fisher's Hammer work, I think--with Cushing and
Ripper giving excellent performances. In fact, Cushing may well give his
finest on-screen performance ever in this movie, as the enigmatic country
vicar with a rebellious streak. Cushing's range as an actor is shown more
clearly in this film as in no other I've seen (and I've seen most of the
ones he's been in).
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The Gorgon Year of Release: 1962 Steve's Rating: Nine of Ten Stars Starring: Peter Cushing, Barbara Shelley, Christopher Lee,
and Richard Pasco
"The Gorgon" is a curious mixture of elements, as the spirit of the sole surviving gorgon sisters of Greek legend rises again to plague a Balkan village at the dawn of the 20th century. Peter Cushing is featured prominently as the village doctor who is trying to cover up the fact that villagers are being turned to stone under every full moon for mysterious (and possibly sinister) reasons. Christopher Lee and Richard Pasco play scholars devoted to ending the Gorgon's reign of terror. Barbara Shelley is also featured as Cushing's assistant and Pasco's love interest. "The Gorgon" contains a number of truly chilling moments, with lighting, camera work, and performances by all featured actors being of top quality for Hammer efforts. What's more, the script features a couple of twists and turns, so that the viewer is kept guessing as to who is actually host to the gorgon's spirit until it is revealed. (The same can not be said of a similar, and almost as good film, "The Reptile." It suffers from the all-too-typical 'only one obvious suspect' problem that movies of this type suffer from... but that is not the case here!) Yes, there are some plot threads left dangling, and the film loses a little bit of steam toward the end, but the final confrontation between Cushing, Pasco, Lee, and the Gorgon is one of the most dramatic endings to a Hammer film, period! "The Gorgon" is one of the most underrated horror flicks from
Hammer, and I'm shocked that it hasn't come out on DVD yet, given Christopher
Lee's return to prominance in the recent "Star Wars" and "Lord of the Rings"
films. After all, they've released the absolute WORST of the Fu Manchu
film he did, so why not one of his best films overall? In fact, it is a
great dissapointment to me that no one has even bothered to keep in print
on VHS.
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Island of Terror Year of Release: 1966 Steve's Rating: Eight of Ten Stars Starring: Edward Judd, Peter Cushing, and Carole Gray
Bone specialist Dr. David West (Judd) and patheologist Dr. Brian Stanley (Cushing) travel to a remote island off the coast of England to help stem an outbreak of a strange disease that seems to be dissolving the very bones of animals and island residents. The soon discover that the island is about to be overrun by gigantic, mobile, mutated cells that survive by sucking calcium and other minerals from their victims. Will the scientists find a to destroy the seemingly indestructable, rapidly multiplying monsters before they kill everything on the island... and then spread to the rest of the world? More importantly, will the lovely Toni (Gray) slap Dr. Stanley for his heavy-handed flirtatious comments? "Island of Terror" is a GREAT monster movie with a fabulous setting and a cast that deliver excellent performances. The movie starts creepy, builts tension steadily, and ends up with an exciting climax where survivors are crammed into a single building for a desperate last stand. It is a classic in every sense of the word, from the Golden Age of sci-fi in at the cinema. I've heard this film compared to the original "Dr. Who" series, both in a favorable and a disparaging sense. I tend to think the comparison is accurate, particularly of the John Pertwee and Tom Baker years. The monsters bear some resemblence in design to many of those we saw on "Dr. Who" (and perhaps they may seem laughable to the "sophisticated" viewer in the 21st century) and the setting, nature, and development of the story is likewise similar to the stories featured on the TV show. However, "Island of Terror" is much better paced, far better acted, and far better filmed than any "Dr. Who" storyline. (I also suspect that a couple of people who have made such comments have had limited exposure to British sci-fi from the 50s and 60s... and so perhaps everything would remind them of "Dr. Who.") If you like monster movies and classic sci-fi films, you owe it
to yourself to check out "Island of Terror." Another reason to see it is
Peter Cushing's performance. He gets to show off his more comedic side,
as his character of Dr. Stanley is a loveable joker who is always playfully
hitting on his collegues fiance, Toni.
(This is another excellent Peter Cushing flick that's out of print on VHS, and which has yet to appear on DVD.)
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Frankenstein Created Woman Year of Release: 1967 Steve's Rating: Nine of Ten Stars Starring: Peter Cushing, Susan Denberg, and Thorley Walters
Victor Frankenstein (Cushing) attempts to capture and transplant the very essense of what makes a person human--the soul. Perhaps this goes without saying, but, his experiments go terribly wrong. "Frankenstein Created Woman" is one of the most unusual Hammer films. Although obstensibly a horror film, it is probably better described as a poetic mood piece steeped in gothic romanticism. As such, it ranks among most intelligent of all Frankenstein films. The usual elements of a Frankenstein story are all but missing here, and the mad doctor isn't creating a terrible patchwork man, but instead a beautiful woman. What's more, he is endevours to inhabit the body with a soul. (It seems he is operating under the theory that previous efforts went awry because he was just dealing with brains, not souls.) The story is a quirky one, but it has all the elements of a great gothic tale--dark secrets, tragic love, and ultimate justice. The ending is also a curiously melancholy one. While Cushing doesn't have as much screentime in this film as
in other entries in the series--Frankenstein is more of a catalyst for
the film's events than its focus--he gives a performance that is equal
to the one in "Curse of Frankenstein." It may even be better than his original
portrayal of the character, as something truly different is done with Victor
Frankenstein in this film. While all the perfomances here are all superb,
Cushing's more gentle portrayal of the fiendish doctor truly shines.
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The House That Dripped Blood Year of Release: 1971 Steve's Rating: Seven of Ten Stars Starring: Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Denholm Elliot, Nyree
Dawn Porter, Jon Pertwee, Ingrid Pitt, John Bryans, Joanna Dunham, and
John Bennett
An arrogant Scotland Yard Inspector (Bennett) goes to investigate the dissapearance of a famed horror movie actor. Locals, including real estate agent A.J. Stoker (Bryans), claim the actor dissapeared because the house his rented was cursed. They tell him for tales of strange tragedies that took place there--a horror writer (Elliot) who rented it for some peace and quiet while writing his new book found himself haunted by his latest villainous creation; a retired stockbroker (Cushing, nursing a broken heart and hoping to recover in the country, vanishes as mysteriously as the actor the did; a reclusive widower (Lee) and his daughter's tutor (Porter) encounter strange and mysterious forces; and, finally, there's the horror actor (Pertwee) who vanished with his co-star (Pitt). The detective dismisses the stories as nonsense and goes to see the house... at Midnight. Will he uncover the secret of the house that dripped blood, or will he himself become an unsolved mystery? "The House That Dripped Blood" is an excellent horror anthology that features some truly great actors in four spooky tales with a framing sequence. A couple of the stories themselves are a bit shakey, but the acting is excellent all around. The camera work and lighting are mostly studiously bland, so much so that when there are some flourishes to underscore a horror scene, they work with great effectiveness. Something that really helps this film succeed are little touches scattered throughout the film, an extreme attention to detail that makes the fantastic stories even more believable. My very favorite of these is the final one where Pertwee and Pitt's characters have to contend with a cloak that turns those who put in on into vampires. The story is played mostly for humor, but I loved the touch of the vampire lifting into air... and leaving her shoes behind on the floor. It's funny and creepy all at once. Of the four stories, the one featuring Pertwee ("The Cloak") and Lee ("Sweets for the Sweet") are the strongest; Elliot piece ("Method for Murder") featuring a cute twist on what was otherwise a fairly standard ghost story. The tale starring Cushing ("Waxworks") is probably the weakest and most nonsensical of the bunch, but, as with virtually everything I've seen Cushing in, his presense is almost enough to make even this flimsy, confused story work. "The House That Dripped Blood" was the first in a string of anthologies from Amicus Pictures that collected some of the greatest horror actors of the Sixties and Seventies. It's not the best of the batch, but it is still worth seeing for the excellent performances by the actors. (And, as always, the beauty of an anthology film is that if one story doesn't work for you, there's probably others that do.) |
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Asylum Year of Release: 1972 Steve's Rating: Seven of Ten Stars Starring: Robert Powell, Partrick Magee, Herbert Lom, Barry Morse,
Barbara Parkins, Britt Ekland, Charlotte Rampling, and Peter Cushing
Dr. Martin (Powell) is charged with a most unusual final test before being hired for a position at an insane asylum: He must interview several inmates and deduce which of them is the former director of the facility. "Asylum" is another of those very excellent horror anthology films from the '60s and '70s. This one uses Dr. Martin's final employment test as its framing story (although, in this film, the frame is itself a little twist-ending horror tale that) and the interviews with four of the inmates are the short horrors we are treated to. First up, we have what is probably the weakest of the bunch... a story where a murdered wife who reanimates to take revenge on her husband and is lover (Parkins), despite having been dismembered and neatly wrapped in a number of individual packages. Athough predictable and goofy, the images of the writhing packages and the capper to the story as it ends and gives way to the frame more than make up for the weak story. Second, there's the story of a desperately broke tailor (Morse) who receives a most unusual commission from a greiving father (Cushing), and in the end, we learn the lesson that tailorshops and occultism should be kept seperate. This tale is a bit slow-moving, but its beautifully shot, and Morse and Cushing both give excellent performances. Third, we have the story of Barbara (Rampling) who, after being released from an insane asylum, promptly murders her brother and nurse. Barbara blames the evil Lucy (Ekland) for committing the crime and framing her, but is reality being filtered through the mind of a mad woman? This story is pretty basic and it works first and foremost due to the great performance of Ekland. Finally, we have the tale of Dr. Byron (Lom), a medical man who has come to believe he can transfer his mind into dolls that he creates. Unlike the other three, this story is not a flashback, but instead takes place in the present and within the asylum walls. It is the most clever and surprising of the bunch, and the way it merges with the framing story is particularly horrific and grand. It's a great closer to a fine collection of stories. To make this package even better, the film features some nice camera work and a great music score (that is especially effective in the Rampling/Ekland sequence). Gorehounds won't find a lot of enjoyment in this film, but fans
of classic British horror films will probably love "Asylum".
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Horror Express Year of Release: 1972 Steve's Rating: Eight of Ten Stars Starring: Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, and Sylvia Totorsa
A British explorer (Lee) finds what he believes to be proof of Darwin's theory of evolution high in a frozen mountain glacier on a mountain in northern China. As he is transporting the frozen carcas back to the West on the Trans-Siberian express, a weasely collegue/competitor (Cushing) decides to get a look at the find, and inadvertently unleashes a horror that has lain dormant for tens of thousands of years. It quickly becomes apparent that no-one onboard the train is safe as it makes its way across the frozen wilderness.... "Horror Express" is another one of those movies I remember being scared by as a kid. Specifically, the scene where the Kozak leader (played by Telly Savalas(!)) and his men are battling the monster in a darkened traincar. This is one of those films that is exactly as scary as I remember it! A bit slow-moving at times, "Horror Express" still provides plenty
of chills and shocks... and even a couple of unexpected plot-twists. The
lighting, camera-work, and special effects all help underscore the growing
tension in the film--even if some of the special effects are a bit cheesy--and
the actors are all very good, despite the fact that this is one of those
international European production where a dozen different languages were
being spoken on the set. Lee and Cushing in particular shine; I think this
movie features some of the better performances given by either one of them.
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Tales from the Crypt Year of Release: 1972 Steve's Rating: Eight of Ten Stars Starring: Joan Collins, Peter Cushing, Nigel Patrick, and Ralph
Richardson
This anthology film from British horror company Amicus is the original screen adaptation of the "Tales from the Crypt" comic book. And it's a fabulous one--with a fine cast of actors, great camera work, and mostly tight scripting. From the odd framing sequence--that features a group of tourists that find themselves stranded inside an ancient tomb where they encounter a mysterious crypt keeper (Richardson)--we know we're in for a treat. The crypt keeper's interaction with the lost tourists is the conceit that brings us into the stories. The first tale in the film is "All Through the House", in which an evil, scheming wife (Collins) murders her husband on Christmas Eve... only to discover what Father Christmas does to those who have been naughty. There are some great visuals and fabulous contrasts of colors here, not to mention great acting by all featured (even the child actor, which is a rare occurance!) Next up is "Reflection of Death", perhaps the weakest tale of the bunch, because it feels like it's been padded. It's the tale of a man who gets in a horrible car-wreck but finds that no-one will help him or his mistress after he's crawled from the wreckage. There's a nice, chilling twist in this one, but it takes entirely too long getting there. The third story, "Poetic Justice", is my favorite of the bunch, and it features horror great Peter Cushing in his most touching (and probably personal) performance ever. He portrays a lonely widower who is driven to suicide after a pair of cruel businessmen cause him to believe that the neighborhood children, who have been his only joy since the death of his wife, have come to hate him. The poor old man gets his revenge, however, in a way that's fitting of "Tales from the Crypt". (In real life, Cushing himself lost his wife shortly before working on this film. I'm of the opinion that Cushing largely plays himself in this sequence.) The fourth tale, "Wish You Were Here", is a pretty straight-forward spin on the classic "The Monkey's Paw" story. It is based around the standard of a string of badly worded wishes that backfire tragically and horrifically, but the climax of the story is so terrifying and skin-crawling that it literally had me squirming in my chair. Both as a kid and as an adult, the finale of this story is the one that hits me hardest. Finally (aside from the creepy wrap-up to the framing sequence), we have "Blind Alley", the tale of a vicious administrator of a home for the blind, who is given a fitting punishment by his charges when they've finally had enough. This one also feels a bit padded and it drags a bit, but there are enough chills and scary moments--not to mention fine acting by Nigel Patrick as the hateful, gluttonous administrator. "Tales from the Crypt" is a little-seen gem, and I recommend it
highly to anyone who thinks fondly of British horror films from the Sixties
and Seventies.
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The Beast Must Die (aka "Black Werewolf") Year of Release: 1974 Steve's Rating: Seven of Ten Stars Starring: Calvin Lockhart, Anton Diffring, Peter Cushing,
Marlene Clark, Michael Gambon, Tom Chadbon, Ciaran Madden, and Charles
Gray
Arrogant big game hunter and self-made millionaire Tom Newcliffe (Lockhart) has invited six guests to his isolated estate to spend the weekend with himself and his wife (Clark). Once they are present, he reveals that his land and house has been transformed into a high-tech prison, and that he believes one of his guests is a werewolf... and that he intends to hunt and kill that person once he or she transforms. Together with his security expert (Diffring) and a scholar who specializes in the illness of lycanthropy (Cushing), Newcliffe watches and waits to hunt the most dangerous game of all. "The Beast Must Die" is a nicely executed merge of the thriller, horror, and mystery genres. (Some even like to throw in "blaxploitation" as an included genre, but, frankly, I don't think it fits that category. The lead character happens to be black, but that's as far as it goes.) The script is fast-paced, the dialogue witty, and usual game of "spot the werebeast" that is so common in werewolf movies is heightened here by the Christie-esque "Ten Little Indians" aspect of the story. The only really questionable part of the script is some faulty logic on the part of Newcliffe: He's invited these guests, and he's convinced that one of them is a werewolf. Given the mysterious violence that's followed at least three of them around the world, why is he certain that just one who is a werewolf? Why not two, or even all three? The big-name cast all do an excellent job in their parts, although Lockhart delivers an over-the-top performance that should earn him a place in the Ham Hall of Fame, and Cushing's supposedly Swedish accent is very dodgey on more than one occassion. The camerawork and direction are also very well done... they even manage to make the made-up dog that serves as the werewolf pretty scary at times. Two big strikes against the film, though, are its score--which mostly consists of annoying, inapproriate, very 1970s jazz music--and the gimmicky "werewolf break" toward the end of the film where the film stops for 30 seconds to allow the audience to "be the detective and guess the werewolf." (According to an interview with the director on the most recent DVD release, this gimmick was added during post-production. Frankly, it shows... there really aren't enough clues provided to effectively guess who the werewolf is before the film itself reveals the beast's identity.) Still, despite its warts, this film is an excellent little movie
that should entertain lovers of horror films and detective thrillers alike.
(Heck, you might even be smarter than me, and you might be able to successfully
pick up on clues and guess the werwolf!)
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From Beyond the Grave (aka "Creatures" and "Tales from the Beyond") Year of Release: 1975 Steve's Rating: Eight of Ten Stars Starring: Peter Cushing, David Warner, Donald Pleasence, Ian
Bannen, Angela Pleasence, Nyree Dawn Porter, Ian Ogilvy, Lesley-Ann Down,
Ian Carmichael, Margaret Leighton, and Jack Watson
Deep within the back alleys of London stands a little hole-in-the-wall antique shop that is crammed with the strangest and most wondrous things. It is run by a kind, elderly man with a thick Northlands accent (Cushing). He can find just the thing you're looking for, he is always helpful, and his prices are very, very fair. But a bad end will come to those who deal with him unfairly, or who outright steal from him. "From Beyond the Grave" is a misnamed movie if there ever was one. This anthology film which features three stories about three customers to the antique shop run by Cushing's character, and the fates they suffer after they respectively cheat him, steal from him, and deal fairly with him. If *I* were King of the World (or if I'd been the one assigning aternate titles to this one, I would have chosen "Curious Goods", "Final Sale", "Deals to Die For", or something along those lines. Yes, this is a cheesy horror movie--where curses on antiques manifest themselves to punish those who do wrong--but it is nowhere near as awful as its title implies. All four stories in this one are good, creepy fun. They are all paced just right, and they all sharp dialogue, well-balanced mixes of humor and horror, and a couple of startling moments just to add a little extra zest. The featured actors all give top-notch performances as well, with Cushing, Warner, Bannen, and Angela Pleasence being particularly excellent in their parts. (Of course, Cushing is pretty much always excellent, so I suppose I didn't even need to praise him. I don't think I've seen Ms. Pleasence in anything before or since, but she gives a performance that rivals anything her famous father has ever put forth.) The first story sees David Warner stiffing Cushing for quite a bit of money when he switches the price-tag on a mirror he desperately wants. Well, said mirror is possessed, and soon Warner's character is killing hookers for fun and eternal life. The second story has Ian Bannen, a spineless and henpecked husband, attempting to buy a war medal from Cushing so he can artifcially boost his self-esteem. When Cushing refuses to sell the medal to him without proof of actual war-time heroism, Bannen steals it. A chance encounter with a real war-hero and his strange daughter subsequently goes from friendship to horror. (This segment is scariest in the film, and it's final scene is one that will stay with you for a while.) The third story is mostly comedic in nature, and it starts with a business man cheating Cushing on the purchase of an antique snuffbox (to which Cushing, upon noticing the swindle, comments, "I hope you enjoy suffing it). Turns out, the cheapskate ends up with a demon on his shoulder, and when he turns to a befuddled medium for help (hilariously played by Margaret Leighton), things end up going from bad to worse. (The finale to this one is as creepy as it is funny.) Finally, an honest customer comes into Cushing's shop. He's looking for a little something to liven up his study, and he purchases an old door... without stealing, cheating, or lying. The item still turns out to be cursed (we wouldn't have a story otherwise!), and it turns a closet into a room that houses an ancient evil. This final story isn't as strong as the first three, but it's still pretty good. And the fate of the characters are in line with everything that's happened to the cheaters. "From Beyond the Grave" is definately one of the better anthology
horror films that has been made. It may not be able to complete with gorefests
and slasherflicks for tension-heightening blood-letting, but if you like
your horror with a side of class and thoughfulness, this is a film for
you. I recommend it highly, and I assure you that it's better than the
title suggests. (This is also another EXCELLENT film that hasn't yet appeared on DVD... and which is sadly out-of-print on VHS.)
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All reviews and ratings are by Steve Miller. To see second (and third
and fouth) opinions on the films featured here, or to purchase copies of
the films, click on the Amazon.com links. (Purchases made through those
links help fund the costs involved with maintaining this website.)
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