Tag Archives: Peter Cushing

Saturday is Horror Day #214 – The Creeping Flesh

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Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

The Creeping Flesh

Emmanuel Hildern (Peter Cushing) returns from the jungles of New Guinea with a marvelous find in the form of a huge skeleton, one he believes will serve to bolster his theory that evil is a disease that can be cured. His daughter Penelope (Lorna Heilbron) is overjoyed at her father’s return, and hopes to spend time with him, but he is quickly lost to his studies once more. On his arrival, he finds a letter from his brother James (Christopher Lee) who runs a mental asylum. James regrets to inform his brother that while he was gone, his wife passed away. And he has said nothing to Penelope, of course. The truth of the matter is that Penelope believes he mother died years ago and her father is not about to let her know the truth.

But he doesn’t realize how obsessed with the idea of her mother Penelope is, especially because she has

been forbidden from entering the locked room that was once her mother’s. But where there is a will, there is a way, and Penelope gains entrance.

In the meantime, Emmanuel has made an accidental discovery that he cannot quite explain – if the skeleton becomes wet, flesh begins to grow on the bone! Interestingly, his brother James is involved in his own dark experiments. And the two experiments are about to overlap!

While this film has the look and feel of a Hammer film, including Hammer’s two biggest stars – Cushing and Lee – it is not. There are also supporting actors Duncan Lamont, Michael Ripper, make-up artist Roy Ashton, and cinematographer turned director Freddie Francis.

Cushing plays the absentminded scientist well. He means well in protecting his daughter, but she finds out anyway, unprepared for the reality of her mother’s mental instability. We see flashbacks of her descent into madness, and we are led to believe that this was inherited by her daughter. I think the daughter’s own descent was a bit rapid, but considering the film is only an hour and a half long, understandable.

Sure, one has to suspend a certain amount of disbelief, such as water growing flesh on a skeleton, and the skeleton coming to “life” and wreaking havoc. But it’s a fun watch with a twist ending I didn’t see coming. If you are fans of Cushing and Lee, as I am, I recommend giving this a watch. I’ll give this film 3.75 Stars.

Saturday is Horror Day #211 – The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959)

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Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959)

Baskerville Hall has been cursed after Sir Hugo Baskerville sullied the place with his drunkenness, violence, and complete disregard for anyone but himself. But one night he finally went too far, and a curse was placed upon his descendants. Fast forward a number of years. The current master of Baskerville Hall has died under, shall we say, mysterious circumstances, and his son, now Sir Henry Baskerville (Christopher Lee) is headed home to claim his inheritance. However, he is mindful of the curse and reluctant, so he seeks advice from renowned detective, Sherlock Holmes (Peter Cushing). Holmes listens to his tale, though obviously he gives no credence to the possibility of a curse. However, when a tarantula almost kills Sir Henry in Holmes’ flat, he admits that maybe someone wishes to harm him.  He agrees that Sir Henry should not travel there alone. However, he himself cannot accompany him, but there is no reason that his associate, Dr. Watson (Andre Morell) cannot. So the two men set off.

On arrival, they discover that a prisoner by the name of Selden has escaped from the nearby Dartmoor

Prison. At the Hall, Sir Henry finds a couple who served his father, the Barrymores (John Le Mesurier and Helen Goss). Holmes left strict instructions to Watson to never allow Sir Henry to go onto the moors alone, but one night he does just that and meets a strange girl. He impulsively follows her, despite her obvious desire to lose him, and becomes instantly smitten. He learns that the girl, Cecile (Maria Landi) lives with her brother Stapleton (Ewen Solon) nearby.

Doctor Mortimer (Francis De Wolff) had attended Sir Henry’s father before his death and advises the son to be careful as he has a weak heart. Watson and Sir Henry run into a pastor (Miles Malleson) with an unusual penchant for entomology, and a telescope that seems to be fixed on the Hall. Hearing the fabled hound baying across the moor is just the icing on the cake, as Watson inadvertently puts himself into the very predicament Holmes had advised against. Is the curse of the Baskervilles a real thing?

This 1959 version of the famous story by Arthur Conan Doyle, is a Hammer film featuring two of the studio’s greatest stars – Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. It was also the first Holmes film to be shot in color. Peter Cushing makes a great Holmes, although there is no evidence of his drug habit, but that is not surprising for the times in which this was made. As is the lack of real violence. It doesn’t have to be seen to be felt, after all. Imagination plays a great part in good horror films. I like Andre Morell’s Watson, who was not made out to be the buffoon that Nigel Bruce was forced to play. In fact, he is a good foil for Cushing’s Holmes. Christopher Lee is his usual patrician self as Sir Henry Baskerville. I do have to say that the relationship between Sir Henry and Cecile was sudden and not believable. Luckily it’s but a small part of the plot. Also, in the original story the Stapletons were posing as a brother and sister when in actuality they were married, but in this film, they are father and daughter.

Even after all these years, this film holds up as a good version of the story, and I enjoyed it as much as I ever did.  I am a huge fan of Basil Rathbone’s Holmes, and also the more recent Benedict Cumbermatch series, but Peter Cushing is just as good. I’ll give this film 4 Stars.

Saturday is Horror Day #202 – The House That Dripped Blood

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The House That Dripped Blood

A seemingly harmless house for rent seems to be the catalyst for mysterious happenings.

Method for Murder:

Charles (Denholm Elliott) has a case of writer’s block, and the only cure is to take his wife Alice (Joanna

Durham) and get away from it all so he can get back to writing. They settle down to write in the house leased to them by agent AJ Stoker (John Bryans). Charles quickly immerses himself in his work about a serial killer named Dominick, who strangles his victims. Things are going well… until Charles begins to actually see Dominick. But that isn’t possible, is it? Dominick is just a character… or is he?

Waxworks:

Philip (Peter Cushing) has retired and decides to rent the house from Stoker. Searching for something to do, he comes across a waxwork museum, and becomes fascinated by the wax figure depicting Salome with the head of John the Baptist. But fascination turns to obsession, and them more…

Sweets to the Sweet:

Reid (Christopher Lee) brings his young daughter Jane (Chloe Franks) to the house. Deciding against   sending her to school, he engages a nanny/teacher, Ann (Nyree Dawn Porter). As Ann grows attached to Jane, she finds the man’s attitude toward his daughter to be rather harsh as well as stifling. But perhaps there is a reason why he does the things he does…

The Cloak:

Paul (Jon Pertwee) has made a career of playing vampires, but the new movie he has been cast in is less than inspiring. He makes fun of the cheap seat they’ve constructed to represent his castle, and the cloak they gave him is laughable. He decides to take matters into his own hands and ends up at a small costume shop. The proprietor sells him a much butter cloak at a ridiculously low price. But when Paul puts on the cloak, strange things begin to happen.

This anthology of four stories was made in 1970, and stars four well-known talented actors. Typical of its time, it relies less on blood and gore than on actual story and psychology. Not everything is what it appears to be, and figuring out the twist is fun. One of the writers of the film was Robert Bloch, whom you may remember as having given us Psycho. I liked all of the stories, but especially the last two. The story that binds these four concerns a Scotland Yard detective who is working on a missing persons case. There are no jump scares in this film, and perhaps it’s not terrifying, but it’s certainly entertaining and worth watching. I’ll give this film 3.75 Stars.

Saturday is Horror Day #39 – The Raven (2012), Horror Express

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Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

The Raven

Baltimore is being plagued by a series of strange murders which have left the police baffled. The latest involves a mother and daughter found dead in a locked room with no exit. Detective Fields (Luke Evans) thinks the scenario sounds author. Author Edgar Allan Poe (John Cusack) has a reputation more for being an alcoholic than a writer, and he’s worn out his welcome in more than a few places. His girlfriend, Emily Hamilton (Alice Eve) has a disgruntled father on the police force (Brendan Gleeson), who has no use for the writer and threatens him if he should come near his daughter again.

Recognizing that the murders have been inspired by the works of Poe, Fields approaches him and enlists Poe’s reluctant aid in solving the murders. The serial killer is obviously enamored of Poe’s fiction, and has imitated such stories as Murders in the Rue Morgue. Emily’s father is giving a ball, to which Poe has pointedly not been invited, although they have secretly planned to announce their engagement that night. Fields warns the captain to cancel the ball, but to no avail. Realizing that this is just like The Masque of the Red Death, Poe sneaks inside to await the killer. But when the man dressed as Death rides into the company, it turns out he is just a diversion for the real crime – the kidnapping of Emily. Things just got real.

 

Hamilton reluctantly accepts Poe’s help as they race against time to rescue Emily. But the killer is adept at spreading false clues. Poe is afraid if they don’t find her, she will die. He would rather give up  his life in exchange for hers. Will that become necessary.

This is a pretty good cast, especially John Cusack as the alcoholic writer. At the beginning of the film,

the question is posed regarding the last few days of Poe’s life, before he is found on a park bench. I don’t believe this movie answers that question, at least not in my mind. As I said, good cast. I liked Luke Evans in The Alienist, and the young policeman, John Cantrell, is played by Oliver Jackson-Cohen, whom I liked in The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor. The newspaper editor is played by Kevin McNally, who played in the Pirates of the Caribbean movie as Gibbs. The story is an interesting one. Direction seemed good. And yet I thought it didn’t quite hit the mark for me. The only real passion seen is that of Poe himself, and Detective Fields.  No build-up of tension, no real excitement. The revelation of the killer is almost an anti-climax. I’m not sure if that’s a matter of editing or not, maybe better pacing? Or is it the writing itself? It was fun to see how much of Poe’s work would be referenced. I think, on the whole, the story needed to be edgier. As I listened to the music in the ending credits, I couldn’t help but think the movie could have matched that in edginess and would have had a better feel.  More depth. It was, as I said interesting, but it could have been more. I’ll give it 3.5 Stars.

Horror Express

While on an expedition in China, British anthropologist Professor Saxton (Christopher Lee) discovers an interesting specimen, a half human creature that may be millions of years old. While waiting to transport it aboard the Trans-Siberian Express, he runs into rival anthropologist Dr. Wells (Peter Cushing). They are obviously not the best of friends, and Saxton works to conceal his find from Wells. At the station, two men turn up dead, their eyes turned white. But no one has a clue as to what has happened.

Room on the train is scarce, as Saxton and Wells discover when they end up as roommates. Also on the train are Countess Irina Petrovska (Silvia Tortosa), her husband Maryan (George Rigaud) and a monk, Father Pujardov (Albert de Mendoza) who besides being rather religious seems very devoted to the Countess and resembles the mad monk Grigori Rasputin. Wells is traveling with his assistant, Miss Jones (Alice Reinhart), as well as a Russian beauty (Helga Liné). The Count and Countess are not what they appear to be, and seem intent on seducing Dr. Wells. Wells is more interested in what Saxton has brought with them, and bribes the baggage man to take a peek when no one is around. That does not turn out well for him.

 

The dead all have the same strange white eyes. The two professors perform an autopsy on the baggage 

 man and discover that his brain is smooth, unlike a normal brain, which has a wrinkled surface. Also, the creature Saxton has discovered and brought onto the train has disappeared! Is there a link between the murders and this thing, whatever it might be?

This film was made in 1972 and reminded me of a Spanish Hammer film. Yes, there are some things about it that are a bit hokey, such as the special effects. But there are also some things I’ve never seen in a horror film, such as the prehistoric vampire who doesn’t drink blood but sucks people’s thoughts via his glowing red eyes. 

 

Also, there is Cushing and Lee. They are worth watching at any time, two great horror actors that I love! Although rivals, they are forced to work together to solve these murders. Then you have an unexpected appearance by Telly Savalas as a Russian cossack policeman who is more than a little flambuoyant.  Prehistoric vampire, Trans-Siberian railroad, zombies, and Telly Savalas, along with Cushing and Lee – a recipe for fun. I enjoyed this film and will give it a solid 3.5 Stars.

Saturday is Horror Day #10 – The Flesh and the Fiends, The Thompsons

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Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

The Flesh and the Fiends


In 1828 Scotland, medical research and anatomy studies depend on having cadavers to study. Dr. Robert Knox (Peter Cushing), an eminent surgeon, purchases bodies from a pair of ne’er-do-wells, Burke (George Rose) and Hare (Donald Pleasance), who are not above robbing a grave in order to supply the good doctor.

 

 

Before long, the lazy pair discover that they can get corpses without the trouble of digging them up and get more money for the fresher bodies, namely by killing people on the streets in the middle of the night! Dr. Knox remains oblivious to what they are doing, and never questions their methods,  although his assistants do. When Dr. Knox’s niece Martha (June Laverick) comes to stay after an absence of three years, she catches the eye of Dr. Mitchell (Dermot Walsh), while student Chris Jackson (John Cairney) becomes enamored of a young woman, Mary Patterson (Billie Whitelaw), who is known to frequent pubs and likes to have a good time.

 

Burke and Hare come under suspicion as people begin to turn up missing. How long can Dr. Knox turn a blind eye to their shenanigans?


I am a long-time Peter Cushing fan and was thrilled to find this film I wasn’t familiar with, on Shudder. It has the feel of a Hammer film, although it isn’t one. Peter Cushing is great, as always, and I enjoyed watching Donald Pleasance play the creepily sinister William Hare. The film is based on the true story of Burke and Hare, and can also be seen in The Body Snatcher, with Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi. The Flesh and the Fiends is a little known, underappreciated gem among horror movies. It has a definite dark and creepy atmosphere, and is well worth viewing, especially for the performances of Cushing, Pleasance, and Rose. I’ll give it a solid 4 stars.

The Thompsons


The Hamiltons, now going by the Thompsons, have had to move on, their dark family secret having been uncovered. Knowing little of their late parents’ past, their only clue is the name of a village in England, and the name Manderson. So it’s off to Europe for the Thompsons!

 

 

Unfortunately, they run afoul of a couple of robbers, and Lenny is hurt. Now it’s imperative that they find him help as soon as possible. Francis finds the small village in question, and the pub where he may find Manderson. But again, things go awry, and he gets more than he bargained for. Turns out the Mandersons are kinfolk, and that’s not all they have in common.

 

The second movie begins where the first one ends, picking up in the middle of events as we find Francis trapped in a box, and of course he has to explain what led to this. Cue flashbacks. The entire movie concerns finding these relatives, who are even more sadistic and bloodthirsty than their American cousins, and who have their own plans for them. In particularly, for Darlene, as she seems to be the last hope for the continuation of their bloodline.

Frankly, the plot is thin at best, with not much more than the Thompsons vs the Mandersons. Mainly an excuse for fighting and bloodletting…. and more fighting and bloodletting. That wears thin quickly. The writers seem intent on showing the Thompsons in a more favorable light than in the first film, as if they are trying to make them out to be human. They’re not vampires, they have a disease, one that requires them to have a diet of blood. 

 

Honestly, there just isn’t a lot of meat to this one, and I found myself getting bored. Certainly not scary. The first movie wasn’t great, this one is barely decent. And I’m being kind here. I’ll just give it a soft 2 stars and suggest you find something else to watch. Like The Flesh and the Fiends.