Showing posts with label face. Show all posts
Showing posts with label face. Show all posts

Thursday 28 February 2019

WITHOUT GETTING PLASTERED TARKIN MAY NEVER HAVE RETURNED PLUS A HAMMER GLAMOUR BIRTHDAY!


THINK ABOUT IT! This #THROWBACK THURSDAY post at the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE today, has prompted some memories. Make up artist, the late STUART FREEBORN was responsible among many other excellent creations, like the appearnce  #STARWARS YODA, made the prosthetic giant EYE for Cushing Book Store character in the 1984 film, 'Top Secret'. The practice of getting an actor to come into the workshop, and have his ENTIRE face in latex rubber or plaster, was common practice back in the day. Hammer make up artist, Roy Ashton had a whole collection of actors and actresses faces and heads, that he used to produce the latex attachments of some of the studios, best monsters and creatures! 


I GUESS, Freeborn would never have guessed that HIS plaster face of Peter Cushing would go on to be quite central and MAJOR and contentious step in the creation of the CGI Grand Moff Tarkin in the film, 'ROGUE ONE'. FX creators Industrial Light and Magic, found there was little on file, of actual helpful and accurate reference material on Cushing's features and face. A mass of artwork, but only Freeborn's plaster head, could provide the measurements and dimensions that were needed, along with footage of Peter Cushing's performance on the big screen as Tarkin in 'Star Wars: A New Hope, from 1977, to make the CGI possible. The role of the Book Store Owner, was a small guest role and one that Cushing could have easily have passed on. A fact no doubt, that could have effected the potential of making Tarkin's return, along with Guy Henry's assistance . .  a non starter! 



TODAY WE ALSO MARK the birthday of Stephanie Beacham. Beacham has had a very full career on stage, screen and television. Star of tv's 'Tenko', 'The Colbys' 'Dynasty' 'Bad Girls' and 'SeaQuest'... she has also slipped in an episode of 'Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense'. Her Peter Cushing connection links to two films, 'Dracula AD 1972' playing Jessica Van Helsing, granddaughter to Peter Cushing. and 'And Now, The Screaming Starts'... Please join us in wishing her a Happy Birthday!



STEPHANIE BEACHAM: 'My mother Joan had chicken pox when she was pregnant so I was born with no nerve endings in my right ear. I’m totally deaf in that ear and I have just 80% hearing in my left ear. I’ve never heard in stereo and where most people’s hearing is three dimensional, mine is all on the same plane. Background and foreground sounds flatten, out so a car coming down the road is as loud as a person’s voice right next to me. I was taken to a specialist when I was four. They said, ‘She’s perfectly intelligent,’ and my mother said very snappily, ‘I realise that. I know she’s intelligent, she just can’t hear’.
 

'ONE OF THE BIGGEST problems was that deafness and stupidity were often linked together because a speech defect often accompanies the deafness. I’ve never had a speech defect but I still got called ‘Deaf Steph’ at school and because I often didn’t know people were talking to me I’d walk right past them and they assumed I was snooty. In my adult life I’ve always struggled with people sitting to my right at dinner parties as I can’t hear a word and I’ve had to avoid pop concerts or noisy clubs because of my lack of nerve endings. As for my future health, I fully intend to age naturally without cosmetic surgery and there’s nothing that can be done about my saggy neck, apart from a bulldog clip. I’m convinced mental and physical flexibility is the secret to staying young and yoga provides that for me. I’m also aware that you become what you eat so I’ll continue to steer clear of fizzy drinks and too much sugar or salt." - Daily Mirror Newspaper 2107
 

Saturday 28 July 2018

ON THE FACE OF IT MUCH WORST IS YET TO COME!



THE HAVING FUN promotional photograph of both actres sDONNA REED and CHRISTOPHER LEE at the Savoy Hotel, during a cock-tail party for the release of 'BEYOND MOMBASA' a film that Reed and Lee starred in, gives a little insight to how soon Christopher Lee's career and public persona would soon change forever and no one would dream of pulling his beard ever again!





EVERY POST THAT WE MAKE HERE is also posted and shared onto our FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE where fans and lovers of Peter Cushing life and work, debate and comment on the post. If you would like to join them along with 33,000 other friends and followers, simply CLICK HERE  and CLICK LIKE there! You will be most welcome!

Monday 21 August 2017

#MONSTERMONDAY! ANOTHER VINTAGE CUSHING AUTOGRAPH COMPETITION!


#GETTHECUSHIONITSCUSHINGSUNDAY! There were SO MANY entries last week when I did THE GHOUL autographed photograph prize... we had to have another go 🙂 THIS IS OPEN TO ANYONE . . GOOD LUCK EVERYONE. The DRAW will be SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 3rd 🙂 - Marcus


Peter Cushing as Major Holly and Bernard Cribbins as his foot man, Job in #Hammerfilms 'SHE' (1965)


Christopher Lee as Billali and John Richardson Leo, fight to the death
in #Hammerfilms 'SHE' (1965)


CUSHING'S MAJOR HOLLY inspects an ancient seal on a ring. Note how Cushing uses his left hand. For most of his adult life, the thumb of his left hand was missing a third of its nail! It wasn't unsightly, but PC did have a 'thing' about his hands and fingers when working. White gloves when smoking? See how often on screen, PC actually keeps this thumb away from the 'see-all' camera. It's thought that he started using his white smoking glove, just after making Hammer films, Dracula / Horror of Dracula in 1958. Next time you watch the film, take a look at the fingers on PC's left hand... clearly stained from tar while smoking . . .!


HERE IS ANOTHER photograph, this time in colour from the same photo session as the pic in our competition. It's interesting that Peter Cushing more often than  not, grew his own facial hair when playing a role that required that he wear a mustache or beard. This wasn't out of choice, but because he had a skin sensitivity to the glue or gum that was used by make up artists, to secure the hair! 


IF YOU LIKE what you see here at our website, you'll  love our daily themed posts at our PCAS FACEBOOK FAN PAGE.  Just click that blue LINK and click LIKE when you get there, and help us . . Keep The Memory Alive!. The Peter Cushing Appreciation Society website, facebook fan page and youtube channel are managed, edited and written by Marcus Brooks, PCAS coordinator since 1979. PCAS is based in the UK and USA      

Tuesday 25 July 2017

#MOREMONSTERMONDAY: ROGUE ONE COMES TO NETFLIX


#MONSTERMONDAY: If you didn't get the chance to catch #ROGUEONE at the flicks, but you do subscribe to #NETFLIX you might want to take a first, second or third (?) look at #ROGUEONE which has recently been added to their feature film menu! Like with the blu ray and the dvd, the #TARKIN CGI somehow looks a little smoother? If you get the time to watch. I'd love to hear your opinion on this... - Marcus







IF YOU LIKE what you see here at our website, you'll  love our daily themed posts at our PCAS FACEBOOK FAN PAGE.  Just click that blue LINK and click LIKE when you get there, and help us . . Keep The Memory Alive!. The Peter Cushing Appreciation Society website, facebook fan page and youtube channel are managed, edited and written by Marcus Brooks, PCAS coordinator since 1979. PCAS is based in the UK and USA   

Monday 5 December 2016

THE FACE IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR!


#GETTHECUSHIONITSCUSHING: Ralph Jason (Richard Greene) realises who the 'man' on the bike REALLY is! This GIF is from the 'Wish You Were Here' segment of Amicus 's Tales From The Crypt (1972). It's is a variation on W. W. Jacobs' famed old chestnut short story, "The Monkey's Paw."


TRIVIA: Peter Cushing was originally offered the part played by Richard Greene but wanted to play Grimsdyke instead!



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Friday 2 September 2016

THE CINEMATIC TECHNIQUES OF SLAPPING PEOPLE AROUND IN A HAMMER FILM


#TBT OUCH! THAT MUST HAVE STUNG, more than a little bit! For our second #THROWBACKTHURSDAY post today, we have dipped into the 1960's Hammer film and Cushing bag, to launch a series of interesting little sequences. The above GIF is from a scene in the 1960 Hammer films, 'CASH ON DEMAND' starring Peter Cushing as Bank manager Fordyce and Andre Morell playing Hepburn, a role he originated in a earlier television version of the story, written by Jacques Gillies, entitled 'The Gold Inside' in 1960, director Quentin Lawrence returned too....it is one of the few films, were Cushing plays a character that takes a body blow, such an event was rare. Which is ironic! If you were to lay out just a sample of some of the slaps, punches and 'nobblings' that Cushing has dealt out over his 92 film career, you would maybe think, that the above was quite justified. But, no one has ever done that. . . . .  until now!


Nope. We didn't crank up the speed on this GIF, that is how the Baron swiftly  handed poor ol Francis Matthews a super-speedy-five-finger-slayer in Hammer films, 'The Revenge of Frankenstein' in 1958. RATING: Impatiant but effective swift side swipe. 7 /10


AGAIN. it's the Baron's work in Hammer films, 'Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed'. It's eleven years later, but Frankenstein has kept his 'slapping-kit' in order and with assistant Simon Ward on the receiving end, falling away with some creative aftershock dramatics, you can see, Frankenstein still has what it takes. We have added a extra two points to the total score for this one, in regard of Cushing's well known and respected fore-finger agility. The blow is followed by a very nice, Cushing signature note, the pointing forefinger, at Veronica Carlson! 8/10 


AND FINALLY, the one that  is a lesson in true Cushing 'Slap-around-theology'. The TRIPLE BACK HAND FLIP TO FRONT FACE PLOUGHER!  Prof Julian Keeley played by Freddie Jones, does know what has hit him. Cushing's Van Helsing may have been a dab hand at dispensing with Count Dracula and his crowd, but he could also lay into the occasional crack pot too. Not only does Van Helsing give Keeley a right panning, but look at his face too, while he is swaying the slaps! His face expresses total commitment and...he's not a happy chappy at all. Prof Keeley is out of his box, and VH is giving a piece of his mind, and a triple slapping that earns him a glorious thigh slapping 10 /10   


STORIES OF PETER CUSHING'S  generosity to other performers and actors are legendary. Helping a new actor by some well timed words whispered before the camera rolled, the gentle suggestion, nod or kind word. It's great that he also shared and taught some of his slapping skills to fellow performers too . . .  and one pupil archived some wonderful results!


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Monday 30 September 2013

DOCTOR WHO: MAKING THE FACE FIT


We see that BBC Dr Who producer / writer Steven Moffat and his his predecessor Russell T Davies... in their quest to make sure that all things 'Who' continuity wise and within the vast story context of the tv series tie up nicely... have been busy coming up with a credible answer as to how the Twelfth Doctor's face has already popped up twice in the Who universe... That's quite a feat, some mental gymnastics. Just goes to prove, if you really want to, you can make anything fit. And yet, they still can't justify the existence of Peter Cushing as a canon Dr / Doctor.. Who? http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2013-09-30/doctor-who-steven-moffat-has-an-explanation-for-peter-capaldis-earlier-appearances
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