Farewell to a Horror Icon! Christopher Lee Passes.

Sad, sad news today, although it took nearly 4 days for it to reach us over here in the U.S., that Christopher Lee passed away at 93 on Sunday, June 7th. Here is a link to an article with more details.

For me personally, Lee was one of those actors who completely dominated any scene he was in. His regal bearing, his intensity of gaze, his expressive hands and fingers, and most of all that incredible voice, all worked together to make his every appearance riveting, even when he was still. And when he burst into action, it was electrifying, and often terrifying!

My first real memory of Lee was in his most famous role of Dracula, when I was about 11. The middle school I was attending used to show films in the auditorium on certain days, for an admission of 10 cents. The first one I attended was "Dracula Has Risen From the Grave," (which is still my favorite to this day), and what an impression it made on me! Of course, I had seen pictures of  Lee in monster magazines like FM, but seeing him on the big screen was a new experience and I was a lifelong fan.

In memoriam of the greatest horror actor who ever lived (who hated being known as such, but really did his best work there), who showed his class, talent and greatness in many ways and roles, here is a link to all the posts on this blog about him and his films. We will miss you, Sir Lee, and will always remember you!

1971 "House That Dripped Blood" article

"The House That Dripped Blood" was one of those films that I grew up wanting to see, but never did until recently when it came out on DVD. I loved all of the Amicus anthology films, like "Tales From The Crypt," "Asylum," "From Beyond The Grave," "The Vault Of Horror," and others. The images from the film in Famous Monsters and other magazines interested me, but above all that POSTER! What an image! It stuck in my brain over the years as one of the best and most horrific movie posters I had ever seen. From issue #86 of FM, published in September of 1971, comes this article on the film. The cover of the mag featured the poster in the only color version of it I had ever seen, and I think to this day it's one of my favorite FM covers. I have to say, however, that the Amicus anthology films had some of the best posters to come out of any studio.

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Bonus: From the same issue, a write-up on a horror fan lucky enough to be able to build his own home theater, a rare thing in those days. I can only imagine the fun he and his friends had over the years. UPDATE: Out of curiosity, I googled Wes Shank to see what he has been up to, and you can see for yourself at these links: "The Man Who Owns The Blob" article, another interview at Monsters411.com and his own website "The Blob Book" by the writer himself! Very cool!

Bonus: the back cover of the same issue, featuring the alluring and full-hipped Vampi. My 12 year-old self was turned on by the ads for Vampi in these mags, and I drew her several times. Wish I still had those drawings! I used to save everything I ever drew, but much of my artwork mysteriously disappeared over the years I was home. I think my mother used to throw them away if she didn't like the subject matter, which was most of the time.

1977 FM Article on Hammer's Dracula Films

From issue #133 of the venerable Famous Monsters magazine, (published April 1977) we find an awesome article on Hammer's Dracula films with Christopher Lee, with rare behind-the-scenes photos from several of the movies. First, the cover with a fantastic colorful painting of Robby...

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Robby was uncredited for having first invented the Vulcan hand salute.

And the anticipated fang-tastic feature itself...

Castle Of Frankenstein #2: The Many Faces Of Christopher Lee

From the second issue of the great monster mag, "Castle of Frankenstein," published in 1962, comes this photo-heavy feature on "The Many Faces Of Christopher Lee." I consider myself very lucky to have this issue!

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I'll be posting more from this issue is the near future!

1974 FM cover article on Christopher Lee

Welcome back! I've been so busy lately, that this blog kind of got neglected. But hopefully I can update it regularly for awhile now. Thanks for hanging around (like a vampire bat.)

From the March 1974 issue #105 of the beloved Famous Monsters, comes a 12 page article and interview with the Prince of Darkness himself, Chris Lee. We start with the awesome cover by the legendary Basil Gogos...

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and the article itself... enjoy!

Bonus: the Lee-as-Dracula cover from issue #84, which, oddly enough, does not feature anything significant about Lee inside; so I thought it would go nicely here. What a great photo, that made a striking cover!

1974 Article on Hammer's Mummy

From the first issue of "Movie Monsters," published in December of 1974, comes this review of Hammer studios 1959 version of "The Mummy." This is a movie I like, and watch at least once a year (during October, when I watch one horror movie an evening). The writer of the article has a somewhat lower opinion of the film, but it's still interesting reading. I enjoyed Christopher Lee's version, which was much scarier and dangerous than the old Universal mummy, where the intended victim could avoid it easily unless they froze in terror or it snuck up on them. I loved Hammer's re-interpretation of the classic monsters, and this film was no exception. Lee's towering form and great makeup, combined with his dynamic intensity made an unstoppable engine of death.

First, the cover of the mag... nice painting of the Cyclops!

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And, the article itself...

Bonus: Click the picture for a hi-rez image of another one of the Mummy posters!